These banana muffins are soft, buttery, and spiced with cinnamon. They’re wonderful plain, with chopped walnuts, or even chocolate chips. You need 3 large ripe bananas and a few basic kitchen ingredients to get started.
Banana bread is wonderful, but muffins are quicker, more convenient, easily portable, and taste just as good. I’ve been searching for the perfect EASY banana muffin recipe since my daughter began eating solids. We always have bananas in the house which means we eventually have spotty bananas ready for baking!
These quick and easy banana muffins bake in 30 minutes, so if you need to be in and out of the kitchen FAST (um, don’t we all?), this recipe is your savior.
Banana Muffin IngredientsโEach Is Important!
This banana muffin recipe requires a handful of basics like flour, sugar, and milk. That’s what I love about bakingโit’s the same base ingredients for basically everything.
- Flour: I tested the recipe with both all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour and LOVED both variations. See recipe Note below.
- Melted Butter: We’ll use melted butter as the fat, though melted coconut oil works too. I love using melted butter in baked goods, and though I was afraid these banana muffins would taste too dense without creaming softened butter (which incorporates air), that’s not the case at all.
- Bananas, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg: The flavor team.
- Egg: 1 egg gives the muffins structure.
- Milk: A common ingredient in some muffin recipes including pumpkin muffins, milk provides necessary moisture. Dry muffins… the worst.
- Sugar: Sweetens. When I make these for my daughter, I use half brown sugar and half coconut sugar. You can use all brown sugar, all coconut sugar, or a mixture of the two. Keep in mind that coconut sugar isn’t quite as sweet as brown sugar, so the flavor will change. See my recipe Note. ๐
Do these banana muffins taste like banana bread? Yes, totally! But they have a lighter, softer, and more buttery texture. You’ll love it.
How to Make Banana Muffins Moist
There’s a fine line between a moist banana muffin and a dry banana muffin, aka sandpaper in a cupcake wrapper. To make banana muffins moist, make sure you’re using a solid ratio of dry to wet ingredients. I found the muffins to be dry without the addition of liquid, but a couple Tablespoons of milk solved the problem. Use a little fat (butter), brown sugar, and plenty of bananas for lots of moisture and flavor.
How to Mash Bananas
So I started doing this last year and it’s been a total game changer whenever I make banana cake, these breakfast cookies, banana bread, or chocolate banana bread. Just use your mixer to mash bananas! Peel and break them into chunks, place in your mixer, and beat until mashed. Beat the rest of the wet ingredients right into this bowl, then beat in the dry ingredients. So easy.
Can I Use Frozen Bananas?
Yes and I do this often. Thaw the frozen bananas at room temperature. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe below. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking. Try not to mash too much or else youโll be left with 2 cups of banana-y liquid; some chunks are great.
This banana muffin recipe is perfect if you:
- Have 3 large spotty bananas
- Love banana bread
- Need a quick homemade breakfast, snack, etc.
- Don’t feel like creaming butter and sugar together
- Don’t feel like dirtying 100 pans
And, to turn these into a scrumptious treat, you could dip the tops of the cooled muffins into chocolate ganache and add sprinkles. (Affiliate link: I love these naturally colored sprinkles.) You can also add the streusel topping from these banana chocolate chip streusel muffins.
More Muffin Recipes
These easy banana muffins have been my default for awhile, though I usually switch between these and a couple other muffin recipes previously published. I consider these muffins on the healthier side and they’re each toddler & adult approved. ๐
- Baby Apple Oat Muffins
- Bran Muffins
- Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins (these include oats)
- Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Healthy Apple Muffins & Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Morning Glory Muffins
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Zucchini Muffins
- Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
- Healthy Blueberry Banana Muffins
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Would love to know if you try any of them!
Print
Quick & Easy Banana Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 muffins
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These banana muffins are soft, buttery, and spiced with cinnamon. They’re wonderful plain, but taste fantastic with 1 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips. You need 3 ripe bananas and a handful of basic kitchen ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 4 medium or 3 large ripe bananas)
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted (or melted coconut oil)
- 2/3 cup (135g) packed light or dark brown sugar (or coconut sugar)*
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk*
- optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ยฐF (218ยฐC). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use cupcake liners.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, mash the bananas. On medium speed, beat or whisk in the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and milk. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then beat or whisk until combined. If adding nuts or chocolate chips, fold them in now. Batter will be thick.
- Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top. Bake for 5 minutes at 425ยฐF, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Bake for an additional 16โ18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 21โ23 minutes, give or take. (For mini muffins, bake 12โ14 total minutes at 350ยฐF (177ยฐC).) Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to continue cooling.
- Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions:ย For longer storage, freeze muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm up in the microwave if desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links):ย 12-count Muffin Pan | Muffin Liners | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cooling Rack
- Why the initial high temperature?ย The hot burst of air will spring up the top of the muffin quickly, then the inside of the muffin can bake for the remainder of the time. This helps the muffins rise nice and tall.
- Whole Wheat Flour: Feel free to substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour or use a mix of both as long as you use 1 and 1/2 cups total. If using all whole wheat flour, add another Tablespoon (15ml) of milk.
- Frozen Bananas:ย You can use frozen bananas here. Thaw the frozen bananas. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe. Seeย How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking.
- Sugar: You can use 2/3 cup of packed brown sugar or coconut sugar. Or a mixture of these to yield 2/3 cup. If using 2/3 cup coconut sugar, the muffins won’t be as sweet. I find they taste best with 2/3 cup brown sugar or 1/3 cup of each. 2/3 cup of honey or pure maple syrup works too, though the muffins will taste a little more moist in the centers. I’m unsure about sugar substitutes, but let me know if you try any.
- Milk: Use your favorite variety of dairy or nondairy milk.
- Banana Bread: Here’s my favorite banana bread recipe. ๐
Reader Comments and Reviews
Excellent recipe!
Banana muffins were lovely. Do you have a Banana Bread recipe?
Thanks
Hi Jennifer, Here is our favorite Banana Bread.
They came out perfectly! Absolutely delicious
Is there anything you can recommend to swap out the butter? Such as canola oil? (Out of butter and trying to avoid the store.
Love this recipe, my kids devour these every time I make it.
Hi Allison, you could use oil here, but you’ll miss the buttery flavor!
I reduced the brown sugar to half a cup and added a quarter cup of chopped walnuts; the recipe came out perfectly, yielding 24 mini-muffins at 90 calories each.
5/5 stars!
Absolutely delicious!!! I halved the sugar b/c bananas are quite sweet — and they muffins came out tall, moist, and flavorful. Thank you for putting the amounts into grams — made it really easy to half the recipe and do a small batch for me and my husband!
This recipe has taken the place of my motherโs muffin recipe.
Moist and perfect, thank you!
Iโm absolute noob to baking. Did this recipe step by step but changed out the brown sugar with Swerve brown sugar and they turned out absolutely incredible. Bookmarked this page. So good.
Just tried these.
Muffins turned out amazing. Moist, buttery, easy and quick recipe. I followed the recipe exactly how it is.
However, in my opinion and taste, cinnamon and nutmeg in banana muffins (or bread) have no business there. I ate one, texture was amazing, but will not eat the rest. Not good. It was like a confused taste between a simple good banana muffin and fall baking stuff. I was already skeptical but I tried it cuz I wanted to be surprised in case it was not what I thought it would be. But no, I didn’t like it.
I will make them again without those.
We make your banana muffins weekly now. We love the taste and an easy recipe to follow. I like that your recipe requires โpure vanillaโ as this is the best ingredient for these muffins. I make my own Vanilla extract with Madagascar Vanilla Beans and Captain Morgan Coconut Rum extracting for a year. All of your ingredients plus cooking times are perfect. I love baking and your recipe is MY favorite.
I am trying this recipe for the first time but based on the comments should be delicious. I would like to make them in a mini-muffin tin so they are enjoyed in little kid lunches. How would you suggest I alter the baking temp and time? TIA
Hi Nancy, for mini muffins, bake 12โ14 total minutes at 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Hope they’re a hit!
what is the nutrition info?
Hi Becky, We donโt usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Great recipe – have made several times now and they really are delicious. I will note that I (like other) have experienced the cook time described as being too long. For me I have found baking on convection at 215ยฐC for 5min. and then lowering to 175ยฐC for an additional 10min. is enough and they are completely cooked. For me 15minutes total and they are done !
