Banana Muffins (Base Recipe + Easy Mix-In Ideas)
Fresh banana muffins straight out of the oven, topped with crunchy turbinado sugar for a little extra sweetness and texture.
Who doesn’t love a good banana muffin? This is the recipe I reach for when I have a couple of ripe bananas on the counter and want something quick, simple, and reliable.
The batter comes together in one bowl, the ingredients are basic pantry staples, and the muffins bake up soft, moist, and lightly sweet. It’s the perfect everyday banana muffin base, and you can turn it into chocolate chip muffins, peanut butter swirl muffins, blueberry muffins, or anything you’re craving. The sky is the limit!
Why You’ll Love These Banana Muffins
Makes a full 12-muffin batch. Perfect for a regular home kitchen. No scaling needed.
Uses two bananas. You don’t have to wait for a whole bunch to ripen.
Two-bowl batter. Quick to mix and even quicker to clean up.
Customizable. Add chocolate chips, swirl in peanut butter, top with turbinado sugar, fold in berries, or keep them classic.
Light, moist, and tender. Melted butter gives the crumb great texture without making it heavy.
Chocolate chip banana muffins with a soft, melty center — the perfect mix-in if you want something a little sweeter.
Expert Tips for Best Results
Go for very ripe bananas
Brown and spotty gives the best flavor and sweetness.Don’t overmix the batter
Stop folding as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixing leads to dense muffins!Pick the right mix-in amount
This recipe handles 40–50 grams of add-ins without weighing down the batter.Use liners
Makes removal easy and keeps the muffins soft. If you opt to skip the liners, make sure you grease generously. I use Pam baking spray and it works great.Start checking your muffins at 18 minutes
Muffins bake fast and ovens vary. Muffins should pass the toothpick test - a few crumbs are okay, but keep ‘em in longer if you get wet batter!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I double the recipe?
Absolutely. Double everything for 24 muffins. I’ve done as many as 36 muffins by tripling the recipe!
Can I use oil instead of butter?
Yes. Use the same weight of neutral oil. Texture becomes slightly lighter when compared to butter muffins.
Do these freeze well?
Yes. Freeze for up to two months and thaw at room temperature.
Can I reduce the sugar?
You can go down to 90–100 grams sugar if you prefer a less sweet muffin.
Make Ahead Options
Bake ahead
Muffins stay fresh for two days. You can keep them a few days longer if you store in the fridge.Freeze
Freeze individually wrapped muffins and thaw as needed.Prep the dry mix
Combine the dry ingredients in a jar for quick muffin mornings. The dry ingredients will hold up well until you are ready to add in the wet ingredients.
Serving and Storage
How to Enjoy These Muffins
Eat warm with a little butter for a simple, cozy breakfast.
Pair with coffee or tea for an easy morning snack.
Slice and toast leftover muffins for a crisp, caramelized edge.
Add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup if you want a touch of extra sweetness.
Refrigerator Storage
Store in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
The muffins stay soft and moist when sealed well.Warm briefly before serving.
A few minutes in a 300°F oven brings back that fresh-from-the-oven texture.
Freezer Storage
Freeze for up to 2 months.
Wrap each muffin tightly or place them in a freezer-safe bag to protect their moisture.Thaw at room temperature or reheat gently.
A short warm-up in the oven softens the crumb without drying it out.
Reheating
Warm in the oven at 300°F.
This restores a soft, tender crumb and gives the muffin a slightly refreshed top.Microwave only if needed.
It works for speed, though the texture will be softer and less defined than the oven method.
Ingredient Swaps and Variations
Use brown sugar for deeper flavor
Swapping some or all of the white sugar for brown sugar gives the muffins a warmer, caramel-like sweetness.
Add chocolate chips
A small handful of chocolate chips (40–50 grams) melts into the batter and turns these into a bakery-style treat.
Try a peanut butter swirl
Warm a little peanut butter and swirl it into the tops before baking for a rich, nutty finish.
Fold in chopped nuts
Walnuts or pecans add crunch and pair well with the banana and cinnamon.
Sprinkle portioned batter with turbinado sugar before baking
A light coating on top adds sparkle and a crisp, sweet crust.
Make a blueberry version
Fold in a handful of fresh blueberries for a bright, juicy muffin. Toss the berries in a little flour before adding them so they stay evenly suspended in the batter.
Add extra spice
A pinch of cardamom or nutmeg boosts the cinnamon and makes the muffins feel cozier.
Try almond extract
A tiny splash paired with vanilla gives the muffins a soft, sweet bakery aroma.
Swap part of the flour
Replacing up to one third of the flour with whole wheat adds a nutty note without making the muffins dense.
Peanut butter swirl banana muffins cooling on the rack, with a creamy, nutty ribbon baked right into the top.
