The best quick and easy banana muffins! Spiced to perfection, these muffins are so moist and delicious. All you need are basic ingredients and a cupcake tin. Topped with caramelised bananas and dark chocolate for an extra kick!
Easy banana muffins in 10 minutes
Throughout this past year, banana bread has been the world's favourite dessert. These banana muffins are a much quicker and easier version, and they're failproof!
A lot of friends have asked me for an easier version of banana bread, and this recipe is just perfect. It takes only 10 minutes of preparation and requires only basic tools - no mixers or fancy gadgets needed! The banana muffins also bake really quickly, so you can have them ready in no time.
In the market for other quick & easy recipes? Give my Apple Meringue Cake a try.
Banana muffins - the ingredient roundup
As I said earlier, these easy banana muffins only require the simplest ingredients that most people have in their cupboards. Let's have a look:
- Bananas - The best thing about this recipe is that you can make it whenever you have extra ripe bananas. And let's be honest, bananas are green one day and fully brown the next! The riper the bananas, the better for this recipe. So next time you have ripe bananas don't throw them away and instead make these easy banana muffins.
- Flour - Although I personally prepare the taste of white flour, you can use any type of flour. Whole wheat, rye or oat flour will work perfectly, however you may need to add more liquid (milk or sour cream).
- Eggs - The 'concrete' to any baking recipe, the egg gives structure and binds everything together.
- Sour cream - I love using sour cream or creme fraiche in my bakes because they make everything ultra fluffy and soft. For best results, use a full fat version.
- Baking soda & powder - The magic baking agents that give cakes their rise. Use with measure as the recipe indicates. Too little will make the muffins dense, whilst too much will sting your tongue and result in an uneven rise.
- Spices - I absolutely adore the classic combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. The three spices go perfectly in this recipe, complimenting the sweet banana.
- Sugar & honey - Although ripe bananas are very sweet, the muffins need an extra pinch of sweetness. The recipe calls for a combination of both light brown sugar and honey, as they give a deep, rich flavour. However, plain white sugar or maple syrup can be used instead.
- Butter - The fat ensures the muffins come out really soft. Adding melted butter in the recipe is really simple and requires little to no effort. The butter can be replaced with other types of fats, such as coconut oil.
When to make these muffins?
Apart from their delicious taste, the best thing about these muffins is their convenience. Whenever you have some bananas that have ripened a bit too much, these easy banana muffins are your go-to recipe!
- Make the muffins when you forgot a few bananas in the pantry for too long
- Perfect to make when you have little time
- Want to prepare a simple, yet tasty breakfast in advance
- Need a recipe that anyone can make (yes, including kids)
- Love sweets, but don't want to over-indulge (feel free to leave out the sugar).
How to make really soft & moist banana muffins
Let's be honest, no one like a dry muffin, no matter how good the flavour might be. The combination of ingredients in this recipe ensures the muffin will be extra moist and fluffy. The sour cream ensures you get soft banana muffins, whilst the ripe bananas add another layer of moisture.
No fancy equipment needed
In addition to being quick to make, this recipe also requires minimal equipment. The only tools you need are: a large bowl, a spatula or spoon, a muffin tin and an oven. Optional equipment can also include a hand mixer for mashing the bananas, although this can easily be done with a fork.
I really hope you enjoy these quick and easy banana muffins! Don't forget to leave me a comment or tag me on Instagram if you make these muffins.
Recipe
Easy Banana Muffins with Dark Chocolate
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1 cup plain white flour (150g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder (3g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (5g)
- 3 medium bananas, ripe
- ¼ cup creme fraiche or sour cream (60g)
- ¼ cup melted butter (60g)
- 2 eggs, medium size
- ½ cup light brown sugar (100g)
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (20g)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (10g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (3g)
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (2g)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves (1g)
- ½ cup dark chocolate, chopped (80g)
Caramelised banana topping
- 1 banana, firm
- 3 tablespoon white sugar (40g)
- ¼ cup dark chocolate (50g)
Instructions
Making the muffins
- Pre-heat the oven to 170C (340F) with fan or 190C (360F) without. Line a muffin tray with paper or silicone cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas into a smooth paste. If the bananas aren't ripe enough, cover them with aluminium foil and bake for 10-12 minutes at 180C (350F) until they turn black.
- Add the eggs, melted butter, sour cream, honey and sugar over the mashed bananas. Mix well to combine all the ingredients.
- Now add the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and powder and spices. Using a spatula, mix well to combine all the ingredients together. Add the chopped dark chocolate and mix to combine. Be careful not to over-mix the batter.
- Using either an ice cream scoop or large spoon, place batter in each cupcake liner ⅔ of the way. Don't overfill the liners, as the cupcakes will grow a lot when baking.
- Bake the banana muffins for 20-22 minutes, checking with a skewer to see if they're fully baked.
- Once baked, allow them to cool in the tray for 5-10 minutes, before removing and placing them on a wire rack.
Caramelised banana topping
- For the topping, add the sugar in a saucepan, over low heat. Without stirring, allow the sugar to caramelise before placing round banana slices. Fry in the caramel sauce for 1 minute on each side, until slightly softened. Allow the bananas to cool before placing three slices on top of each muffin.
- Place the dark chocolate in a glass bowl, then microwave in small bursts of 10-15 seconds until fully melted. Place the melted chocolate in a piping bag fitted with a thin round nozzle. Drizzle the chocolate over the banana muffins, then allow them to harden at room temperature.
Notes
- I recommend using a kitchen scale and grams for this recipe for higher accuracy.
- This recipe calls for extremely ripe bananas, preferably starting to brown. If the bananas aren't ripe enough, cover them with some aluminium foil, then bake at 180C (350F) for 10-12 minutes. The bananas will go very black in the oven, and that is perfectly normal. Let them cool before slicing open to prevent burns.
- The caramelised banana topping can be replaced with other ingredients: walnuts or pecans, white chocolate, toffee syrup or even ice cream.
eat chimac says
I really loved it,Thanks For Sharing this with us ,i will definitely try this ..
Hanelore says
Thanks so much, I really hope you enjoy it!
Kat says
I tried them yesterday and they're so easy to make. Tasted delicious too! Quick question can I also add walnuts to it next time?
Hanelore says
I'm so glad to hear that! Yes, you can absolutely add walnuts both inside the batter or on top. If you're using it inside the batter, ensure the walnut is chopped quite finely. You can also have fun with other toppings, add hazelnuts, raisins, candied citrus peel etc.