This easy banana muffin recipe is not the most basic or simplest but it’s my go-to, with the dreamy muffin texture – light, fluffy but moist.
Banana Muffin Recipes
I know there is a million different recipes out there. There are those with varied ingredients – banana chocolate chip muffin, banana nut, oatmeal or blueberry and even almond flour banana muffin. There are also different “kinds”! From easy banana muffin recipe to healthy banana muffin or moist and simple banana muffin, etc.
But you are here! You found this recipe out of all the other recipes. And I will try to make it worth your while! I have packed this post not just with list of ingredients and baking instructions. I also added pro-tips I picked up along my baking adventure. They provide the why’s on the what’s and the how’s. Hopefully you can add them to your own baker’s toolbox as well or even just as stock knowledge. I also put together FAQ’s I found online and tried to answer them as best as I could.
Easy Banana Muffin Recipe
I am a bit apprehensive of calling it easy as there are more ingredients than the basic one I used to bake before. But after testing different recipes, doing Banana Muffin is actually relatively easy. No creaming of butter and sugar, no streusel or topping or frosting – just a good banana muffin to enjoy. So maybe I can still claim that this is my go-to Easy Banana Muffin Recipe! Try it! Maybe it could be yours too!
As I said, this easy banana muffin recipe is not the simplest or the most basic. But this is my new go-to recipes when I find over-ripe bananas that my hubby didn’t want to eat anymore. (I don’t eat bananas for a reason I don’t want to disclose – TMI). I have tested other muffin (and bread) recipes as well. And those that earned a thumbs up from my food critics, I am sharing them all in this food blog.
Basic Banana Muffin
When I worked for a food distribution company, they had this fruit basket program to promote us to eat fresh fruits. We would get a new box of fruits every Monday, meaning by Friday the fruits are at or near the end of their freshness. Then on Monday mornings, they throw them in the bin and we get the fresh ones again.
On most weeks by the time Fridays roll in, what’s left in the fruit baskets are bananas that nobody wanted. I hate to see food go to waste so before going home for the weekend, I would get the bananas and do some banana baking on the weekend. And that’s how I started doing Banana Muffins.
My recipe then was very basic and I really kind of mass produce it in a way. Since I usually get the bananas from the office, I would bring the baked goodies to officemates. They are often gone by mid-day so I felt they were good enough. When I started recipe testing and development, I felt ashamed of myself. That’s what motivated me to test and experiment until I get an easy banana muffin recipe that I can be proud of!
Guide to Easy Banana Muffin Recipe
I tried to make this guide as comprehensive as possible to ensure that you will nail it down even in your first time. I have added Pro-Tips along the the way. They are my bonus explanations to help you out better understand the do’s and don’ts not just with this muffin recipe but baking in general.
If you are not a beginner home-baker, you can skip to the recipe card for the precise measurements of ingredients and the quick straightforward baking instructions.
Ingredients of this Banana Muffin Recipe
Flour – If you are not new to baking and the function of the different ingredients, you know that flour provides the baked goods their structure. All purpose flour is usually the choice for muffin as it has less protein content thus less gluten than bread flour. For this banana recipe, I used Multi-Grain Flour, not just for the additional nutrients but also for texture.
Sugar – This recipe has both granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. The brown sugar is for the additional layer of rich caramel flavour, and not to mention the brown colour from the molasses. It blends well with the banana and vanilla flavours. It helps in making the muffins moist as well. Granulated sugar is sweeter so you actually use less sugar. It is often more preferred for cakes because of gives the lighter airier texture. I want both in my muffin – fluffy and moist so I combine both.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda – Why did I use both and not just chose one? The baking soda neutralizes the acids in the recipe (like the buttermilk and molasses from brown sugar in this easy banana muffin recipe). The baking powder provides the extra push or lift. I want more rise but too much baking soda affects the flavour.
Eggs – I read somewhere that eggs are the matchmaker as they bind together fats and water-based liquids. We know in elementary science that oil and water don’t mix. But we have emulsifiers that help them come together as stable emulsions. And that is the role of egg. This is also the reason that after creaming butter and sugar, you add the egg (one at a time) before you add the other liquid ingredients.
Vegetable Oil – Because I want my muffin moist, I use oil instead of butter. Some oil though have a stronger flavour that would affect the overall taste of your final product. So I use vegetable oil (some others prefer canola oil) for their neutral flavour. However because you are not getting any flavour from the oil, some recipes add butter for that purpose. I would do the same in other recipes that has lesser layers of flavours. I didn’t in this easy banana muffin recipe for 2 reasons. First, this easy banana muffin recipe is already flavourful. Second, I tried really hard to make this recipe really easy and adding another ingredient doesn’t help that goal.
