5 Banana Bread Muffin Recipe Choices With Golden Brown Tops and Soft Centers

Our banana bread muffin recipe options will have your mouth watering in no time. Are you wondering whether or not you can make moist banana bread muffins? Which ingredients will make the tastiest, most delectable muffins? Are there any healthy ways to make banana muffins?

The answers lie in our best banana bread muffin recipe options. Let’s share the secrets of moist, spongy banana muffins. Ever wonder who came up with the banana bread muffin recipe? Whoever it was, is a hero to those of us who enjoy fruity-inspired muffins. Let’s show you the top banana muffin recipes. 

Our Best Banana Bread Muffin Recipes at a Glance

Our five favorite banana bread muffin recipes include:

• 4-ingredient banana muffin recipe (1)
• Easy banana bread muffin recipe with cinnamon (4)
• Healthy banana bread muffin recipe (9)
• Moist banana bread muffin recipe (12)
• Best banana bread muffin recipe (2)

But first, let’s discover some tips and secrets before sharing the banana muffin recipes.

Banana Bread Muffin Recipe Secrets and Tips

Let’s share some secrets, fun facts, and tips before showing you the best banana bread muffin recipe choices on our front page. 

What Is the Most Popular Muffin in the World?

Gitnux statistics show that blueberry is the most popular muffin flavor in the US, with the runner-up being chocolate chip (13). Amazingly, chocolate chip and blueberry muffins account for half of global sales. However, Europe prefers double chocolate muffins and in the southern US, banana nut muffins are growing in popularity.

What Are Banana Muffins Made Of?

Banana muffins are made of various ingredients with a few common additions. Ripe or overripe bananas are the key ingredients in banana muffins (1, 4, 9, 12, 2). Other common banana muffin ingredients include the following:

• Baking soda or powder
• Butter (some recipes use oil or oil and butter)
• Eggs (or vegan-friendly alternatives like silken tofu)
• Flour (all-purpose or gluten-free alternatives like chickpea flour or almond flour)
• Salt
• Sugar (any kind of sweetener, including honey and agave)
• Vanilla extract or essence

Different banana muffin recipes will use varying ingredients. Let’s look at some moisture-locking secrets to help you choose recipes that work better for you. You can use lighter ingredients if you’re limiting calories and/or carbs as part of a weight loss eating plan (3).

What Is the Secret to Moist Muffins?

Our top four secrets to moist banana bread muffins include the following tips:

1. Fill Muffin Liners Correctly – Filling muffin liners with 70-75 grams of batter is the ideal amount for moist, aerated, and soft banana bread muffins (6). Fill the liners around 75% to avoid overfilling or underfilling them. 
2. Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients Separately – Recipes often tell you to mix the dry and wet ingredients separately before combining them. Doing this allows the aeration agents to disperse better into your flour for an even bake and moister result (14). 
3. Use Ideal Oven Temperatures – The ideal oven temperature to bake muffins for a moist, aerated, and soft crumb is 180-200°C or 350-400°F, which locks the moisture inside and creates a golden brown and crusty muffin top (11).
4. Use Oil or Oil and Butter – Oil coats your flour proteins better than butter and results in more moist muffins and sponge cakes (7). Use recipes with oil or oil and butter to bake moist banana bread muffins. Vegetable, coconut, canola, or olive oil work well.

Can You Freeze Banana Muffins?

Yes, you can freeze baked muffins! Juliana, a student at the University of San Francisco freezes her banana muffins with parchment paper to separate them (10). She thaws them at room temperature or uses a microwave to defrost the muffins. 

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The Best Banana Bread Muffin Recipes

Finally, it’s time for our top banana bread muffin recipe choices. Choose the one that suits your kitchen ingredients, healthy lifestyle, or occasional sweet tooth for freezing portions. You’ll find the nutritional values per serving for each recipe if you watch the calories and/or carbs.

4-Ingredient Banana Muffins

Chef Not Required, inspires our mouth-watering 4-ingredient banana bread muffin recipe (1). This recipe is the easiest way to make fast banana muffins for an afternoon snack or to freeze for busy day spoils. It may not be the most moist option, though.

• Servings: 12
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Bake:  20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 large overripe bananas
• ⅔ cup of light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ⅛ cup of self-raising flour

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C or 400°F while lining a muffin pan with liners,
2. Mash your bananas until smooth before mixing the sugar and creaming it,
3. Mix the eggs in until well incorporated before sifting the flour into the bowl,
4. Fill the muffin liners ¾ full, and turn the oven down to 180°C or 350°F,
5. Bake the muffins for 17-20 minutes before seeing if a toothpick comes out clean,
6. Rest the muffins for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan.

Macros: 167 calories, 36 g carbs, 1 g fat, 4 g protein, and 1 g fiber (1) 

Read more: Gluten Free Bread Recipe: Light, Fluffy & Delicious Breads

Easy Banana Bread Muffin Recipe

Every Day Made Fresh, inspires our cinnamon-spiced banana muffins, which are easy and ultra-tasty for a spiced-infused muffin recipe (4). Cinnamon also adds some sweet undertones and the toppings sweeten the deal further. It’s a moist delight with spices.

• Servings: 12
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Bake:  20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 ⅔ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ⅔ cups of granulated sugar
• ½ cup of canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 3 small ripe bananas
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
• ½ cup of granulated sugar (for topping)
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon (for topping)
• 1 stick of butter, melted (for topping)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C or 375°F while lining your muffin pan with liners,
2. Mix your initial sugar, oil, eggs, bananas, and vanilla in a stand mixer,
3. Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon into the mixer’s bowl,
4. Mix until combined and fill the liners up to ¾ before baking for 18-20 minutes,
5. Test the muffins with a toothpick until it comes out clean,
6. Mix the topping sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl,
7. Rest the muffins for 5 minutes in the pan before dipping them into your topping.

