My well-loved Banana Muffin recipe makes incredibly soft, moist muffins with tall, bakery-style tops, sweet banana flavor, and an optional streusel topping. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Your New Favorite Breakfast Muffin
Today I’m re-sharing one of my favorite muffin recipes on the blog, and apparently, it’s one of your favorites too! With nearly 500 five-star ratings, this banana muffin recipe is so well-loved–and for good reason. These aren’t bland, boring, or basic banana muffins; they’re fluffy, moist, and loaded with banana flavor! And if that’s not enough, I recommend topping them with a crumbly, buttery streusel topping…yum.
It took a lot of tries and tweaks to get this recipe just perfect, but it was well worth the trial and error. This recipe makes the softest, most flavorful banana muffin I’ve ever tasted–with or without the streusel on top–and I’m so proud to share it with you!
What Makes My Banana Muffin Recipe the BEST:
- It produces big, beautiful muffin tops, thanks to a nifty oven trick.
- They truly taste like banana muffins, not banana bread in muffin form.
- No mixer needed–these come together easily by hand!
- They take just 30 minutes from start to finish.
What You Need
I found I needed several key ingredients for super flavorful banana muffins:
- Three ripe bananas. Ripe bananas mash easier and impart a stronger banana flavor, so save this recipe for those dark brown bananas lingering at the bottom of your fruit basket (unlike the ones pictured above!).
- Butter and oil. We’re using a blend of both for the best flavored and textured banana muffin (same reason I use a blend of the two in my vanilla cake!). Stick with a neutral oil like canola, vegetable, or grapeseed, and make sure your butter is unsalted.
- Sugar. Using some brown sugar gives the muffins a rich flavor that granulated alone wouldn’t provide.
- Buttermilk. This keeps the muffins nice and moist. If you’re low on buttermilk, give my easy buttermilk substitute a try!
SAM’S TIP: Overmixing your batter can lead to muffins that are too tough and dense. To avoid this, I strongly recommend stirring your banana muffin batter completely by hand. Luckily, we’re using melted butter in this recipe, so mixing by hand is a breeze!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Banana Muffins
- Mash your bananas, then add the oil and melted butter.
- Stir in the sugar, then add the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk.
- Combine your dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gently fold them into the wet ingredients.
- Portion the batter into a paper-lined muffin tin, filling each liner is ¾ of the way full.
- Prepare your streusel, if using, and portion over each muffin.
- Bake your muffins for 8 minutes, then reduce the temperature and bake for another 7-8 minutes until done.
SAM’S TIP: While I personally love and recommend the streusel topping, I know not everyone wants the extra sugar or dishes. As you can see, the “naked” banana muffin pictured below baked up beautifully with an even tidier, higher muffin top. So feel free to skip it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, although I do have a separate banana nut muffin recipe you might want to try (it uses browned butter too 🤤). You can add between 1-1½ cups of add-ins (chocolate chips work well!) to this banana muffin recipe. I recommend adding them when you’re almost done incorporating the dry ingredients.
Yes! To do this, you’ll follow the same instructions I provide for my bakery-style chocolate chip muffins:
Bake at 425F for 8 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350F (don’t open the door!) and continue baking until the muffins begin to turn golden brown. This can take anywhere from 7-15 minutes, so keep an eye on them!
This banana muffin recipe freezes very well! In fact, I did this in preparation for Luke’s arrival so I always had a quick breakfast handy during his newborn phase.
If you want want to freeze yours, allow them to cool completely, wrap individually in plastic wrap, place in a Ziploc bag, and freeze. To thaw, either set your muffins out at room temperature or microwave them (just use the defrost setting or they’ll become hard).
So, do you agree? Is this the BEST banana muffin recipe? Let me know in the comments!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
The Best Banana Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (385 g) well-mashed ripe bananas This is typically 3 large bananas for me
- ¼ cup (60 ml) avocado oil or vegetable oil or canola oil (may substitute vegetable or avocado oil)
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled at least 5 minutes
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar tightly packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk room temperature preferred
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Streusel (optional)
- ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, cold
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F (220C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners*
- Place peeled bananas in a large bowl and use a fork or a potato masher to mash them – bananas should be well-mashed.1 ½ cups (385 g) well-mashed ripe bananas
- Add oil and melted butter and stir well.¼ cup (60 ml) avocado oil or vegetable oil or canola oil, ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter
- Stir in sugars until well-combined.½ cup (100 g) sugar, ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract and stir well. Set aside.2 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk
- In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add dry ingredients to your wet batter and gently fold in until ingredients are just combined (don't over-mix the batter!).
- Portion batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each liner ¾ of the way full. Set aside and prepare your Streusel topping.
Streusel Topping (optional)
- Combine flour, brown sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and use a fork to stir the ingredients together.½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Using a pastry cutter, cut in your cold butter until the butter is well-worked in and your mixture resembles coarse crumbs.¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, cold
- Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over each muffin.
- Bake muffins on 425F (218C) for 8 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 (175C) (do not open the oven door or remove the muffins, just leave them in and reduce the temperature) and bake another 7-8 minutes on 350F (177C). A toothpick inserted in the center of the largest muffin should come out clean or with few moist crumbs (no wet batter) to test for doneness.
- Allow muffins to cool before enjoying.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This recipe was originally published 01/05/2018. Updated with more information and better photos 10/17/2019.
Michelle
Holy cow these are amazing and beautiful. Seriously the prettiest and yummiest banana muffins I have ever made! So so easy.
We were out of white sugar, so I substituted Splenda. I also added 1 tsp cinnamon to the streusel topping.
Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you loved the banana muffins, Michelle! Thank you for commenting and for sharing your substitutions, I appreciate it! 🙂
Astrid
Hi! I am from Costa Rica and I just made your muffins. They are absolutely marvelous! My bananas were full of freckles and very sweet, therefore the flavor and natural sweetness was very intense!.
Thank you so much for sharing! Next time I will add some nuts and raisins.
Sam
I am so happy to hear they were such a success for you, Astrid! Thank you so much for commenting, I appreciate it 🙂
Darlene Messina
Well named! Absolutely the best Banana Muffins I have ever made! Only thing I added was a handful of mini chocolate chips. Will treasure this recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Sam
I’m so happy you enjoyed the banana muffins, Darlene! Love the addition of the chocolate chips, YUM! 🙂
Sylvia Schran
I just made and enjoyed the banana muffins. I added cinnamon to the streusel topping and chopped pecans to the batter and used all butter instead of half canola oil/butter now, I will say that I was not too confident that these muffins would turn out well as I, not paying close attention, made a cup of buttermilk and added the whole cup instead of a quarter cup to the batter. I figured I would go ahead and bake them off as I did not want to just throw it out AND, they rose very nicely and tasted very good, perhaps a bit more moist than should be, but they tasted good enough to give it another shot!
Sam
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them (even with the extra buttermilk!), Sylvia! Thank you for commenting.
Yolanda Solis
have you doubled the muffin recipe? if so, do they turn out the same? I haven’t made yet, but would like your opinion on doubling it first. Thank you, Yoli
Sam
Hi Yolanda! I have not doubled it, but I know others who have with success. 🙂
Victoria Torres
I love these, it was my first time baking them! I made a double batch and actually cooked them in my convection toaster oven, it’s a good one! I only did about 6 at a time and am still baking lol! My Mom and I each tried one from the first batch and we both were impressed! I used half vanilla flavouring (because mine was cheap) and half almond flavour. I also added some really nice organic granola to the mix and a few red raspberries to some of them. I can not wait to share some with the neighbours, so fantastic. Thank you for this recipe!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys the muffins so much, Victoria! I love the sound of those additions. 🙂
Cathy
I made some mini muffins with a little bit of oatmeal mixed in them and the streusel for my grandson. Then I made just the regular batter and regular streusel but added a few chocolate chips to the muffins for my daughter. Then the rest of the batter went to a loaf of banana bread with walnuts and oatmeal in the muffins and the streusel for my husband, son, and me. This was from a double batch; everybody loves them they’re awesome!
Sam
That’s awesome Cathy! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed all of the variations. 🙂
Sindy Strange
What do you think the recommended cook time would be if I were to use the jumbo muffin tins pan?
Sam
Hi Sindy! You would bake them the same way you bake my Bakery style chocolate chip muffins. Enjoy! 🙂
BettyLou
Exceptional muffins! I made them with Gluten Free Flour and they were perfect. Thank you! BettyLou
Sam
I’m so glad to hear it worked well with the gluten free flour! Thank you for commenting, BettyLou, I appreciate it!
Mary
Oh my goodness. Made these this morning for breakfast. They ARE the best banana anything I have ever baked. I’m saving the recipe. Thanks for sharing !
Sam
So happy to hear the muffins were such a success! Thank you for commenting, Mary! 🙂
Ayesha
I saw a banana bread once and it didn’t look very appetising so when I had a bunch of bananas that needed using up I wasn’t sure if I would find a recipe that was worth it.
After trying these I am so impressed that they have now become a firm favourite. I make them in giant silicone muffin moulds (makes 11) and they are just amazing!
Thanks for sharing!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the muffins, Ayesha! 🙂
Beth
I have very little baking experience and I get mega compliments when I make these! I refer them here of course 😀 I’m so excited to try your strawberry muffin recipe next. I had a question: Can I adjust the baking time and make mini-muffins from this recipe?
Sam
Hi Beth! These will work fine as mini muffins. I haven’t made them so I am not sure how long you would need to bake them. 🙂
Cay
Can I use almond milk rather than buttermilk? It’s all I have in the house and I cant leave…
Sam
Hi Cay! You can use the almond milk to make my easy buttermilk substitute. 🙂
Ellie Ortega
I’ve made these with my kiddos a couple of times now and they’ve always turned out consistently delicious, moist, and with a great banana flavor. Would this recipe be alright to make in a loaf pan? If so, how much time would you suggest baking it for?Thank you so much for sharing, I am always testing recipes and this is a keeper. We really appreciate this great recipe! Blessings!
Sam
Hi Ellie! I am so glad you are enjoying the muffins so much! I have a banana bread recipe that I would recommend following. It’s also really good. Enjoy! 🙂
Sherrie
You are right! These are the best banana muffins I have ever made! I just made a batch and sprinkled dark chocolate chips on top instead of making the struesel topping. My batch made 16 muffins and they are perfect! This is now my fave banana muffin recipe! Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the muffins, Sherrie! 🙂
Dani
This recipe and the muffins are fantastic! I usually make my normal banana bread recipe into muffins but had a few more bananas to use up. I added about 1/2-2/3 of a cup of King Arthur Flour Cinnamon Sweet Bits (I needed to use them up) and added cinnamon to the streusel. I will definitely make these muffins again!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the muffins, Dani! 🙂
Caitlin Eldredge
Fantastic recipe. I added about 1/4 cup of semi sweet choc chips but it would still be fantastic without. Very moist and the recipe is easy! I included your streusel topping and it reminds me of a bakery coffee cake and the banana is the surprise! Saved in my recipe app for next time my bananas are gonna go!
Sam
So happy to hear you enjoyed the banana muffins, Caitlin! Thank you so much for commenting 🙂