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. 🙂
Turned out great, used mostly whole wheat flour and subbed a third of the brown sugar for monk fruit sweetener and they turned out great, fluffy and light, kids loved them, thanks
I made it again after along time. This time I have e nutmeg.
They are really easy and delicious, thank you!
These are the best banana muffins recipe its very moist, going bake these for my son’s birthday. I used coconut oil and mixed half coconut sugar with half brown sugar.
X2 batch made the perfect amount for my Wilton mini muffin/cupcake pan! Needed a fool proof recipe after a few recent fails and this was such a success! Glad I made a large batch of minis so I could freeze some!
Just remade the recipe using 15 bananas making it about a 5 times batch–they came out perfectly! Again!
Family is enjoying these muffins, I will definitely make them again. Thank you for a delicious, quick and easy recipe.
Just pulled them out of the oven, ate one warm with a big gob of butter on it. Absolutely delicious. Followed recipe to the letter except I only had half and half no milk and no nutmeg I added a pinch of clove. They are moist, rich, airy and a recipe I will return to again.
great recipe! Just wondering how many calories are in 1 muffin? thanks
Hi Savanna, 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://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Excellent! Perfect and very easy, added pecans.
I’ve tried quite a few recipes and this one is both healthy and delicious!
My family and I love these muffins with 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips. Delicious recipe and super easy.
The batter seemed a bit too thick, so I added some more milk.
They look great! Too hot to taste them thou
Made these today and they came out wonderfully! Perfect for my morning tea!
These weren’t moist at all, horribly dry, and didn’t carry the banana bread flavor whatsoever. I used 1.4 cups of regular flour and .1 cup of whole wheat thinking if they are easily substituted for each other in the recipe that this slight mix wouldn’t harm anything. I’m thinking it may have completely thrown the flavor and if using wheat to double all the spices and add a banana. I actually undercooked them in my dark muffin tray by 3 minutes at 350, and they still came out like sandpaper. If I try again, I’m not doing the 5 minutes at 425. Totally disappointed with these and threw them all out.
Used four bananas instead of 3 and muffins didn’t cook nicely, way too soft and they sunk massively (they didn’t stay as big and puffy as they looked in first five minutes). This receipe is also too sweet, definitely half the sugar will be fine… otherwise I will try again with less banana and see if it cooks better.
Hi Amii, it sounds like you may have used too much banana in this recipe (you need about 1 and 1/2 cups mashed) which caused them to be too soft and sink. For next time, try to stick to 1 and 1/2 cups of banana and that should help! Thanks for giving these muffins a try.
These muffins wonderful, so nice and fluffy, I actually just realized that I used white sugar instead of brown, but they were perfect!!
The muffins were perfect, thank you for the recipe.
My first time trying this recipe and my muffins came out wonderful. I added a bit of pumpkin spice to mine just to be a little festive and they tasted so good. My family loved them.
OK – to be honest, I haven’t tasted them yet, but just from the smell in my kitchen I think these are going to be lovely! They were so simple – I had a couple of bananas that were past their prime, and one in the freezer – perfect for this recipe 🙂 The baking at high temp to get the tops to rise made the prettiest muffins I’ve ever baked, as well! Hoping my husband enjoys this treat – I added 1/2c walnuts and 1/2c white chocolate chips since those are his favorite 🙂
AMAZAING!!! I recently started baking with my kiddos. (5y/o & 2y/o)
let me tell you this was a very easy to do recipe! and the muffins came out DELICIOUS!! I was impressed with myself that I was able to do it and they came out soooooo good!! thank you for sharing your recipe! I will definitely saving this and make them again!!
Great recipe. Muffins came out soft and fluffy. Used greek yougurt instead of the milk and only used coconut sugar. Will be saving this recipe.
For a little less sweetness I just did 1/3 a cup of brown sugar. Then for some holiday cheer, I did Trader Joe’s Egg Nog instead of milk. I also added a bit of clove, ginger, allspice, and cardamom. Baked them in mini bread pans instead of a cupcake pan. Definitely took a longer bake time to get a knife to come out clean when poked. About 35 minutes in total (5 at 425 and 30 at 350). So moist and fluffy. Tastes like a spiced holiday bread. I’m here for it!! Great recipe! 11/10
Forgot egg but sill delicious!
These were way too dense and gummy. Not that good, sorry.
Made these Easy Banana Muffins and my husband loved them so much; he wants more!!! I did not have enough pecans so I added pecans and cashews. Though I did not baked the muffins at the 425 for five minutes and then 350 they still came out great. Next time I will bake at the 425 for five minutes as directed. I am pretty sure that I baked them at 375 for 20 minutes. Great flavor and moist. I baked 12 yesterday and today only have two left.
I just made these and I followed the recipe exactly. I added chocolate chips, and after pulling them out of the oven, they looked completely burnt. But they don’t seem burnt otherwise; they smell, taste, and feel fine. Not sure what happened. They’re a really really deep brown that I wouldn’t blame on spices or anything. I might make again and see if it’s any different. I thought they tasted okay, but someone in the family tried it and threw it away, so not really sure what I think about this recipe.
My chocolate chip come out darker than my banana nut ones too. They still taste amazing, and that’s how my husband and girls tell them apart. 🙂
I also took these out of the oven sooner because they were getting too dark on top. Followed the directions exactly
Just made these for the first time and it’s safe to say they will be a staple going forward! So moist, great flavor and super easy with not a ton of cleanup! Thanks for a great recipe
Delicious! Moist and fluffy, far better than banana bread. I added chocolate chips, sliced almonds and a dollop of peanut butter in the middleS
Delicious! My grandkids loved them! Thank you so much.
Absolutely AMAZING. These are the best banana muffins…soft, moist, flavoursome, smell divine, need I say more. I made the mini muffin version…bountiful banana bites….jeeez!!!
These are absolutely the best banana muffins I have ever had!! Saved this recipe for the future. Thank you!
Really yummy muffins. I did have to make a few adjustments because my pantry was lacking a few things that day. I had to use a mix of brown and white sugar as I didn’t have enough. I used rice bran oil instead of butter and I used coconut milk. I also added the chocolate chips. They turned out very light and fluffy with a beautiful flavour. I’ll definitely make again but I’ll reduce the sugar next time as they were quite sweet for my taste. Might add raisins instead of chocolate next time