These moist banana muffins are muffins at their best with the sweetness of ripe bananas, the slight tang of sour cream, and a hint of spice from ground cinnamon and ginger. They're great for breakfast or as a grab-and-go breakfast or snack.
Why You'll Make These Muffins Again and Again
If you love muffins then you'll love how quick and easy it is to make these banana muffins. The batter is ready in 20 minutes and in less than an hour you can have fresh baked muffins. Smear them with butter or my homemade honey butter recipe for a special treat.
These muffins are moist and soft with perfect banana flavor, but what I really like are the spices, especially the ground ginger which gives the muffins a hint of heat. They're so delicious. You'll especially love these muffins if you're a beginning baker and you're looking for a recipe to build your confidence.
For a chocolate version of this recipe try my Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins.
The Baking Science of This Recipe
This recipe uses the muffin method, which means all wet ingredients are combined in one bowl and dry ingredients are combined in another bowl. The dry ingredients are added to the wet ingredients (or vice versa) and stirred just until combined, creating a tender, light texture by minimizing gluten development.
Starting the muffins at 400°F causes a quick burst of steam from the liquid in the batter This creates a powerful lift pushing the batter upwards. The high heat also sets the edges quickly which forces the batter upwards instead of outward.
Key Ingredients for Banana Muffins
- Ripe Bananas: Ripe bananas are the best to use in terms of flavor and texture. They're easy to mash and incorporate with the other ingredients. The bananas should have some brown spots, but don't use completely brown or almost black bananas.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda provides the rise for the muffins. Without it or enough of it you won't get the soft texture or beautiful dome top. It may seem like a lot for 12 muffins, but bananas are mildly acidic, and when you add brown sugar and sour cream there are enough acidic ingredients to react with the baking soda.
- Full-Fat Sour Cream: The sour cream provides moisture and a little tang to the muffins. Use room-temperature sour cream. If you add cold sour cream to the batter, you risk resolidifying the butter.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Banana Muffins
Step 1: Place the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine. Set the dry ingredients to the side.
Step 2: Place the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger in a large bowl and whisk to combine
Step 3: Add the eggs and whisk until the batter is lighter in color and smooth.
Step 4: Mash the bananas with a fork, then whisk them by hand to make them smoother.
Step 5: Whisk in the pureed bananas, melted butter, and sour cream. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes
Step 6: Add half the flour and fold it in with a silicone spatula. Add the remaining flour.
Step 7: The batter is now ready to bake.
Step 8: Divide the batter between a 12-cup muffin pan lined with paper liners.
Step 9: Bake the muffins first at 400°F, then at 350°F for a total baking time of 20-22 minutes.
Instant Read Thermometer
An instant-read thermometer is one of my favorite tools in the kitchen. I use it all the time to check the doneness of my baked goods. I rely on a combination of time and appearance to tell me when something is done, but since different ovens and oven brands perform differently, you should never rely on time alone.
The instant-read thermometer gives the best indicator of done for most baked goods. For muffins, the internal temperature should be 200-205°F (93-96°).
Step 10: Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then finish cooling them on a wire cooling rack.
Serving Suggestions for These Muffins
The banana muffins are good all by themselves, especially while still warm, but I like to eat them with a schmear of salted butter. For something extra special serve them with my homemade Honey Butter.
Tips for Successfully Making Banana Muffins
These muffins truly are easy to make and they're the perfect recipe for the beginning baker, but here are my tips for successfully executing this recipe:
- Use room temperature eggs and sour cream. Room temperature ingredients blend more evenly and create a better emulsion. Room temperature is 65-68°F. Take the eggs out about 60 minutes before baking and the sour cream 30 minutes before.
- Use a kitchen scale. Weighing the flour ensures deliciously consistent results, and adding the sugar directly into the bowl means fewer dirty dishes.
- Use a silicone spatula. When combining wet and dry ingredients, use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, not a whisk or electric mixer.
- Start with a higher temperature (400°F/200°C) for the first 5 minutes to create a good "pop" of steam for rising, then reduce to 350°F/175°C for the remainder.
If you make this quick and easy banana muffins please leave a rating and a comment below.
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Easy Banana Muffins with Sour Cream
Equipment
- Muffin Liners
Ingredients
- 1-3/4 cup (220 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1-1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1-1/2 cups (227 grams) mashed bananas about 3 medium bananas
- 2 large (100 grams) eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) full-fat sour cream room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line the muffin tin with paper liners.
