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, or 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!
PrintQuick & 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. 🙂
Thank you for sharing. Nicest muffins I’ve made. I used gluten free flour (same measurements) and sunflower seeds instead of nuts because of allergies.
Perfect
Delicious and so easy! I love recipes that I can make at the spur of the moment because it uses what I call “everyday” ingredients. Thanks for sharing.
Can I use water instead of milk? Don’t have any milk left in my fridge and really don’t want to leave the house 🙂
Hi Carol! So sorry for the late reply. Milk is really best, but because it’s such a small amount in this recipe, you may be able to get away without noticing much of a difference. The texture may change slightly. Let us know if you try it!
I’ve made these a few times, following the recipe as is, each time they come out amazingly moist and delicious. My family and I LOVE this banana muffin recipe. Thank you!!
I don’t have a mixer so wondering if I can use a nutribullet to blend everything together or am I better of mashing/mixing by hand?
Hi JB! We recommend mixing by hand instead. Enjoy!
Delicious. Used 1/2 cup nuts folded in with about 1/2 cup blueberries into the batter for the 2nd time making at suggestion of my 6 yr old who loves to bake with me. Good the way they are as well as with the nuts and blueberries. Let them cool on a rack and then put them in a big ziplock for later. Yummy reheated too.
These came out better than I expected! The texture is perfect and held together well. I also enjoy the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg.
This is probably one of the best recipes I’ve ever used they’re moist every time they rise perfectly in the muffin tins and it makes 12 beautiful muffins so delicious so moist my family goes crazy every time foolproof recipe works out every time
Thank you for the recipe. This is the best banana muffin recipe . So delicious and I love it.
Love love love this recipe! Best banana muffin recipe. I used 3 banana blended + 1/2 banana chunk. And I used 1/3 brown sugar only. Came out so soft and delicious. It was perfectly sweet since the banana was super ripe as well.
I used half all purpose flour and half whole wheat flour, fresh grated nutmeg and Penzeys cinnamon, and added a cup of chopped pecans. They’re perfect! (I love the trick of baking them at high heat for five minutes. I always wondered before why my muffins didn’t have fluffy big tops like the ones from bakeries, and that heat burst is the secret!)
LOVE ALL YOUR recipes I have always wondered that when you call for unsalted butter, it can be exchanged for salted! I never seem to have unsalted on hand when I need it!
Thanks for all your great recipes. ( am 84 yrs old so have been baking since a teen, but always looking for something new). Thanks.
Delicious. I added hemp hearts instead of nuts. I will definitely make these again.
Just made them so soft, melt in mouth just perfect. Maybe next time fill tins a little less. Baking at 425 for 5 min works for a beautiful crown. Love them. Roseanne in Phoenix
I love your muffin recipe. This is like my thousandth time using it, and again they are amazing. My family and I thank you greatly for sharing this recipe.
Loved the tip of beating bananas. I swapped in some Gluten free all purpose flour & maple syrup instead of sugar. Great for using up my bananas & eggs. So light & fluffy & yum!
Does anyone know how many calories or carbs in this recipe?
Hi Paula! We don’t 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://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp
The flavor is amazing. The recipe says it can make mini muffins, but then you still have batter left for at least 6 regular size muffins. The temp and timing for the larger muffins is just silly. I cooked them in the 350 degree oven for a little (5+ minutes) longer; they came out fine.
Forgot to leave a rating!
5 stars!
Made the banana muffins for the second time. They are so delicious! I substituted 4oz. of cinnamon applesauce and 2 T. of canola oil for the melted butter. I baked them in the convection mode for 5 minutes at 425, then at 350 for 10 minutes, cooling for the 5 minutes. After that we ate 2 each for breakfast!
Thank you Sally!
So delicious! I just made them. I used 1c while wheat flour and 1/2c all purpose flour, 1/2C brown sugar, they turned out great! Thank you for sharing the receipe
The very best banana muffin recipe! Don’t even waste your time looking for another recipe… This one is IT! I’ve been using this recipe for a little bit over a year. These are both my toddler and my husband’s favorite muffin. The only modification I’ve ever made is to use some applesauce if I was short on ripe bananas. They are perfect!
Amazing! Kids ask for this everytime! They love your recipe! Followed all steps. Great result! Love it!!
These were delicious! I used 1c while wheat flour and 1/2c all purpose flour, 1/3C brown sugar and 1/3c stevia and they turned out great!
HEAVENLY GOOD.
These are the softest muffins I have ever baked (and I bake A LOT).
I followed the recipe by grams to make sure I had the right measurements of ingredients.
One thing I altered, instead of using butter I used grapeseed oil. I find grapeseed oil the best out of all fats and oils to achieve maximum softness in cakes. They were amazing. Thank you so much Sally’s baking addiction! I have loved all the recipes taken from your website.
I have been making these muffins since almost a year now and I cant stop. Five stars aren’t enough.
Delicious, as usual! I don’t think I’ve ever made anything from this site that hasn’t been great. I used 1C whole wheat flour and the rest AP, added a sprinkling of ground cloves and maybe a 1/4-1/2 tsp of cardamom (not much of a measurer), and 70% dark chocolate chips. They turned out great!
My go to recipe..love these and so does the 2yo. I’ve made these with blueberries, no sugar, full sugar and maybe 2 Tbsp. All taste good and are so easy to whip up.
These are great. You can make them vegan by substituting the egg with chia. Sift a tablespoon of ground chia into the flour and add an additional 3 tablespoons of water to the wet ingredients.
Crispy on the top nicely done on the inside. Not too difficult to make at the cottage. Scrumptious!