Quick & Easy Banana Muffins

About My Quick & Easy Banana Muffins

I think these are best, moistest banana muffins you'll ever have. They’re the perfect blend of a classic banana muffin with optional upgrades like brown butter and a crunchy crumble topping that elevate them to bakery-level.

Instead of baking a loaf of banana bread, which can take a while in the oven, muffins are a great option. They cook faster, are easier to portion, and they're easy to grab and go. And you can make one batch while tailoring them to different tastes, which is perfect if you're sharing.

This recipe is based on the “One Recipe - Endless Flavors” muffin recipe in my cookbook, Simple Pleasures. There, I show you how to take the basic muffin batter, and customise the muffins into lots of different flavors, just like we do in bakeries.

Here, I’m making two types of banana muffin. One with chocolate chips and another with a buttery crumb topping for that crunchy bakery style top. Same batter, different personalities.

I'll also show you a couple of optional upgrades to boost the flavor, like using brown butter instead of regular melted butter for a deeper, nuttier flavor.

What’s the secret to moist banana muffins?

A lot of people will tell you the secret to moist muffins is to use oil instead of butter. But that’s not really true. That’s good news because butter adds such amazing flavor. The real secret is to use the right amount of water (which comes from eggs, milk and bananas in this recipe), and to not over-bake them. The number one cause of muffins being too dry is over-baking them.

I like to use an instant read digital thermometer to ensure perfect results. You want the final temperature inside a banana muffin to be 96°C. But we have to account for the fact that the muffins will carry on cooking when they come of the oven. So, pull the muffins out of the oven as soon as their internal temperature at the center reaches 93°C. As the muffins sit, over the next few minutes, their internal temperature will rise to 96°C. That way, you’ll have perfectly baked muffins every time.

What if my bananas aren’t ripe?

This recipe calls for ripe bananas. Whether you’re making banana bread or banana muffins you ideally want to use really soft, ripe bananas. But, if your bananas aren’t ripe yet, you can “ripen” them in the oven. This will sweeten them and make them soft.

Normally, bananas ripen over several days as enzymes convert complex starches into simple sugars. When you blast them with heat in the oven, the heat breaks quickly down the cellular structure, releasing sweetness.

The heat breaks down the pectin (this is what’s making the banana firm) and the cell walls of the banana. This turns a firm, starchy fruit into something soft and mashable . This is crucial for muffins because you need that "slurry" consistency to ensure the moisture distributes evenly through the batter.

How to oven ripen bananas

Oven ripening isn’t the same as natural ripening, which develops a complex, aromatic sweetness and reduces the "tannic" (starchy/chalky) taste significantly. But it’s much better than just using unripe bananas.

To oven ripen bananas, put them on a baking sheet in an oven pre-heated to 300°F (150°C) for about 15 to 20 minutes until the skins have turned black, and the flesh of the banana is soft.

A note about using brown butter in this recipe

The recipe calls for 1½ sticks (170g) of butter, which you can optionally brown. If you’re just following the recipe, this is fine. However, if you’re making a big batch of brown butter ahead of time to keep in the fridge, you need to be aware of something.

When you brown butter, you boil off all the water in the butter. All the fat and milks solids from the butter remain, but the water has gone. So, if you’re using already brown butter out of the fridge to use in this recipe, you will need to use less. That is, about 1¼ cups or 140g.

How to use leftover crumb topping

If you have leftover crumb topping, you can freeze it in a Ziplock bag, and use it on your next batch of muffins.

Or, you can toss the crumbs into a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir until they are golden and toasted. Let them cool and harden, then sprinkle them over yogurt, oatmeal, ice cream, or some baked fruit.

Moist banana muffins — *Plain banana muffins, without chocolate chips or crumb topping. It’s really worth taking the little bit of extra time to use brown butter in these “plain” muffins.*

INGREDIENTS

Crumb Topping

(makes enough for 12 to 14 muffins)

¾ stick (85g) butter, melted

½ cup (100g) white granulated sugar

½ tsp coarse salt (Kosher salt)

¾ cup (115g) all-purpose flour

Banana Muffin Batter

(enough for 12 to 14 muffins)

1 ripe banana (about 4oz or 115g)

1½ sticks (170g) butter, melted (and optionally browned)

½ cup (100g) white granulated sugar

½ cup (100g) dark brown sugar (but you can use light if that’s all you have)

2 medium eggs, at room temperature

1 cup (240g) whole milk, at room temperature

2½ cups (350g) all-purpose flour

4 tsp baking powder (not baking soda!)

