Fluffy and moist banana muffins. Everyone asks for this recipe! These muffins are a family favorite!
Whenever I buy bananas, I buy more than I know we'll eat because I love to have ripe bananas for banana bread or this easy banana muffins recipe. The riper the bananas, the better.
Easy Banana Muffins Recipe
This recipe is the best banana muffins recipe because it requires just two mixing bowls and a spoon or whisk. They bake beautifully in cupcake tins and freeze just as well! We also love indulging in double chocolate banana muffins, but that's for another day.
Ingredients
We make banana muffins all of the time because they are simple and quick. I also love to gift them to our neighbors. This banana muffins recipe uses pantry staples and ripe bananas. Gather these ingredients:
Here's what you need:
- All-purpose flour (2 ⅔ cups)
- Sugar (1 cup)
- Unsalted butter (¾ cup = 1 ½ sticks)
- Bananas (5 medium ripened)
- Eggs (4 large)
- Vanilla extract (optional)
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
The riper the bananas, the better, so when during your next grocery trip, grab extras so they can start ripening on your counter! You can also add nuts (walnuts are perfect!) or chocolate chips to the banana muffins batter. Maybe sprinkle in some cinnamon?
How to Make Banana Muffins from Scratch
These are very easy. The general steps are as follows. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full detailed instructions.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line muffin pan with paper cups.
- In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, mix wet ingredients.
- Gently combine wet and dry ingredients. Do not over mix.
- Scoop batter into muffin cups.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
I like to bake just one pan at a time for more even baking, but to save time you can bake both 12-cup pans at once. Either way, rotate the pans halfway to avoid the tops of the muffins from over browning.
Equipment to Help You With This Recipe
- Muffin pan - I use two of these for this recipe, but you can bake one pan at a time.
- Mixing bowls - These are my favorite. There's a coupon for them right now!
- Whisk - I love my silicone whisk, and this is a nice set of 3.
- Wooden spoon - Use a wooden spoon to mix the batter.
- Baking cups - These cupcake liners are grease-proof and peel nicely from the muffins.
- Large cookie scoop - I use this to easily scoop the batter into the muffin cups.
Why are my banana muffins dense?
The key to making the best banana muffins is making sure you do not over mix the batter. You want these to be light and fluffy. If you beat the batter too long, they'll turn out dense and chewy. I recommend gently stirring the batter with a wooden spoon until JUST combined. It's okay if you still see little dry clumps. It will combine the rest of the way as you scoop the batter into the cupcake tins.
It is also important to make sure you whisk together the dry ingredients to ensure the leavening agents are fully combined. Sifting is not necessary. A whisk gets the job done. Then, when adding the wet ingredients, make a well and then gently fold with a wooden spoon.
Variations
We love these muffins in its simplest form, but once in a while it is fun to stir a little extra into the batter. There are many variations to these banana muffins, beyond making them into mini muffins. Try adding these mix-ins to the batter:
- Chocolate chip muffins - stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips.
- Cinnamon muffins - stir in ½ teaspoon ground cinnmon (more or less to taste).
- Banana nut muffins - stir in 1 cup of chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are my favorite).
- Banana streusel muffins - combine butter, flour and sugar then top onto the muffin batter for a delicious crumb topping.
- Whole wheat muffins - use half whole wheat white flour and half all-purpose flour in the recipe below.
How to Store Homemade Muffins
We all know that muffins are best right from the oven, or at least the same day they are made. Typically, muffins become soggy the next day, but I learned over the years the best way to store muffins so that they are still fresh up to 3 days later!
The best way to store leftover muffins is in a sealed tight container lined with paper towels. Let me explain. My biggest complaint of next-day muffins is they become soggy. The moisture trapped in the container takes over. To reduce that moisture and keep the muffins fresh, place a paper towel on the bottom of the container and another paper towel on top of the muffins. See the photo as an example (they are pumpkin muffins). Most of the moisture transfers to the paper towel, taking it away from the muffin tops and bottoms! The muffins are still the very best the same day baked, but using this storage method they are still good up to 3 days later!
If I know we will not consume the rest of the muffins within the next 3 days, then I place them in a single layer in a freezer bag and freeze immediately when they cool to room temperature. The more fresh they are when you freeze them, the better they will be when thawed. To thaw, remove from freezer and let set on the counter for 30 minutes. Or, if you're in a hurry, you can microwave them individually for 10-20 seconds.
Other Muffin Recipes
- Almond Flour Banana Muffins
- Banana and Berries Oat Muffins
- Strawberry Muffins
- Spinach Muffins
- Pumpkin Muffins
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Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter , melted
- 2 cups mashed bananas (about 5 medium ripe bananas)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pan with baking cups; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, powder and salt.
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together with a whisk until light and fluffy. Slowly pour in the melted butter in a thin stream, while constantly whisking. Stir in the mashed bananas and vanilla.
- With a wooden spoon, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Gently stir until JUST combined. Evidence of dry crumbs is fine.
- Evenly divide batter among 24 muffin cups, filling about ⅔rds full. I like to use my cookie scoop to make this easy.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Rotate pans halfway through baking time.
- Let cool 5 minutes in pan, then immediately remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store leftovers in a sealed container lined with paper towels for up to 3 days. See notes in the blog post for storing tips.
- To freeze, place in single layer in freezer bag. Freeze up to 1 month.
- To make mini muffins, divide batter into mini muffin pan and bake 10 to 12 minutes.
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