Banana Crumb Muffins

by Sabrina Snyder

Published on Last updated

113 Comments

4.97 from 31 votes
12 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
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Banana Crumb Muffins are a delicious muffin recipe with sweet banana flavor from real bananas plus a cinnamon brown sugar crumb topping.

Banana Bread isn’t the only easy, delicious Baked Good Recipe that you can make with ripe bananas and common pantry items! These bakery style banana Muffins are just as quick, easy, and tasty!

Banana Crumb Muffins stacked on plate with strawberry garnish

With a cinnamon spiced crumb topping and tender cake, these banana muffins are an instant favorite. The buttery sweet streusel is so easy and addicting, you can put it on all of your classic baked goods and muffin recipes. From Blueberry Muffins to French Toast Bake to these Banana Muffins, a crumb topping is the easiest way to transform any breakfast recipe into a new favorite.

Perfect for a lazy weekend breakfast, these tasty Banana Crumb Muffins are ready in less than an hour. Clean up is a breeze with just two mixing bowls, no beaters or stand mixer needed. It’s easier to mix dry ingredients together in a small bowl before adding so the batter doesn’t get over-mixed. If you want make this a one bowl recipe, whisk in the dry ingredients individually, careful not to over-mix.

Banana Crumb Muffins collage of prep steps

Banana Crumb Muffins are a great recipe for ripe bananas that take half the time of any quick bread. The tender, fluffy cake-like muffin is made with common pantry ingredients and is moistened with mashed bananas. If your bananas aren’t ripe enough and you don’t want to wait to make this recipe you can roast them, just check out the variation section for instructions!

These delicious banana muffins with a cinnamon sugar crumb topping go great with a cup of coffee and a little bit of butter. Banana Crumb Muffins are a go-to brunch recipe since they can be made a couple of days in advance. You can make them extra special with a drizzle of Salted Caramel Sauce. The sweet and salty caramel go perfectly with the cinnamon and banana flavors! 

Banana Crumb Muffins collage of prep steps

How to Make Banana Crumb Muffins

  • Prep: Preheat your oven and grease a muffin pan or add paper liners.
  • Sift: Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.
  • Mix: Whisk the bananas, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and oil together until smooth in a big bowl.
  • Combine: Gently stir the dry ingredients into the banana mixture until no dry streaks. Don’t over-mix.
  • Topping: Mix the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Mash in the butter until a crumble forms.
  • Fill: Add ¼ cup of batter into each muffin cup. Top with the crumb mixture.
  • Bake: Bake the muffins until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes

More Tasty Banana Muffin Recipes

FAQs for Banana Crumb Muffins

What’s the secret to a streusel topping?

The secret to a streusel topping is using really cold butter. Cutting the cold butter into the flour and sugar forms chunks that keep their shape instead of just melting into the batter. This gives you big bursts of sweet, buttery goodness.

Why do you want to use bananas that are overripe? 

Using overripe bananas in recipes, such as Banana Crumb Muffins, is better because they are sweeter and have a softer texture. Additionally, their softness makes them easier to mash and mix into the batter.

Can I use frozen bananas for these muffins?

Yes, you can use frozen bananas for these muffins. Thaw the frozen bananas and drain any excess liquid before mashing them. Frozen bananas will still contribute sweetness, moisture, and flavor to the muffins, but their texture will be slightly different from fresh bananas.  