Buttermilk – When I discovered buttermilk for my baked goodies, I try to use it whenever I can. If I see cake or muffin recipe that requires milk, I try to find out if I can substitute with buttermilk. Milk provides the structure, sweetness and moisture. Buttermilk gives your baked goodies a lighter, more tender crumb because of its action with baking soda.
Salt and Vanilla Extract – Then we come to the lesser actors but equally important ingredients. Salt is a flavour enhancer and balancer. It also contributes to the structure. Even if you feel the role of it is really small, don’t skip it when you see it in your baking recipes. Vanilla of course is probably the universal flavour enhancer providing that subtle and complex flavours at the same time to your recipes. Both salt and vanilla give your recipes more life – without them, life is flat and dull, oh at least your recipe.
How to make this Easy Banana Muffin Recipe
Line a muffin tin with paper cups and preheat the oven to 425°F. Ah, that is not a typographical error.
PRO-TIP: To get that muffin top or perfect dome look, the muffins go into the oven at a higher temperature. This is the secret to having a higher rise and dome or muffin top look. Having the boost of that hot heat when your muffins go into the oven helps the outside to set or solidify first. Then as the inside continue to rise during the baking process, the center pushes up and voila, muffin dome!
Then start with the dry ingredients. In a bowl, combine together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix well and set aside.
PRO-TIP: You must not overmix the batter once the dry ingredients combined with the liquid. You don’t want to promote gluten formation, which causes your muffins to be rubbery or have tunnels. So make sure that you mix the dry ingredients properly during this step. If needed, get a whisk and distribute the leaveners thoroughly in the flour.
Level Up Home Baker: If you want to go a step further, you can sift your flour. Oftentimes I only do that for cakes but you can do that all the time. I watched this masterclass video by Colette Christian and she suggests to sift every time. Oh BTW, sift after you combine together your dry ingredients.
Then in a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with either a fork or a potato masher until there are no more large pieces. If you don’t want lumps in your banana muffin (or banana bread), beat the mashed bananas for a minute or two with the hand mixer. I do this all the time and I also did this in this recipe. (See the pictures below where I tried to document in photos for your visual guide the process of this easy banana muffin recipe).
Add the vanilla extract, brown sugar and the granulated sugar.
PRO-TIP: Again, I learned from pastry chef Colette to add the vanilla extract early on. This allows the recipe to capture the optimal flavour of vanilla. I didn’t know about this until I watched her video. We learn something new everyday.
Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer for about 2 minutes. This will ensure that the sugar is fully dissolved in the mixture. Again, you want to make sure to mix everything thoroughly the liquid ingredients. This will help you avoid the danger of over-mixing when you mix the dry and wet ingredients.
Add the eggs and make sure and mix thoroughly. You can add both eggs at the same time unlike when you are adding eggs to a creamed butter and sugar. I explained the reasons for this in Science of Baking.
Then add the oil and buttermilk; either mix with the mixer or stir with a spoon or spatula. Make sure that everything is well-blended before you add the dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and then using a spoon or spatula, carefully mixing together. Without over mixing, ensure that there are no dry lumps. Over-mixing or over-working the batter could result in dry, flat and dense muffin. But you don’t want lumps of dry flour in your muffin which will result to dry uncooked pockets.
PRO-TIP: You always add the dry to the wet. This way, you provide the flour particles to hydrate more quickly and efficiently. If you also add the wet ingredients to the dry, there is always a chance that the liquid will not penetrate to the bottom and you will have a big lump of dry flour at the bottom. With getting it to mix properly, again you might have the danger of over-mixing.
Spoon the batter into 12 lined muffin cups (about 3/4 full) and divide equally to promote even baking.
Bake the muffins in the oven preheated at 425°F for 5 minutes. Then without taking the muffins out of the oven or opening the oven door, set the oven to 350°F and bake for another 12-14 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to allow to cool completely. Or you can snatch one while warm and enjoy with butter.
Expert Tips and FAQ’s
How can I make my muffins light and fluffy?
Muffins need leaveners to “rise-up” and come out light and fluffy. In this easy banana muffin recipe, I use both baking powder and baking soda, to provide the rise that makes them light and fluffy. Remember as well to use the exact measurements. If you use too little, they won’t rise enough. Use too much and they will rise quickly and then collapse.
Why aren’t my muffins fluffy?
If there is too much liquid in the batter, the muffins will be dense and will not be fluffy (will be more cakey as cupcakes and cake recipes have more liquid in their batter). To prevent this from happening, always make sure that you follow the measurements correctly. It is even more advisable to weigh ingredients especially the flour and sugar.
