Banana bread muffins are the best breakfast or afternoon treat! Moist and soft, these muffins take just 20 minutes of prep, a few easy steps, and a handful of basic kitchen ingredients to make. With your favorite mix-ins or just plain, you can’t go wrong.
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I joke that these muffins are the best way to get in your daily dose of fruit! I mean…am I really joking? These banana bread muffins are my favorite way to eat bananas. HA! It also helps that these muffins take no time at all, but taste oh-so incredible. Banana bread lovers have found their kryptonite.
My Banana Bread Recipe loaf is just as delicious. Serve with homemade honey Peanut Butter or Mom’s Strawberry Preserves.
Why You’ll Love This Banana Bread Muffins Recipe
It’s difficult to list just a few reasons why you’ll love these muffins, because there’s so many!
- Fast and easy. Requiring only about 20 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of baking, you’ll have banana bread muffins in no time.
- Add mix-ins if you’re feeling it! Chocolate chips and walnuts? One or the other? None? These muffins are awesome any way.
- Soft and moist. Banana bread muffins should be soft and moist…and YES, these are!
- Easily made ahead and stored. These muffins keep well for at least 5 days.
- Standard kitchen ingredients. Most of the ingredients in this recipe are basic pantry ingredients, making these muffins achievable on any occasion!
Ingredients
- Bananas – use bananas that are at least speckled. You can use bananas that are overripe as well. Very ripe bananas are easier to mash, sweeter, and more flavorful.
- All-purpose flour – all-purpose flour is the base for our muffins.
- Light brown sugar – light brown sugar adds moisture, flavor, and sweetness.
- Butter – butter adds rich flavor and texture.
- Egg – an egg binds everything together.
- Pure vanilla extract – vanilla adds flavor.
- Baking soda – baking soda helps our banana bread muffins rise.
- Salt – salt adds flavor.
- Chocolate chips (optional) – chocolate chips are an optional mix-in. I like bittersweet chocolate chips.
- Chopped walnuts (optional) – walnuts are an optional mix-in. I use chopped walnuts.
Substitutions & Variations
Here are some substitutions and variations on banana bread muffins, in case you’re looking for something a little different!
- Sprinkle turbinado sugar on the muffins before baking for a crunchy sugar topping.
- Add a dash of cinnamon to the batter for a warm finish.
- Add a crumb topping, like on my Blueberry Coffee Cake recipe. Make the topping and add it to these muffins before baking as instructed below. You’ll likely have more crumb topping than you need.
- Make mini muffins, which require roughly 7-10 minutes of bake time.
- Use whole wheat flour if you’d like!
Expert Tips
- Use bananas that are at least speckled for banana bread muffins. You can use bananas that are overripe as well. Very ripe bananas are easier to mash, sweeter, and more flavorful!
- Measure your dry ingredients carefully. Too little or too much flour, sugar, etc. will change the recipe.
- Use no more than 1 cup of mix-ins (chocolate chips, walnuts, both, etc.).
How to Make Banana Bread Muffins
Let’s make these muffins in just 40 minutes, from bowl to full batch! Full instructions in the recipe card; this is just an outline!
- Prepare.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
- Wet ingredients.
In a large bowl, use a potato masher to mash peeled bananas into a smooth puree. Add beaten egg, melted and cooled butter, and vanilla. Stir until combined.
- Dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- Combine.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts if desired.
- Bake.
Fill liners about ¾ of the way up. Bake for 15-21 minutes.
- Cool.
Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
No, you don’t! Banana should be at least speckled to be ripe enough for banana bread muffins. They don’t need to be all brown or overripe unless you have them on hand.
I don’t recommend using frozen bananas for banana bread muffins since the consistently changes when thawed.
I recommend mashing bananas with a potato masher, or if you don’t have one, a fork!
Store muffins at room temperature in an airtight container. You can heat them in the oven or microwave if desired.
Banana bread muffins last for 5-7 days in an airtight container.
Yes! Freeze muffins for up to 3 months, thawing them at room temperature, and then heating them in the oven or microwave if desired.
Other Muffin Recipes You’ll Love!
- Zucchini Muffins
- Cornbread Muffins
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Banana Baked Oatmeal Muffin Cups
- Strawberry Muffins
BEST Banana Bread Muffins Recipe
Equipment
- Muffin pan or foil baking cups (with paper liners)
Ingredients
- 4 medium bananas, overripe (or at least speckled)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips, optional
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. This recipe will make 12 muffins.
- In a large bowl, use a potato masher to mash peeled bananas into a smooth puree. Add beaten egg, melted and cooled butter, and vanilla. Stir until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts if desired.
- Fill liners about ¾ of the way up. Bake for 15-21 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out with loose crumbs.
- Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack – or enjoying them warm!
Video
Notes
- I recommend using bananas that are at least speckled for banana bread muffins. You can use bananas that are overripe as well. Very ripe bananas are easier to mash, sweeter, and more flavorful.
- Measure your dry ingredients carefully!
- I recommend using no more than 1 cup of mix-ins (chocolate chips, walnuts or both).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These muffins are so light and delicious! I used my food processor instead of mashing, added 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and added streusel topping and a sprinkle of kosher salt to the top. Best chocolate banana muffins ever!
Hi Laura,
YAY! You made my day! Thanks for letting me know ๐
Grace
I always make this recipe into a loaf and it turns out great! Sometimes with older bananas that have been frozen and thawed for the recipe they can be a bit watery, so I just add a bit more flour and turns out fine!
This is the best banana bread recipe I have yet to find! Thank you โบ๏ธ
Hi Jade,
That’s awesome insight and thanks so much for letting me know they turned out great!!
Grace
Very easy recipe & muffins are moist & delicious… not too sweet – just right. I added a spoonful of peanut butter and sprinkles of cinnamon to the batter. I love texture so added a crumble too (chopped Mac nuts, coconut shavings, Oreo cookies). They came out great. Thanks for the base recipe!
Hi Teri,
OMG love those topping ideas!! Thanks for letting me know. Happy baking!
Grace
Iโve been making these exactly as instructed for years. It is truly the best banana bread recipe!! I have a toddler who needs to be dairy free so used dairy free butter and chocolate chips and put it in a mini muffin tray and he loves them. He loves mini muffins and Iโm glad I can home make him ones that he will eat (heโs very picky!!).
Iโve been making these exactly as instructed for years. It is truly the best banana bread recipe!! I have a toddler who needs to be dairy free so used dairy free butter and put it in a mini muffin tray and he loves them. He loves mini muffins and Iโm glad I can home make him ones that he will eat (heโs very picky!!). ๐
Thanks so much for your comment, Paige! It made my day! Mini banana bread muffins are so perfect for the little ones ๐ Please let me know if you try any other recipes.
Grace
Turned out great! I doubled the recipe and then realized as I was going that I didn’t have enough brown sugar so I used 1/3 cup white sugar and 3/4 brown sugar. Also, I noticed that if the page refreshes it goes back to 1x which could cause problems if you don’t notice it.
Hi Mary,
I’m so glad they turned out so well! Ahh, that’s frustrating and I’m sorry to hear about the refreshing issue. I will look into it and see if I can fix!
Happy Holidays!
Grace
Have made both single and double batches. Both turned out great. Moist and very yummy.
Hi Trece,
Awesome! Thanks so much for your review, and Merry Christmas!
Grace
Hands down the best banana bread muffins!!! I add chocolate chips and chopped pecans! they came out PERFECT!
Hi Kelsey,
This makes me so happy! Happy Holidays!!
Grace