Mini Banana Bread Muffins

These Mini Banana Bread Muffins are the easiest breakfast or snack recipe to share with a crowd. We adapted our favorite banana bread recipe into these individual mini muffins for the ideal on-the-go bite.

We are big banana bread fans in our house, whenever the bananas get too ripe, it’s the first thing my husband requests. I recently turned our classic recipe into these Mini Banana Bread Muffins for a family brunch gathering and they were a huge hit!

These are so easy to make with just a couple of bowls in a matter of minutes. Plus, they’re so easy to eat on the way to work or school on a busy morning. Our neighbor has been meal prepping these muffins for her kids and keeping them in the freezer to make the weekday mornings easier.

We can’t wait for you to try this delicious muffin recipe, be sure to also try out our Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins or Chocolate Zucchini Muffins.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Crowd-pleasing breakfast recipe. These mini banana bread muffins are always a win with any group gathering. We love to bring them to church potlucks, school events, or make them for brunch for our family and friends.
• Great meal prep breakfast or snack. Make a big batch of these muffins and keep them in the freezer to pop into oven or freezer for a delicious breakfast on a busy morning.
• Customize the banana muffins to your liking. We add cinnamon, but you could add other spices as well as nuts, berries, or dried fruit.

Laura Ashley’s Tip: The more overripe the bananas the better. If you need to ripen the bananas quickly, place them in a brown paper bag overnight. The more ripe they are, the more natural sugars from the fruit will sweeten the muffins.

Ingredients

Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Recipe Card Below

Muffin:

• All-purpose flour: The structure for the muffin batter.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the muffins just enough.
• Brown sugar: Adds a touch more sweetness and rich molasses flavor.
• Ground cinnamon: Pairs nicely with the ripe banana flavor.
• Baking powder: Helps the muffins to rise nicely.
• Baking soda: The leavening agent that keeps the muffins tender.
• Salt: Every baked good needs salt to help bring out all of the flavors.
• Mashed ripe bananas: Approximately 3 to 4 large banana. Make sure the are super ripe for a stronger banana flavor.
• Neutral oil: The best options are avocado, vegetable or canola. It moistens the muffin batter.
• Eggs: Binds the batter together.
• Salted butter: Adds a rich flavor as well as moisture to keep the banana muffin mixture the perfect consistency.
• Buttermilk: We love to add buttermilk rather than regular milk since the acid in the milk helps to tenderize the batter as it bakes. If you don’t have buttermilk, simply mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespon of lemon juice.
• Vanilla extract: Adds both caramel and floral notes to the muffin batter.

Streusel Topping:

• All-purpose flour: The base of the streusel mixture.
• Packed brown sugar: The key ingredient in sweetening any streusel perfectly.
• Ground cinnamon: Adds warm flavor to every bite.
• Cold salted butter: Binds the streusel together to make it the perfect crumbly texture.

Tools You’ll Need 

• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Mixing Bowls
• Liquid Measuring Cups
• Spatula
• Scoop
• Cooling Racks
• Mini Cupcake Pan: 1 pan has 24 wells, and this recipe makes 48.

How to make Mini Banana Bread Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.
2. To a medium bowl, add all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until combined.

3. To a large mixing bowl, combine mashed bananas, oil, butter, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined well.

4. Using a spatula, gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined. Rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. While it rests, preheat the oven to 425ºF and make the streusel.

5. In a small bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. Cut the butter into the mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until it’s resembles small crumbs.

6. Grease a mini muffin pan with butter or nonstick spray. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, fill each muffin to just below the edge of the muffin well.

7. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the muffins.

8. Bake for 5 minutes at 425ºF. Leaving the door closed, turn the temperature down to 350ºF and bake for 5-7 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
9. Cool 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Expert Tips

• Don’t over-mix the muffin batter. This can create tough muffins, you want to mix until you just see streaks of flour remain.
• Add nuts if desired. We love adding chopped walnuts or pecans to these muffins for crunch and rich flavor.
• Use a measuring cup to scoop the batter into the liners. This helps the muffins bake at an even rate so that non of the muffins bake for too long and become tough.
• To make a good streusel, be sure your butter is very cold. This helps to make the crumbly texture when you pinch the butter together with flour, sugar, and spices.
• If you don’t have buttermilk, simply mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Mix to combine and set aside for 10 minutes before adding to the batter.

Storage

Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the muffins for up to 2 months. Thaw them on the counter overnight before enjoying.

If you want to heat the muffins up, microwave for a few seconds or pop them into the oven or toaster oven for a couple of minutes.

More Easy Breakfast recipes

• Croissant Breakfast Casserole
• Amish Breakfast Casserole
• Brioche French Toast Casserole
• Baked Chocolate Oatmeal