Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 190 g all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 5 g baking soda
- 4 g baking powder
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 2 g ground cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- overripe bananas, peeled
- 75 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 100 g light brown sugar, packed
- 50 g granulated sugar
- large egg, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 30 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 15 g
- Sodium
- 256 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 29 mg
- Potassium
- 126 mg
- Calcium
- 36 mg
- Iron
- 0.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 12 mg
- Phosphorus
- 40 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 50 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.05 mg
- Niacin
- 0.4 mg
- Folate
- 11 mcg
- Water
- 25 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius or 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it thoroughly.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, fine sea salt, and ground cinnamon until completely combined.
In a large mixing bowl, crush the overripe bananas using a fork or whisk until mostly smooth, leaving just a few small textural lumps.
To the crushed bananas, add the melted unsalted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix vigorously until the batter is cohesive and uniform.
Pour the dry flour mixture into the wet banana mixture. Using a silicone spatula, fold the ingredients gently just until no dry streaks of flour remain. Be extremely careful not to overmix.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each liner almost all the way to the top. This heavy fill encourages a tall, bakery-style dome.
Bake in the preheated oven at 220 degrees Celsius or 425 degrees Fahrenheit for exactly 5 minutes. Keeping the oven door closed, reduce the oven temperature to 175 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit and continue baking for another 13 to 15 minutes.
Remove the tin from the oven and allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Chef's Notes
- The initial high oven temperature creates a rapid burst of steam within the batter, pushing the center up quickly to form a classic, tall bakery-style dome.
- For the deepest, most complex flavor, your bananas should be almost entirely black on the outside and very soft. You can freeze ripening bananas and thaw them when you are ready to bake.
- Replacing a portion of the white sugar with light brown sugar adds subtle molasses notes that pair beautifully with the cinnamon and roasted banana flavors.
- Do not omit the fine sea salt. It is essential for balancing the dual sugars and enhancing the natural sweetness of the fruit.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container lined with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag. Thaw at room temperature.
Reheating: Microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to restore fresh-baked warmth.
Troubleshooting
Muffins have a dense, tough, or rubbery texture
Cause: Overmixing the batter once the dry ingredients were introduced, which develops too much gluten
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked. Serve warm with butter or jam to soften the texture
Prevention: Fold the wet and dry ingredients together using a gentle, sweeping motion only until the last streak of dry flour disappears
Muffins did not rise or dome properly
Cause: Expired leavening agents or the oven door was opened during the crucial initial baking phase
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Test baking soda and powder for activity before baking, and ensure the oven maintains the high initial heat without interruption
Cultural Context
Banana-based quick breads and muffins became a staple of American baking during the Great Depression as a resourceful, economical way to utilize overripe, spoiling fruit rather than wasting it. The evolution into the portable, individual muffin format made them a highly popular item in breakfast diners, coffee shops, and home kitchens alike. Today, they represent a classic comfort food that perfectly bridges the gap between morning nourishment and sweet indulgence.