Banana Crumb Muffins sliced in half on plate with strawberry garnish

Key Ingredients

  • Bananas: These amazing Banana Crumb Muffins are packed with banana flavor thanks to using 1 ½ cups of overly ripe bananas. Overripe bananas are sweeter than just turned ripe ones and they have much more liquid to make these muffins super tender and moist. They mash up easier for a smoother batter that mixes easily.
  • Flour Mixture: The dry flour mixture of baking powder, baking soda, and salt are a great base for simple baked goods like muffins. You want to mix them with a fork or whisk beforehand to remove any clumps and make sure the leavening agents are distributed evenly. This makes the flour mixture easier to combine with the wet batter ingredients so you don’t over-mix the batter and your muffins are perfectly light and fluffy.
  • Vanilla: Vanilla extract is the perfect flavoring to add to sweet baked goods because not only does it add it’s own warm, floral notes but it also enhances all the other flavors.
  • Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a spiced warmth that compliments the sweetness of bananas and creates a delightful bakery aroma. Cinnamon also has a slightly spicy woody undertone that adds balance so the muffins aren’t overly sweet.  
  • Sugar: This recipe uses both white and brown sugar, with the regular sugar in the muffin batter and the brown sugar in the crumble topping. The molasses in the brown sugar makes it more sticky to help hold the crumble pieces together instead of melting plus it gives the topping a slight caramel flavor.
  • Egg and Oil: The egg and the canola oil are the fats for this recipe that serve a couple purposes. The egg helps bind everything, locks in moisture and adds richness. The oil also makes these muffins moist and since it doesn’t become solid, your muffins stay moist at room temperature for longer.
  • Butter: The butter adds richness and using cold butter helps create a crisp, crumbly texture when combined with the brown sugar and flour. The coldness is key because it keeps the crumb pieces together instead of melting or falling apart.

Can Banana Crumb Muffins be made ahead of time?

You can sort of make Banana Crumb Muffins ahead of time. You can definitely bake the muffins and store them in the fridge or freezer, then warm them up when you are ready to serve them. However, once you make the batter, you need to bake it right away or you will have dense muffins. You can prep the crumble topping and refrigerate it for 2 days beforehand, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.

Variations

  • Chocolate: Chocolate makes the best Banana Crumb Muffins even better. Stir in ½ cup semi sweet, dark, or white chocolate chips before baking.
  • Fruit: For more natural sweetness, fold in chopped fruit or berries to the muffin batter. Strawberries, apples, blueberries, and peaches all taste great with banana!
  • Add-ins: For a crunch like in Banana Bread Muffins, add ½ cup chopped walnuts. You can also add-in other nuts, shredded sweetened coconut, or peanut butter chips for more flavor.
  • Healthy: Make these Banana Muffins extra healthy with whole wheat or whole grain flour and swapping the oil with applesauce. Use the same measurements in a one-to-one healthy swap.
  • Mini Muffins: To make mini muffins, spray a 24 cup mini muffin tin or line with paper liners. Fill muffin cups ¾ full with batter and bake at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes.
  • Roasted Bananas: If you’ve never heard of roasting bananas to ripen them, be prepared to have your mind blown. They are a way to use bananas that aren’t ripe yet plus roasting bananas brings out more banana flavor and sweetness! Roast the bananas (don’t remove the peel) at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until they are blackened then peel and use as usual.
Banana Crumb Muffins in muffin pan after baking

More Easy Banana Breakfast Recipes

How to Store

  • Serve: Keep your Banana Crumb Muffins at room temperature for up to 4 days in a paper towel lined plastic bag or container to absorb moisture and keep the streusel from getting soggy. 
  • Store: These Banana Crumb Muffins will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Store in an airtight container and bring to room temperature to serve, or pop them in the oven to warm them back up.
  • Freeze: Cool the muffins completely before freezing in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. To reheat easily, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil before freezing. Pop foil wrapped muffin in oven until warm. 
Banana Crumb Muffins in serving bowl with one cut in half

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Dinner, then Dessert

Banana Crumb Muffins

Banana Crumb Muffins are a delicious muffin recipe with sweet banana flavor from real bananas plus a cinnamon brown sugar crumb topping.
Yield 12 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Banana Crumb Muffins stacked on plate with strawberry garnish
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

BANANA MUFFIN

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 medium bananas , mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup canola oil

CRUMB TOPPING

  • 2/3 cup brown sugar , packed
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with baking spray or line with 12 cupcake liners.
  • In a large bowl, mix together 1 ½ cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
  • In a second bowl, mix together bananas, sugar, egg, vanilla and canola oil.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet until just combined.
  • Using a ¼ cup measure, put the batter in the cupcake liners.

