Last updated on October 21st, 2025

Banana Muffins. - harvestandnourish.com — *Banana Muffins made with whole wheat all-purpose flour.*

Soft and buttery, these one-bowl Banana Muffins are perfectly tender with cozy cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla flavours. I love that they’re made with pantry staple ingredients. They’re baked in about 30 minutes and taste just like your favourite banana bread!

If you love banana bread, you will love these quick and easy banana muffins. Simple yet satisfying, they’re ideal for a quick, on-the-go breakfast, snack or dessert!

Here’s everything you’ll need to make them

3 medium bananas, mashed (about 1½ cups or 350 grams)
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (90 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (sub dairy free)
2/3 cup (14 5 grams) packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons (10 grams) vanilla
2 tablespoons (30 grams) whole or plant-based milk
1½ cups (190 grams) all-purpose or finely ground whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
1 teaspoon (6 grams) baking soda
½ teaspoon (3 grams) kosher or fine sea salt
1 teaspoon (3 grams) ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon (1 gram) ground nutmeg
Optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts (120 grams) or chocolate chips (160 grams)

One of my favourite things about this recipe is that I always have all the ingredients on hand – even the bananas. You can use any kind of milk you like as well as plant-based baking sticks to keep them dairy free, and even change them up to include your favourite add-ins.

How to make Banana Muffins in 3 steps

Mix your ingredients.
Spoon batter into a 12-cup muffin pan.
Bake for 20-22 minutes, let cool and enjoy.

Tips for making Banana Muffins

Use room temperature ingredients: Room temperature butter, eggs and dairy blend more easily, creating a smoother batter and a more uniform, fluffy texture. Using cold ingredients can lead to dense, lumpy, or unevenly textured baked goods that won’t rise as well and take longer to bake.
To use frozen bananas: Thaw the frozen bananas at room temperature then drain off any excess liquid. Gently mash them just enough to be able to whisk them. You don’t want them broken down too much, there should still be some thicker chunks of banana.
Make them gluten free: Substitute your favourite, good quality 1:1 gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose or finely ground whole wheat flour.
Muffin liners: Always a good idea, even when baking with a non-stick muffin pan. They simplify clean-up, make removal easier, reduce wear and tear on the pan and make transporting baked goods easier too. Compostable liners are best if you can find them.
Make mini muffins: To bake mini muffins, reduce cook time to 12–14 minutes.
Storage: These muffins will keep well in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm up in the microwave for a few seconds.

Soft, tender and deliciously spiced, these quick and easy Banana Muffins are perfect for using up ripe bananas. Try them with walnuts or chocolate chips!

Try these One Bowl Pumpkin Muffins or this Best Banana Bread Recipe next.

If you make this recipe, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see!

And of course, feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews. This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you!

Equipment

Ingredients

3 medium bananas, mashed about 1½ cups
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled (90 grams) sub dairy free
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons whole or plant-based milk
1½ cups all-purpose or finely ground whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts (120 grams) or chocolate chips (160 grams) optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Position oven rack to the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Prepare non-stick 12-cup muffin pan and/or use muffin liners.
In a large bowl, add mashed banana, melted butter, brown sugar and whisk together. Add egg, vanilla and milk and whisk again until combined.
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and continue to whisk until ingredients are well-distributed and no flour bits remain. If adding walnuts or chocolate chips, fold them in now. The batter will be thick.
Spoon batter into muffin liners, filling them all the way to the top. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Notes

Use room temperature ingredients: Room temperature butter, eggs and dairy blend more easily, creating a smoother batter and a more uniform, fluffy texture. Using cold ingredients can lead to dense, lumpy, or unevenly textured baked goods that won’t rise as well and take longer to bake.

To use frozen bananas: Thaw the frozen bananas at room temperature then drain off any excess liquid. Gently mash them just enough to be able to whisk them. You don’t want them broken down too much, there should still be some thicker chunks of banana.

Make them gluten free: Substitute your favourite, good quality 1:1 gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose or finely ground whole wheat flour.

Muffin liners: Always a good idea, even when baking with a non-stick muffin pan. They simplify clean-up, make removal easier, reduce wear and tear on the pan and make transporting baked goods easier too. Compostable liners are best if you can find them.

Make mini muffins: To bake mini muffins, reduce baking time to 12–14 minutes.

Storage: These muffins will keep well in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm up in the microwave for a few seconds.

Banana Bread: Here’s my favourite banana bread recipe.