Macros: 323 calories, 39 g carbs, 18 g fat, 3 g protein, and 1 g fiber (4) 

Healthy Banana Bread Muffin Recipe

Our banana bread muffin healthy recipe is great for anyone cutting down on sugar, calories, and/or carbs. Weight loss usually requires you to limit your calories. Well-Plated, inspires our healthier banana bread muffin recipe (9).  

• Servings: 12
• Prep:  10 minutes
• Bake:  20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 large overripe bananas, mashed
• 1 large egg
• ⅓ cup of fat-free Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• ⅓ cup of light brown sugar
• ¼ cup of maple syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 ½ cups of white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup of walnuts, toasted and chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F while lining a muffin pan with liners,
2. Whisk the egg, yogurt, and oil into the mashed bananas, 
3. Whisk the sugar, vanilla, and syrup into the same mixture,
4. Sprinkle the baking soda, cinnamon, and salt over the top,
5. Gently stir in the flour before folding your walnuts into the batter,
6. Fill your liners up to ¾ full and bake for 20-22 minutes,
7. Remove once a toothpick inserted comes out clean,
8. Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan.

Macros: 211 calories, 28 g carbs, 9 g fat, 5 g protein, and 3 g fiber (9)

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Moist Banana Bread Muffin Recipe

Our banana bread muffin recipe with oil inspired by Sarah at All Recipes, will ensure deliciously moist pleasure in every bite (12). It’s a simple recipe using vegetable oil to ensure you retain delectable moistness during the baking process. The recipe uses a different mixing method but the fats and sugar creamy mix is famous method. 

• Servings: 12 
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Bake: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• ½ cup of vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 3 overripe bananas
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup of chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F while lining a muffin pan with liners,
2. Mix the sugar, oil, and egg in a large bowl until you get a creamy consistency,
3. Mash your bananas until smooth and add to the first bowl with the walnuts,
4. Sift your flour, salt, and baking soda into the bowl, stirring until well combined,
5. Fill your muffin liners ¾ of the way full before baking for 35 minutes,
6. Check the muffins to see if the sponge springs back when pressed,
7. Let your muffins cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan.

Macros: 270 calories, 40 g carbs, 12 g fat, 3 g protein, and 2 g fiber (12)

Read more: Banana Bread Recipe (No Sugar): 6 Tasty Options, Including a Vegan Recipe

Best Banana Bread Muffin Recipe

Tastefully Grace, inspired this easy banana bread muffin recipe with traditional flavors and a surprising twist (2). The walnuts and chocolate chips are optional, but the macros show the nutritional values of your servings with these tasteful ingredients. 

• Servings: 12
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Bake: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 medium overripe bananas
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup of light brown sugar
• ⅓ of melted butter
• 1 large beaten egg
• ½ tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ cup of chocolate chips
• ½ cup of chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C or 375°F while lining your muffin pan with liners,
2. Mash your peeled bananas in a bowl until you get a smooth puree,
3. Add the egg, butter, and vanilla before stirring to combine,
4. Whisk your flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in another bowl until combined,
5. Blend the wet and dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated,
6. Fold your walnuts and chocolate chips into the batter,
7. Fill your liners 75% or ¾ and bake for 15-21 minutes,
8. Remove once a toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean,
9. Let your muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing them.

Macros: 247 calories, 36 g carbs, 11 g fat, 3 g protein, and 2 g fiber (2)

For more delicious reading:

• Banana Bread Overnight Oats
• Healthy Banana Desserts
• Low-Calorie Mug Cake

FAQs

• What Temperature to Bake Muffins?

The National Scientific and Technical Research Council found that the ideal oven temperature to bake muffins for a moist, aerated, and soft crumb is 180-200°C or 350-400°F (11). The muffin top locks in even heat in baked products at this temperature to keep moisture inside while the crust is slightly crispy and golden brown. 

• Is a Muffin Healthy to Eat?

It can fit into a healthy diet.  For example, our easy banana bread muffin recipe has 247 calories and 36 grams of carbs per muffin (2). The Mayo Clinic suggests that your daily carbs should be between 225-325 grams if you follow a 2,000-calorie healthy lifestyle (3). One banana bread muffin is a fairly large chunk of calories and carbs for a snack on a healthy daily diet, but it can certainly fit depending on what the rest of your day looks like.

• Do Banana Muffins Go Bad?

Juliana, a student at the University of San Francisco tested how long her vegan-friendly banana muffins lasted before they went bad (10). She found that the muffins lasted 5-7 days at room temperature, longer in a refrigerator, or six months if frozen with parchment paper separating them. 

• Do Muffins Have a Lot of Sugar?

Yes, traditional muffin recipes have loads of sugar. Fortunately, German research found that replacing 30% of sugar with a combination of wheat fiber and stevia could reduce the sugar content, while keeping muffins similar in taste and texture (8). Bananas already replace some sweetness. However, you can always use recipes with fewer sugar additions. 

• Is it Better to Freeze Muffins or Muffin Batter?

Freeze muffins instead of batter. You could freeze and thaw muffins at room temperature or use a microwave to defrost after separating the pre-baked muffins with parchment paper in the freezer (10). Unfortunately, a small Spanish study found that freezing batter changed its consistency, density, and how the cake would bake after being thawed because the ingredients remain active in a freezer (5). 

The Bottom Line

Our favorite banana bread muffin recipe choices offer everyone a delicious option for making moist, golden brown, and soft-centered treats. Remember to watch the calories and/or carbs if that is part of your weight loss or healthy eating strategy. However, pick your recipe, and make your delicious banana muffins today.