½ tsp (2g) coarse salt (Kosher salt)

Chocolate Chips

I like to use about 10 chocolate chips per muffin (that’s about 5g).

Dust the chocolate chips in flour, to stop them all sinking to the bottom of the muffin.

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the crumb topping (optional)

If you want a crumb topping for the muffins, do this step first. This topping is slightly salty, sweet, buttery and crunchy. It’s absolutely delicious!

In a bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, salt, and flour. Using a fork, roughly bring the dough together and then switch to your hands.

Press the dough in between your hands, forming the crumble pieces. You can make small crumbles or big crumbles. I think a mixture of both is perfect.

Once you're happy with your crumbles, put this in the freezer for 15 minutes just so the butter solidifies.

Preheat your oven and prepare the muffin pan

Preheated your oven to 400°F (200°C). We want to give the oven time to come to temperature. It’s important that the muffins go into a hot oven. This “heat shock” is what will give the muffins their classic bakery-style domed tops.

Line the cups of the muffin tin with paper liners.

Mash the banana

Now, let's talk bananas. We all know the softer and riper the bananas, the better and sweeter your banana muffins will be. If your bananas aren't quite there yet, see the section “What if my bananas aren’t ripe?” above for how to soften them up.

Instead of mashing the bananas in a bowl, I like to mash the banana right on the cutting board. It's so much easier. The surface is flat, there are no fluted edges, and the banana doesn't slide around everywhere.

It's a small trick, but once you try it, you'll never want to do it any other way.

Brown the butter (optional)

Next up, butter. A lot of recipes use oil, and you can absolutely do that if you want a quicker option, but butter adds so much amazing flavor.

If you really want to elevate these muffins, you can brown the butter.

Browning the butter adds a deep, nutty flavor that makes these muffins truly special. I like to use stainless steel pans for this because the light color makes it easy to see how the butter is browning.

Browning the butter doesn't take long. You'll know it's ready when it turns a light brown color, the milk solids separate, and it smells nutty. Once it's done, remove it from the heat and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before using.

Browning the butter is obviously an extra step, but it’s really easy. It’s absolutely worth taking that extra time if you making the crumble topped version or just having them plain.

If I’m adding chocolate chips, I don’t bother with this step, because the chocolate is such a powerful taste that you don’t really taste the brown butter.

Make the Banana Muffin Batter

To the melted (or browned) butter, add the sugar, mashed banana, and egg. Mix everything well.

Then add the milk, followed by the sifted flour, salt, and baking soda.

Sifting helps the baking soda distribute evenly, which means you won't have to over-mix the batter. Mix just until combined. As soon as you don't see any pockets of flour, stop mixing.

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and the banana muffin batter is ready.

Divide the batter into your lined muffin tin, filling the liners all the way to the top. This is important for achieving the classic bakery style muffin top.

At this point, you can keep the muffins plain or add any mixins you like. Chocolate chips are always a great option. You really can't go wrong with chocolates.

If you're adding nuts, I do recommend toasting them first. Toasting the nuts brings out their flavor, which won't fully develop if the nuts are added raw to the batter.

Now’s the time to top the muffins with the crumb topping. There's no need to be precise here - just go with what feels right to you.

Bake the Muffins

Bake the muffins in the preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes.

Then reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and continue baking for about another 15 minutes or until light golden brown.

If you have a digital thermometer, pull the muffins out of the oven when the centers hit 200°F (93°C). Make sure not to touch the bottom or sides of the paper liner with the probe, as the metal pan will give you a falsely high reading.

The muffins will carry on cooking when they come out of the oven. Don't let them sit in the hot metal tin for more than 5 minutes. The residual heat can dry out the edges. So, after 5 minutes, take them out of the tin and put them on a wire rack to cool.

Whether you choose to add chocolate chips or make these plain with a crumble topping, these are spectacular versions of banana muffins

So, if you're craving banana bread, but don't have the patience for the long baking time, have a go at make these. They're quick and easy, and they really hit the spot.

Make ahead and freeze

When cool, store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They also freeze well in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months.

Watch the video for more tips

Hi! I’m Emma Fontanella. Here you’ll find trusted, tested recipes to satisfy your baking addiction and carb cravings. Learn more…

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