Banana Crumb Muffins

These banana crumb muffins are moist and tender and have a cinnamon crumb topping. They’re easy to put together and even easier to eat! 😉

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When Zach was little, he used to hide bananas until they became ripe. That way, once he put them back on the counter (nice and brown), his mom would “have” to make these muffins!

And now that I’ve had these muffins numerous times, I completely understand why he wanted his mom to make these so badly! They are really, really delicious. They’re soft and moist and have just enough cinnamon crumb topping to coat the top of the muffin.

Luckily, these muffins are also super easy to make and will be in and out of the oven before you know it! They also freeze well, so you can make them on the weekend and store them in the freezer to keep for breakfasts throughout the week.

No ripe bananas? No worries. Grab those perfectly yellow bananas and toss them in the oven to soften them. Really?? Yep! See instructions below.

How can I ripen my yellow bananas so I can make these sooner?

I learned something new a couple weeks ago that completely blew my mind! Did you know that you can actually speed up a banana’s ripening by tossing it in the oven?

Yeah….crazy, right?! And so good to know. Here’s how to ripen bananas in the oven:

• Preheat oven to 300F.
• Place the banana on a sheet pan (in case the juices leak out of them a bit).
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until soft and black like the banana on the right in the photo below.
• Remove the bananas from the oven, peel and place the banana into a bowl to let cool. You will want to let these cool to room temperature so you don’t cook the eggs when mixing them into the batter.
• Toss the peels, clean and pan, and voila, you’re ready to make Banana Crumb Muffins!!

Tips for making the perfect muffins

Muffins are typically pretty simple to put together, however, there are a few tips I’ll share that will give you optimal results.

• First off, read through and follow the instructions so you’re adding ingredients in the correct order.
• Next, when you mix in the dry ingredients, only stir until the ingredients are incorporated. If you over-stir a quick bread/muffin batter, the gluten has more time to develop and will result in a tougher end product. It can also cause the muffins to be pointy instead of nice and rounded on top.
• Use a cookie scoop to make sure each muffin has the same amount of batter. This will help the muffins cook evenly and be done at the same time.
• Make sure your oven rack is close to the center (not too high up or too low). This allows the oven heat to circulate and heat the muffins evenly. If your oven tends to cook unevenly, I’d recommend turning the muffin tin around after about 12 minutes in the oven.
• Don’t over-bake the muffins. I recommend checking the muffins at about 16 minutes, then every two minutes after that. Once a toothpick comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are fine), they’re ready to come out of the oven.
• After the muffins are done baking, let them cool for just a minute or two in the pan. Then remove and let them cool on a wire rack, using a spoon or butter knife to help out. Why? You don’t want them to continue to bake in the muffin tin as they’ll end up over-baked.

Can I freeze these Banana Crumb Muffins?

Let’s say you have a brunch in a couple weeks you’re planning for and want to get as much done ahead of time as possible. Make these and freeze them! Or you made a double batch and have a few leftover? Again, just freeze them for another day!

How to freeze muffins:

• Let the muffins cool completely.
• Place the muffins in either a resealable bag or an airtight container.
• Remove as much air out of the bag as possible before zipping it shut. The less oxygen in the bag, the better!
• Freeze!

How to thaw muffins:

• Remove as many muffins you’d like from the freezer.
• Either let them sit at room temperature (in a baggie or container) for 30-60 minutes OR pop them in the microwave if you’re impatient like me! 🙂

Stir-ins I’d recommend:

If you want to change it up a bit, you can certainly stir in a variety of ingredients into the muffin batter! Add 1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans for some crunch, 1/2 c mini chocolate chips for a chocolate-y twist, or colorful jimmies (long sprinkles) for a birthday treat!

Other simple muffin recipes I love:

Pumpkin Churro Mini Muffins – These little muffins are super moist, loaded with fall flavors and coated in a “churro” coating. They’re cute, pop-able and nearly impossible to have “just one!”

Healthy Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins – These muffins are full of chocolate-y goodness – no one will ever know they’re actually good for you!

Recipe added to the Weekend Potluck and Meal Plan Monday.