Mini Banana Muffins
These mini banana muffins are light, fluffy, and taste just like banana bread – with a perfectly soft crumb and just enough sweetness to feel like a treat without going overboard. The riper your bananas, the better the flavor, and these bake up with that bakery-style dome every time. They come together with simple pantry ingredients in just 25 minutes, and the bite-size format makes them ideal for lunchboxes, after-school snacks, and busy activity days.
Mini is the best!
Once we started making mini muffins, we never looked back! While I have nothing against large muffins, they just aren’t as convienient for kids hands, lunches, or snack boxes.
So for now, we always go mini. This banana version is reminiscent of banana bread and lightly sweetened for the “just right” balance. They’re…
🍌 Light & fluffy: These taste just like banana bread but in perfect bite-size muffin form.
⏱️ Ready in 25 minutes: 10 minutes prep, 15 minutes bake – these couldn’t be easier!
🛒 Made with pantry staples: No special ingredients needed, you probably have everything you need already.
🧒 Perfect for little hands: The mini size makes them ideal for lunchboxes, snack bags, and on-the-go.
❄️ Freezer-friendly: Freeze whatever you don’t eat in a day or two for instant snacks all week long.
We love mini muffins so much at our house, I’ve set out to make all sorts of versions of them! It all started with mini chocolate chip (probably my personal favorite!) and then we worked on a zucchini chocolate chip version for summer, a classic mini blueberry muffin, and of course, pumpkin muffins for fall snacking.
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring these easy banana muffins to the snack table: all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, very ripe mashed bananas (about 2 medium), melted butter, vanilla Greek yogurt (or plain, or sour cream), one large egg, and vanilla extract. Coarse sugar on top is optional but highly recommended for a little crunch.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: The riper the banana, the better. You want them very ripe and brown – not just yellow with a few spots. Overripe bananas are naturally sweeter and have a much more intense banana flavor, which means you get better taste without adding extra sugar.
- Shortcuts: Use a medium cookie scoop to fill the muffin tins quickly and evenly – it makes the job so much faster and keeps all the muffins the same size for even baking.
- Variations: To make banana chocolate chip muffins, fold in ½ cup of mini chocolate chips right before filling the tins. For banana nut muffins, add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter.
Mini Banana Muffins Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 24 mini muffins 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
Description
These mini banana muffins are light, fluffy, and made with simple pantry ingredients. Perfect for lunchboxes, snacks, and after-school fuel. Ready in 25 minutes!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 cup mashed brown bananas (about 2 bananas)
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- coarse sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, add all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and stir together.
- In a medium bowl, melt butter. Add mashed banana, yogurt, egg, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
- Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir just until combined, being careful to not overmix.
- Divide the mixture into mini muffin tin and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 6-8 more minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
Notes
Storage: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Ingredients: The two-temperature baking method – starting at 425°F then dropping to 350°F – is what gives these muffins that bakery-style domed top. Don’t skip it! Also, both vanilla and plain Greek yogurt work well here, as does sour cream if that’s what you have.
Prep ahead: These freeze beautifully. Let them cool completely, then freeze in a zip-top freezer bag (squeeze out as much air as possible) for up to 3 months. Take out the night before or let thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Tools: A silicone mini muffin pan makes these pop right out without sticking – no liners needed. If you’re using a standard metal pan, use mini muffin liners or spray well with cooking spray to ensure an easy release.
Serve with: These work any time of day. For breakfast, pair with scrambled eggs, fruit, and a glass of milk. For snacks, add a cheese stick or a small handful of nuts to round it out. For lunchboxes, tuck them in as the “fun” bonus alongside the main meal.
FAQs
Yes! Fold in 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips right before filling the muffin tin. Mini chips distribute better than regular-sized chips in mini muffins.
You can! Fill a standard muffin tin and bake at 375°F for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. You’ll get about 12 regular muffins.
Absolutely – frozen bananas actually work great here. Thaw them completely and drain any excess liquid before mashing. They tend to be even sweeter and softer than fresh ripe bananas.
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer and founder of My Everyday Table, where she helps busy families take the stress out of weeknight dinners. With a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and almost 20 years of experience, Emily specializes in simple, nourishing recipes and weekly meal plans that actually work for everyday life. She’s a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who believes delicious food and good nutrition go hand in hand.
Get started: Weeknight Dinners Guide | Weekly Meal Plans | About Emily
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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