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 never leave comments but this one deserves it. Absolutely fantastic. The bread was so soft, bouncy and moist! Delicious!!
Hi. I made these today for the first time, as per instructions here. And for correct time etc. They are very very soft when done, almost breaking up when lifted. Tried one, seems to be cooked through, maybe a bit “soft’ in middle. Any idea what I’ve done wrong. They are edible. I used a different flour, Cotswell flour crunch? Otherwise exact ingredients in receipt.Be interested to know your opinion as an expert. Many thanks
Hi Bernie, we haven’t tested that particular flour in this recipe, but we suspect that may be the culprit here. For best results, we recommend sticking with all-purpose flour here!
Can I use a 9 x9 inch pan instead? What would the cook times be? I know you linked the banana bread recipe but I want to use the muffin recipe, as I don’t have sour cream/yogurt.
Hi Nicole, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions. We’re unsure of the bake time in a 9-inch square pan, so keep a close eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Calories per muffin?
Hi Linda, 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
These are literally AMAZING!!! They could not be better! I added walnuts and omg so good!
These are the BEST banana muffins. It’s my go to recipe and we make them weekly. I can usually make 12 big ones and 20 mini ones. My kids devour these in one day.
Best banana muffin recipe i have tried! Turned out moist with lovely tops. Perfect amount of banana flavor. Will be making often.
What a great muffin, great recipe, everyone thourly enjoyed them. Thank you. Gérard Thompson Limerick City
These are delicious and that’s even when messing up lol I forgot to reduce the oven temp after the first 5 mins. About 12 mins in I realized. Turned it down and kept the door open a bit to drop the temperature quickly. Only took a couple more mins and they were done! They are still moist. Tops are slightly chewy (which I like) and the flavour is so good! I think this is one of those “hard to mess it up” recipes. I was convinced I’d have ruined them! Nope! Will be my go to muffin recipe!
A very good muffins! Thank you for the recipe!
I have made these banana muffins several times. they are delicious, my great granddaughter takes them in her lunch for school. the last time I made them I didn’t have 4 bananas only 3 so the muffin tins did not fill to the top but they were smaller but still delicious.
Tried these with the kiddos and they were a hit! We added chocolate powder and mini chocolate chips to make it double-chocolate bannana muffins. Texture was a bit different that what we are used to so it let us into “reaserching.” Why it was different? Then we realized we had forgot the sugar!
Wow, these literally tasted amazing! I did change vanilla extract with almond extract and I used salted butter and left out the salt, but those are just my preferences! I added walnuts and chocolate chips and it made probably my favorite muffin!
I usually make banana bread, but had the urge to try something different. This recipe is excellent. I substituted butter for plant butter, and added pecan pieces. I had no nutmeg so I used a dash of Jamaican allspice… 5* rating. Soft, moist, excellent flavour.
Is there a calorie count for each muffin? Sometimes I can’t eat just one.
Hi Renee, 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
Can we reduce the sugar to 80g-100g only? Thank you.
Hi JL! Sugar is used for moisture and texture in baked goods as well as taste. You can certainly try reducing the sugar, but the resulting texture will be different than intended.
I used stevia brown sugar and they came out delicious!
Absolute best banana muffin recipe! I have made it three times now and each time they have turned out perfectly. I used macadamia oil instead of butter and it works perfectly.
Amazing muffins! I skipped the sugar altogether as the banana adds enough sweetness on its own. I also swapped 1/2 cup of the regular flour for almond flour to add a nutty flavor. Delicious! The 5 minutes at high temp really does make all the difference for keeping the muffins tall and evenly baked throughout! Thank you
Yum! How did the texture turn out with the almost flour? This sounds great.
W-o-w. Blown the heck away! Followed recipe to a T, baked for 5 mins at 425, then for 16 at 350. Added chopped pecans! My daughter & husband devoured them. Thank you for such an amazing recipe! (All your recipes are incredible!)
Didn’t want muffins so put the mix in a tray. Fingers crossed it will still work out well.
We have used this recipe many times but are wondering what would be the baking time for a 6 count muffin pan?
Thank you!
Hi J! You can use the baking times and instructions from these jumbo blueberry muffins as a guide.
Low this recipe, they came out tall and fluffy. However, I baked for the minimum time and they were wayyy over baked. Would recommend baking at 425 for 5 mins then 14 mins at 350 for the toothpick check. Maybe my oven runs hot but haven’t had issues with other Sally’s recipes.