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I love making mini banana muffins—they’re perfect for snacking and pre-portioned, so I don’t have to worry about slicing up a loaf. Plus, they’re ready in less than 30 minutes, which is awesome when I’m in a hurry. And these mini banana muffins are just the right size for lunch boxes or after-school treats.
Table of Contents
I love that these mini banana muffins are just lightly sweet and a little cinnamony. When I have them around, my kids always want them for breakfast—they are split and spread with peanut butter.
This recipe was part of our monthly Cooking Challenge for August 2024!
Recipe At a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Oven
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: Bananas
Skill Level: Easy
Summary
- Itty bitty and adorable: I don’t know exactly why, but my kids would much prefer to eat these mini banana muffins over full-size ones.
- Make-ahead and freezer-friendly: Stored in the fridge, these muffins will last for up to a week. They can also be frozen!
- Customizable: Add chocolate chips? Sure! Toss in chopped nuts? Why not! Throw in a handful of toasted coconut? You can!
- Relies mostly on pantry ingredients: I almost always have nearly all of the ingredients for these mini banana muffins in my pantry.
Ingredients to Make Mini Banana Muffins
- Flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt: These are the dry ingredients. I love the combination of cinnamon and banana.
- Banana: Ripe, speckled bananas will have the sweetest, deepest flavor.
- Brown sugar: I call for light brown sugar, but you can use dark for these mini banana muffins 2 bananas.
- Butter: Melt the butter, then let cool a bit before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
- Yogurt: Adds moisture and tanginess.
- Egg: Room-temperature eggs are easier to whisk into the batter.
- Vanilla extract: You can also use vanilla paste.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Make it gluten-free. Use your favorite gluten-free flour in place of all-purpose.
- Use berries. Fold in a cup of blueberries (inspired by these blueberry banana muffins) or some chopped fresh strawberries into the batter.
- Make it chocolate. If you have them, mini chocolate chips are perfect for these mini banana muffins.
- Add nuts. For classic banana bread vibes, I’ll sometimes add chopped walnuts. Swirling in peanut butter is a good idea, too for banana PB muffins.
How to Make Mini Banana Muffins
These mini banana muffins take just 10 minutes to make and need less than 20 in the oven. I love how quick and easy they are.
Tips for Making the Best Banana Mini Muffins
- Make Them Full-Size: You can make these mini banana muffins into full-size ones instead. Simply grease and fill the muffin tins with the batter and bake at the same temperature, adjusting the recipe time as needed (this banana bread muffin recipe is a good reference for baking time).
- Mash Bananas On a Flat Surface: I like to mash the bananas with a fork on a cutting board before transferring them to a bowl. It’s much easier this way! If you want to mash them directly in the mixing bowl, I recommend using a potato masher. It will do the work much faster than a fork.
- For More Flavor, Roast the Bananas: If you do not have overripe bananas, you can roast them (in the peel) in a 350˚F oven for about 15 minutes. This will help bring out their natural sweetness and caramel notes.
- Mix it Up: I love the deep banana flavor these mini muffins have, but you can customize them to your liking by mixing in chopped toasted nuts or mini chocolate chips.
Frequently Asked Questions
These mini banana muffins can be kept in an airtight container (or bag) in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to 6 months. I recommend stashing them in a zipper-lock freezer bag to prevent freezer burn.
You don’t have to, but using muffin tin liners makes for way easier cleanup. Plus, it ensures each and every mini muffin pops out easily.
The easiest way to tell if mini banana muffins are done is to use a toothpick! Insert it into the center of the muffin, then pull it out. If no wet batter sticks to the toothpick, the muffins are done!
When I’m struggling to find a snack my kids absolutely love, I’ll make these mini banana muffins. They’re lightly sweet, easy to make ahead, and like a simpler version of banana bread. I’ll even keep one or two in my bag for a mid-errand treat (we all deserve one, right?).
More Muffin Recipes:
- Kid-Friendly Muffins (Zucchini Muffins + PB&J Muffins)
- Healthy Bran Muffins
- Banana Pumpkin Muffins
- Tender Sweet Potato Muffins
- Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips
- Best Blueberry Banana Muffins
- Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
- Chocolatey Banana Muffins
If you try this feel good Mini Banana Muffins recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
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Mini Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ripe bananas
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter melted, cooled slightly
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F and line a 24-cup mini muffin tins with parchment paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, add banana and mash until smooth. Add brown sugar and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add butter, yogurt, egg, and vanilla extract and whisk until combined, about 1 minute more.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, folding them with a rubber spatula just until no streaks of flour remain.
- Fill each muffin cavity with a heaping tablespoon of batter (it should come to the top of the tin). Bake for about 14 to 16 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Replacing brown sugar with maple syrup. How many TBSP would you recommend?
I would do between 1/4 cup and 1/3 cup maple syrup depending on how sweet you want them. You may need to slightly increase the bake time to account for the extra liquid, be sure to check with a toothpick to see when they’re done!
Baked this, yummilicious ❤️ Just added 1/3 whole wheat flour to 2/3 plain flour and sprinkled dark chocolate chips on top – for half the quantity of muffins. Baked in bigger muffin moulds hence my bake took approximately 20+ mins
So glad you liked them, Nivedita! Thank you so much for sharing your bake time for regular-sized muffins, that’s really helpful!!
These muffins were so easy to make and absolutely delicious! They make the perfect on-the-go breakfast or snack!!
Thank you, Courtney! So happy you liked them!!
These mini banana muffins are so delicious! The recipe comes together very easy and they cook up so soft and moist. These muffins are packed with banana flavor. They will be made on repeat!
Yay! So happy you liked them, Sarah!
Delicious! So moist and yummy with 1/2 the sugar and butter as my previously used recipe. Definitely sticking with this one! Thank you!
Aww, so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you, Lisette!!
I tried these once again, added some chocolate chips and after cooling off, decorated them with strawberry buttercream! Absolutely amazing and gorgeous pairing of taste banana&strawberry. Easy to make and easy to impress anyone 😊
Aww, cute! They sound so good, glad you liked the recipe!! Thanks, Ana!