These perfectly delicious small-batch banana muffins can be made with one banana, one bowl, and half an hour.
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.
Ingredient Notes
- One very ripe banana: Craving banana muffins but don’t have any ripe bananas on hand? Go read my post on how to quickly ripen bananas.
- An egg white: This recipe calls for just an egg white. Check out my post of Egg Yolk Recipes for ideas on what to do with the leftover yolk (I recommend a small batch of chocolate chip cookies.)
- Flour: I’ve always made these muffins with all-purpose flour, but I’ve had a number of readers tell me they turn out well with gluten-free flour, so if you’re gluten-free, measure for measure/1 to 1 should work great.
Banana Muffin Variations
- Chocolate chip banana muffins: This is one of my favorites, fold ⅓ cup of chocolate chips to the batter before you transfer it to your muffin pan.
- Cinnamon sugar crust: Sprinkle ½ to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar over the top of each muffin before baking.
- Streusel topping: If you’d like to add streusel to the muffins, go make my favorite streusel recipe. The half batch will make slightly too much for 4 muffins, so you can either freeze the leftovers for a later batch or eat it. 😉
More Small-batch Muffin Recipes
- Small-batch Blueberry Muffins
- Small-batch Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Small-batch Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Small-batch Pumpkin Muffins
- Small-batch Apple Crumb Muffins
FAQ
Can I double this recipe?
Absolutely! And if doubling the recipe, you can use 1 whole egg instead of 2 egg whites. To change the recipe yield, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.
Can I use a whole egg instead of just an egg white?
Yes. This is the modification readers most often tell me they’ve made with these muffins, so if you don’t want to go through the trouble of separating an egg, just use the whole thing.
More Banana Recipes
- One Banana Banana Bread
- The Best Banana Pudding
- My Favorite Banana Bread
- Banana Pancakes for Two
- 20+ Banana Recipes to Use Up Your Brown Bananas
Small-batch Banana Muffin Recipe Notes
- Freezing: Banana muffins freeze well! Individually wrap muffins in cling wrap and then store them in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow them to come to room temperature before eating.
- Storage: Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Extra bananas: Have more than one sad brown banana? Freeze the rest! Bananas freeze super well for baking. Go check out my post How to Freeze Bananas for all the freezing tips and tricks.
One Banana, One Bowl Small-batch Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 large very ripe banana
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- ⅓ 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!
Notes
- Doubling: If doubling, instead of using 2 egg whites, you can use a single whole egg.
- Storage: Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Individually wrap muffins in cling wrap and then store them in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow them to come to room temperature before eating.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.
Wee says
1.5 uneaten, overripe bananas were sitting on the counter, I googled for a recipe that calls for a small amount of banana and this came up. Simple and straightforward. Great taste. I was able to make 6 muffins. Thank you.
Jenna says
Yum!
I am both egg and gluten free so I used King Arthur brand gf flour and a chia egg and they turned out very yummy! Great texture
It’s nice to have a recipe for the many times I have only Lonely past its prime banana, thanks!
Lynn says
Perfect!
I used a whole egg and made 5 muffins. I’m looking forward to my next overripe banana.
Carol says
So I had a very overripe banana and my husband asked if I wanted it or should he throw it away, of course I told him I wanted it!
I found your recipe for small batch muffins. I didn’t have that small of a muffin pan but I had a mini pyrex loaf pan, a lilttle over an hour I had the most delish banana bread! The only thing I did differently was:
1) I halved the oil, the other half I used unsweetened applesauce
2) I did the flax seed meal replacement egg (Only cause I wanted to see how it would come out)
3) I didn’t have any cinnamon so I used some allspice.
Well, this is the tastiest banana bread I have ever made and its a mini too which I love! Thank you so much, I will be making this again, I may even make a batch of mini loafs to give as gifts!
Sherry G says
I made these today, doubling the recipe. I used one whole egg and added a tablespoon of vanilla extract. I sprinkled the tops with a little white sugar before baking and added chocolate chips to half of them. These are the easiest and most delicious banana muffins ever!!! I have used dozens of banana muffin and banana bread recipes only to be disappointed. This will be my only banana muffin recipe forever! I can stop searching for the perfect recipe, as this is it, with the addition of vanilla. Thank you!!!
Susan Barnes says
I’ve made this recipe numerous times and have always been pleased with the results. I do add a bit of vanilla extract as I think it intensifies the banana taste. For banana nut muffins I add up to 3/4 cup of coarsely chopped toasted pecans, and that will increase the yield to five or six muffins. A great use for a leftover banana.
Leslie-Ann Theroulde says
I just made this recipe and I was able to make 18 mini muffins. I like making mini muffins for my granddaughter. They taste great. This is the simplest banana muffin recipe I have ever made and I am hooked. Thank you.
Deb says
I substituted A LOT and they are the best muffins I have made in a long time!
I used coconut sugar, 1 to 1gluten free flour, and avocado oil.
I made this twice and both times were great and the same! (I even doubled it the second time since I had two bananas)
Ella says
These banana muffins are absolutely amazing! best recipe by far!
Dayana says
So simple, so tasty! I made 12 mini muffins, half with chocolate, and me and my parents ate them all after dinner. I will make this my go to for all those over ripe bananas we have!
Kiran says
Hi, tried your recipe. Very easy, quick and delicious. Thank you for sharing. Can I use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour?
Joey says
These were oh so easy to cook and used ingredients I already had on hand. They went down a treat with the family. I also made the recommended choc chip biscuits to use the egg yolk and I got all the praise. Great recipes. Thank you.
Lauri L says
Always looking for small batch recipes as we are both retired. Husband and grandkids love these muffins! Always turn out moist and delicious whether
I double the recipe or not. Forgot to add the cinnamon one time, sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top for a nice crunch!
Susan says
My husband came to me and said what can you do with this very ripe large banana? I googled and found this recipe. Awesome!! I threw in some pecans, a flew oats and whole egg. It made 7 regular size muffins. Added a dash of cinnamon sugar on top with a couple oats. So good and I didn’t have to use a mixer! They’re gone! Thanks for sharing!
Tanna says
I made my own version of this. Used apple sauce instead of oil (didnt add sugar instead added a small bit of icing on top). One piece Merci chocolate. Handfull pumpkin seeds, one tbsp of all natural peanut butter little extra cinnamon and used 1 whole egg. Used self rising flour. I opted to make it as a bread loaf instead of muffins. This was amazing!!!!
Vicki says
I’ve been making these muffins for a couple of years now, on a pretty much weekly basis. They are so good! I buy bananas on a weekly basis and find myself leaving the last one to get ripe enough so I can make these muffins! The first couple of times that I tried the single batch, the muffins were a little too moist for my taste. Then I tried the double batch using a whole egg and thought, why not use the egg yolk instead of oil for the single batch? So, I did and they turned out great! Now, I use a whole egg for the single batch and eliminate the oil. We like these with a sprinkle of chopped pecans on top. The pecans get a nice toasted flavor as they bake. I so appreciate the Baking Mischief website. It is one of the first sites that I check when I look for a recipe. Thanks so much for this recipes!