These perfectly delicious Small-batch Banana Muffins can be made with one banana, one bowl, and half an hour.
Hey, Friends, we’re almost through the first week of 2017. How is your new year going so far? Mine has been disappointingly delightfully healthy and exhaustingly wonderfully productive. Can January be over soon? I love starting a new year! 😉
I have two questions for you today:
Do you have one sad browning banana sitting on your counter?
Do you have a bowl and basic kitchen staples?
Yes and yes? Then you can and absolutely should make these Small-batch Banana Muffins (or if you feel like chocolate, try these Small-batch Chocolate Banana Muffins)!
I’m all about recipes that solve problems, and this recipe solves two. It gets rid of that piece of fruit rotting on your counter and makes sure you won’t overindulge in a sweet treat because it only makes four muffins.
That’s right, just four perfect little moist and delicious banana muffins.
And they are so fast and easy to make. They literally go from banana-on-the-counter to in-the-oven in 5 minutes, because you just mash a banana, mix everything in one bowl, scoop into a muffin pan, and bake.
They come out of the oven so moist and soft and good. It’s the perfect impromptu baking project for a lazy Sunday morning or rainy afternoon.
I guarantee you, I’ll be making this recipe a ton in the next few months. Who’s with me?
March 2017 Update: I just created a recipe video for these (see above) and threw in some chocolate chips since it’s not healthy January anymore. With or without chocolate chips, these are some seriously yummy muffins, and I’m still obsessed with them.
Looking for more small-batch muffins? You might like my Small-batch Blueberry Muffins, Small-batch Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins, or Small-batch Chocolate Chip Muffins.
Small-batch Banana Recipe Notes
- If you’d like to add a crumble topping to the banana muffins, try the crumble topping from my Small-batch Apple Crumb Muffins.
- Have TWO sad brown bananas? Make a double batch of muffins (no preparation changes needed) or make a batch of muffins AND some Banana Pancakes for Two.
One Banana, One Bowl Small-batch Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 large very ripe banana
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with four liners (or grease).
- In a medium bowl, completely mash banana with a potato masher or fork. Add sugar, egg white, and oil. Stir with a spoon until just combined (mixture will still be lumpy).
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir until just combined. If desired, stir in optional chocolate chips.
- Divide mixture between the four prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out mostly clean and the tops of the muffins begin to turn golden.
- Cool in the pan until cool enough to handle before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
Katy says
Love this recipe! I decided at 9:10pm I wanted something sweet like a cookie or a muffin. Didn’t want to go out but had a really ripe banana so looked up one-banana recipes and found myself here and muffins were popped into oven by 9:20 and I’m now eating this yummy goodness with a cup of caffeine free tea. I’m a happy camper. Love no nonsense recipes especially when it comes to baking! I did add walnuts and went heavy on the cinnamon and it made 12 mini muffins!
Tracy says
Haha! I’m so glad I could help facilitate your late-night baking!!
Reg Armstrong says
Being the old guy in a house of 2, and the wife still works, I attempt to do the cooking and baking. I am always looking for items to bake, for the wife’s lunch. I am glaring at one lone banana, and shall try your recipe today. I shall follow the recipe to the letter. Report to follow.
Tracy says
I love that! I hope you and your wife both enjoy them!!
Reg Armstrong says
I am back. I followed the recipe, to the letter, meticulously. Normally, “close” is good enough, for me, but I was only making 4 cupcakes, so figured I had to be exact. The cupcakes were finished at 3 pm. and by dinner time, 2 were gone. The remaining 2 met their demise right after the evening TV news. Great recipe, try it.
Tracy says
Thrilled to hear it, Reg!! Thanks for reporting back!
Grace D. says
Wow! I believe I yielded 6 muffins the first time I made this recipe. I, too wanted something sweet sort of late, and found this recipe right away. I’m making them first thing in the morning!!
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed them, Grace!!
Joan says
I have made these 2 times . I added walnuts . Made 4 perfect muffins. My husband loves them.
Tracy says
So glad to hear you guys enjoyed them!
Julie says
I love this recipe and I also make it into mini muffins for a toddler. I don’t add the nutmeg or chocolate chips tho. I sometimes use 2 bananas but keep the recipe the same still. I cook at 350 for 17 minutes and they are perfect every time!
Banana Good says
Found this recipe by googling “one banana muffins” — because I literally had ONE banana left, and I didn’t have the protein shake feels. I had the “I want carbs right NOW” feels. So here we are, they smell lovely with the banana scent wafting from the oven, and I can’t wait to try them! I may have also sprinkled sugar on top 😉 I didn’t have chocolate chips so I added dried cranberries (would have preferred chocolate though!)
Tracy says
Hehe, I know that feeling well. Hope you enjoyed them!!
Ashley says
Hi I was wondering if I could freeze these banana muffins and how long they can be frozen for?
Tracy says
Banana muffins freeze well since they are so moist. I like to wrap them once in cling wrap and then store them in an air-tight container. They should stay fresh for up to 2 months.
Kimmy says
Hi, glad to hear they freeze well! How did you defrost them and how long did it take? i am just wondering if there is a specially way to keep them tasty, having been frozen. 🙂
Tracy says
Hi, Kimmy, depending on how warm your kitchen is, they’ll defrost in an hour or two sitting on your kitchen counter. To freeze, I like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then pop them all in an airtight freezer bag.
