These banana muffins are tender, extra moist, and quick to make; just two bowls and no mixer needed. They're made with oil, sweetened with all brown sugar, and filled with ripe banana flavor. A no-fuss, classic recipe that freezes beautifully and is ready in 45 minutes, start to finish.
A breakfast favorite
Banana muffins are nothing new, and I'm positive you all have your favorite recipe handy. So, what makes these worth trying?
- All brown sugar: Adds a mellow, caramel flavor that’s perfect with bananas.
- Oil instead of butter: It keeps the muffins moist and soft, even after freezing. And makes them a snap to prepare.
- One-bowl mixing (no mixer needed): Less cleanup, no risk of overmixing.
- Customizable: Add chocolate chips, nuts, or a sugar crunch topping.
- Can be made ahead: Though these muffins are best the day they're made (the first few hours if you ask me), they freeze beautifully.
These simple banana muffins with oil are our most recent addition to our ever-growing muffin recipe category and deserve a stellar place on the podium.
Testing Notes
Key Takeaways:
Mix gently by hand, use oil for moisture, and don't overbake. That’s the secret to super soft, moist banana muffins that stay fluffy even after freezing.
- Ripe bananas only: Brown, spotty bananas are essential. Green or just-ripe bananas won’t give you the right sweetness or texture. That said, you can roast bananas to bring out their sweetness.
- Using cold ingredients can cause the batter to not mix well and be lumpy. Using ingredients at room temperature is important unless otherwise specified in the recipe.
- Gently stir, don't beat. The liquid ingredients are added to the dry ones all at once and stirred just until combined. Don't overdo it! No mixer needed; just a whisk and spatula. Overmixing is the #1 reason for dense muffins.
- Don’t overfill the muffin pan: Whether using standard or jumbo tins, fill muffin cups no more than ¾ of their capacity to avoid overflowing during baking.
- Oil equals moisture and makes this a reliable pantry bake. And, just like with this banana bread, oil makes this a quick banana muffin recipe.
FAQ
Chopped walnuts or pecans and semisweet chocolate chips pair very well. Fold in about ½ cup into the batter before filling the tins. For a sweeter muffin, use milk or white chips.
Yes. They freeze exceptionally well. Wrap tightly and freeze up to a month. Warm slightly before serving for best texture.
Variations & substitutions
- Spiced banana muffins: Stir ½ teaspoon cinnamon or a pinch of nutmeg into the flour.
- Tropical banana muffins: Swap ⅓ of the mashed banana for crushed pineapple (well drained!) and add 2-3 tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut.
- Wholesome version: Replace half the oil with Greek yogurt for a tangier and lighter version. You can also swap half the all-purpose flour for finely milled whole wheat flour. The texture will be more rustic and not as fluffy.
Steps to make banana muffins
This is an old-fashioned muffin recipe. It's made by mixing the wet ingredients in a bowl and the dry ingredients in another large mixing bowl. Very easy!
Dry ingredients
Sifting the flour mixture is a recommended step, as it's necessary to dissolve clumps, remove impurities and aerate them; this helps integrate the ingredients better.
Then add the brown sugar and stir to mix well.
Wet ingredients
Whisk them together in a medium bowl. Use a whisk; there's no need to beat. Then add the mashed bananas. I like them a little chunkier, but you can mash them until they are very smooth.
Filling the pan
Make sure you distribute the fruit throughout the batter. I like to use a cookie scoop to fill the paper cups evenly, not exceeding ¾ of their capacity.
Baking
- Muffin tin: I like to use paper liners (paper cups or muffin liners) because it's easier to clean afterward, they keep the muffins moist, and are great if you want to transport them. But you can simply butter or use baking spray for the muffin pan.
- For a crunchier topping, you can add a sprinkling of sugar (half a teaspoon) to each muffin top before baking.
- When are the muffins done? Use the baking time given in the recipe as your guide, check five minutes earlier, and see if the tester or toothpick comes out clean. All ovens are different, so it might take a few minutes more or less than specified.
Storage
- Let muffins cool completely before storing to prevent sogginess.
- Keep them in an airtight container or resealable bag with as much air removed as possible. Store in a cool, dry place like the pantry. If stacking, use parchment or wax paper between layers to avoid sticking or squishing.
- Avoid refrigerating as it can dry them out or make them dense.
- Freeze up to 1 month, wrapping muffins tightly or using an airtight freezer-safe container. Defrost at room temperature, and warm slightly in the oven before serving. For extra moisture, freeze them while still slightly warm.
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Quick Banana Muffins (with brown sugar)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup mashed bananas, about 2 medium
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Line 12 regular muffin tins with paper liners or butter/spray the pans. For taller muffins, fill only 9 or 10 paper cups with batter and the remaining, unused muffin spaces with water so the pan doesn't tilt in the oven.
- Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ cup light brown sugar. Stir to combine.
- Whisk 1 egg, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Do not beat, but mix well until no streaks of egg whites remain.
- Add ⅔ cup mashed bananas and stir.
- Add the wet ingredients all at once to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Mix until you barely have streaks of flour, but do NOT overmix. It will be lumpy and not completely mixed, and that is fine.
- Divide evenly among the muffin cups or muffin liners.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until the top is dry and golden brown, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake.
- Let cool on a wire rack and eat warm or let cool down completely.
- They are best eaten the day they are made, but they can be kept for a day at room temperature, covered or wrapped.
- Store leftovers, covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen for a month.
Linda says
Great recipe. The only slight change in recipe was to add a sprinkle of nutmeg. They were fantastic.
Deborah says
Loved that i didn't have to use butter.
Kathy Otterson says
These muffins are delicious! But no way can you make 12 out of this amount of batter. Most muffin recipes call for 1.5 cups to make that many - I was a little surprised to see only 1 cup in the recipe. I filled the muffin cups barely halfway, but even so, could only fill 9 of them.
Paula Montenegro says
Thanks for the comment Kathy. Your muffins were probably taller, so I will add that in the Notes.