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
Made these twice now !! First with butter second with coconut oil ( ran out of butter ) They are amazing !!!!!! I’ve been looking for easy muffin recipes that actually work for a while !! So I thank you ! I’ve also made your Morning glory muffins and today I’m making the lemon poppy seed ones !!!
Made these for my friends and they loved them. I used yoghurt instead of milk and they came out great. Would probably not use as much nutmeg next time just a personal preference.
Thanks for the recipe I love this site.
I love these because not only are they moist and delicious, they leave the best after taste flavor in your mouth of just the right balance of cinnamon and nutmeg! I don’t know if my tweak made any difference since all the reviews are so positive, but I’ll say what I did. I did half WW Flour and half Spelt Flour, Half White Sugar and Half Brown Sugar, half Butter and Half Coconut Oil. (And it was 2 tablespoons of vanilla Trader Joes Soy milk but I don’t think that made a difference). I blended the wet part for 2 minutes, and the dry part added in mixed minimally since that is what I have been taught to do to not make it to dense, and it was fluffy.
Just made these- amazing recipe, threw some chocolate chips in. Very moist- will only use this recipe going forward!
These turned out so delicious. I baked it with my kids and even though it was quite hectic the result is great! We used wholemeal flour and coconut sugar and 2 bananas.
Thanks for this simple but delicious recipe.
These were awesome! And they worked with gluten free flour perfectly! I used an almond blend, 1:1 substitute. So moist and delicious, wouldn’t even know the difference between regular flour and GF. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Hi Sally. I just baked some. Made a little adjustment. I only used 1/4 cup of brown sugar and sprinkled some white sugar on top before baking
Added walnuts on top instead of mixing them into the batter. Came out successful. Thank you ***** 🙂
I love this easy and yummy recipe. I have done it around 4 times each time adding a different extra such as choco chips, oats or nuts. Amazing!
Im obsessed with this!! So good!!
Truly quick and delicious! With all schools being online here, there is a lot of snacking and this makes for a relatively healthy snacking! Moist, balanced, deep and rich flavor! Thank you for this!
These are Delicious!!! This will be my forever go-to recipe for breakfast muffins. Perfectly moist, hold together beautifully, nice consistency!
Our whole family loves these muffins! I’ve made them a few times now.
I would like to use the recipe to bake a smash cake for my lo’s 1st birthday (allergic to dairy & soya).
I plan to use 5” cake pans. Will this work as the texture is so soft, or will it crack/break when handling & stacking?
I’m frosting it with whipped coconut cream.
Hi Adri, We haven’t tested this in a 5 inch cake pan but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Fill your pans only 2/3 full and bake at 350°F (177°C). I’m unsure of the exact bake time, but you can use a toothpick to test for doneness.
This is my staple muffin recipe when I have very ripe bananas. My kids love it, and my husband adores it. Never changed anything about it… Never failed me once. Thank you so much. I wish I can upload a picture of the fresh warm batch I just baked, the whole house smells cinnamon and nutmeg. Yummm
This looks like a great recipe and I’m eager to try it. I’m wondering though, what if I wanted to cream the butter to make them fluffier? Or would that ruin the texture completely? If I did that, what tips would you suggest?
Hi Nic! For a fluffier texture, you can certainly try 6 Tablespoons of softened butter. Cream it with the brown sugar.
First time making these. So easy and quick. Love these. Slightly crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside. YUMMY! Will make again for the grandkids.
Made the banana muffins so good and such a easy recipe to follow… turned out great will definitely make these again!
Absolutely incredible!! These were so easy to make and delicious. I added in dark chocolate chips. I’m definitely making these again.
Love this recipe we made 3 batches one topped with walnuts one with choc chips and one with peanut butter my family love them. I’d like to know the calorie count for each muffin though if anyone knows how to get that
This is great and so moist with a perfect slight crunch to the outside. I only had 2 bananas that equaled to exactly a cup, so just to make sure I wasnt lacking moisture I added a half table spoon of apple butter. They came out soooooo yummy and light. My family loves them. This is my go to for the perfect muffin and cup of coffee in the morning
I made these about a month ago when we were taking care baskets to some of our older folks at church. One lady called me the next day wanting the recipe because they brought back fond memories of her childhood. She thought they tasted just like her favorite banana bread from one of her old neighbors. I’m doing some more for this weekends baskets and I know they will be loved again. Love your recipes. Thanks.
Absolutely delicious! We used King Arthur’s Gluten-free flour and had a bag of mini chocolate chips. I love how the outer layer of the muffin top is crisp and the muffins are so moist.
My family LOVES this recipe! We used frozen bananas that were deep in the depths of the freezer. You know the ones… really dark, covered in ice. Well, I thawed them out, squeezing out any excess liquid, picked off the icicles and hoped for the best. My daughter and I added 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and hoped for the best. And they are!! We followed the temp & time recos for mini muffins. Couldn’t be more moist or delicious!! Yummmmmm…
These are my go-to for banana muffins. My 2 year-old loves them, and will sometimes eat more than one a day! It’s become such a staple in our home that I make them nearly every other week! Thank you for such an awesome recipe 🙂
I’ve made these twice now. So delicious that I had to comment! I used coconut oil both times. Second time I realized I didnt have enough brown sugar so I used half white sugar and added it to the dry ingredients.
Amazing moist muffins!! I’m not a baker and this recipe looked easy enough! I used salted butter and didn’t add any extra salt. I also didn’t have any nutmeg or Choc chips which I’m sure would make them even better. I love this recipe!
Very nice muffins, would be helpful to have also some deco tips to it !
My Banana muffin’s searching journey ends here! I could not stop eating them even picky husband loves it! We used 1/4 cup granulated sugars and it came out just perfect with some choc chips. Thank you!
I too have made many muffins and found this recipe to be spot on. They were moist and delicious, not spongy at all, and my whole family devoured them. I can’t wait to make them again.
But, that’s only my opinion.
Are there any baking rules that I need to know if I want to put a dollop of pb, or Nutella in the center?
Hi Linda, Try spooning 1 heaping Tablespoon of batter into muffin cavity. Layer with 1 teaspoon Nutella or peanut butter in the center and spoon another heaping Tablespoon of batter on top. You can see how this is done in these Nutella-Stuffed Cinnamon Sugar Muffins. Enjoy!
I’ve been baking a lot since it’s pretty much the only thing I can do right now (thanks COVID lol) so I’ve made four different banana muffin recipes in the past few months. All were very highly rated, but these are my family’s favorite. I follow the recipe exactly and don’t make any changes. They turn out perfect every time.
This is a great recipe that I’ve used again and again! Is it possible to substitute the sugar for unsweetened apple sauce?
Hi Liz, We haven’t tested it but I fear they would be too wet. See recipe notes for Sally’s suggestions on sugar substitutes.
I’ve made these so many times in lockdown I know the recipe off by heart!