Melanie says
THANK YOU for this 1 banana recipe….now I won’t be ‘discovering’ a lone banana in the freezer months from now Wondering what it is!!! They are tasty & moist.
Tracy says
Hehe, I know that lone freezer banana feeling all too well. 😉 I’m so glad these worked out for you!
Susan jacobus says
Wow- thisis a perfect recipe!…”great breakfast out the door cuz we’re running late” easy prep-simple and bakes while showering and getting ready for the day and really tastes good!- will make aagain when not running late
Tracy says
Baking while showering, way to multi-task in the morning! 😉 I’m so glad they worked out for you, Susan!
Alison says
Thanks for the this recipe! I didn’t have nutmeg so just doubled the cinnamon. They taste nice and not overly sweet. I also did 2 with chocolate chips sprinkled on too, and they’re good, too. I always seem to have one overripe banana, so I’ll be making these often! Do you think It would work with frozen blueberries?
Tracy says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them! Frozen blueberries should work fine, they just might need a slightly longer baking time.
Dee says
These came out tasty. Very easy to make. It made 5 good sized muffins. I used chickpea flour, mini dark chocolate chips, and apple sauce instead of oil. Only took 20 minutes. The last banana in the bunch always gets overripe. This is a great way to use it. Thank you for this recipe. It’s wonderful.
Tracy says
I’m glad you enjoyed them, Dee!
Katrwa says
Thanks Dee and Tracy,
I doubled the recipe, using the whole egg as suggested, and substituted applesauce for the oil. Yes, 20 minutes! Moist, flavorful, and accented with golden edges and dark chocolate chips! One bowl and no mixer ~ this recipe is super easy to clean up and Super Yum!
Tracy says
Mmmm, you’re making me hungry. LOL. So glad these turned out for you!
Van says
Thank you for the recipe, came out really good
Tracy says
Thanks, Van! Happy to hear!
Sandra says
Can you use a whole egg instead of just the white?
Tracy says
Hi, Sandra, I haven’t ever tried it for this particular recipe, so I’m not sure. If you do, please report back!
Suz says
I used a whole egg and they turned out great.
Tracy says
Oh good! So happy you liked them!
Vibha says
Hi Tracy, just a quick question.
Do we add vanilla essence when we add the whole egg.
Egg white I am certain doesn’t call for it ?
Thanks
Tracy says
Hi, Vibha. The recipe calls for just 1 egg white, not a whole egg. It also doesn’t call for vanilla, but if you want to include vanilla, you can add it with the egg white. Hope that clarifies things!
Dee says
Last Tuesday I googled “1 ripe banana”. I am so glad your recipe came up. I made them immediately with that last banana that got so ripe, I couldn’t eat it straight up. I’m trying to be “healthy”, so I used chickpea flour. You have to be okay with that flavor. The banana, cinnamon, chocolate flavors are strong enough to stand up to the chickpea flour. I just made them again this morning and they’re cooling right now. They look beautiful. I am going to eat one pronto. I am so grateful you posted this recipe. Thank you Tracy!
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed them, Dee! And thanks for the tip about chickpea flour. I’ve never cooked with it before, so it’s good to know these work with an alternative flour!
Elizabeth says
These are delicious, easy to make, and easy clean up! The only thing I did different was doubled the cinnamon, added 1 tsp vanilla, and used half light brown sugar & half white sugar (to equal amount of sugar called for) due to personal preference. I logged all ingredients into Myfitnesspal app as it was baking. I added the optional chocolate chips and split batter between 6 muffins. They show to have 186 calories each. They are moist, sweet, easy, and delicious!!! This recipe is a keeper! Thank you for sharing! 5 star definitely!
Tracy says
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Elizabeth! I’m so happy you enjoyed them!
Lurah says
Also had one too ripe banana and found this recipe thru a quick search. Not wanting to waste a yolk, I used whole egg and omitted oil. They are just out of oven, nicely browned and come out of the pan in one piece.
Instead of chocolate chips, made streusel to top the batter in muffin pan with 1T butter, 2 T brown sugar, dashes of cinnamon and 3 T chopped walnuts all stirred well together in the same bowl used to make the muffin batter.
Tracy says
I’m so happy to hear they worked out for you, Lurah!
Annette says
Hi Tracy,
Didn’t have a clue what to do with one ripe banana. Found this wonderfully easy recipe. I also added a teaspoon of vanilla, chocolate chips and baked them in a mini muffin pan. The recipe made 12 oversized mini muffins. Very yummy and easy. Thank you.
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed them, Annette! Love the idea of turning them into mini muffins. 🙂
nicenurse says
This is such and sweet little recipe and works like a charm. I baked the batter in a tiny 5 3/4″ x 3″ loaf pan and it was just the right amount of batter and came out perfectly! Tracy, thanks for doing all the work to scale this recipe down to small batch size so the rest of us could enjoy the results!
Tracy says
Thank you! I’m so glad the muffins/loaf worked out for you. 😉
Danielle says
These were delicious and I love this concept of small batches! Thanks for sharing such a great idea. I’ll be sure to check out your other small batch recipes!
