These chocolate banana muffins are a brilliant way to use up those overripe bananas sitting in your fruit bowl. I find they’re perfect for a quick breakfast or afternoon cuppa, combining the deep richness of cocoa with sweet, moist banana.

The great thing about these muffins is how simple they are. They come together in just one bowl (plus another for the dry ingredients), and you’ll likely have most of what you need already in your cupboard. No fancy equipment required, just a good mixing bowl and a wooden spoon will do the trick nicely.

What I particularly like about this recipe is how the bananas bring natural sweetness and moisture, meaning you need less sugar and oil than in standard chocolate muffins. The riper your bananas, the sweeter and more flavourful your muffins will be. Those brown speckled ones that nobody wants to eat are absolutely perfect for baking.

The texture is what makes these special. They’re light but moist with a tender crumb, not dense or heavy like some banana bakes can be. The cocoa gives them a nice chocolate flavour without being overly sweet.

These keep well in an airtight container for a few days, though they rarely last that long in our house. You can warm them slightly before eating if you want the chocolate taste to come through a bit stronger.

They’re really versatile too. Sometimes I add a handful of chocolate chips or chopped walnuts to the mix for extra texture. They also freeze quite well, so you can make a batch and have them on hand whenever the notion takes you.