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.
maria in nj
Wow nice recipe…I wish I could share a picture of my muffins, they look amazing!!
Sam
Hi Maria! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! You can tag me on instagram @Sugarspun_Sam or join my facebook group and post pictures there. 🙂
Jennifer
Delicious. I didn’t have buttermilk so I used sour cream with a little milk. I had to cook for about 4 minutes more than called for. Don’t skip the streusel topping— crunchy perfection.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed them so much, Jennifer! Thanks for giving our recipe a try 🥰
Lillian Contois
Thank you! I’ve been searching for a light bakery style muffin recipe. These are more than expected! Delicious!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for giving our recipe a shot, Lillian! We’re so happy they exceeded your expectations 🥰
Q. Jacks
These are great! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
(Canola oil though…? Canola is one of the worst things you can put in your body – it belongs in your car engine! LOL)
I doubled the streusel topping and it was awwwwwesome!
Wendy Floyd
Definitely the best banana strudel muffin. Sooooo moist , fluffy and light. Absolutely delicious with crushed waknuts
Linda F
Hands down best banana muffins I’ve ever made. Throwing all other recipes out. I didn’t have buttermilk but it’s easy to make just 1/2 C of regular milk & 1/2 TBSP. of vinegar let sit 5 mins then measured the 60ml needed. Came out perfect & loved topping.
Jenifer
I followed the recipe as is, and it worked out beautifully. I didn’t have paper muffin holders , so I sprayed my pan with baking spray , and even though my muffins weren’t as pretty as the paper held cups : my muffins were absolutely delicious. Thank you for such a delicious recipe.
Jeff Winett
Your gram weights!….the best roadmap EVER. I digress. These muffins were stellar. My batter was a mirror of yours, but I baked in a commercial sticky bun pan that has 12 giant wells. I decided to bake 8 decadently sized muffins, and did the full baking at 350°. The streusel is a must. You’ve done a wonderful service from sharing this recipe. Big thanks from Sherman Oaks, California.
Sam
Thank you so much, Jeff! I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Paula Laskelle
Sam, I just love all your recipes. I can always make them for friends and know that I don’t have to try out a recipe first before making them for friends. I’m just wondering the quantity of chopped walnuts that I should add because I always love nuts in my baked goods where appropriate. Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you’re enjoying everything, Paula! You can add about a cup of chopped nuts to this recipe 🙂
Nora
I made this and omg it came out like straight from heaven. 😂 I double up the batches too. It was so fluffy and beautiful. Defo team streusel!!
I added chopped walnuts too. And a bit of coarse sugar on top.
My husband took it to work and shared it with his team. It was a big hit. Thank you!!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Nora! 🙂
Lauren
I make these for the kids lunch boxes they love them!
Have you made it as a cake before? Do you know how tall a cake it makes and what temp I should use?
Sam
Hi Lauren! I have not made these as a cake. I would recommend using my banana cake instead. 🙂
Jodie
So perfect! Closest I’ve gotten to making perfect muffin! Definitely added streusel and I think oven temp change really helped set muffin so well. I’m in Colorado Springs and have to increase flour and liquid but that worked great!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! We are so happy they were a hit for you, Jodie. Thanks for letting us know how you adjusted for altitude too 💛
Jody
I may give this recipe a try today. I was thinking to use a 1:1 gluten free flour, erythritol and coconut sugar and melted coconut oil (as we know those vegetable oils are really nasty, highly processed oils). I have bobs red mill egg replacer that I may sub as well. Do u think all these substitutions may ruin the results?
Sam
Hi Jody! Unfortunately I haven’t tried using that many substitutions so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. If you do try them I would love to know how it goes. 🙂
Tammy
Muffins are fantastic!! Thank you for sharing they were a “hit” quick question do you store in air tight tupperware at room temperature or do you refrigerate?
Thank you,
Tammy
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you like them! They can be stored at room temperature 😊
Lucianne Thantu
If I made this as a mini muffin, would the temp/time be the same?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Lucianne! You will need to bake your mini muffins at 375 for about 12 minutes 😊
Kathy
Excellent! I added chopped nuts to the dry ingredients . (Which when I was writing out the recipe) accidentally came across the older version and saw it did have nuts.