Banana Blueberry Muffins
These simple Banana Blueberry Muffins are delightfully tender and positively bursting with gorgeous, juicy blueberries. They’re also easy to whip up from everyday ingredients with either a stand mixer or by hand in one bowl. Among my favorite quick breakfasts and mid-day snacks!
Quick & Easy Banana Blueberry Muffins
There’s nothing like a cozy blueberry muffin to perk up the breakfast or snack routine, especially when it’s homemade, meaning you know exactly what’s inside.
In this case, what’s inside is a ton of extra flavor and natural sweetness from ultra ripe bananas, a mix of honey or maple syrup and brown sugar, plus a hint of cinnamon and the prettiest layer of sparkling coarse sugar sprinkled on top.
And, of course, all the blueberries. If you’re not on the verge of adding too many blueberries to your blueberry muffins, I personally think it’s time to reassess your choices. The most delicious, enticing muffins are practically bursting at the seams with blueberries, if you ask me!
Ingredients & Substitution Notes
Here are a few notes and shopping tips about the ingredients you’ll need. Find full amounts in the print-friendly recipe card below.
- Stars of the show: 2 large, very ripe bananas and 1 + 1/4 heaping cups fresh blueberries. The more brown spots on your bananas, the easier they will be to mash, the more developed the natural sugars will be, and the more banana flavor you’ll enjoy. If your bananas are small-to-medium sized, I recommend using 3 instead.
- Basic dry ingredients: All-purpose or white whole wheat flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. I have tested these muffins with all-purpose, white whole wheat, and a mix, and my personal favorite is to use 100% white whole wheat flour. This type of flour gives the muffins a little more substance and packs in a smidge more protein and fiber to boot.
- Basic wet ingredients: Milk, brown sugar, honey or maple syrup, vegetable or coconut oil, 1 large egg, and vanilla extract. You can use any type of milk, dairy or plant-based, and substitute vanilla bean paste or an emulsion if you like.
Pro Tip
White whole wheat flour can make baked goods more dense and inhibit rising, but these muffins counteract that with both baking soda and baking powder and the classic technique of a dual-temperature bake. Starting them off for 5 minutes at a very high temperature kick-starts the rising process, so you can still enjoy muffins with beautifully high domed tops despite the use of a whole wheat flour.
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes, these muffins will work with frozen blueberries, but I far prefer the texture with fresh. If using frozen, do not let them thaw out before folding into the batter, or they will be very mushy and bleed color profusely.
One Bowl Baking Wins the Day
This muffin recipe is easy to whip up in one bowl, whether you prefer to use your stand mixer or do it by hand. You’ll mash bananas, mix in the remaining liquid ingredients, and sprinkle the dry ingredients on top of the banana mixture. Gently incorporate, then even more gently fold in the blueberries.
Expect a thick batter dotted with lots of berries.
This recipe yields 12 regular-sized muffins, so get your standard muffin tin ready to go. You can either use paper liners, or just coat each muffin well with a light mist of your favorite cooking spray.
Fill each well to the top edge with batter.
Pro Tip
A large cookie dough scoop makes this step quick, easy, and mostly mess-free, even if you’re baking with the help of small hands.
A sprinkling of sugar on top of the muffins is purely optional but extremely delicious, not only for the little added sweetness but also for the delightful texture. You can use anything you like for this: raw sugar, turbinado, or regular brown or even granulated sugar will do the trick.
I typically press a few extra blueberries directly on top of the batter, as well. Never too many berries in my book!
Why start muffins at a higher temperature?
Baking muffins at two different temperatures — a higher temperature, usually 425 degrees F, for the first few minutes, followed by a reduction in temperature to 350 degrees F for the remainder of baking time — is a well-established trick to develop that appealing dome associated with professional, bakery-style muffins.
The very high heat activates the baking powder, leading to the rapid rise. Turning down the temperature afterward, however, prevents over-browning of the tops before the inside is done.
If you’re wondering whether to open the oven door to let heat out — don’t! It’s not necessary to bring the temperature down at an appropriate speed, and in fact will let too much heat out too fast.
Serve these muffins for an easy yet feel-good breakfast or enjoy for a little treat mid-morning or mid-afternoon. They are terrific with coffee or tea! Pull one apart and smear a smidge of warm butter in the middle for truly worthwhile decadence.
Storage & Freezing
These muffins keep well tightly-covered at room temperature for about 3 days. You can stretch them an extra day or two by storing in the fridge. If eating from the fridge, I recommend a 10 second warm-up in the microwave.
Banana blueberry muffins, like most muffin recipes, are freezer-friendly! Freeze in an appropriate airtight container for up to 3 months. I don’t find it necessary to wrap them individually. If serving all at once, defrost overnight in the fridge. If grabbing one muffin at a time, you can thaw straight from frozen with roughly 40 seconds in the microwave.
This makes these muffins a great way to stock the freezer with a healthy-ish breakfast before a new baby, surgery, or other busy season of life!
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Banana Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 large very ripe bananas use 3 if they are small
- 2/3 cup milk any type
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar tightly packed
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup vegetable or coconut oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose or white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 and 1/4 cups fresh blueberries
- coarse sugar optional for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly coat a muffin tin with baking spray or line with paper cups. (This recipe usually yields 12 regular-sized muffins.)
- Place peeled bananas in a large bowl or in your stand mixer. Beat or mix with a fork until very well mashed, then add the milk, brown sugar, honey or syrup, oil, egg, and vanilla.2 large very ripe bananas, 2/3 cup milk, 1/3 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup, 1/4 cup vegetable or coconut oil, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix into an even batter, then sprinkle flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on top. Stir or beat on low speed, again until evenly combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.2 cups all-purpose or white whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 and 1/4 cups fresh blueberries
- Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each to the top. (A large cookie dough scoop makes this so easy.) If desired, press extra blueberries and sprinkle a bit of coarse sugar on top of each muffin.coarse sugar
- Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes, then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 15-18 minutes. When done, the muffins will be golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the centers will come out clean or with moist crumbs, but no large streaks of batter.
- Let cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Storage: These muffins keep well tightly-covered at room temperature for about 3 days. You can stretch them an extra day or two by storing in the refrigerator. If eating from the fridge, I recommend a 10 second warm-up in the microwave.
- Freezing: Store muffins in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or storage container for up to 3 months. I don’t find it necessary to wrap them individually. If serving all at once, defrost overnight in the fridge. If grabbing one muffin at a time, you can thaw straight from frozen with roughly 40 seconds in the microwave.
- Useful Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan (good, better) | Cookie Dough Scoop | Angled Measuring Cup | Stackable Cooling Racks | Oven Thermometer
- Mini Muffins: This same recipe yields roughly 3 dozen mini muffins, which should be baked for at 350 degrees F for about 12 minutes (no high temperature start).
- Dairy-Free: Almond milk, oat milk, or cashew milk all work well to keep these muffins dairy-free. I have not tested them with gluten-free flour.
- Recipe: Lightly adapted from Sally’s Baking Recipes.