Tracy says
Thank you, Danielle!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins!
Andrew says
Who says you need two bananas for banana bread! They’re in the oven now and smell great. No nutmeg, but added the chocolate chips. Saved that sad looking banana from the dumpster.
Tracy says
Looking out for sad brown bananas everywhere. 😉 Hope you enjoyed them!
Jessica says
I made these a couple of weeks ago, and my boyfriend really loves them. He said they’re so good, they don’t even need the chocolate chips. They’re now my go to muffin recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!
Tracy says
Thanks, Jessica! I’m so glad you both enjoyed them!!
Theresa says
Thanks for the small batch recipe! I have some frozen mashed bananas I will try with this recipe.
Theresa
Tracy says
I hope you enjoy them, Theresa!!
susanna says
these were great! I used 1.5 small bananas and they weren’t even as ripe as I would have liked but they still turned out!
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed them, Susanna!
marie stanley says
These cooked up really well in my toaster oven ! And taste so very good. Nice texture throughout !
Tracy says
So happy to hear, Marie!
Christine says
I substituted regular flour with gluten free flour, the namaste brand, and made no other changes. They came out perfect!! Love the small batch because I don’t buy many bananas at a time – and now if I eat ALL FOUR I won’t feel too bad about it. Thanks very much. I will check out some of your other recipes as well.
Tracy says
So happy to hear these worked out for you, Christine! And thanks for the specifics on the flour. It’s really helpful for other readers looking to substitute!
Margo says
I just made these for the third time. Yummy! Thanks for the recipe. I made mini muffins and he kids gobbled they right up.
Tracy says
Yay! Glad the kiddos enjoyed them!!
Manisha says
Hi Tracy…. I stumbled upon your blog when I started looking for small batch baking recipes that could help novice like me.. And I am so glad I did.. Tried this one with doubled up ingredients and into a loaf pan.. And boy!! Wasn’t it the most amazing thing that came out of my oven for the first time… Didn’t take much time to finish off either and the compliments I owe it to you.. Gave me some confidence that I needed after a series of baking mishaps.. Will keep coming back for more.. Love… 🙂
Tracy says
Thank you! This makes me so happy to hear!
Novice Baker says
I made these for the first time a couple of weeks ago and the whole family loved them! They turned out perfect. I was so proud of myself for turning something that was going to be trash into yummy goodness instead! So, of course, I went to make them again when I had a couple brown bananas.
I tried substituting coconut flour this time though, and boy did that change the consistency!!! The coconut and banana flavor were great together, but I think I’ll be sticking with your original recipe! (unless anyone has any advice for me?)
Tracy says
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! And if you want to make a coconut flour version, I’d actually try looking for a banana muffin recipe created specifically for coconut flour. Because there’s no hard and fast substitution rule, it can be kind of tricky to adapt AP flour recipes for coconut flour.
Courtney says
This recipe is so good, I triple it. Forget the lone banana when you can shove them into your mouth. I add two kinds of chocolate chips, semi sweet and milk and I cut up one extra banana which I don’t mash for banana “chunks”. I might also have added Nutella swirls to the top but that would be too much so don’t tel anyone (and it’s not too much). Love, love, love! Thank you 🙂
Tracy says
LOL, Courtney! I like the way you bake! 😉
Hannah says
Hi I just wanted to know is the calories for all 4 or is it for each muffin? Thanks x
Tracy says
Hi, Hannah. It’s per muffin.
Bee says
Hi Tracy! Thank you so so much for this recipe. I’m an average baker who’s been having a very long rubbish streak. But thanks to you and these muffins, I’m back on track! They came out absolutely perfect and so fluffy and moist, I could’ve eaten all 4 in one go. Also to anyone like me who hates tossing stuff out and has no clue what to do with one sad egg yolk, I used the entire egg and the recipe was just fine.
Tracy says
So happy to hear these helped break your rubbish streak, Bee!! 😉
Tyra Rae says
I’m not much of a baker.
The last muffins I tried to bake came out rock hard (I followed the recipe exactly) & that was a few years ago.
But, this weekend I gathered enough courage to TRY baking muffins with the last 2 ripe bananas we had left.
When I woke up to do the baking……I found there was only 1 banana left…lol.
So, I decided to Google for a “1 banana muffin recipe” & decided to try your recipe.
I choose your recipe because
I liked your way of explaining your recipes.
I liked how you shared your stories.
I liked your sense of humor & your personality.
I followed your recipe exactly as written ~ I made no changes.
I am happy to report~ the muffins were so delicious that my husband ate 3 out of the 4 muffins!
He had to force himself to leave one for our son…lol.
Well, since this recipe turned out to taste so delicious, I decided to bake your small batch blueberry muffins (doubled it) & they too were eaten up before the day ended.
Thank you for these delicious recipes.
I will definitely be returning to try some of your other recipes.
May I ask this question?
I read others post
saying they made mini muffins & mini loaves
Does the baking time change when making the muffins in different sizes?
If the baking time does change:
Can you tell me ~ How long would the baking time be for:
Mini muffins?
Mini loaves?
Regular size loaf pan?
(Your 2 recipes were so delicious that I’ would like to bake mini loaves to give as gifts. I’d like to bake lots of mini muffins/instead of a few regular size muffins & would also like to try to make regular size blueberry & banana loaves)
Thank you very much.
