The Best Banana Muffin Recipe
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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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This recipe was originally published 01/05/2018. Updated with more information and better photos 10/17/2019.
I think I’ve commented before about how much my family and I love these muffins! I just made these again after not having made them in a while and brought some to work to share, and everyone raves about them! I feel almost bad for taking credit for them since this is your recipe! Thank you for coming up with such an amazing recipe. I’ve shared these muffins with many friends and it’s definitely a fan favorite! 🙂 For anyone reading this recipe for the first time – it’s a MUST TRY!!
Thank you so much, Cindy! I am so glad everyone enjoys them so much! 🙂
The best I’ve ever tasted.
So, I’ve been trying to cut back on sugar and carbs, and I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job so far, but I had to do something with these overripe bananas…enter these muffins. Holy smokes, they smell incredible! I’m guessing they taste that way too. I made them as written, except that I had to use up four bananas. Oh, and I joined team streusel, of course! I just ate one. Yup, incredible! Thank you so much for a stellar recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Thea! These are definitely worth breaking the diet for. 🤣
These muffins are my go to. I do make my own buttermilk by adding vinegar to regular milk. I don’t make the topping so I cut some calories and they are still delishes w/o topping too! So moist and my grandkids love them!!!
I’m so happy to hear this, Ginny! Thank you so much for using my recipe and letting me know how it turned out for you, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Wow, these muffins were perfect! Our home smelled like a bakery when they were in the oven, and my family absolutely loved them. I made them exactly as written. Looking forward to making more of your muffin recipes – thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Feliicity! 🙂
These are quite perfect! The texture is great and I love the topping too. My two little guys loved having these for breakfast! Will definitely make them again.
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Brittany! 🙂
H Sam,
I want to make these muffins, with the streusel topping, into jumbo size muffins. Just want to be sure…do I still fill the muffin liners 3/4 of the way full, as with the regular sized muffins? I also checked your large chocolate chip muffin recipe for baking times, as well. Thanks so much!
Hi Rose! You will want to still fill the liners 3/4 of the way full. Enjoy! 🙂
I’m wanting to make these as jumbo muffins as well. Do I bake them as directed, reducing the heat after the same time?
Hi Vikki! I would bake them in a similar manner to my bakery style chocolate chip muffins. 🙂
I hate you, Sam.
I can’t stop eating these muffins. They are too addictive. They destroy my self control. I should never make these again.
But I will.
Oh. I will.
🤣 I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much. 🙂
Absolutely Delicious and the best part is you don’t have to bring out the mixer!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Sue! 🙂
I’ve just finished eating one, the streusel crunch is great, I abbed a bit of cinnamon to it.
Re the buttermilk, I used a dollop of creme fraiche to the lemon juice and milk.
The recipe made 24 muffins, so I think my neighbours will be happy recipients.
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Patricia! Your neighbors are lucky people. 🙂
Thank you!!!
For the unsalted butter, the 60 g that you have listed is the weight for 1/2 C butter. Is the correct amount to use the 1/4 cup listed or the weight out amount of 1/2 C?
Ignore me, its Friday and Apparently cannot do math… off to bake some muffins!!!
I hope you love them! 🙂
Can you make these without the paper liners? Just spray the pans?
Hi Susan! Yes you can do that. I would recommend using a baking spray because it has flour in it and that helps the muffins not stick.
Hello! Bought some bananas to make this recipe this weekend! Do you have any tips on changing baking times for jumbo muffins?? I like my muffins large n in charge haha
Hi Jess! I would follow the baking instructions on my big chocolate chip muffins. There’s nothing wrong with a big muffin. 🙂
Delicious and simple to make, added crushed walnuts to batter and topped each with a walnut half and sprinkle of cinnamon. Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
This is such an amazing muffin recipe! The steusel on top of it is definitely a must…I add a little bit more salt & I added 2tbsp of oats, turned out fantastic! Thank u so much for this..a keeper for sure!
I’m so glad you enjoy it so much, Mimi! 🙂
THANK YOU so much for this recipe! I’m glad I gave it a try because, from now on, your recipe will be my family’s only banana muffin recipe! My daughter gave it a score of «infinite» out of 10!!!
Fortunately, I had a feeling this recipe would be a success so I doubled it (good call!!!). It yielded 12 regular sized muffins, 24 mini muffins and 2 mini loaves (which are the equivalent of 6 regular muffins). I added frozen blueberries to the mixture at the end (3 in each mini muffin; 5 in the regular ones and 7 in the mini loaves) and topped them with about 2 cups of coarsely chopped walnuts and maple sugar! They were YUMMY and DELICIOUS!!!
Next time, I’ll try your streusel topping.
*I used the buttermilk substitution (with lactose free milk and lemon juice) and cut the white sugar in half because the bananas I used were super ripe/perfect.
**I also forgot to reduce the oven temperature, but my muffins turned out perfect anyways! My oven was at 425, convection bake: cooking time was 13 minutes for the mini muffins and 18 minutes for the regular ones and the mini loaves. Again, thank you for your recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Annie! The blueberry addition sounds super tasty. 🙂
We always have bananas laying around going bad so I’ve made my fair share of banana muffins to compensate. This is hands down the best banana muffins recipe I’ve ever tried. I think it’s the buttermilk and the streusel! Thank you so much for the amazing recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Amanda! 🙂
I never rate recipes, but this is absolutely the BEST Banana muffin recipe in the Universe!!!! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, Susan! I am so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