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.
The batter came out very soupy so I had to add a lot more flour. Luckily I baked in batches so I could add flour to the second half of the batter
Hi Sheyan,
I’m so sorry the batter came out soupy! I’m not sure what could have gone wrong. If there’s any way I can help, please let me know!
Grace
Easy, simple recipe to follow and so good!
Jessica,
This is great to hear!!
Grace
Delicious and simple!
Susannah,
Woohoo! 🙂
Grace
These are amazing! Love that there are 4 bananas in there. I used frozen and fresh ( on the 2nd batch). Both were great!
Thanks for your review, Mandy! I’m so glad both fresh and frozen bananas worked!
Grace
Ive been filling a quart bag with bananas that my kids don’t finish so I’m sure i used more than 4 bananas and I had no sugar so had to substitute stevia, but I followed the rest of the recipe and I got 14 regular size muffins and 12 minis. They are delicious and the kids love them!
Bella,
This is awesome news! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Grace
Wow! These were delicious and easy to make. Best recipe I’ve ever used!
I’ve used a LOT of different banana muffin recipes over the years and this is hands down the best one I’ve used. I made as directed but with no mix-ins and they were perfect! So moist and flavorful! I used the Pioneer Woman muffin tray with no liners and a little oil spray. My whole family was fighting over these and a dozen disappeared in just two and a half days. My 13 and 9-year-old wanted to take them to school and our 18 month old ate a whole one for breakfast three times. After my husband sneaking some for snacks, I was only able to snag two for myself. Next time I’ll need to make a double batch (maybe one set with mix-ins)! Thank you for sharing this recipe. 🙂
Natalie,
I appreciate your review so much! Sounds like a double batch is definitely needed 😉
Grace
These were AMAZING!!!
Julie,
Woohoo! Thanks for your review.
Grace
This recipe was fun & cool to try! I now use this recipe with my Dad every time we are making banana bread muffins. I absolutely would recommend this recipe to anyone who would like to try baking this scrumptious banana bread muffins! 😋
With happiness,
Ayana
Ayana,
I’m so glad you and your dad love this recipe. It’s one of my favorites! Thanks for your review!
Grace
I had a craving, and some ripe bananas, so I went looking for a banana muffin recipe with a twist, because I was bored with plain ole banana bread/muffin. I landed on yours and it felt right, but with a couple tricks from other sites. They were so amazing! I put chocolate chips on top of 2, and pecans on top of 2, and left the others plan for my picky eaters. Tricks: I made muffin cups out of parchment to make them pretty. I added a Tablespoon of oil. Supposed to make them very moist along with the fat and flavor of the butter. I added a teaspoon of water. Supposed to create a little steam to make them fluffy. All I know is I’m keeping this recipe because they were delicious, moist, fluffy, and fun!
Hi Cheryl,
Love your tips and tricks! Thanks so much for sharing. You’re making me hungry just thinking about these muffins!
Grace
Excellent recipe! The first time I made them I made my own brown sugar using regular sugar and blackstrap molasses, they came out great! The second time I made them I substituted agave for the brown sugar and used a flax egg instead of a real one (more in alignment with the blood type diet for type O). Both times I added a half cup of walnuts and a half cup of dark chocolate chips and both bakes came out amazing! The muffins have stayed so moist both times and have a really nice texture. I find that many baked goods can become very dry before they are completely consumed. I’m going to see if I can sub pumpkin in and swap out the bananas as fall approaches! wish me luck! Or if you have tried this or have any suggestions before I do please let me know!
Hi Danielle,
Thanks so much for your review and all the tips! I’m actually making pumpkin muffins with a variations on this recipe this fall. Stay tuned in the coming weeks!
Grace