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!
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:Â 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):Â 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. 🙂
Best recipe ever it was quick and tasty stayed moist for many days
Tasted great, however it only was enough mixture for 10 muffins in a regular 12 muffin tray
Delicious! Made them regular size, in silicone muffin cups, with chocolate chips. They needed 5 more minutes to finish than suggested. I did taste the baking powder / soda. Any advice on avoiding that? I’ve been noticing the flavor in other baked goods I try, so I’d live your advice!
Hi Angela, Usually when we can taste the baking soda, the baking soda or baking powder may be a bit old. We recommend getting fresh for next time!
I too tasted to much baking Soda. They are very moist and not too sweet. I added some plain Greek yogurt to account for shortage of banana and omitted milk as my bananas were frozen.
so easy, so tasty!!
Easy and simple. Loved the recipe. Thank you.
Use my leftover banana’s to make this banana muffin recipe. They turned out DELICIOUS!!!!! Very moist and just the right amount of sweetness. Can’t wait to make more recipes
This is by far the best banana muffin recipe I’ve ever made (and I’ve tried many!) They came out perfectly moist and delicious. I used buttermilk because I had just enough leftover from another recipe. Added pecans and sprinkled a little turbinado sugar on the top for a little sweet crunch. Delish!
Loved recipe I added a tablespoon lemon juice 3/4 cup pea cans 1/4 cup mint in chocolate chips this is my “to go recipe “whenever I have overripe bananas ..I let my grandkids mash bananas and stir stir the wet ingredients then I do the dry ..
Such beautiful muffins again. Doubled the recipe today, made half with chocolate chips and half with blueberries and 2 with both chocolate chips and blueberries for the 61/2 old to try.
I used whole wheat flour and monkfruit and these turned out great, very moist. As mini muffins in a silicon pan they took about 20 minutes in my oven.
So good and really easy
Any suggestion for temperature and length of time if I use mini muffin tin?
Hi Eileen, for mini muffins, bake 12–14 minutes at 350°F (177°C) the whole time.
I make these often because they’re delicious and so quick & easy (just like the recipe says!). My kids and I love them with a combo of chocolate chips & walnuts.
This recipe is absolutely perfect and the muffins are delicious!!
Love these muffins, just made them for Saturday breakfast, moist and tasty.
I loved making these. Your recipe was easy to follow and my daughter loved them.
I had to downsize the recipe because I didn’t have enough bananas and didn’t want to waste the ripe ones I had. They were awesome and bought more bananas to ripen so I could make a full batch. Thank you
My new go to banana recipe, a fav wherever I take them! The brown sugar adds depth and great color
This recipe is my absolute go-to for muffins! However, I was wondering if this could easily work for a banana cake as well? Just wondering what you’d recommend for temperature and time wise in the oven? Thanks!
Hi Cayce! We would bake this batter in an 8×8 pan for a banana cake. Bake at 350, we’re unsure of the exact bake time. Or you may love our banana cake!
Absolutely love this a go to breakfast muffin! I was wondering however what the calories would be for it as I couldn’t seem to find them listed?
Hi Charis, 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
Wow! These really are easy and SO good. I made them with whole wheat flour and coconut oil. They were approved by the 1yo, 4yo, and 40yo. Thank you!
Just made these earlier today! We had some bananas that were going south. So good we really enjoyed them. Thank you!
These are delicious! I only had two large bananas that added up to one cup mashed, so I added half a cup of plain yogurt to make up for it. It did the trick! These are so yummy!
Best banana muffins ever! We have these regularly and i add chopped walnuts and coconut flakes.
I use this recipe all the time because it is so adaptable. Not enough bananas add some applesauce and or blueberries. Nuts sometimes-pecans or walnuts or even macadamia nuts. Thanks for this go to recipe from a grandma who has been baking for 70 years!
What if I only have jumbo muffins pans? Should I double the receipe and fill them to the top?
Hi Debbie, For jumbo muffins, you can follow the baking time and directions from jumbo blueberry muffins as a guide.
the best banana muffins i have made. glad i made a double batch i also added chocolate chips.
Good recipe, but I did find the soda and baking powder to be a bit much and leaves an aftertaste. Will make again but use less next time.
This was such a great recipe! Thank you , Sally, for another keeper!
Great recipe. I am travelling and didn’t have my favorite recipe, so I tried yours. Did have all the ingredients except brown sugar. Only had 1/3, so I added 1/3 of white sugar. They turned out great! Also, I’m not a huge fan of cinammon, so I cut back on that a bit. Glad I did!