Can you tell how excited I am about baking your recipes?
Really, I am.
Lol
I can very much relate with the person that posted about gaining confidence as a result of “baking successfully” with your recipe ~ because I too am not too confident in the kitchen
& this weekend’s success boosted my confidence 100%
Honestly, I have NEVER EVER thought of gifting anything I’ve baked before ~ too scared it might not always turn out delicious. ..but your recipes are sure proof!
Major Kudos to you ~ you are a “10”
Thank you again.
Tracy says
Thanks so much, Tyra. This comment totally made my day! As for cooking times for different sizes of muffins/loaves, it’s going to differ for every recipes. Generally, mini muffins will take 10-15 minutes, mini loaf pans 20-30 minutes, and full loaves 35-55 minutes. When I’m trying a new recipe, I’ll wait until the tops of the muffin/loaf have puffed up and look well-set and then start testing for doneness. Hope that helps!
Tyra Rae says
Hi Tracy,
Thank you do much for your reply
& help.
Today I baked the mini muffins.
You were absolutely right about the time.
They were ready in 15 minutes. I started checking them like you said to to do at the 10 minute mark.
All baked up & worked out perfectly.
I made them with the chocolate chips.
You know my husband is in “muffin heaven!”
Truly your recipe is full-proof!.
Thank you again for your help & for sharing your recipes.
Have a Blessed week!
Tracy says
Thank you, Tyra! So glad the minis worked out!
Kelli-waters says
Thanks for sharing! I mixed the first nine ingredients in a plastic container and poured about 1/3 of the batter into a large mug that I’d sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, then topped with some walnut pieces. I microwaved it for about 1 minute and 20 seconds — delicious!
Tracy says
Oh, thanks for the detailed comment. That’s so helpful for other people who want to cook these muffins in the microwave! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Melissa says
Thank you for sharing! I have been making these off and on the past couple months. They’re perfect because my boyfriend is lactose intolerant, and these are lactose free as well! I actually ended up with three very ripe bananas this week and want to make use of them tonight before we leave for vacation tomorrow, and rather than making three separate loaves, I was wondering how I can use this recipe for the three? I like yours since the ingredients are all things I have at home (and again, lactose free)! Can I just triple everything in the recipe? What should I do?
Tracy says
So happy to hear that, Melissa! I’ve never made these muffins into a loaf before, but other readers have, and it’s worked just fine for them. Tripling should work. Just start checking on the loaf at about 35 minutes, but don’t be worried if it takes significantly longer to bake. If you try it, please let me know how it worked out. And have a great vacation. 🙂
Melissa says
I have actually been making them into a loaf this whole time; I don’t have a muffin tray. But it was amazing every single time. I’ll go ahead and try baking a big one now. I just wanted to check about the tripling and the baking time. I’ll let you know how it goes later tonight!
Tracy says
Oh, gotcha. Glad the mini loaves have been good. Hope your big loaf turned out!
Joyce Anne Ones Sibal says
Thank you for this recipe, Tracy! My husband loves it!
Tracy says
Thanks, Joyce! So happy to hear!
Arundhati Poshattiwar says
Hey Tracy, I tried this recipe and the muffins turned out great except for a minor gripe. While the muffin tasted delicious, the bottoms turned out to be soggy. I added walnuts and pistachios to the recipe.
Is there any reason why the bottoms were soggy?
Tracy says
Sorry your muffins were soggy, but I’m glad they at least tasted good! I’ve never had that happen with this recipe, but here’s a good article on why muffin bottoms sometimes turn out soggy: https://foodal.com/knowledge/how-to/fix-soggy-muffin-bottoms/ Basically, the mix-ins might have sunk to the bottom and caused them not to fully cook or they might have gotten soggy if left to cool in the pan too long. Hope that helps!
Stacy says
I’m so glad I found your website, and this recipe! As a singleton I always seem to have bags of leftovers in my freezer, stray muffins and ends of bread that I can never finish. Not to mention at least a half dozen frozen bananas at all times.
This recipe was delicious and made 4 perfectly sized muffins! I added pecans for a little textural variety and topped them with honey butter. So good. The cinnamon and nutmeg bring out the flavor of the banana without overpowering it.
I made this recipe again today for a potluck. I doubled it and added mini chocolate chips this time and it made a perfect 24 mini muffins.
Thank you!
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed them, Stacy. And OMG, I never thought about using honey butter on banana muffins. I think you just changed my life! 😉
Alyssa says
These were AMAZING! Happily I wound up with 6 muffins and even those didn’t last long! I had just one old, sad banana and this recipe made my day!
Thank you so much!!
Tracy says
Thank you, Alyssa!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins and got a bonus couple out of the recipe. 😉
Vicki says
This is my “go-to” recipe for banana muffins, so I thought it was high time that I comment. Thank you so much for the recipe! I make this, if not weekly, at least twice a month. I find myself hoping some of the bananas get overripe… I usually sub butter for the oil and add a splash of vanilla. We like our muffins firm, so I add an extra tablespoon or two of flour. I like your suggestion of using the whole egg for a double batch, which is what I usually make. I can get 12 muffins from a double batch with the extra flour. Thanks!