Make the Muffin Batter
- Melt the butter over medium low heat and cool until it is barely warm, about 90°F (32°C). Crack the eggs into a small bowl.
- Place the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and whisk for 30 seconds to combine.
- Place the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in a large bowl. Use your fingers to break up any brown sugar clumps. Add the eggs and vanilla. Whisk for 1 minute until the mixture is creamy and lighter in color.
- Place the bananas in a medium sized bowl and use a fork or potato smasher to mash them up. Then use a whisk to make them creamy. Add the bananas to the batter and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add the melted butter and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Next whisk in the sour cream and let the batter sit for 5 minutes.
- Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to the batter and fold it with a silicone spatula until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix just until all the flour is mixed in. Scrape the bottom to ensure you didn't miss any flour. The batter should be lumpy. Be careful not to overmix.
Bake the Muffins
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. Bake the muffins at 400°F for 5 minutes and then without opening the oven door reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C). Bake the muffins for another 15-17 minutes until the internal temperature registers at 195-200°F using an instant-read thermometer or a toothpick inserted in the top of the muffin comes out clean.
- Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then move the muffins to a wire cooling rack.
Store the Muffins
- The muffins can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store They can be stored in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Bring them to room temperature before eating, or warm slightly in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Jenni Mouritsen says
These were perfectly tender, light and moist. They baked up beautifully with the dome on top. Everyone in my family loved them. Will make again.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jenni
Thank you for trying this recipe and for leaving a wonderful review! I'm so glad you and your familu liked them and you plan to make them again.
Frances says
Amazing! The unique spice combo (ginger?!) twist elevated the typical banana muffin to a more 'adult' version and we loved it! I was reluctant to keep in the ginger but so glad I did! I added a 1/2 c rolled oats to the spice mix and put aside a few tbsps to sprinkle on top (yummy sweet crunch!), replaced 1/2 c white with whole wheat flour and cut the white sugar in half. As you can see, I'm one to adjust but your spices interested and convinced me 😊
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Frances
Thank you for trying this recipe and leaving this wonderful and detailed review. I'm glad to read that you like the ginger. I also like your flavor adjustments - thank you for sharing that information.
Cheryl L Scanlon says
These are standalone the BEST muffins I have ever made. Thankyou for this recipe!!!!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Cheryl
Woohoo! That is an amazing compliment, thank you so much. I'm so glad you enjoyed these muffins.
B says
Quite literally the most successful muffins we’ve ever made. Exchanged all purpose flour with whole wheat flour and halved brown sugar content. The sour cream makes the muffins super moist, but not soggy.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi B
Thank you for this wonderful review and comment. I'm so glad you liked this muffin recipe and you consider them "the most successful muffins" you've ever made. 😊
Nina says
Awesome!!! Moist like crazy and I added oat milk chocolate chips!!! Yum😘 and thank you so much!!!♥️
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Nina
Thank you for trying this muffin recipe and leaving a review. I'm glad you like them so much. And you're so right about the oat milk chocolate chips. I don't know which brand you used, but I love the ones from Scharffenberger Chocolate.
Brenda says
I followed the recipe as it is written. I added walnuts to the batter and on top of each muffin and used tall Bakery Style Muffin Liners for my muffin pan and the Muffins were ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! Adding this to my recipe rotation.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Brenda
Thank you for making this muffin recipe and leaving this lovely review. I'm so glad you liked them and added your own twist to them.
Sandi says
Omgoodness 😋 delicious overload. I'm so glad I came across this recipe. Huge hit on the home front. Definitely a keeper. Thx so much for sharing. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.( This one is worthy of more than 5 stars)
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Sandi
Thank you for trying this recipe and writing this lovely review. I'm so glad you enjoyed it and consider it a keeper. YAY!
Susan says
I’ve tried many banana muffin recipes and this one exceeds them all. They were so moist! I added chocolate chips and they were so yummy. This will be my go to banana muffin recipe.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Susan
Thank you for trying my recipe and for this wonderful review. I'm so glad you enjoyed them and that this is now your go-to banana muffin recipe.😁
Theodore says
This turned out so good. I swapped the proportions of the brown sugar and granulated sugar and they came out great. They have a perfect bakery-style dome top. Next time I will probably use a little less salt than the recipe suggests but these came out so amazing I can't even really complain.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Theodore
Thank you for trying this recipe and leaving this kind review. I'm glad you enjoyed this muffins and thanks for sharing your notes on the changes you made.