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 Ingredients—Each Is Important!
This banana muffin recipe requires a handful of basics like flour, sugar, and milk. That’s what I love about baking—it’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. 🙂
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 you’ll 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. 🙂
- 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 425°F (218°C). 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 425°F, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 16–18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 21–23 minutes, give or take. (For mini muffins, bake 12–14 total minutes at 350°F (177°C).) 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: 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): 12-count Muffin Pan | Muffin Liners | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cooling Rack
- Why the initial high temperature? 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: You can use frozen bananas here. Thaw the frozen bananas. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe. See 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. 🙂
Reader Comments and Reviews
I googled banana muffin recipe and this was the first recipe to come up with a lot of good reviews so I went with it. These muffins turned out so good. It made exactly 12 muffins and they were a little crispy on top and so soft and fluffy in the center. I saved this recipe and will be making them again.
I was scared of this recipe because of the temperature change and thought it would be above my (very beginner) skill level. However, it was a very beginner friendly recipe and I just tried a muffin… holy crap these are good. I added 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips for a little something but I am confident they would’ve been good plain. SO good just wish it made more, should’ve doubled the recipe! 10/10
My kids really like these muffins. They do have a great spring to them. My regular sized muffins only needed to cook the 12 minutes. Maybe it was because I was using an aluminum cupcake tray.
The muffins turned out very well. I used 1/2 cup chocolate chips – which are plenty for “fairly-healthy” breakfast muffins. Frozen bananas are so easily used after thawing.
User error and they were still good! Sally, I had to tell you what I did. Made the muffins and thought they were good but not the best. Well I just went to use the microwave and found the 6 tbsp. of butter that I forgot to add!! So I’m guessing when I make them again and include butter, they will be outstanding (like all of your other recipes I’ve made)!!
Thanks,
Stacey
These are the best banana muffins I have ever made! I bought extra bananas because my son just had oral surgery and I thought they would be easy to eat when ripe. Which is true, but I should have bought some green. Anyway it worked out perfect to have extra ripe bananas to make these muffins. I made them mini so they would be easier for my son to bite, and used half coconut sugar and half brown sugar and they were plenty sweet. He loves them and already asked if I would make them again even if he wasn’t sore. Of course! I’m probably going to need to sooner than later because my husband is eating them like popcorn. Thank you so much for our new family favorite recipe!
I used Swerve brown sugar substitute instead of brown sugar (just because that was the only brown sugar I had) and they were just a tad less sweet than I would have thought, but still perfect fluffy texture and good flavor!
If making mini muffins, do you still bake at 425 before reducing heat to 350?
Hi Angie, For mini muffins, bake 12–14 total minutes at 350°F (177°C) the entire time.
So good! Added in pecans.
I will use this recipe forever
Absolutely amazing! I’m not much of a muffin fan — I find them either too dry or too stodgy — but my sister sent me a link to this recipe, saying TRY THESE!! I had all the ingredients, including 3 very ripe bananas, so gave them a whirl (following the recipe to the letter). WOW. The cinnamon & nutmeg give them an incredible flavour & they’re very moist but light instead of heavy & gummy. I agree with my sister: TRY THESE! My husband, who inhaled 2 before they’d even cooled, agrees.
Forgot to add: I tossed in a cup of chopped walnuts. The flavour really enhanced the banana, cinnamon & nutmeg, which had already elevated this recipe well beyond “just another” banana muffin.
So excited to try these!!! Thoughts on silicone pans? Do they work the same? Not an expert baker lol….
We don’t usually bake with silicone pans, but they should work fine here!
I found when I was about halfway through the recipe that I didn’t have any sugar in my house at all lol i ended up using molasses, and the muffins came out so good. They got 2 thumbs up from the 8 year old and an enthusiastic head nod and “YUMMY” from the 2 year old. This is a keeper!
Tried this recipe for the first time and it was a hit with my boys! Can they be made without the eggs?
Hi Fatima, we’re so glad they were a hit! We haven’t tested these muffins with any egg substitutes, but let us know if you do.