Tracy says
So happy to hear, Vicki! Love your tip for adding a little extra flour to get the texture you want!
Margaret says
EXCELLENT! I can make these and clean up by the time my oven preheats. I’ve made both 4 and 8, and they come out perfect every time. I use 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips and add 1/4 tsp of vanilla. They freeze perfectly!
Tracy says
So happy you’ve enjoyed these, Margaret!!
Cindy says
I just got back from a trip where I took a banana from the breakfast buffet on day 1. On day 3, that lone banana got packed in my carryon and was sitting on my counter until I stumbled onto this recipe. I love all of the comments that answered my questions. Can I use the whole egg and can I sub butter for the oil. Voila!
Tracy says
Yay! So glad you were able to turn your buffet banana into something good!
Grace says
Hi Tracy, this may be self explanatory but I’m about to use 3 bananas I have, so would I use one whole egg, and one egg white?
Thank you
G.D.
Tracy says
Yes, if you’re tripling the recipe, 1 egg + 1 egg white will work just fine. Hope you enjoy them!
Yasmin says
Hello. I made this recipe and it turned out amazing! The banana I had wasn’t a very big one, so I used a whole egg and baked it as a cake. Thank you so much Tracy.
Tracy says
Thanks, Yasmin! A little banana cake sounds adorable! 🙂
Kim Kautzer says
Yes! That was me. One sad banana. Plus, I can’t keep big-batch anything in my house … because I have no willpower. So four muffins is perfect for the two of us!
These are fantastic! Crispy around the edges, tender crumb, and just-right banana flavor. I added walnuts instead of chocolate chips b/c that’s what was on hand. Looking forward to trying some of your other muffins!
Tracy says
LOL, thanks, Kim! So glad these muffins were able to hit the spot!
Jody says
I can’t believe how easy and quick these are to make and yet they are really really good. I use walnuts and dark chocolate chips and live in high altitude and they come out perfectly! Love this recipe!
Tracy says
Thanks, Jody! I’m so happy you liked them!
Jamie says
Yum! These are so good! I doubled the recipe and used a whole egg. Great recipe!
Tracy says
Thanks, Jamie! Thrilled you enjoyed them!
Nan says
Most delicious banana muffins I’ve made in long while. Thank you!
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed them. Thanks, Nan!
Meg says
Thanks for this recipe 🙂 I had one lonely brown banana and wanted to make something with it, so this was perfect.
I made a few changes, and it still turned out really really good.
– I had no granulated white sugar, so used brown sugar instead.
– used the whole egg
– added 1/3 cup walnuts instead of the choc chips
– used gluten free flour
I was worried the gluten free flour would make them harder, but they were still super fluffy and everyone loved them 🙂
Tracy says
Glad to hear these worked out for you, Meg. Thanks for the detailed comment!
Grace says
I couldn’t find the old 1 banana recipe I used to have, so I did a search and came across yours. It was great!! I made 12 minis and had some left over which I put in a ramekin for the rice cooker.
I also did a full cup, half flour, half oatmeal. I did half an egg instead of the full egg and it still worked out really well. I also started checking the oven at 10 min. like you suggested and it came out perfect. Rose perfectly, everything was gone at the end of the day which never happens. I even decreased the sugar added and it was still sweet enough for us.
Thanks!!! Will be reusing this recipe.
Tracy says
Thanks for the detailed comment, Grace! I love that you used oatmeal in there. I’m going to have to give that a try. And I’m so happy the muffins worked out for you!
Eunkyung says
Made this for the first time yesterday and it lasted less than 5 mins!! I had to go out to buy more bananas today! Fluffy and moist! Thank you so much for the recipe
Tracy says
Lol! So glad you enjoyed the muffins!
Alexis says
The best banana bread recipe I’ve tried! So quick and easy and just the right amount of muffins for my little family. I used a whole egg instead of egg white, and a 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract. It came out perfect! Also added chocolate chips. They’ve only been out of the oven for 15 minutes and they’re almost gone. Thanks for sharing!
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed them, Alexis! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Rachel says
I just made these muffins and they were amazing! thank you so much for the recipe! I used a whole egg instead of just the white like one of the reviews suggested, and the muffins were moist and delicious. Definitely something I’ll try again
Tracy says
Thanks, Rachel! So glad you enjoyed them!
Becky says
Hi Tracy, can i use 2 instead of 1 banana for this recipe since i really love the nana flavour, thanks!
Tracy says
Hi, Becky, without further testing, I couldn’t say for sure. I worry the muffins would end up too wet and mushy with the moisture from the extra banana.
Becky says
Great thanks for the advice Tracy, i will stick to just 1 nana then 🙂
Rosanna says
Omg! You r the best! I’m a widow and don’t need to make large batches of anything. I had one poor ripe banana and hate to waste anything. I found your recipe using one banana. The only thing I did extra was to add a splash of vanilla and black walnuts and used a whole egg. I buttered my tart pan and baked. Delicious and just right for a bite! Keep posting for small batches of anything!!! Thank you so much!
Tracy says
Thanks so much, Rosanna!!
