Soft and tender banana muffins that are so easy to make using one bowl! Use up your leftover, overripe bananas to make the perfect breakfast or snack in 30 minutes.
If you are a banana bread lover, then this banana muffin recipe is for you! My kids love banana bread, and I probably make a couple of loaves every month (and for good reason, my recipe is one of the most downloaded on the site!). When I want to make individual servings quickly, I turn to these muffins instead.
They’re so easy to eat on-the-go and also freeze beautifully to thaw and reheat at a later date. I like to customize the batch every time I make them with mix-ins like walnuts, blueberries, and even chocolate chips. I’ll warn you in advance, every bite is more addicting than the last!
My chocolate banana bread and blueberry banana nut bread are also delicious if you are looking for a gourmet twist on the classic recipe.
Absolutely love this recipe! Comes out perfect every time and I’m lazy and don’t freeze my bananas! ~Ali
Why you’ll love this recipe
Muffins (both regular and mini ones!) are especially popular among young kids!
- Simple pantry ingredients – I bet you already have majority of the ingredients in your kitchen.
- Quick and easy to make – I made sure to develop these muffins using no special equipment, just a single bowl.
- Intense banana flavor – This is thanks to my secret tip of using frozen and thawed bananas.
- Reduced sugar and butter without compromising on flavor – This is all thanks to the frozen banana trick that I use to bring out the natural sweetness of the fruit rather than using added sugar.
Wow excellent and fast and truly in one bowl. It took me 15 minutes from the “get go”. Perfect banana muffin. -Isabelle
Key Ingredients
- Bananas – You want to freeze ripe, or even overripe bananas for this recipe. Ripe bananas are sweet and intensifies the banana flavor in the muffins.
- Butter – I recommend unsalted butter to control salt amount in the muffins.
- Sugar is reduced to the minimum amount that yields perfect texture and balanced sweetness.
- Flour – I recommend all-purpose for this recipe.
- Baking soda in this recipe plays a significant role in browning the muffins.
- Baking powder, on other hand, is here to produce fluffy and tall banana bread muffins.
Making moist banana muffins
After recipe testing all different ways to make banana bread as well as muffins, I’ve found that for the best flavor and texture, frozen bananas are key! You’ll never have to worry again about a dry muffin.
When using frozen bananas, I don’t even add any liquids to my batter, and it’s not a mistake in the recipe!
When you defrost frozen bananas, you’ll get lots of flavorful liquid along with mashed bananas. And that’s GOLD, don’t throw it away! This is the secret to why these bananas muffins are so flavorful and moist compared to so many other recipes I’ve tried. Our readers have told us this too!
How to freeze bananas
Method 1:
When you have ripe bananas that are starting to turn soft, put them in the freezer. This way, you can make delicious banana bread or muffins later.
Unpeeled bananas freeze well for up to 3 months!
Method 2:
You can also peel the bananas, mash them and freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Peeled bananas tend to freezer-burn, so that’s why it’s best to use them within a month.
How to make easy banana muffins
Preheat oven to 375°F.
1. Prepare the bananas
- Place frozen bananas under hot running tap water for about a minute.
- Then peel them and place in a large bowl.
- Microwave the bananas for 5-8 minutes to thaw completely.
Thaw frozen bananas correctly
Do NOT drain excess liquid from thawed bananas. Use it all in your batter for extra moist and flavorful muffins.
2. Make the batter
- Mash bananas well with a wooden spoon.
- Add sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Then stir in a lightly beaten egg. (TIP: I add the egg later to prevent the eggs from scrambling in a hot bananas.)
- Finally, add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix the batter until just combined. Don’t over-mix it.
OPTIONAL STEP… You may add some chocolate chips and/or chopped nuts at this point too.
3. Bake
- Line muffin cups with paper liners, if desired. Then lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Fill 16 muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.
- Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Grease the liners with cooking spray
Since this is a low fat muffins, they tend to stick to the paper liners. That’s why I like to spray with a cooking spray. It’s totally optional though.
Use a cookie scoop to divide the batter
I like using this large cookie scoop to divide the batter evenly. 1 scoop in each muffin cup.
Expert Tips
- It’s important to mash the bananas well before making the batter. You can use a fork or a wooden spoon to mash the bananas. If the bananas are thawed, they should be soft enough to mash with a wooden spoon.
- Bananas don’t have to be completely smooth after mashing, small chunks are ok. Just avoid leaving big chunks, or you’ll end up with wet spots in your muffins.
- You’ll know when the muffins are finished baking when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. There should just be dry and moist crumbs.
- Start freezing any leftover bananas from the week in their skins. We have a stock of frozen bananas in our freezer always for this recipe as well as quick breakfast smoothies.
Storage
Store muffins, covered, on the counter for up to 3 days. You may also refrigerate the muffins, in an airtight container, for up to a week.
These muffins also freeze well. Place them in an airtight container or a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
FAQs:
My banana muffins recipe calls for baking soda, even though there is no acid present that would react with it.
That’s because baking soda helps to brown the muffins beautifully.
Without baking soda, muffins come out pale as pictured below.
You would want frozen overripe bananas for the best result. Simply freeze the bananas when they turn soft and with lots of black spots.
Absolutely. Banana muffins freeze well for up to 3 months in an airtight container, or freezer bags.
Video:
More Delicious Muffin Recipes
Easy Banana Muffins (One Bowl)
Ingredients
- 4 frozen medium-to-large bananas thawed Note 1
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg lightly beaten, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (120 g) toasted chopped walnuts optional
- ½ cup (100 g) bittersweet chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Line 16 regular-size muffin cups with paper liners and lightly spray with non-stick spray. (Note 2)
- In a large bowl, mash thawed bananas with a fork or wooden spoon.
- Add sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract, and mix everything until combined.
- Then stir in lightly beaten egg.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until just combined. Don't overman the batter.
- Add walnuts and/or chocolate chips, if using.
- Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. (TIP: Use a large cookie scoop to evenly divide the batter. 1 scoop into each muffin cup.)
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.
⭐️ Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a review and let us know how you liked it!
Tips & Notes
– Store muffins, covered, on the counter for up to 3 days.
– Or refrigerate for up to a week.
– These muffins also freeze well. Place the muffins in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in March, 2020.
I don’t usually like banana anything and these were really good! I subbed cashews for walnuts and milk chocolate for bitter sweet and topped with a bit of brown sugar and butter!! Even my grandbaby liked them!!
Amazing!! So happy you and your grandbaby enjoyed them!! Thank you for your feedback, Shanda!!
If using mini loaf pans, how long do I bake your banana bread recipe?
Hi, Barb. I haven’t tested this recipe in mini loaf pan, and I have no experience with them to provide an accurate advice.
Delicious muffins recipe. I am pleased, but puzzled because I made it and it made five dozen mini muffins rather than two dozen.
Got to this recipe from the Banana Bread link. How long should I bake just 1 loaf using this recipe? Super excited to make it this week!