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.
Stacey
I found this recipe early in the pandemic and made them several times to rave reviews. Everyone loved them. Made them again Monday and today to a new bunch of people with everyone loving them. I donโt follow anyone really but I now follow you! Thanks, and blueberry muffins will be next๐
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for your review, Stacey! We’re so happy the muffins were such a hit for you. You’ll love the blueberry version too! โค
Helen
I made these today without the streusel. Came out really well. I did not have real buttermilk on-hand, so I made some with milk and white vinegar (as per substitution recipes found on-line). I was worried about the 425 degrees and leave in the oven method when one reduces the heat to 350 degrees as I have an old oven, but all was perfect. Great recipe. Definitely a muffin and not a banana bread baked in muffin tins ie these were fluffy, not dense. One suggestion: in the written recipe, move buttermilk up so it is with the other wet ingredients, instead at the end of the ingredient list with the dry ingredients.
Frederick
Best banana muffin recipe I have ever made, and I am a baker by trade! I made exactly to the recipe and wouldn’t change a thing. The tablespoon vanilla and 1/2 tsp. salt seemed excessive, but no. I appreciated the combo of butter/oil and the directions to gently stir in the flour mixture. These made for moist and tender muffins.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wow, we’re so happy that you loved them so much Frederick! Thank you for coming back to leave a review–we appreciate it ๐
Rie
Tried and Amazingly good . Love it
Maree
The best banana muffin EVER!!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Maree! We’re so happy you like them ๐
Shannon
Hello,
I didnโt have any milk products so I tried it with coconut milk, added walnuts and sprinkled a couple milk chocolate chips on top. By far the best banana muffin recipe Iโve ever made. And Iโve made ALOT!!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy they turned out so well for you, Shannon! Banana and coconut are a great combination anyway, so we bet these were truly delicious. Enjoy! ๐
Pat Phillips
Just taken them out of the oven. They look great ๐ I made 12.
Proof is in the eating by my family members.
Iโll report the verdict.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We hope everyone loves them, Pat! Thanks for trying our recipe ๐
Rie
Hi! May I know 3 riped bananas is equivalent to how many gram pls! Thank you
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Rie! The average banana weighs 118 grams, so three bananas would be about 354 grams. Hope that helps ๐
Dee
Hello…I would really love to make these but I have a quick question first. Do you use jumbo muffin pans, or standard size muffin pans? Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Dee! You could really use either. The recipe is written for a standard muffin pan, but if you use jumbo, you can just follow the instructions for our chocolate chip muffins ๐
Dee
Okay Emily, thank you! The chocolate chip muffin recipe looks great too!!!
Susan
This is the best banana muffin recipe by far. I did add a couple large tablespoons of sour cream and a 1/4 cup of pecan flour. Absolutely delicious. Sincerely Susan
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much, Susan! We’re so happy you liked the muffins. Enjoy โค
Jerry Incrocci
Morning, it is a great one. I am vertical and I just made the muffins (team no struesel) and they are all that you said they would be. I am truly thankful to you for doing all the research and sharing your recipe. Next I will be trying your banana cupcakes and my ermine or cooked buttercream. I have been making that frosting for years, got it from a neighbor and loved it ,at the time I was a teenager and now being 72 when I say years it’s been a lot. Thank you again. Best wishes and God bless to you and your family. O I also now measure flour with same scale as u have and found out I was adding 1/8 per every 2 cups of flour too much. Thnx again.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Jerry! ๐
KT
I have never posted anywhere before, but felt compelled in this case. I have been making muffins for years and have tried and tried to make a good banana muffin. Which seems like it should be easy. But they just never come out exactly the way I want. I made them because I had some buttermilk leftover. And bc they were so amazing, I made them 2 more times this week alone. My husband says they are the best muffins he’s ever had. I added frozen blueberries the 2nd time, they took 2-3 min longer to bake, but were moist and delicious. This time I made 4 of them with coca powder and choc chips. Outstanding recipe! TY
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you found our recipe, KT! It sounds like the muffins were just what you were looking for โค
Ashley
Best muffin recipe! As a new mum, this is my go to dessert/snack and it never disappoints! I make the recipe twice a week and it is loved by everyone in the family! I substitute the regular flour for gluten free all purpose flour (I am celiac) and the recipe is still fabulous! Thank you!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! We’re so happy to hear that these muffins have become a staple in your household, Ashley! Thanks so much for letting us know how they worked gluten-free as well. Enjoy โฅ
Kat
Perfect muffin, Sam. Thank you for sharing your recipe. โค๏ธ
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you think so, Kat! Thanks for trying our recipe and coming back to leave a review ๐
Gwen
Hands down, my favorite banana muffin recipe – thank you for sharing! Because both canola oil and vegetable oils are sooo unhealthy, I use either walnut oil or olive oil (California Olive Ranch brand has a baking blend = EVOO + vanilla. Works great in any baked good!) and they turn out delicious every time. Thanks again!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you love them, Gwen! That olive oil sounds interesting–we’ll have to it a try. Enjoy ๐
Barbara
How can I add walnuts without altering the good results?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Barbara! You can add about a cup of coarsely chopped walnuts and they’ll still turn out great. ๐