Description
These easy banana muffins are incredibly moist and tender, made with overripe bananas, sour cream, and simple pantry ingredients. Perfect for breakfast or snacking, they come together in one bowl and bake up golden and delicious every time. Customize with chocolate chips or nuts for your perfect muffin!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 3 large very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1½ cups) – The browner, the better!
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (75g) packed brown sugar – Adds a hint of molasses warmth
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup sour cream or plain yogurt – The secret to extra moistness
Optional Add-Ins:
- ½–1 cup chocolate chips or chopped walnuts/pecans – For texture and flavor
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease each cup generously with butter or cooking spray.
Getting this ready first means your batter won’t sit around waiting—it can go straight into the oven for the best rise.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until everything is evenly distributed.
This step might seem small, but it ensures your leavening agents are spread throughout so every muffin rises beautifully. Set this bowl aside while you work on the wet ingredients.
In a large bowl, mash those ripe bananas with a fork until they’re mostly smooth—a few small lumps are totally fine and actually add nice texture.
Stir in both sugars until they’re well combined with the banana. Next, pour in the melted butter and stir it through.
Add the egg, vanilla extract, and sour cream (or yogurt), and mix everything until it’s smooth and creamy. The batter should look thick and smell sweet and banana-y.
Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet mixture. Here’s where patience pays off—use your spatula to gently fold everything together just until you can’t see any more streaks of flour.
It’s okay if the batter looks a little lumpy. Overmixing develops gluten and makes tough, dense muffins, so stop as soon as things come together.
If you’re adding chocolate chips or nuts, fold them in now with just a few gentle strokes.
Divide the batter evenly among your prepared muffin cups, filling each one about ¾ full. An ice cream scoop works beautifully for this and keeps things neat.
This amount of batter gives you those pretty domed tops without overflowing.
Slide the muffin tin into your preheated oven and bake for 18–22 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the tops are lightly golden brown and spring back when you touch them gently.
A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Your kitchen will smell incredible right about now!
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5–7 minutes—this helps them set and makes them easier to remove. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, or grab one while it’s still warm if you can’t wait.
Notes
- Check for doneness early – Every oven runs a little differently. Start checking at 18 minutes to avoid overbaking, which dries out muffins.
- Don’t crowd the add-ins – If you’re adding chocolate chips or nuts, stick to ½–1 cup maximum. Too many mix-ins can weigh down the batter and prevent a good rise.
- Add a crunchy top – Before baking, sprinkle the tops with a little turbinado sugar (or regular granulated sugar) for a sweet, sparkly crust.
- Avoid the dreaded muffin top stick – If using paper liners, spray them lightly with cooking spray so the muffin tops don’t stick when you peel them away.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American