Becky says
Hi Tracy, just wanted 2 let u know i made this recipe today using a loaf pan instead of muffin tins n it turned out 2b a huge success. Im about as amateur as u cld get when it comes 2 bakin so wanted 2 say thanks n how much i appreciate this scaled down.small size recipes since i hv a small family of 1. Pls hv more of these small sized recipes in the future. Xoxo becky b
Tracy says
Thanks, Becky! So glad the recipe worked out for you, and I’ll definitely keep the small-batch recipes coming. 🙂
Terry A. says
I have a go-to recipe for banana bread, but I needed a recipe for only 1 banana. This was absolutely perfect! I’m sure I will use it over and over again. Thank you!
Tracy says
Thanks, Terry! So glad you enjoyed it!
Donna C says
Perfect amount of muffins for two people. Really quick and easy recipe.
Tracy says
Thanks, Donna! Glad you enjoyed them!
Elena Hollingshead says
The banana muffin recipe was really good! And it was a perfect amount since I only had one banana left. Thank you for sharing!
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed them, Elena!
Mateo Pedersen says
I just wanted to say, these muffins are completely perfect in every way and I’ve made them several times now! But today I wanted just plain banana chocolate chips muffins. So I left out the cocoa powder and subbed an extra 1/4 cup of flour. It was a success! In case anyone is interested! This recipe so perfect for using up that one extra banana laying around!
Tracy says
Thanks, Mateo! So glad you enjoyed the muffins!
Melissa says
I’ve made this recipe three times now! Once just with one banana and the last two times I doubled it (and used the whole egg) and every time they come out great! So easy too! Making some now to bring to Valentines’ Brunch tomorrow! Thanks so much for the recipe!! 🙂
Tracy says
Thank you, Melissa! Hope everyone enjoys them at brunch tomorrow, and happy Valentine’s Day!
Cristina says
Thanks for the recipe, just what I was looking for!! I needed a quick recipe & only had 1 banana on hand. I whipped up after-school snack; the muffins are baking right now!
Tracy says
Hope you enjoy them, Cristina!
Lauri says
Wanted to bake something for my granddaughters so doubled the recipe and baked in a bread pan. So incredibly moist and delicious. Hope there’s some left for them.
Tracy says
LOL So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Hope your granddaughters did too. 😉
Mykaela says
I made this recipe and added some blueberries I had leftover in my fridge as well. Instead of mixing in the chocolate chips, I put some on top. They turned out AMAZING! Definitely will make again!
Tracy says
Thanks, Mykaela! So glad you enjoyed them, and blueberries sound so good in these!!
Ju says
Hi Tracy thanks for a great recipe!! Perfect for the mini muffins I wanted to make.
I ended up substituting a few ingredients with what I had in the pantry ☺️
White flour > wholemeal flour
Vegetable oil > coconut oil
White sugar > coconut sugar
Also just put the whole egg in as I was too lazy to seperate plus the choc chips.
Results were amazing! Thanks again
I look forward to checking out more of your recipes!
Tracy says
So glad to hear you enjoyed them. And thanks for sharing your substitutions! I always get asked about substitutions for these muffins and can’t always answer because I often haven’t tried them. So this is super helpful!
Helen says
Hello from Australia! We have some diffetent things in Australia and i think u got things right. I used plain flour instead of all purpose flour and bicarb soda instead of baking soda. I also used brown sugar instead of white and a whole egg because i dont like waste. They look and smell yummy but I’m a bit worried about the sodas. Fingers crossed! Thank you so much for the recipe.
Tracy says
Hope you enjoyed them, Helen!!
Megan says
Thanks for the great recipe!! I ended up placing the batter in a mini loaf pan (about 5″ x 3″) for 26 minutes and it came out perfectly! Ate part of it while it was still warm and it was so delicious and moist. Will always use this recipe from now on when I have a single ripe banana or just craving a small portion of banana bread 🙂 Thank you so much!
Ashley says
Hi Tracy! I have a couple of questions… will this still work if the banana isn’t nearing “overripe” stage just yet, like it is still mostly yellow? Secondly, is there a good substitute for the egg white? I’ve seen some places mention that you could use unsweetened applesauce or ground flaxseed mixed with water…. and ideas about that? I don’t usually keep any eggs on hand…
Tracy says
Hi, Ashley, you can absolutely use a normal banana. Just make sure to mash it really well. I know people have had success with applesauce and flaxseed, but I haven’t tried it, so I don’t know how it affects the texture of the muffins. If you want to give it a try, just use the recommended substitution amount for one full egg and see how you like the results. It might take a little experimenting to find the eggless version you like best. If you try, please let me know how they turn out!
Ashley says
Hi Tracy!
I *did* try the recipe (with my “normal” banana, and no chocolate chips), and followed your instructions exactly except instead of 1 large egg white, I used a mixture of 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed/ground flax meal mixed with 3 tablespoons of water.
So, in a separate bowl, I combined 1 tablespoon ground flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water and stirred it really well (as if I were beating an egg, but with a spoon) until it was ‘viscous’, and similar in texture to an egg white. The flax mixture starts out watery but the more you stir, it will start to thicken.
Then I just combined it with the other ingredients per your instructions! The muffins came out wonderfully!! I told my husband what I had done and he said you’d never be able to tell it wasn’t made with an egg. He even said, “we should try other baked goods using that method”… and later that day he put a cookie mix in the grocery cart … (it worked on that cookie mix, too!).
