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
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 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): Stand Mixer or Handheld Mixer | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | 12-Count Muffin Pan | Muffin Liners
- 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. 🙂
Keywords: banana muffins
Delicious! I love your recipes! In this one I have used light brown sugar and butter with almond milk and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts and 1/2 cup of Lily’s dark chocolate chips. Yum!
I was looking for a banana muffin recipe cause my grandmother said that she loves banana muffins and this recipe was the first result. I actually forgot to add the other 1/2 a cup of flour (recipe calls for 1 and a 1/2 cups). muffins still tasted good. I think it brought out the banana flavour a little better and was a lot lighter than muffins Ive made before. I still got 12 muffins out of it but they were more the size of cupcakes. Good recipe!
★★★★
Can this make 6 jumbo muffins or should I double the recipe
Hi Lauren, you can use the recipe as written and use jumbo muffin pans for about 5-6 jumbo muffins. Follow the bake time and instructions for jumbo blueberry muffins as a guide.
I left out the milk and sugar, and added a can of pumpkin purée and a couple chopped dates. Delicious, only slightly sweet, and moist. Perfect breakfast muffin!
★★★★★
These were delicious!
★★★★★
Nutrition facts please
Hi Deb, 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
Ok 10/10 for a method in this recipe that I have NEVER seen before (and I’ve made a lot of muffins and cupcakes). Instructions say to fill the muffin cups to the top (other recipes always say three-quarters full), and bake at a high temperature for a few minutes before reducing to 350 for the remainder of the baking time. My muffins were domed like a bakery style muffin because of this method!! Really good all around. One note though, I did use six bananas instead of three.
★★★★★
I have my first batch in the oven. Can’t wait til they’re done! They smell yummy!
Tasty BUT, after following this recipe to a T, I only got 6 muffins! my bananas we not small and I was using a standard muffin tray.
★★★★
Can I use buttermilk for the milk? Thanks Sandy
Hi Sandy, You can use buttermilk without any other changes – use the same amount (2 Tablespoons (30ml).
These muffins came out so perfect! I was a bit worried because I only had 2 bananas and it only measured out to be about a cup when mashed but it all worked out fine. They were light and fluffy. So delicious. Thank you!
★★★★★
I made half of this recipe, and it turned out amazing!!! Super fluffy and tasty, not overly sweet. Half of the recipe gave me about 6-7 muffins, which is more than enough for all three people in my house.
★★★★★
These banana muffins were yummy but I wish they were moister.
★★★★
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I would like to make them for my kids tom. Those who have done it, can share if the oven is fan-forced or bottom n top heat or which function did u guys choose n at what temp. Thank you 🙂
Hi Naz, We always recommend conventional settings for baking (not convection/fan). The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection/fan settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
I’m ready to try this today. So no Air Fryer baking on Air Bake or Air Roast?nim in a guest cottage waiting for new house build! I have only an air fryer and it usually works great for baking…..what do you th8ngs?
Hi Susie, we haven’t tested any of our muffin recipes in an air fryer, but let us know if you decide to do any experimenting!
Perfect in every way! The best banana muffins I have ever had! I highly recommend adding walnuts and chocolate chips.
★★★★★
This is a great recipe! My family loves it, and the muffins are always gone by the next day.
★★★★★
You made my Sunday coffee breakfast better. This was absolutely excellent. Perfect texture and sweetness. Thank you for sharing this!
★★★★★
I couldn’t find the nutritional value.
Are these high in calories?
I followed your recipe to a “T”, Sally and these muffins are really good. My husband & I love how light they are. Will definitely bake these again. Thank you for an easy & delicious recipe!
★★★★★
Hi! Can I remove nutmeg?
Hi Kaye, sure can!
Hi,
Thank you for sharing the recipe with us. One question, can i use salted butter instead of unsalted and not add salt?
Hi Purna, you can use salted butter here without any other changes.
Can sour cream be sub for the 2 tbsp milk ( out of milk)
Hi Donna, yogurt will be too thick to replace the milk. You can use your favorite variety of dairy or nondairy milk.
These are the BEST banana muffins I’ve ever made! Thanks for another amazing recipe, Sally!
★★★★★
Thankyou for the recipe:) so simple and a good way to use lots of ripe bananas. Swapped the nutmeg for ginger and i also cut the sugar down to 100g and all seems fine.
This is a lovely recipe to follow with my 2 year old:)
Cant wait to check out your other recipes x
★★★★★
Made these with my twos boys (6 & 3) they were super easy and delicious! Added mini chocolate chips to the top, came out perfect!
★★★★★
Just made these this afternoon! I had a few bananas that were a little too ripe for me to eat and I didn’t want to waste them. I found this recipe and saw such good reviews, and I am so glad I did! Best banana muffins I’ve made! They were so simple to make, and the best part – I had all of the ingredients in my cabinet already! Highly recommended! I will be making these again. Perfect breakfast or snack!
★★★★★
Best banana muffins…. Ever!
I now make these at least once a month! So moist and so much flavor! Sally… I am hooked!!! Thank you!
★★★★★
These muffins were amazing! A dozen devoured in a day!
★★★★★
This is definitely one of the best banana muffin recipes I have ever tried!! They came out really pretty and moist.
Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
I love this recipe so much! I’ve used it many times now, thankyou! Over the years I’ve done so many different recipes for banana muffins, but this one is by far the best! I add chia seeds to the recipe and lessen the sugar and they still come out great. I’ve also added cacaoa powder and choc chips when we want something different. I usually double or triple the recipe and freeze them for school snacks.
★★★★★
The muffins came out perfectly! Light and flavorful and the recipe will definitely be my “go to” for banana muffins from now on. I’m going to look at the banana bread recipe since I love to use my overripe bananas.
★★★★★