What You’ll Need (Tools + Ingredients I Recommend)
These are the tools and ingredients I reach for every time I make these banana muffins. They keep the process simple, consistent, and help the muffins bake up soft and evenly every time.
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Standard 12-cup muffin pan: A regular muffin pan gives you the perfect batch size for this recipe. If your pan runs shallow, keep an eye on the bake time so they don’t overbrown.
Mixing bowls: Two large bowls are enough for this batter, but an extra bowl helps if you’re tossing blueberries in flour or prepping mix-ins.
Whisk and rubber spatula: A whisk helps blend the wet ingredients smoothly. The spatula keeps the batter airy when folding in the dry ingredients and mix-ins.
Measuring cups and spoons: Precision matters for the leavening. A touch too much baking powder or soda can change the texture.
Digital scale: Since this recipe uses gram measurements, a scale keeps everything accurate and gives the muffins a consistent crumb. I swear by this OXO scale I’ve linked here.
Cookie scoop: Cookie scoops make portioning clean and even, which helps the muffins bake uniformly. You can also just scoop the batter into the tins using a spoon - whatever works!
Cooling rack: Cooling on a rack prevents steam from making the bottoms soggy and keeps the texture light. Don’t skip this step, you’ll be glad you didn’t!
Ripe bananas: Use bananas with plenty of spots. They mash easily and add natural sweetness without needing extra sugar. The darker the better!
Cinnamon or warm spices: Cinnamon is classic, but a tiny pinch of nutmeg or cardamom makes the muffins feel cozy and bakery-style.
Butter: Melted butter gives the muffins their soft, tender crumb and keeps the batter simple to mix.
Optional mix-ins: Chocolate chips, walnuts, blueberries, or a quick peanut butter swirl work beautifully with this base recipe.
Ingredients
Yields approximately 12 muffins
Wet Ingredients
215 g mashed bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
120 g sugar
75 g melted butter
1 egg
¾ tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
Dry Ingredients
180 g flour
1 tsp baking powder
⅔ tsp baking soda
½–1 tsp cinnamon
Optional Mix-Ins
40–50 g chocolate chips
30–40 g warmed creamy peanut butter
Turbinado sugar
Walnuts
Blueberries
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line or generously grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl.
Add the sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Fold gently until just combined.
Add mix-ins if using.
Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full (roughly 50–55 grams per muffin).
Bake for 18–22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then move to a rack.
Result
You’ll end up with soft, tender banana muffins with gently rounded tops and a moist, even crumb. The bananas keep the muffins naturally sweet, the cinnamon adds a warm bakery aroma, and the batter stays light without feeling delicate or crumbly. If you add chocolate chips, they melt into little pockets throughout the muffin. If you swirl in peanut butter, you’ll get a rich, nutty ribbon that pairs perfectly with the banana. Blueberries or walnuts give the muffins a brighter or more textured bite.
The flavor is classic and comforting. The banana comes through without being overpowering, and the touch of cinnamon makes the muffins feel warm and cozy. They’re simple enough for a quick morning bake but special enough to enjoy as an afternoon treat.
Let the muffins cool for a few minutes before eating. Warm muffins are great, but giving them a short rest helps the crumb finish setting and makes the tops hold their shape.
If you want something to pair with these, they’re perfect with a cup of coffee, a little butter on top, or a drizzle of honey for extra sweetness.
Hope you love these muffins as much as I do. Let me know which mix-ins you try — they’re fun to customize and always turn out a little different in the best way!
Banana Muffins
Who doesn’t love a good banana muffin? This is the recipe I reach for when I have a couple of ripe bananas on the counter and want something quick, simple, and reliable.
The batter comes together in one bowl, the ingredients are basic pantry staples, and the muffins bake up soft, moist, and lightly sweet. It’s the perfect everyday banana muffin base, and you can turn it into chocolate chip muffins, peanut butter swirl muffins, blueberry muffins, or anything you’re craving. The sky is the limit!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line or generously grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
- Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Fold gently until just combined.
- Add mix-ins if using.
- Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full (roughly 50–55 grams per muffin).
- Bake for 18–22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then move to a rack.
Notes
- Go for very ripe bananas
- Brown and spotty gives the best flavor and sweetness.
- Don’t overmix the batter
- Stop folding as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixing leads to dense muffins!
- Pick the right mix-in amount
- This recipe handles 40–50 grams of add-ins without weighing down the batter.
- Use liners
- Makes removal easy and keeps the muffins soft. If you opt to skip the liners, make sure you grease generously. I use Pam baking spray and it works great.
- Start checking your muffins at 18 minutes
- Muffins bake fast and ovens vary. Muffins should pass the toothpick test - a few crumbs are okay, but keep ‘em in longer if you get wet batter!