Easy Banana Waffles With Chocolate Chips

These Banana Waffles With Chocolate Chips taste like banana bread met up with a waffle. They cook up crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy in the center, and come together in about 25 minutes using simple pantry ingredients.

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These Banana waffles with Chocolate Chips are one of those breakfast dishes that make you feel like a kid before you even take a bite. The waffle iron gives you golden, crunchy edges, while the inside stays tender and banana bread-like thanks to mashed banana, brown sugar, and warm spices. It's like Grandma looked into your brain and said you can have whatever you want!

I added mini chocolate chips because The Boy grew up loving the chocolate chips his grandmother always folded into her banana bread, and honestly, waffles are the perfect place for that kind of nostalgia. Topped with whipped cream and a few extra chocolate chips, these waffles lean into the idea that sometimes breakfast should just be fun.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Crispy And Fluffy - The waffle iron creates a crisp exterior while the inside stays soft like classic banana bread.
• Banana Bread Vibes - One ripe banana gives these waffles that familiar banana bread flavor without making them dense or gummy.
• Chocolate Chip Nostalgia - Mini chocolate chips melt into every bite, inspired by my husband's Grandma's banana bread with chocolate chips. I stopped at the maraschino cherries that she added because I have standards.
• Quick And Easy - The batter comes together in one bowl and cooks fast, making this an easy breakfast.
• Fun Factor - Waffles already feel celebratory, and adding whipped cream makes them even better.

If you want banana bread with crisp edges, melty chocolate chips, and a fun waffle twist, this banana waffles recipe is the answer. My whole family quickly named these the favorite of all my waffle recipes.

Ingredients & Substitutions

The photo below shows everything you need to make this recipe. Let's go over the key ingredients and easy swaps if needed. (p.s. I included two bananas in the ingredient shot and then in subsequent test testing removed one banana but forgot to take a new picture. Ignore the second banana.)

• All Purpose Flour - You can replace ½ cup of flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier waffle.
• Banana - Choose overripe bananas with brown spots for the best flavor. If using a thawed frozen banana, there's no need to drain off the liquid. It was part of the original banana.
• Milk - I prefer whole milk, but any milk works here, including dairy-free options like oat or almond milk. Buttermilk would be delicious!
• Brown Sugar - Light or dark brown sugar both work. Dark brown sugar will give a deeper flavor. You can use White granulated sugar, but it won't give that deep banana bread flavor.
• Mini Chocolate Chips - Regular chocolate chips work, but minis distribute more evenly throughout the waffles. You could also leave them out, like I left out the maraschino cherries. Your banana bread waffles, your standards.
• Butter - Melted butter adds richness, but any vegetable or coconut oil will work fine.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Variations

Here are a few ways to make these homemade banana waffles even better:

• Plain Banana Waffles - Skip the chocolate chips for a more traditional banana waffle.
• Nuts for Banana Waffles - Add toasted and chopped walnuts or pecans along with the chocolate chips.
• Cinnamon Sugar Banana Waffles - Increase the cinnamon slightly and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the waffles while hot.
• Peanut Butter Banana Waffles - Serve with a drizzle of warmed peanut butter instead of whipped cream.
• Chocolate Banana Waffles - Replace 2 tablespoons of the flour with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder for a chocolate base. Drizzle with warm nutella for even more chocolate flavor!
• Pancakes - Listen, if you don't have a waffle iron but you still want banana flavor, why not add a little bit more milk until you get a good pancake scooping consistency? Same great flavor in a flippable form.

Quick Recipe Video

Step-by-Step Instructions

This banana waffle recipe comes together quickly, and the process is super simple. Follow along with the steps and the process photos to see exactly what the batter should look like at each stage.

Step 1: Start by mashing your banana. I like to mash it on a cutting board so my fork isn't clanking around in the bowl like a cowbell. After it's mashed to your liking, transfer it into a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: To the mashed banana, add your brown sugar, egg, melted and cooled butter, yogurt, and your milk. Whisk thoroughly. Some lumps of banana are fine.

Step 3: In another small bowl mix together all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix halfway.

Step 5: Add in the chocolate chips and mix the batter just until the last of the dry ingredients disappears. Allow to rest for 15 minutes while you preheat your oven to 200°F and preheat your waffle maker to the medium setting.

Step 6: Scoop your waffle batter into the waffle iron and cook for about five minutes, or according to your machine's instructions.

Finish: Remove the cooked waffles and place in a single layer on a wire rack placed into a baking sheet and pop them in a 200° oven while you make the rest of the waffles. After removing them from the oven, I like to sprinkle them with more chocolate chips (because more chocolate is better).

Top with your favorite toppings or serve simply with maple syrup or with whipped cream and more mini chocolate chips.

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