This is my second time making these muffins and my 2 year old daughter loves them! Now I buy bananas just for this recipe. 🙂
These are by far the best banana muffins I’ve ever made and I feel like I’ve tried 3 million recipes. I doubled the recipe and I followed some of the notes that were made by Sally in comments. I didn’t have the equivalent of probably one banana to make the full 3 Cups (doubled amount) so I used apple sauce. I did half brown sugar and half coconut sugar. The only thing I omitted was nutmeg because I’m not a fan of it. I added a lot of smashed up walnuts and mini chocolate chips. I packed the batter into two 12 count muffin tins super high and followed the instructions for high heat then reduced. My family is freaking out over how fabulous these are. I’m SO glad I doubled the batch. This will be our new “go to” – Thank you, Sally!
Made these and they are fabulous so delicious and moist even a couple of days after
can i add blueberries to these? i’ve read your blueberry-banana muffin recipe but i’d like to use this one as a base. 🙂
Hi Rachel, You certainly could add a cup of blueberries to the batter with no other changes. Enjoy!
On a whim i added a cup of craisins instead of the nuts… so yummy
Made these this afternoon half othem vanished before they had a cance to cool down. So definitely a hit ,snaged 2 for later and took the rest to my daughters, they disappeared pretty fast there too.
Loved how easy the recipe was. Definitely on the make more next time list.
Wooow the muffins are so tasty, my bananas were well ripe so I only added 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and they’re perfect.
AMAZING, like all your recipes! This muffin is exactly what I was looking for, quick, easy, and delicious. Grandkids will love them!
Delicious! I used self raising flour and ditched the raising agents, and used 2 medium eggs, the results were spongy and moist!
Hi Sally! Can I make this into jumbo size muffins?
Hi Rose, absolutely. You can use the baking times and instructions from these jumbo blueberry muffins as a guide.
How would the baking time differ for jumbo muffins?
Hi Vivian, you can use the baking times and instructions from these jumbo blueberry muffins as a guide.
I made these muffins and they were delicious! I used pecans. The muffins were so moist and the nut meg gave it an authentic taste.
Can I make this if I only have 2 bananas?
Hi Gloria, it depends on the size of your bananas. If you have applesauce, you can use any combination of mashed bananas and applesauce to yield 1 and 1/2 cups. Or you can also simply cut the recipe in half if you don’t have enough bananas.
Absolutely
It’s easy and fast and the outcome is beautiful.The cinnamon gives that flavor and the nuts brings the muffin out.
5 Stars.
I just made these per the instructions with the coconut sugar instead of the brown sugar…. Delish!!! I also added dark chocolate… My partner said these are the best banana muffins I have made so far!!! Thank you Sally!!! These will definitely be in my rotation.
So glad you love these muffins, Sugar! Thanks for giving this recipe a try.
One time my daughter forgot the sugar, they were still delicious! Just more savory! Perfect for a sugar free muffin too !!!
I actually forgot the sugar in the recipe by accident, but added a streusel topping from another recipe (amounting to way less sugar), and my kids loved them! They even commented on how soft the crumb was. I personally hate nutmeg so I always leave that out of my baking. I would definitely make these again, and hopefully next time I will do a better job reading 🙂
First time trying this recipe. Consistency was good. Muffins were soft and moist. However, next time, I will not add the cinnamon and nutmeg. The spices overpower the bananas. And I’m not sure if it’s the spices or the baking soda that leaves an aftertaste.
I agree with Maria– the spices added an odd aftertaste that I didn’t care for and move the recipe more towards “Banana Spice Muffins.” Otherwise, the recipe is quite good and makes exactly one dozen muffins.
Can I use oat flour instead of all purpose flour? Thank you
Hi Natalia, 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!
The recipe was wonderful! Could I substitute the milk for buttermilk for extra moistness?
Hi Joanne, You can use buttermilk without any other changes – use the same amount (2 Tablespoons (30ml).
I didn’t have brown sugar, so I used the same amount of white sugar. I didn’t have molasses to add to it, so I used ~2 tablespoons of dark maple syrup instead. It was a gamble.
It turned out really great! So if anyone doesn’t have brown sugar or molasses, try some maple syrup. The 2tbsp didn’t add a strong maple flavor or smell, and once they cooled most people couldn’t tell unless I mentioned it.
I’ll have to try it with brown sugar, as that’s how it’s written, but this did work and seems to be the same structurally.
So for the actual recipe and process, I think it’s 5/5! Just adding this as a useful tip if anyone needs to wonder if maple syrup might work!