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.
Baking is my favorite hobby
These were terrific! Moist, flavorful and beautiful. Will definitely use this recipe again! I made several batches. One I mixed in chocolate chunks adding coarse sugar on top in place of streusel, one I added walnuts to the mix and one I did exactly as the recipe read. All were splendid and simply depended on the audience! Thanks so much for this delicious recipe.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Kailey
Epic Banana muffin recipe! I only had almond milk in hand so I used that. I made mini muffins and my kids are gobbling them up. Thank you for sharing! 💜🍌
Sam
I am so glad everyone is enjoying them so much, Kailey! 🙂
aubrey karbassi
My 3 yr old daughter and I just made these. followed recipe exactly and they came out so yummy! we made the streusel as well and it added a delicious crunch on the top!! Will definitely be saving this recipe for next time! I made little muffins out of the extra and just put them in when I turned it down to 350. They came out great! Thanks
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Aubrey! Baking with family is so much fun. 🙂
Linda
You are right – best muffins ever!
Melissa
My go to recipe for banana muffins- with or without the streusel (but I prefer with).
Caitlin
These are good. I filled the liners to just about the top so they took longer to bake. I liked the streusel topping. I added chocolate chips and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. My boys really liked them as well.
Marilyn
Wow love this recipe . Made the banana muffins without the streusel first time ever today. Very moist. Definitely my new favourite recipe.
Joy
I tried this recipe and it tastes delicious! My family loves it. Thanks and God Bless.
Lizzie
Oh yeah these turned out delicious. I was surprised because there was no cinnamon or nutmeg. I thought they’d be flat but they weren’t they were delicious. They lasted a couple hours in my house. With 3 boys and a girl. They mowed em down
Thnx for sharing the recipe will make again
N Frazier
These were soooooooo, good and moist. My husband, who is the one vote that counts 😉 said I should make these more often. So these will be put in my weekly rotation. Thanks, Sugar Spun Run for another great recipe.
Sam
You’re so welcome, I’m so happy to hear they were such a hit! Thank you for letting me know how they turned out for you! 🙂
Sally Wittenberg
These are the best banana muffins I have every made ..
Thank you ..
Sam
You’re very welcome, Sally! I’m so happy to hear they were such a success!
Trish
Winner! I didn’t have light brown sugar just dark so I reduced it slightly and the results are still pretty fantastic.
I decided to make these as a part of my pregnancy freezer meal prep and the smell and taste is ridiculously good! I don’t think they’ll make it to the freezer lol.
Sam
🤣 I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Trish! Sounds like you’ll have to make another batch! 😉
Carol
FYI. Well I tried it, made it the night b4 and baked them the next morning they turned out fabulous everyone loved them. So I answered my own question. Yay.
Please feel free to let others know you can make night b4 and bake next morning.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Carol! Thank you for that feedback. I will definitely pass it on to anyone who asks. 🙂
Carol
Hi, going to make these can i make them the night b4 then bake in am?
Sam
Because of the baking soda in the batter I’m really not sure how the batter will hold up to being prepared in advance (baking soda begins to react as soon as it gets wet).
Trish
What I usually do is mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients in separate containers, storing the wet mix in the fridge over night. In the morning you then mix the batter together while you preheat the oven. It will work perfectly!
Michelle
What if I make smaller muffins? Should the baking be reduced? Can’t wait to try this!
Sam
Hi Michelle! Yes, you would need to reduce the bake time. For mini muffins other readers have reported that they’ve needed to bake on 375F for about 12 minutes. I hope that helps!
Cobugi
Hi there. Team streusel over there. This recipe is another keeper! Thanks so much for sharing these recipes. Im so into baking muffins thanks to them. I made 6 jumbo muffins with this recipe and just added a few minutes to the baking time. They turned out so moist and tasty! I might lower the sugar next time so I feel less guilty about eating more of them;)
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Christine Hyrniak
Hello, can this recipe be used for mini muffins?