Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prepare Your Kitchen & Brown the Butter
- First, preheat your oven to 425F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it exceptionally well.
- Next, melt the 1/3 cup of butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Watch it closely; it will foam, then the milk solids will begin to brown and settle at the bottom. Swirl it occasionally until it turns a rich amber color and smells wonderfully nutty.
- Immediately pour the browned butter into a separate small bowl to stop the cooking process and let it cool slightly while you prepare the other ingredients.
Combine Dry Ingredients
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine your all purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine these ingredients, ensuring leavening agents are evenly distributed.
Prepare Wet Ingredients
- In a large bowl, mash your three ripe bananas until they are mostly smooth (a few small lumps are fine).
- To the mashed banana, add the large egg, the slightly cooled browned butter, the vanilla extract, and the crucial 1/4 cup of sour cream or Greek yogurt. Mix these wet ingredients together with a spatula until they are just combined, avoiding overmixing.
Combine Wet & Dry, Add Chocolate Chips
- Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, gently fold everything together until the batter is just combined, with only a few streaks of flour remaining. Avoid overmixing.
- Once the flour is nearly incorporated, fold in the cup of semisweet chocolate chips until they are just distributed throughout the batter. Do not stir vigorously.
Fill Muffin Cups & Top
- Evenly distribute the batter among the 12 prepared muffin cups. For an extra bakery-style touch, gently press a few additional chocolate chips onto the tops of each muffin.
Bake with Two-Stage Heat
- Carefully place the muffin tin into your preheated 425F oven. Bake for exactly 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 375F (without opening the oven door if possible). Continue baking for another 12-15 minutes.
- The muffins are done when their tops are golden-brown and domed, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with no wet batter. Check at the earlier end of the baking time.
Cool Properly
- Once baked, remove the muffin tin from the oven. Let the muffins cool in the tin for just 5 minutes.
- Then, carefully transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely, which prevents the bottoms from becoming soggy.
Nutrition
Notes
For perfectly moist muffins, use very ripe bananas and avoid overmixing. The two-stage baking temperature ensures sky-high tops. Store in an airtight container for 5-7 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.