Everyone needs a good old fashioned banana muffin recipe in their life! These banana muffins are perfectly soft and full of banana flavor. We add a little granola to the top for extra sweetness and crunch!
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Today I'm not going to make a fuss, I'm just going to bring you some, good old fashioned, wholesome and basic banana muffins!
Because some times we just need to get back to the basics.
And especially these days, I'm finding that simplicity can be really refreshing.
We're not trying to reinvent the wheel here!
But I will tell you, even though these muffins are very simple, they are by no means boring.
I would never bring you a muffin that wasn't turned up to an 11 on the scale of excellence.
BUT, I did want to give you a good muffin recipe that you can keep on hand for use every day!
I tried to make these a little more nutrient dense, so I added a little whole wheat flour to the mix.
If you don't have whole wheat flour on hand, don't sweat it. Using only all purpose flour will work just fine in a pinch. See below on how to work with that.
I also sprinkled a bit of granola on these little guys before baking. It's a great way to add a little texture and crunch to the top.
You can totally substitute a crumb topping if you have the time! As a result, it would be utterly delicious.
But most likely you have some granola in the cupboard already prepared. Therefore, it just saves you the steps of making an extra component.
We're always striving for easy around here!
You'll be pleased to know that these muffins are incredibly delicious, nutritious, and quick to make--not to mention ultra fluffy with a sweet and crunchy topping.
I feel like you're into that sort of thing. You're welcome!
Here are some more reasons why you need these muffins in your life:
The first reason:
They're a great way to use up old bananas!
Do you have some bananas on your counter that look like a mangy pack of leopards? Maybe a rough looking fruit fly street gang have started hanging around them? Well, then it's time to make these muffins!
This recipe will have those zeros looking like heros in no time. Not to mention they'll put a big 'ol smile on your face!
The second reason why you need these in your life:
They are so tender and fluffy!
I've eaten a lot of banana bread and muffins in my day, and they have ranged anywhere from dry as a bone to super heavy and dense.
These muffins are neither dry, nor dense.
These muffins are light, fluffy, and bursting with banana flavor.
The final reason why you need to make these muffins:
You can freeze them!
That's right! Make them ahead!
They freeze beautifully. After baking, just let them cool completely, pop them in an airtight container or freezer bag and stick 'em in the freezer.
When you want a fast, easy and tasty breakfast, just thaw and serve!
I like to cut mine in half and put the cut side down into a buttery skillet to toast.
Crispy, toasty, buttery deliciousness.
Serve these with a strong cup of coffee, and you're on your way for the day.
Can I make these banana muffins into a bread?
You sure can! And it'll be wonderful.
To make a bread:
- Grease an 8" or 9" loaf pan with cooking spray or butter
- Prepare recipe as stated and pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake bread at 350° for about 50-60 min (depending on the pan size). The bread is done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
How To Make Basic Banana Muffins with Crunchy Granola Topping
Makes 17 muffins
Ingredients
- 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
- ½ Cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Soda
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil or Vegetable Oil
- ½ Cup brown sugar
- ½ Cup white sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 medium to large bananas, very ripe and mashed
- Your favorite granola or Homemade Chunky Granola.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° and line two muffin pans with paper muffin liners, or grease the muffin pan really well with butter or cooking spray.
Whisk together flours, baking soda, and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
Melt butter and coconut oil* in either the microwave or on the stove and set aside to cool slightly. *If using vegetable oil, add to the melted butter off heat.
With a hand mixer (or a stand mixer), mix the sugars, melted butter and coconut/vegetable oil until combined.
Add in eggs and vanilla. Continue beating until incorporated. About 1 minute.
Add in mashed bananas and beat again with the mixer until well blended.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the batter just comes together.
Scoop batter into the prepared muffin pans. Fill the muffin cups about ¾ of the way full--I used a ¼ cup scooper.
Sprinkle the muffin batter with prepared granola.
Bake the muffins at 350° for about 18-20 min. The muffins are done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool before slathering in salty butter and enjoying with coffee or tea.
I don't have whole wheat flour, can I use all purpose instead?
Definitely.
Assuming you're using medium to large bananas, just use 3 mashed bananas instead of 4.
It'll come out great!
Here Are A Few Fun Ways To Jazz Up These Muffins:
- Stir in some chocolate and/or peanut butter chips!
- Add in some fresh (or frozen) berries--make sure you toss them in a little flour first before adding to the batter. They'll sink otherwise!
- Toast up some walnuts, chop coarsely and stir them into the batter for banana nut muffins. Make sure to sprinkle them on top too!
- Instead of granola, make a streusel or crumb topping! Check out King Arthur Flour's version here.
- Another alternative to the granola topping would be a nice sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top. Yum!
Basic Banana Muffins with Crunchy Granola Topping
Ingredients
- 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
- ½ Cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Soda
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil or Vegetable Oil
- ½ Cup brown sugar
- ½ Cup white sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 medium to large bananas, very ripe and mashed
- Your favorite granola
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and line two muffin pans with paper muffin liners, or grease the muffin pan really well with butter or cooking spray.
- Whisk together flours, baking soda, and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Melt butter and coconut oil* in either the microwave or on the stove and set aside to cool slightly. *If using vegetable oil, add to the melted butter off heat.
- With a hand mixer (or a stand mixer), mix the sugars, melted butter and coconut/vegetable oil until combined.
- Add in eggs and vanilla. Continue beating until well incorporated. About 1 minute.
- Add in mashed bananas and beat again with the mixer until blended.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the batter just comes together.
- Scoop batter into the prepared muffin pans. Fill the muffin cups about ¾ of the way full--I used a ¼ cup scooper.
- Top the muffin batter with a sprinkle of granola.
- Bake the muffins at 350° for about 18-20 min. The muffins are done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
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My family will love these! I’m always a fan of more ways to use up bananas. Thank you!
This looks so good! I never thought of putting granola on top of muffins, sounds delicious!
My family will love these! I’m always looking for new ways to use up bananas!
Yum! Always need a way to use up ripe bananas! This looks like a great idea!
These look so good! I love the addition of granola. What a great idea.