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
Excellent muffins! A different twist to banana muffins.
I made these muffins according to the recipe only substituting monk sugar for the sugar. These came out absolutely perfect! No added calories from sugar with NO aftertaste. Great for diabetics!
These were perfect. Used whole wheat flour, (half cup) raw elderflower honey instead of sugar, and a few dark chocolate chips. So fluffy and moist. My kids loved them, too! Thanks for the recipe!
These are amazing! So light and fluffy. My new go-to recipe for muffins!
This is an amazing recipe! So forgiving! I’ve made it a few times with bananas before substituting with perfectly ripe feijoas. Delicious both ways!
One of my friend sent me this recipe and I finally tried it today. I must say , I absolutely loved the muffins. So Peyton, if you ever see this, thank you for sending me the link. 🙂
This was so good! I was able to halve the recipe because I only had 2 smallish bananas, with no issue, and added walnuts and chocolate chips. Came out moist and flavorful.
Thank you for this recipe. I followed it exactly and the muffins turned out so well. Absolutely delicious!
I am insecure with my baking skills, but I made banana muffin using this recipe and I am quite proud with what I did. This is the best muffin I made and even better than the other muffins I’ve tasted! It’s soft and fluffy.
I made this recipe, my first time baking muffins…they were absolutely amazing!! I had all of the ingredients on hand and I followed the recipe exactly! OMG, so delicious. Thank you.
Delicious- I added chocolate chips and used coconut sugar. Huge hit with the kids. Will definitely make them again.
This recipe is a keeper. I added chocolate chips and walnut. Love the great taste and soft texture of the muffin. Thank you for sharing the recipe Sally.
I have been making these muffins for at least a year, usually anytime I see bananas getting brown on the counter. I use coconut sugar most of the time and do not miss any sweetness. I have played around with the flour and usually do combos of regular, oat and coconut. This last time I did 1 cup oat and 1/2 cup coconut since I had run out of regular. I was worried it wouldn’t turn out flavor or texture wise but it actually turned out to be our best batch yet! They did not crumble and it was not too moist, the texture was just right. My 9 year old daughter helps me bake and eat them. She is one of the pickiest eaters I know of so for her to not only like them, but ask for seconds is something to be said! Fyi I used avocado oil this time but usually use coconut oil. We add mini chocolate chips. This is for sure my favorite muffin recipe because it meets (or can meet) so many of my criteria at once: low sugar and low or no gluten (without missing either one), easy, and tasty enough for kids.
Wow these muffins are amazing!!! What a easy recipe to make with great ingredients… And I used Nosa honey yogurt instead of the milk and I did 1 cup of all purpose flour and a 1/2 cup of wheat flour. Love how the muffins have a huge top and so light and fluffy.. Thanks for this recipe it’s my fav banana muffin recipe….❤️
SO GOOD! These are the muffins that give you a BIG WARM HUG!!!
I’m not normally one to leave a review unless it’s a good one but I feel like the title of this recipe is so deceiving… it was not quick and easy. It’s definitely my fault for not reading the recipe first but I’m disappointed.
Thank you for creating such a easy and tasty banana nut muffin recipe. They turned out so moist and delicious!
These are REALLY GOOD. I made a few changes – 1) I browned the butter. 2) I subbed 45g whole wheat flour & 45g almond flour for 90g of the all-purpose flour. 3) I added just a few peanut butter chips and some chopped chocolate.
Oooh, I forgot to mention that I used buttermilk too!
WOW! These are delicious! Way better than the random banana bread recipe I was using for over-ripened bananas. I left out the cinnamon and nutmeg because I wanted a pronounced banana flavor. I added 1/2c of walnuts and used 4 small bananas to get close to the 3 large required in the recipe. This recipe is a keeper. If I’m in the mood next time I might add the spices. Great recipe!
Delicious! I made these just now. I had some oranges I needed to use so I used the zest and juice of a small one and just one tablespoon of milk because of the extra liquid. I’m used to a more dense texture when I have anything banana, but these were so light and fluffy. I’m legit struggling not to go have another.
soooooo good! I am eating the muffin as I am writing this. They were so easy to make. They are so soft and have wonderful flavor.I can’t tell you how long I have been looking for a recipe like this. I added dried cranberries, chocolate chips and peacans. AMAZING!!!
Delicious and easy to make. Added 2 spoons crunchy peanut butter. Will definitely do them again. Thanks for the recipe
Added pecans and chocolate chips! Delicious and my go to recipe. Quick and easy to make.
Delicious! Was so impressed with this recipe. I have never had better banana muffins before! This might actually be one of my favorite MUFFIN recipes of all time. I use while wheat flour, can’t even tell it’s not white. I also mash up my bananas first, then put them into a blender and blend them into an almost smoothie-like consistency. Makes the muffins delicious for anyone who doesn’t want a bunch of banana chunks in their muffin! I know that the chunks can always ruin a good banana muffin for me. Used chocolate chips since I prefer those over nuts. I also only use 1/3 cup sugar and it tastes plenty sweet! This healthier alternative is amazing! Thank you for this amazing recipe, Sally! My grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, mom, dad, and brother all loved this recipe!!!
I have made these a few times and they’re great! Do you think they would be suitable for freezing?
Absolutely! You can freeze these muffins for up to three months — see recipe notes for details.
Delicious!! Turned out perfect.
Was looking for the calorie count? Before I stuffed another one in my mouth. Lol
Hi Lisa! 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://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp
I liked them a little bit on the bitter side. But overall supper yummy
Hi Abby! Usually a bitter taste results from either using too much, or expired, baking powder. Be sure that you are only using one teaspoon of baking powder and that it is fresh. Most boxes say to use within 6 months but we generally replace them after 3 months. I hope this helps!
Big hit at the office. So good!
Amazing recipe! I baked them today and there are delicious and soft inside. I used just two bananas as I didn’t have more and less sugar, 70 gr. of soft brown sugar. Thanks for the tip of the oven temperature. They look very nice as well as delicious.
I love this recipe! I used oat flour and added chocolate chips and some chopped up walnuts and everyone loved them!
Great recipe! I even forgot the egg and they still turned out amazing. I’ve made several recipes from this blog and they never fail!
Made it now, added almonds. It tastes AMAZING and fluffy. Thank you 🙂