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 ยพ 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 ๐คค). You can add between 1-1ยฝ 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 (donโt 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 coolย completely, wrap individually in plastic wrap, place in a Ziploc bag, and freeze.ย 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!
Letโs bake together! Iโll 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 ยฝ cups (385 g) well-mashed ripe bananas This is typically 3 large bananas for me
- ยผ cup (60 ml) canola oil (may substitute vegetable or avocado oil)
- ยผ cup (60 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled at least 5 minutes
- ยฝ cup (100 g) sugar
- ยฝ cup (100 g) light brown sugar tightly packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- ยผ cup (60 ml) buttermilk room temperature preferred
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
Streusel (optional)
- ยฝ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
- ยฝ cup (100 g) brown sugar
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- ยผ 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 ยฝ cups (385 g) well-mashed ripe bananas
- Add oil and melted butter and stir well.ย ยยผ cup (60 ml) canola oil, ยผ cup (60 g) unsalted butter
- Stir in sugars until well-combined.ยฝ cup (100 g) sugar, ยฝ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract and stir well.ย Set aside.2 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract, ยผ 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 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder, ยฝ teaspoon baking soda, ยฝ 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 ยพ of the way full.ย 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.ยฝ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour, ยฝ cup (100 g) brown sugar, ยผ teaspoon salt
- Using a pastry cutter, cut in your cold butter until the butter is well-worked in and your mixture resembles coarse crumbs.ยผ 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.
Joan moxley
These muffins look so yummy. Canโt wait to try them. Was wondering if I am adding some walnuts can you suggest the amount to use for this recipe? I donโt want the nuts to be overpowering but love the combo of both flavors.
Sam
Hi Joan! I would add about a cup of coarsely copped walnuts, I bet that will be delicious! Enjoy ๐
Diana
Snowing and blowing here in NW Indiana today. What a great day to bake. I made your muffins today. Excellent! I’ll be giving these to a friend for her birthday.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Diana! I lovvveee baking on snowy days. ๐
Gayla Tincher
I made your Banana Muffins tonight and they are awesome! I added Walnuts also and the topping and they looked beautiful! Everything I make from your recipies are delicious and I tell everybody I know if they want to make a desert that is awesome every time, check out Sugar Spun Run. If you ever come out with a cookbook I will be the first to buy one and 2 more for my daughters! Thank you!
Sam
Thank you so much, Gayla! I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much. I do hope to make a cookbook one day. ๐
Sarah
These really are THE BEST banana muffins! I am someone who always searches for new recipes to try, but I have bookmarked and will be saving this one as my go to. All of my kiddos love these, and I often make them without the topping. Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys them so much, Sarah!
Nyaziah
How can I store these. I plan to make them Sunday and I want to drop off a few to my brother on Tuesday
Sam
These can be stored at room temperature in an air tight container for about a week. ๐
Hannah
I didn’t have buttermilk so I used whole milk and vinegar… Only to realize I poured my measuring for making 1C buttermilk into a receipe that called for 1/4th. So I can say, with only for bananas and quadrupling the recipe… They still turned out great!!!
Sugar Spun Run
OH NO! I too have been guilty of that. lol I am so glad that you enjoyed all your muffins, Hannah! Note: They also freeze well. ๐
Kathy
Excellent!!! I can now stop looking for the best banana muffins, because I found them!!! Directions were great!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Kathy! I am so glad that you enjoyed them! ๐
MsSunny74
Made these beauties today. They are SO good. I’ve been making banana muffins for a lot of years….this recipe IS definitely the best! YUM. Love the substitute for buttermilk too. Thank you, thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much! ๐
Laurie
Hi Sam, My bananas look very large. About how many cups of banana should it be? Thank you!
Sam
Hi Laurie! You will want about 1.5 cups. ๐
Susie
The best! Made them lots of times. Added pecans to topping and batter. Added a few choc chips to a few. Such a good way to use those last ripe bananas.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Susie! ๐
Sue
So delicious! I add walnuts to it.
Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Cathy
Love the strudel too. I altered to 1/4 c butter, 1/4 oats, 1/4 c brown sugar, 1/4 c walnuts and a pinch of salts. Really great banana muffins. Thank you for sharing.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Cathy! ๐
Alisha
Can I use a bread tin instead? And can I sue water instead of milk?
Sam
Hi Alisha! I would recommend using my banana bread recipe. I wouldn’t recommend water here. If you don’t have buttermilk you can make my buttermilk substitute. ๐
Alisha
Thank you. I am lactose so I don’t have milk either. And I am out of almond milk ๐
Sam
Hi Alisha! Unfortunately you lose a lot of flavor and moisture if you use water. You need that fat from the milk here. They could still turn out. If you try it I’d love to know how it goes for you. ๐
Christy Koury
Delicious! Light and fluffy while still decadent. If the bananas are very ripe, the flavor is lovely and intense. I do find that the recipe consistently makes 18 standard-sized muffins, not 15โif you fill the cups 2/3 full.
Jill
Thanks for another delicious recipe Sam. Will be making these again soon. Eating one maybe two as I type this.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Jill! ๐
Emmeritta
I’ve been using your recipe since 2019- comes out perfectly every time and have recommended it to countless people. I make them into 6 jumbo sized ones. Gorgeous muffins, moist, delicious and flop proof too. Thank you!
Sam
Thank you so much, Emmeritta! I am so glad everyone enjoys them so much. ๐
Ann
Very yummy and moist. I added a bit of cinnamon nutmeg and ginger and they were perfect! Iโve made this recipe several times with and without the topping- both are so very yummy. Thanks for this great recipe.
Sam
You’re very welcome, thank you for trying my recipe, Ann! ๐