Too much leavening could also be the culprit. If there is too much baking soda and/or baking powder, the muffins will rise more and sooner. But it will only be temporary as it will collapse right after, which means all the gases have escaped. These trapped gases are what makes the muffins fluffy and without them, you will be left with a dense muffin.
Why muffins come out dry and crumbly?
The number one culprit for dry and crumbly muffins is an overmixed batter. There is really no way to troubleshoot so just make sure not to overmix the next time.
To ensure that the batter is not overmixed and prevent dry and crumbly muffins – stir carefully after combining the dry and wet until incorporated and no more. I watched Colette Christian’s baking videos and according to her, do no more than 20 J-folds.
I still make sure though that there are no dry lumps but you will see other recipes that will say to leave lumps. Personally I made sure that all the dry ingredients are moistened as dry flour doesn’t bake. Those dry lumps will be pockets of dry, uncooked flour in your baked goodies.
Another PRO-TIP is to ALWAYS follow these:
- Combine the dry ingredients thoroughly.
- Mix the wet or liquid ingredients completely. Ensure that the sugar is specifically dissolves completely in the mixture.
- Combine the dry and the wet and stir with a spatula or spoon for about 15-20 strokes or J-folds.
If the dry and wet ingredients are mixed thoroughly (separately) before putting both together, you will need minimal mixing to ensure that all the ingredients are combined completely.
How do you fix rubbery muffins?
Fix for rubbery muffins is like a prophylaxis or preventive treatment; avoid it before it happens. Do not over mix the muffin batter! See above. Over-mixing activates the protein and promotes gluten-formation. It is gluten that makes your muffin rubbery.
What happens if a muffin is under mixed?
An under-mixed muffin will have less or poor volume and will be crumbly. There will be specks or lumps of dry flour which will remain unbaked. You can see in the image below the “un-wet” flour. Even if I have seen many recipes that say leave lumps, I am not doing it. I tried it so many times and I am always left with pockets of the un-wet flour.
What happens if you add an extra egg to muffins?
As mentioned, eggs are what holds the water and fat together. Adding another egg provides more emulsifiers to the recipe therefore allowing the batter to hold more liquid and thus more sugar. The result is sweeter and moister baked goodies. However, be careful because egg is still part of the liquid component – and thus could upset the dry to liquid ratio. In could result to a gooey mess because of too much liquid. Some recipes will actually specify extra egg yolk (and not whole egg) because of this reason. As always, precision is key.
Is butter or oil better for muffins?
Oil is preferred for texture. It provides a more even crumb, thus a far more superior texture compared to those with butter. Recipes with oil stay moist and tender longer as well. However as oil that is often used in baking has a neutral flavour, the ones with butter will have a far superior taste and flavour than those with oil.
Which oil is best for muffins?
Canola oil is one of the best types of oil for baking. It has a neutral flavour compared to other types of oil. Thus it doesn’t affect the texture and flavour of your baked goodies. I myself use vegetable oil (because I don’t like the smell of Canola oil). However you can’t go wrong with Canola for baking. I know that it has kind of a bad rap but it is also kind of misunderstood. Read more about Canola Oil here to understand the properties and health benefits before judging this oil.
Will muffins rise without eggs?
The short answer is yes. The longer explanation is the difference in texture most especially the soft airy crumb. Without eggs, it may come out tough, dense and/or crumbly. As aside from the nutritional value of eggs, they also provide structure, flavour and leavening to your muffins. As a general rule, the texture and the height of the muffins or any baked goods for that matter is usually because of the balance between the eggs and the flour in the recipe. They both contribute to the structure.
What does baking powder do to muffins?
Baking powder, like baking soda is a leavening agent and makes the muffin rise. It is all about the production of carbon dioxide during the baking process that gets trapped in the batter. As the temperature rises and the muffin bakes, they form air pockets pushing the batter up and giving the muffin its height.
What ingredient makes muffin moist?
To simplify, there are two ingredients that you can use to for a moister muffin. One is the choice of fats – using oil instead of butter. The other is either substituting granulated sugar for brown sugar or having a combination of both. Brown sugar retains more moisture as it is dense and compacts more easily. It creates less air pockets and thus less moisture escapes as steam. Because of this, the muffin comes out more moist and chewy.
How long should muffins cool?
As I mentioned in Science of Baking, the last phase still happens as you take out the baked goodies from the oven. As you leave it to cool, the transition from heat to cooling down firms up the structure. Usually five minutes is long enough for the muffins to cool slightly before removing them from the muffin tin.
Leaving it longer than five minutes could result to soggy muffins as the heat is trapped between the muffins and the pan. The steam, with nowhere to go seeps back to the muffin and makes them soggy. Five minutes allow enough time for the right amount of steam to stay within the muffin leaving it moist without making it soggy.
