Banana Muffins

While banana bread often steals the spotlight, banana muffins are absolutely worth the attention. They’re the ideal treat to whip up for a quick breakfast or brunch, or prep a batch ahead of time to keep in the fridge to grab throughout the week.

Why These Banana Muffins Are So Perfect

These simple banana muffins are incredibly moist, with a strong banana flavor paired with buttery notes and just a touch of cinnamon. They’re delicious on their own, or you can add mix-ins like chocolate chips, pecans, or a sprinkle of oats on top. Make them when you have too many leftover ripe bananas, or patiently wait for your bananas to ripen to mix up your next batch.

A few other things to love about these banana muffins:

• They freeze beautifully.
• You don't need an electric mixer; melted butter makes mixing by hand easy enough.
• You can customize with mix-ins if you want.
• They're faster than banana bread but deliver on big banana flavor.
• They're portable and convenient, and if you need a treat to bring to school, they're sweet and special without any sort of sticky topping or sprinkles.

Ingredients for Banana Muffins

A great thing about banana muffins is the basic ingredient list. If you're a home baker with a well-stocked pantry, odds are you have everything you need in the house right now.

• Flour provides the structure for the muffins. We prefer all-purpose flour because it delivers big on texture while also being fluffy and light.
• Baking soda, baking powder, and salt do the work of making the muffins rise and puff out. Salt also helps balance the other flavors.
• Cinnamon adds a gentle note of spice to these banana muffins so they're not all one note.
• Three medium-sized bananas provide much of the moisture and all of the banana flavor. You'll want them to be fairly ripe so they're easy to mash and mix.
• Melted unsalted butter is easy to mix by hand. It adds flavor and richness and helps make the muffins moist.
• Light brown sugar and granulated sugar are in here for sweetness obviously. You can split the sugars, like this recipe does, or do all of either.
• Eggs help hold everything together and build structure in the muffins as they bake.
• Vanilla extract is a must in all baking recipes. It helps to boost the flavors of all the other ingredients.
• Milk is the final ingredient in these banana muffins. It helps to bring the batter together so everything bakes up beautifully.

How To Mash Bananas

The easiest method for mashing bananas requires you to take the bananas out of their peels, put them in a wide bowl, and use the back of a fork to gently mash until they're the consistency you want.

If you have a lot of bananas to mash, consider using a masher (the kind you use for mashed potatoes). You can also use a food processor, but be careful you don't process too mush and make the bananas gluey.

How To Make Banana Muffins

The full recipe for banana muffins is below, but here's a brief recap:

Step 1. Prepare the muffin pan by greasing 12 wells with cooking spray or placing a muffin pan liner in each well.

Step 2. Combine the dry ingredients—flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon—in one bowl. Whisk to fully incorporate.

Step 3. In a medium bowl, mix the mashed bananas, melted butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. Stir until well combined.

Step 4. Combine the dry ingredients and the wet in one bowl. Mix just until combined.

Step 5. Pour the muffin batter into the prepared muffin tray, and bake until golden brown. Let the muffins cool before serving.

How To Store Banana Muffins

Banana muffins store well for several days, so you don't need to eat a whole dozen in one sitting. You can make these on the weekend, pop them in the fridge, and enjoy them every morning all week.

• In the fridge: Store the muffins in an airtight container for 5 days.
• In the freezer: Let the muffins cool completely. Wrap each one in plastic wrap, then store them in a zip-top bag. When you're ready to defrost, leave them at room temperature for about an hour.
• At room temperature: If left on the counter, these muffins will last up to 3 days. Just be sure to store them in a container that keeps the air out.

More Banana Recipes

If you've got loads of bananas and need ideas for using them, consider these recipes:

• Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Banana Bundt Cake
• Skillet Baked Almond-And-Banana Oatmeal
• Blueberry Banana Bread

Editorial contributions by Kimberly Holland.