I tried this recipe and it came out great. My kids loved them. I did use Truvia Sweet Complete brown sugar for zero added calories instead of regular brown sugar. They still tasted great.
This is a great and versatile recipe – thank you! I subbed GF flour (Wegmans brand 1:1) and apple sauce instead of butter/coconut oil and they turned out just as tasty as the original recipe. Chocolate chips were a great addition too!
Hi, can these be frozen? If so, how would you defrost to eat?
Hi Jayna, yes, you can freeze muffins! Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm up in the microwave if desired.
I just made them. Only had 2 medium size bananas so I cut the recipe in half (except for the egg). I also had no cupcake liners so I wiped 6 cups with Crisco.
They came out perfect.
Thank you.
I’ve been making your muffins for years now and they are always fantastic! I do switch up the spice combo and the stir in options but they always come out great! Ive used flavored coffee creamer in a pimch when out of milk, sprinkled the tops wtih crystal sugar for extra crunch and have even ised pumpkin pie spice when missing something! It’s hard to mess these up in my experience. They always come out fluffy imside with just the right amount of crust on top! If you have an older oven i reccomend a thermostate on the inside. Always keep am eye on your receipt when cooking for the 1st few times and take into account your ovens personality. Thanks so much.
I too followed the recipe and cooked muffins for 5 minutes at 425 (shown on oven thermometer ) and then lowered the temperature to 350 degrees. Cooked for additional 20 minutes and muffins are overcooked:) I bake frequently and this has never happened
Hi Carol, the total bake time, including the initial 5 minutes at a higher temperature, is 21-23 minutes. It sounds like you baked for 25 minutes, and that could account for the muffins being overdone.
Can I use almond milk in place of whole milk?
Hi Robin, yes, that’s fine. Enjoy!
I love banana bread and make it pretty frequently – this is one of the best recipes I have ever used. They came out closer to cake, and are so moist and delicious. Itโs crazy. I think itโs the nutmeg and cinnamon that gives an extra depth of flavor. These are SO good!! Cannot recommend enough. I used salted butter and made them in mini bundt pans so not exactly what the recipe says. Iโve already sent the link to this page to friends and family. THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE
I love this recipe! Can you add the KCAL information please?
Hi Amy, We donโt usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Have been baking many years, and I must say this is the best banana muffins recipe Iโve ever used. My husband liked them and went to the store to buy more bananas so they could ripen enough for the next batch. These muffins are so tasty and moist. Your recipe deserves the five-star rating.
If they donโt turn out, the muffin holders are too big or too small or the mashed bananas werenโt pre-measured. But if you follow this recipe exactly, youโll soon be enjoying the best banana muffins in the world.
Great recipe! They always come out great – fluffy and moist.
Curious if you can sub regular flour for oat flour?
Hi Ciara, oat flour will give you different results than all-purpose flour. If you need a gluten-free option, we’d recommend trying an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend that’s specifically developed for baking, such as King Arthur Measure for Measure, Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1, or Cup4Cup. Hope this helps!
Cooked at 425 for 5 min then dropped to 350. 4 mins didnโt even pass before i smelt burnt muffins. Now I haveraw batter on the inside and burnt on the outside. Fantastic
I just made made these, adding about a half a cup walnuts and probably a quarter cup of chocolate chips that I had left over, and baked as directed in stand alone paper and foil liners, they are delicious!
Absolutely fabulous! Thank you for sharing this.
These melt in your mouth and are so wonderful. Thank you for a fabulous recipe.
Do you know how many mini muffins one recipe will make? Thanks!
Hi Laurie, we’re unsure of the yield for mini muffins. Let us know if you try!
I live in Indonesia, and a lot of ingredients commonly found in the global North are either hard to come by or ridiculously expensive, or both. I’ve been collecting baking recipes that don’t call for butter and still taste amazing. I’ve been making your double chocolate muffins for quite some time and decided to shake things up with this recipe today. I used white sugar and coconut oil. OMG, unbelievably delicious! Just be mindful, they melt in your mouth, and you may eat one (or two) more than expected.