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!
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. 🙂
Keywords: banana muffins
My two year old and I made these and they were delicious! So moist! I put more butter on mine after but it definitely didn’t need it! Just so good!
This is a great recipe, followed it and added strawberries, nice don’t have to use a blender made it simple and fast for this morning. They turned out really good. Just bought a spiralizer and cut the squash and it was ok, think I’ll grate next time to get more veggies but this was great, thank you.
I followed the recipe to the T. Filled the muffin liners to the top but only yielded 8 muffins. Next time I may use 5 bananas instead of 4…banana taste was lacking.
★★★★
I just made these for the 4th time. They’re fantastic! Moist and flavorful, but not overloaded with sugar. I always use whole wheat pastry flour because it’s what I keep on hand and they have turned out great every time. This is my new favorite baking blog.
★★★★★
I have made these before and made them again last night and this time they were even better. I doubled the recipe and because I had 8 very ripe bananas I used them all. The muffins are amazing. I browned chopped walnuts in butter, then added those AND chocolate chips. They are the best banana muffins I have ever baked. Thanks for such a great and easy recipe!
Love these muffins! Followed the recipe but forgot the milk. Added a cup of fresh blueberries (because I love them) and a handful of pecans. I sprayed my muffin tin lightly and the muffins popped right out with no sticking. I got twelve medium sized, extremely moist and delicious muffins. Thanks, Sally.
★★★★★
I used coconut oil. Turned out nice and fluffy. Love it
★★★★★
My husband loves the muffins, but wondered if we could make them extra large? I would need to know how long the baking time would be. Thank you.
Hi Pearl, you can use this batter to make jumbo size muffins, following the baking time and directions from these jumbo blueberry muffins as a guide. Glad these were a hit!
Hi Pearl, I make these as jumbo muffins all the time! I find no adjustments to the ingredients needed, just fill each cup with double the batter and bake ~6 more minutes until done!
Followed the recipe exactly. Used four small ripe bananas, almond milk, regular butter. So good and easy!
★★★★★
This is my new favorite banana bread muffin recipe. Sooooo gooood!
★★★★★
Perfection! I swapped the sugar for honey and swapped the AP flour for whole wheat flour. In Sally’s notes she recommended extra milk if you use whole wheat flour but I didn’t do any extra to account for the honey and they came out absolutely PERFECT! I didn’t have quite 2/3 cup of honey which ended up being a good thing because I think they would have been too sweet if I had used 2/3 cup of honey. Yum!
My family loved this recipe! Definitely going to be in the breakfast rotation!
★★★★★
This recipe is wonderful. I was in the mood to use up frozen bananas in my freezer and thought banana muffins. Decided to give this recipe a try as I have used some of your recipes before. It’s amazing your hint for using frozen bananas saved me! The recipe is forgiving also, I decided to double it due to the number of bananas I had and forgot to double the butter (oops) used just 2 TBS of milk due to how liquidy the bananas were and used your tip for mashing by using mixer. This is an absolute WINNER in half of the batch I put coconut and mini chocolate chips. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe and the hints.
★★★★★
Love all your recipes
This recipe is perfection. I made it today and its amazing. The muffin bakes high and sooo soft.. love it.
★★★★★
I am just trying out baking and your banana muffin recipe was great. It was certainly so easy, and the muffins turned out looking and tasting good. I have baked them many times. I have also tried with flaxseed instead of egg – still soft and delicious. Also added cocoa powder to one batch. Yummy! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
★★★★★
These banana muffins are the absolute best! Would not change a thing
★★★★★
Super easy recipe. Thanks. I subbed a 1/2 cup of rolled oats for 1/2 cup of flour and added 3/4 cup of pecans and 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Wow! Just delicious!
★★★★★
These were a disaster tbh, very stodgy and wouldn’t seem to cook through properly! Flavour good bit texture all wrong
★★
Hi Lena, did you by chance use a larger muffin pan or substitute any ingredients? The muffins should cook through.
Great recipe! I Love the Cook mode!!!
Our family loved these muffins so much even my picky grandson who smells everything before he eats it and finished a whole muffin for himself.
Made the recipe as is and it was supper moist and light. Definitely will be making these again.
★★★★★
These have just come out of the oven. Did not even bother to read any reviews before I went straight ahead and made a half batch (only had two bananas in my freezer). Because the frozen bananas yielded water when they thawed, I did not add the milk. Only other change I made was to add a 1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut at the end. Had complete faith in the recipe and it’s turned out to be another keeper. Seems too easy of a recipe for such great results! Thanks, Sally!
★★★★★
Hi, love the muffins they’re super yummy! How many calories are in each one? 🙂
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
I think these are the best banana muffins I’ve ever made or eaten.
★★★★★
Followed the recipe to a T but my muffins ended up cracking on top. Although they are not aesthetically pleasing, they don’t taste bad.
★★★
Hi DL, cracks on the top of muffins are actually a sign that your muffins expanded properly. The tops will naturally cook and set quicker than the center. As the center cooks, air escapes out of the top and create the cracks you mention. Although if future batches don’t have cracks, that’s fine too! There are so many variables at play including your oven, the oven temperature, length of time, oven rack position, recipe, etc. So glad you enjoyed the muffins otherwise—thanks for making our recipe!
I love this recipe! Can I substitute the butter for oil?
★★★★★
Hi Olga, you can use the same amount of vegetable/canola oil or applesauce, but they may taste a bit rubbery. We love the taste from using all-butter here, so you will lose a bit of flavor with the swap, too. Let us know if you try!
No nutrition information!
Hi Joyce, 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
Mine stuck to the case and the muffin wouldn’t come out of the case clean. Maybe I’ve over baked?
Hi Becky, were the muffins still warm when you tried unwrapping them? If they’re still warm, they will often stick to the wrappers. Some wrappers are also just a bit sticker than others, so a different brand may work better next time. Thank you for giving these a try!
Delicious! So easy and super YUMMY!!!! Thanks!
★★★★★
Like all Sally’s Baking Addiction recipes I’ve tried this came out very well the first time. The flavour is excellent. I use fresh ground organic whole wheat flour and they wee slightly less moist than I would like even with the suggested extra tablespoon of milk. What parameter should I adjust to make them a little more moist.
★★★★★
So I had a senior moment and did not add the butter. Obviously my above comment about being a little dry is totally invalid. Still tasted great though.
★★★★★