Thank you for this easy recipe! It transformed that one lonely, ordinary banana I had into a much more interesting and taste breakfast for two! I love that it was a small batch recipe, too!
(Speaking of a meal for two, we also tried your ‘Salsa Chicken for Two’ recipe and it was ALSO delicious…!)
Tracy says
Oh yay. So glad it worked! Thanks so much for the detailed comment. Now I can point people to it when they’re asking about making these eggless. And so glad you enjoyed the salsa chicken!!
Lori says
Is there a way to make this egg free?
Tracy says
Hi, Lori, see Ashley’s comment right above this one. She had a lot of success using flax seed to replace the egg, and left really detailed instructions for what she did. Hope that helps!
Stela says
Hello, what could be a substitute for the egg white? Thank you!
Tracy says
Hi, Stela, you can use a commercial egg substitute (just use 1 egg’s worth as the package instructs). Some readers have also had success with flax seed. If you scroll about four comments up to Ashley’s comment, she left a really detailed comment about making that substitution. Hope that helps!
Stela says
Thank you but there is no such commercial egg substitute here in Bulgaria, and also, I do not have anything to grind the flax seed with. So do you have any other suggestions, please? Thank you!
Tracy says
Hi, Stela, I haven’t done these, but maybe try number 6 or 7 on this list? https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/surprising-egg-substitutes/
If you do try, please let us know how it works out!
Tracy Robertson says
My goodness, these sound great and so easy to make and I always have the ingredients (except nutmeg) on hand. I will be trying these!
Tracy says
Hope you enjoy them, Tracy! And definitely feel free to omit the nutmeg. I love the flavor, but it’s not essential to the recipe.
Flygirl says
I had 1.6 overripe bananas. Found this recipe and doubled it. It was perfect for two mini loaf pans. I baked the 2 mini loaves for 25 minutes and they were exactly done. So easy and very moist and tasty. I followed the recipe to the T.
I’ll def use this recipe again! Thanks for posting it!
Kate says
Extremely easy and quick! Within 30 minutes I had the idea and googled one banana left banana bread recipe, baked and ate one delicious muffin of the 4. I added about 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla and baked for 20 mins and here we are! Definitely will be keeping this recipe handy for the future. Thanks!
Tracy says
That makes me so happy to hear, Kate! So glad you enjoyed them!
Ann says
Perfect! I made this to the letter and they came out great. I used a mini muffin tin, and it was the exact amount to fill the tin (12 mini muffins).
Amanda says
Question how many egg whites if you wanted to do a 7 times recipe? I wanna make sure I’m gonna get the right ratio. The recipe is so good but I don’t wanna screw it up when I make a bigger batch
Tracy says
I’ve never made a batch that large, but this recipe’s pretty forgiving. You could probably get away with just doing 4 whole eggs.
Kelly Carlson says
Made these this morning because i only had 2 bananas (not enough for the banana bread recipe i use). I doubled the recipe and It made 22 mini muffins.:) absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Tracy says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Kelly!
Muffin Maker says
This is my go-to recipe for banana muffins since my boyfriend likes them a lot and it’s so easy and straightforward. I made them again a few hours ago (I always double the recipe and use a whole egg), but I didn’t have enough baking soda for even the normal recipe. I was already about done with them so I just mixed everything else in with less than 1/4 of a teaspoon of baking soda. They came out much fluffier, with bigger shiny tops, and that’s what I prefer, so I think I’ll do less baking soda from now on. Thank you for posting!
Kelley says
Perfect! I did walnuts instead of choc chips
Tracy says
Glad you enjoyed them, Kelley!
Steph says
These were perfect, I added dark chocolate chips to mine. I baked them in a babycakes mini cupcake maker for 6 mins. Delicious!
Kim says
These are delicious! Completely devoured by my 5 year old. Made the following adjustments:
Used 1 large egg
Added 1.5 T additional flour, 1/2 t. vanilla
Decreased chocolate chips to 1/4 cup and reduced oil to 2 t.
Made 13 mini muffins. Baked for 14 minutes @350.
Great recipe for a single sad banana!
Tracy says
Thanks for the detailed comment, Kim! So glad your kiddo enjoyed them!
JoAnne says
This was delicious and exactly what I needed, a recipe for one or two. I made this is a mini loaf, and it was delish! Thanks so much for you small recipes
Michelle says
I made this recipe into mini muffins this morning. Took 13 minutes for them to bake and they were perfect. I added chocolate chips, which I cut up a bit as I did not have mini ones. Thank you Tracy my boys loved these. I will definitely make again. Have you made these with whole wheat flour?
Tracy says
So glad to hear your boys enjoyed them!! I haven’t done these with whole wheat flour before, but you could definitely give it a try. Depending on your family’s tolerance for the texture change that comes from using whole wheat, I’d probably start with a 50/50 mix of white all purpose and whole wheat and then increase or decrease the ratio depending on preference. Please let me know how they turn out if you give it a try!
Devorah says
We love this recipe and often double it and make it all the time.
Recently my son had to go Gluten Free and I tried it with the Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1 GF flour and my kids loved it as well… didnt even realize it was GF!
Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Tracy says
Thanks, Devorah! So happy to hear it’s an easy swap to make them gluten free!!
Dawn McWhorter says
Just made these for the first time! Followed the recipe exactly except I did not have nutmeg which I think would have made a great addition. They turned out perfectly and this was just the recipe I was looking for! Thank you so much. Next time we’ll be making with chocolate chips!
Tracy says
Thank you, Dawn!! So happy you enjoyed them!!
Karen says
I had one overripe banana sitting on my counter, and didn’t know what to do with it. So I googled and found this recipe. Made 4 wonderful little muffins. Thank you so much!
Marla says
These turned out some of best muffins I have made! At home (So Oregon) not wanting to waste any food I googled muffin recipes for one banana. I added chopped pecans, few choc chips, 1/2 t vanilla and used a whole egg. My organic eggs are smaller. Now that I can go nowhere I am cooking from scratch more. When this was first beginning I bought organic white and wheat flour and yeast in case I wanted or needed to bake bread, haven’t done that in years. Hope you are safe!
Tracy says
Thank you, Marla!! I’m so happy you enjoyed them. Glad you got your yeast early, it’s still sold out all around here. Everyone’s stress baking bread apparently. 😉 Hope you’re doing well!
DW says
Can you use self-rising flour as a substitute for all-purpose flour?
Tracy says
You probably could, but it’d need some testing. I’d start trying with 1/2 cup self-rising flour and no baking powder or soda, and maybe cut the salt by half. If the muffins are too dense, you can try adding some baking soda back into the recipe, maybe 1/8 teaspoon. If you try it, please let me know how they turn out!
Nancy Kois says
Muffins were tasty, recipe was easy and the serving size perfect for my 2 person family. Next time I am planning on trying the suggestion about doubling the recipe and still making 4 but make the larger sized muffins.
Tracy says
I love that idea, Nancy! So glad you enjoyed the muffins!
Natalie says
These are absolutely perfect! I’ve made them a few times and they’ve come out great every time. The last time I added your crumble topping and it was fabulous. I love baking, but I avoid it sometimes because I’ll have way too much leftover. I really appreciate you sharing so many small batch recipes. I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes!
Tracy says
Thanks, Natalie!!
Pauline says
Thank you so much for such a simple, foolproof and tasty muffin! So easy to whip up and cook in less time than it takes to think about it! I doubled the quantity using one whole egg as you suggested. It took exactly 18 mins in my oven and they were so light and fluffy! Everything else I followed exactly. Now can’t wait to try them again with maybe some walnuts and different variations. Thanks again.
Tracy says
Thrilled to hear they worked out for you, Pauline!!
DT says
Thank you for such a simple recipe! Made it with a little less sugar as I added the streusel and extra choc chips for the topping. Also because i ran out of baking soda i replaced it with three times of baking powder.. thankfully it worked. Delicious!
Anu says
Easy recipe. I used the full egg and it still turned out amazing. I had to bake it for 30 mins, maybe because I used the mini over (counter top oven).
Thanks for helping me salvage my overripe banana during this crazy time. 🙂
Jessica says
I literally found this recipe this morning and jumped out of bed and made it. With two small over ripe bananas, I wiped this up in no time and it came out perfect. What sealed the deal was when my fiancé said, wow this is good! Coming from someone who doesn’t fancy sweets. I’m super excited to try this again. Thank you
Serena says
I make these all of the time and they always turn out amazing! Would it be possible to replace the flour with almond flour? I’m unable to find flour currently. Thanks!
Tracy says
So glad to hear you enjoyed them, Serena! Unfortunately almond flour can’t be used as a 1:1 swap in recipes for AP flour. I know there are some banana muffin recipes out there that use almond flour, but they’ll have different ingredient ratios and finished texture.
Susan says
Tracy this was perfect! I found the recipe by googling ‘one leftover banana.’ I am a baker and feel comfortable substituting and improvising- put in the whole egg, added a generous teaspoon of baking powder as I was out of baking soda. Added the choco chips and it was like dessert !!
Myrte says
Had leftover egg whites and ripe bananas, so found this recipe by googling. Had my doubts about the recipe while making it, the mix seemed a little too fluid. But after reading the incredibly positive comments, decided to keep it that way. Turned out great! Fluffy and moist muffins which are delicious!
Christina says
I stumbled upon this recipe months ago and make it every other week with that lone leftover, brown spotted banana that always seems to be sitting on the counter. Okay… I purposely buy too many bananas now just so I can make this recipe! So easy and so yum when you need something sweet! I love mine with crushed up walnuts instead of chocolate chips. I also sub equal amounts applesauce instead of the oil and they are still perfect.
Aminah says
Absolutely delicious. I have been eating way too many of these during quarantine. Super moist and delicious. I did sub butter for the oil because yanno, oink.
Tracy says
LOL, so glad you enjoyed them, Aminah!!
Laura V Rudberg says
I have become a full-on baker…something HAS to be made basically everyday. Today there was 1.5 ripe bananas that needed to baked. Used this recipe with 1.5X all the ingredients and baked them off in my “Muffin top” pan, it make exactly 12 and they are lovely. One bowl and 15 minutes was all I needed. Thank you!
Tracy says
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them, Laura!!