This quick and easy Banana Muffins recipe uses only 2 bananas to make a small batch of muffins. This is a perfect muffin recipe if you're cooking for one or two people. Step by step recipe video included with the printable recipe. These tender, sweet muffins are perfect for breakfast, snacking, or dessert.

Banana muffins have been a favorite breakfast treat at my house for years. This small batch banana muffin recipe is a scaled-down version of the muffins I've been making for the last 20+ years. It's the perfect recipe to use when you have 2 bananas.
RELATED: 20 Single Serving Breakfast Recipes Worth Waking Up To
If you're cooking for one or two, this small batch muffin recipe should definitely be in your recipe files. It's the perfect overripe banana recipe and will yield 5 to 6 muffins when baked in a standard-sized muffin pan.
Why This Recipe Works
- Everyone loves a good banana muffin recipe, right? Well, this easy ripe banana recipe definitely delivers. It's time tested - I've been using this recipe for years.
- The banana recipe calls for ingredients most commonly found in our pantries.
- With just 10 minutes of prep time and about 20 minutes of baking time, you can enjoy the best tasting muffins that are perfect for breakfast or for an afternoon snack.
RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One
Ingredients
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
Ingredient Notes
- Sugar: I use granulated sugar.
- 2 overripe bananas, vanilla, and salt: These add flavor. Remember, the riper the bananas the sweeter the bananas. The ones shown in this picture could be even riper and more speckled.
- Butter: Use melted butter.
- Egg: One large egg gives the banana muffins structure.
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour or plain flour.
- Baking soda: Helps the muffins rise.
How To Make Banana Muffins
- Mash one of the bananas with a fork on a small plate so it still has a bit of texture. Set the plate aside, you will use this banana later. With a hand mixer, whip the remaining banana and sugar together for 35-40 seconds; you want a light and smooth banana cream.
- Add the melted butter, egg, and vanilla; beat well. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated and fold in the mashed banana.
- Pour the batter into lightly greased or lined muffin holes in a standard-sized muffin tin.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tip of a sharp knife or a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Expert Tips
- Extra ripe bananas are perfect to use in this banana muffins recipe - the riper the banana, the sweeter the muffins.
- If you like banana nut muffins, feel free to add in about a quarter cup of chopped nuts.
- Do not overmix the batter or your banana muffins will turn out dense and gummy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cover the muffins well with plastic wrap or foil to prevent them from drying out. When properly stored, banana muffins should last 1 to 2 days at room temperature.
If you would like to freeze banana muffins, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them in a ziptop bag and place in the freezer. They will last for up to 2 months.
For this small batch banana muffin recipe, I use a regular-sized muffin tin with holes or pockets for the muffin batter that have a 2-inch diameter base and are 1 ¼-inches tall.
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
Variations
- Banana Nut Muffins: Add ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter.
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins: Add ¼ cup chocolate chips to the batter.
Other Muffin Recipes
- Blueberry Muffin For One
- Apple Muffin For One
- Lemon Blueberry Muffin For One
- Maple Walnut Muffin For One
Ripe Banana Recipes
If you like this banana recipe, you might also like these single serving and small batch ripe banana recipes.
- Bananas Foster For One
- Banana Bread For One
- Mini Caramelized Banana Upside Down Cake
- Grilled Pound Cake With Limoncello Bananas
- Banana Cream Pie For One
- Tropical Smoothie
If you’ve tried these banana muffins or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Easy Small Batch Banana Muffins Recipe
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Video
Equipment
- Muffin tin
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 overripe banana , divided
- 6 tablespoons salted butter , melted
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
- Spray or lightly butter muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, whip the sugar and one of the bananas together until well blended.
- Add the cooled melted butter, the egg, and the vanilla and beat well.
- Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt just until incorporated.
- Peel and mash the remaining banana with a fork on a small plate. Fold into the batter.
- Scoop the batter into the muffin tins and fill them ¾ of the way.
- Bake until a toothpick stuck in the muffins comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.
Notes
- Extra ripe bananas are perfect to use in this banana muffins recipe - the riper the banana, the sweeter the muffins.
- If you like banana nut muffins, feel free to add in about a quarter cup of chopped nuts.
- Do not overmix the batter or your muffins will turn out dense and gummy.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Jen D says
I just made these. Made 5 larger muffins and added a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Otherwise followed recipe exactly. Delicious. Easy. Will make again.
diMa says
Made 12 full size muffins!
Terrie Hall says
This recipe gets 👍. Easy to make and delicious.
Isabella C says
For me it made 4 muffins which is perfect for my family of 4 I put some brown sugar on the top before baking and they turned out absolutely delish
Heather says
Didn't have vanilla so I added cocoa powder +instant coffee and they were really great ! Thanks
Cynthia StAmand says
Making Small Batch Banana Muffins..... AGAIN! DELICIOUS!
Cynthia StAmand says
soooo good! and easy,too!
Amber says
Perfection. Used bobs all purpose gluten free and substituted the sugar with pure maple. Phenomenal. Thanks!
Megan says
Delicious! I made three slight changes:
- halved the sugar, just for personal preference
- added 1 tsp baking powder because I misread the ingredient list, I also then added 1 tsp baking soda as called for. This mistake didn't seem to have any negative consequences, luckily.
- used measure-for-measure (King Arthur) gluten free flour (because of allergies), this worked great, but gluten free flour should work for a recipe like this so I wasn't too worried
Overall the flavor was good, and the texture was nice and fluffy. I think this would also be an excellent recipe base for experimenting with adding spices or add-ins (nuts, berries, etc), though they are definitely worth making as-is.
I used silicon muffin cups and the mix made 9. I think these cups are very slightly smaller than standard. As the recipe indicates, the batter will rise will baking. I followed the 3/4 full note and they are picturesque.
Amber says
Excellent! I used pure maple syrup instead of sugar at the same ratio. Also used bobs all purpose gluten free flour. Came out moist and delicious