That is the reason why it is transferred to a cooling rack and allowed to cool completely. The cooling rack allows better and proper air circulation to firm up the baked muffins by allowing the heat to come out properly.
Should I refrigerate banana muffins?
Never refrigerate muffins. They will dry out quickly. There is less water vapour in the cooler air inside the fridge. When air is drier, liquid water evaporates faster and it includes the moisture in the muffin.
How long do muffins last in a container?
If kept properly in an air-tight container, they could last up to four days.
How do you store muffins so they don’t get soggy?
First, muffins could go soggy if they stay too long in the muffin tin. So make sure not to leave them in for more than 5 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack until they cool completely. It is the steam that escapes from any hot food that gets trapped and makes them soggy.
Then line an air-tight container with paper towel and put muffins in a single layer. If desired, place paper towels above the muffins as well although the muffin crust could end up sticking to the paper towel.
Why are my muffins not cooked in the middle?
You can have undercooked muffins if the oven is not hot enough or the cooking time wasn’t enough. Make sure to always check the correct cooking temperature and that you are not falling into the most common no-no in baking – opening the oven door while baking. The temperature inside the oven drops as cooler air from outside replaces the hot air that escapes when the oven door is opened.
Another potential reason is if you made substitutions to some ingredients. Depending on the item/s or the combination, it could need longer cooking time.
Why did my muffins stick to the paper liners?
Muffins stick to the liners when they are still warm. As they cool down and the structure sets more, they shrink a little and loosen their grip on the liner. It is also true if you leave them in the pan as they cool down, baked goodies shrink and they detach from the pan.
Do you have to use liners for muffins?
For ease and convenience, I use liners for my muffins. It is not necessary to put liners but if you don’t, you will need to grease your baking pans. Thus liners reduce the wear and tear on the non-stick finish of your muffin tin as there will be little to no oil that comes in contact with the pan.
Personally I also find it more convenient and sanitary to serve or to pass around. However, if you want to have a smooth outer finish or edge for presentation purposes or personal preference, not using a liner is totally fine.
Easy Banana Muffin Recipe
Description
This easy banana muffin recipe is not the most basic or simplest but it's my go-to with the dreamy muffin texture - light, fluffy but moist.
Ingredients
Instructions
Line a muffin tin with paper cups and preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a bowl, stir together and well the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with either a fork or a potato masher until there are no more large pieces. If you don't want lumps in your banana muffin (or banana bread), beat the mashed bananas for a minute or two.
Add the vanilla extract, brown sugar and the granulated sugar. Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer for about 2 minutes. This will ensure that the sugar is fully dissolved in the mixture.
Add the egg one at a time and beat until creamy.
Then add the oil and buttermilk; either mix with the mixer or stir with a spoon or spatula. Make sure that everything is well-blended before you add the dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and then using a spoon or spatula, carefully mixing together. Without over mixing, ensure that there are no dry lumps.
Over-mixing or over-working the batter could result in dry, flat and dense muffin. But you don't want lumps of dry flour in your muffin which will result to dry uncooked pockets.
Spoon the batter into 12 lined muffin cups and divide equally to promote even baking.
Bake the muffins in the oven preheated at 425°F for 5 minutes. Then without taking the muffins out of the oven or opening the oven door, set the oven to 350°F and bake for another 12-14 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to allow to cool completely. Or you can snatch one while warm and enjoy with butter.
Servings 12
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 214kcal
- Calories from Fat 60kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 7g11%
- Saturated Fat 1g5%
- Cholesterol 36mg12%
- Sodium 248mg11%
- Potassium 154.98mg5%
- Total Carbohydrate 35g12%
- Dietary Fiber 1g4%
- Sugars 16g
- Protein 3.99g8%
- Vitamin A 4 IU
- Vitamin C 4 mg
- Calcium 5 mg
- Iron 7 mg
- Vitamin D 1 IU
- Vitamin E 5 IU
- Vitamin K 5 mcg
- Thiamin 12 mg
- Riboflavin 10 mg
- Niacin 7 mg
- Vitamin B6 7 mg
- Folate 12 mcg
- Vitamin B12 2 mcg
- Pantothenic Acid 3 mg
- Phosphorus 9 mg
- Magnesium 4 mmol
- Zinc 2 mcg
- Selenium 17 mg
- Copper 3 mg
- Manganese 12 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption. source: https://nutritiondata.self.com
Notes
- I used Multi-Grain Flour specifically for texture (see blog above). You can always use All-Purpose Flour (see pictures in blog of this version).
- Ground Cinnamon can be omitted. Cinnamon just lends an additional layer of flavour and aroma.