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.
Ok so i tried this & WOWSA!!! they are so moist & delicious. This is my go to banana muffin recipe. Only problem is 12 is going to last about 2 days in our house of 4. Thank you for bringing this into my world, but mostly my stomach!!! Love this!
Hi Krista,
Yay!!! This is one of my favorite recipes too, and I’m glad they didn’t last too long after making ๐
Thanks for letting me know!
Grace
My go to recipe! Perfectly moist and delicious.
Hi Lauren,
Amazing! So happy you love them as much as I do!
Grace
Made these today and they are great!
Hi Cathy,
Awesome to hear! Thanks for your comment!
Grace
5/5! Easy to make, have all ingredients on hand, hands-down, the best Iโve ever tasted. Is it possible, they melt in your mouth, oh yeah!
Hi Pam,
Yay! Thanks for letting me know ๐
Grace
Ive made this a few times. They are so good. But every single time the muffins come out flat on top. Every time. Ive made probably millions of muffins + banana muffins and this is the 1st recipe I’ve ever had that happen with! I mix dry ingredients with a whisk separately, I make sure my egg is always room temp, and butter is always cooled before mixing it with the wet banana egg mixture. I also very gently fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula like you would fold when mixing a mousse. No clue?? Also, my baking soda is FRESH. I just used a brand new one I opened this morning for this batch and same results. Help
Hi Deedee!
Because they come out so moist, the tops can come out flat. You can “correct” this by adding more flour, but the muffins won’t be as moist. So they might not be the prettiest muffins, but they are the most delicious!!
I hope this helps,
Grace
I have never rated a recipe in my life, but am taking the time to on this one. Truly the BEST. Moist, spongy, and sooo delicious especially fresh out of the oven.
I am very impressed!!
Hi Nelly,
Love to hear this!! Thanks for letting me know.
Grace
These muffins are delicious!! Just a small handful of chocolate chips boosted the sweetness just a hair, omgosh so good!! I actually used fresh bananas, but when I mashed them I mixed the egg in and let it sit for about 30 minutes. The color changed to almost an almond color, but it able me to use fresh bananas instead of overripe. So so good!
Hi Ria,
Ooooh, everything is better with chocolate chips! Glad you enjoyed!!
Grace
Excellent recipe. I added 1 cup of chocolate chips and didn’t use any of the walnuts. This was the best dessert I’ve tasted in a long time.
Hi Hamidah,
Awesome! Can’t beat adding just chocolate chips ๐
Grace
Love this recipe! My kids are obsessed. I swap out the flour with cup4cup gluten free flour, and the butter with olive oil. They come out amazing! Iโve been making them for about 2 years now. No other recipe compares ๐ฅฐ
Hi There,
Wow, I absolutely love hearing reviews like this! I like using olive oil or avocado oil sometimes too ๐
Let me know if you try any other recipes!
Grace
Substitution for butter??
Hi There!
You can use any flavorless oil. I’ve used 1/3 cup avocado oil – or you can use canola or vegetable oil. I hope this helps!
Grace
So good!! Great flavor, moist, everything you could ask for in a banana muffin! Will definitely be making again; thank you!!
Hi Aims,
Love this! Please let me know if you try any other recipes ๐
Grace
I saw a FAQ about how long they last? A dizen muffins lasted about 20 MINUTES. They were so good. Moist, delicious, maybe a little sweet. But my bananas were very ripe. Can’t wait to make them again.
HA! This made me laugh out loud!! ๐ Thanks for your review!
Grace
Delicious!!!!
I never leave reviews, but had to. This recipe is our go to! We make it multiple times a month. Thank you so much. I must add – Iโm not a baker by any means.
Ahh thank you so much for your kind words and your review! So happy they turned out well ๐ Cheers!!
Grace