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.
Save the Recipe!
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 look great ! Would I be able to use just two bananas ?
Hi Carmen!
Yes, you can use 2 bananas but you’d have to halve the recipe and make 6 muffins. If you click on 12 muffins in the recipe, you can adjust it to 6 and it will show the halved quantities of each ingredient. I hope this helps!
Grace
Absolutely fantastic muffins. My toddler exclaimed “mmmmmm!” everytime he took a bite. I did end up adding some cinnamon, doubling the vanilla, and cutting the sugar to a half cup. So so delicious. I’ve been using the same banana bread recipe for years now but decided to try a new one today and I’m so glad I found yours! It’s my new favorite! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Elma,
Love to hear this. Thanks so much for letting me know how the muffins turned out! So glad they are toddler approved!!
Grace
Thank you for sharing and I’m so glad I clicked on your recipe. Honestly all I did was search on google for banana bread muffins. And it was the top recipe. I put a little less than half a cup of peanut butter chips. My kids and myself loved them! Moist! Easy to make too! Keeper for sure!
Hi Nichole,
Thanks so much for your note! So glad the muffins came out perfectly!
Grace
These muffins are delicious – thank you! Would this recipe work in a loaf pan? How long would I need to cook?
Hi Judy,
Great question. Yes, you can use a loaf pan. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×5” loaf pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Place a piece of foil loosely over the loaf after 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning onto a wire rack – or enjoying warm! I hope this helps 🙂
Grace
Usually, anything I try to bake, becomes a doorstop. This turned out fabulous. Moist and the boys love them. Thank you so much for finally having a success.
Hi Liz,
Woohoo! Thanks for sharing the success!!
Grace
I’ve been using my mother in laws banana bread recipe for years because it’s my husband’s favorite but it never tastes the same as hers and secretly, I never really even liked her BB! So I made your recipe yesterday with the help of my 6 year old and they were delicious! I added walnuts to my husband’s and chocolate chips to my daughter’s. Then plain for my 2 other kids. Everyone rated them a 10 out of 10! I saved your recipe and printed a copy to add to my tried and true recipe book. This is the recipe I’ve been looking for! Thank you!!
Hi Amanda,
Your review made my day! So happy you found a BB recipe you love. I feel honored to be added to your recipe collection!
Grace
We make the mini muffins and they are a hit.
Our new goto recipe
Awesome. So happy you like them!
Grace
Perfect banana muffins! Super easy to make, totally toddler helper friendly and approved!!
Hi Deyanira,
Yay! So glad you and the kiddo liked the recipe! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Grace
Thank you for this great recipe. I made these with my grandchildren and everyone loved them.
Hi Marti,
Thanks so much for your comment. I’m so glad you and your grandkids loved the muffins!
Take care,
Grace
My 16 year old son is extremely picky.
Hard to please. But I made him these muffins….and he told me they were PERFECT!!!
Hi Kelly,
Yay! I’m so happy he liked them. They are one of my favorite recipes!
Grace