Crumb Topping:

  • In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, ¼ cup flour, and cinnamon.
  • Mix in tiny cubes of butter until mixture resembles a pea sized mixture. Crumble over muffins.
  • Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the cake springs back when lightly touched.

Nutrition

Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 97IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword: Banana Crumb Muffins

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Banana Crumb Muffins Collage

Photos used in a previous version of this post.

Banana Crumb Muffin with bite removed
Banana Crumb Muffins in stand mixer and crumb topping
Banana Crumb Muffins in muffin tin
Banana Crumb Muffin with bite removed
Banana Crumb Muffins
Banana Crumb Muffins in muffin tin before baking
Banana Crumb Muffins on cutting board
Easy, buttery brown sugar crumb topped tender banana muffins. A quick delicious way to use up over-ripe bananas!

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

    1. Sounds amazing! I would even suggest layering the crumb mixutre in the middle and on top! Make sure to bake it around 40-50 minutes and check with a toothpick in the middle to ensure it’s done. Enjoy!!

      Reply

  2. These were amazing !  I had to make 3 batches to keep up with the hungry kids snatching them up as quick as they could . Took some to the neighbors and they LOVED them too. So good

    Reply

  3. Yuuuum. The first time I made these I only had 2 bananas and they still turned out amazing. Made them again tonight with 3 bananas. Still delicious but I preferred the first batch with one less banana. However, hubby likes this batch better. He is obsessed with these muffins, especially that crumb topping. I have made banana muffins many times but this recipe is hands down the best!!!

    Reply

  5. Sabrina ,What kind of oil substitutions would you suggest for someone allergic to canola oil ?
    Your previous answer didn’t clarify an oil to use.
    Would Veg. oil or shortening work just as well ?
    And would the taste be altered ?
    Thank you so much !

    Reply

    1. Sorry this comment took so long to get to, it ended up in my spam filter somehow! Yes vegetable oil would be a perfect subsitute. I am so sorry I am sure you’ve moved on from/made this recipe a long time ago. My comment filter has been eating comments like crazy without me realizing it.

      Reply

    1. No, I haven’t tested for that. I don’t know how the leavening agents would react and there’s risk of the bananas changing in texture or flavor overnight.

      Reply

    1. Yes! All the time and they’re great popped in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel for 20 seconds.

      Reply

  8. Just made my first batch, and I have to say these are purely delicious. The crunchy topping is wonderful. I did add a cup of raisins to the mix for my hubby. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

    Reply

  9. These comments are great, but did anyone actually TRY making them? Who cares if you think they look amazing! Of course they do.

    Reply

    1. I think when recipes are published, people get excited about making it in the future, but if you look further down, there’s a lot of comments about actually making the muffins! Hope that helps!

      Reply

  10. I made these last night, and they are fantastic! Very moist and sweet….my husband loved them! This is now my “go to” recipe for banana muffins!

    Reply

  11. No hyperbole is spared with these muffins! At first taste I knew they were here to stay in my weekly rotation. I have no baking experience whatsoever but these tasted like I bought them at a cafe or bakery! I halve all sugar in the recipe as my household is not in the US and American food can be a bit sweet for us. Likewise, I use 4 bananas instead of 3 because produce here is tiny. I rave about these muffins to whomever asks. Do yourself a favor and make them! Thank you, again, Sabrina!

    Reply

  12. Made them exactly as the recipe states. These are the over the top “the best”! I got exactly 12 muffins. My family and friends loved them. Moist on the inside and love the crunchy topping. Excellent flavor. Fantastic recipe !

    Reply

  13. I made theses tonight for my husbands lunch, but I had to sample one first, wow they are scrumptious? I’ll definitely be making these a lot!!! Thanks

    Reply

  14. I made these today in a triple batch (had so many extra bananas) and they turned out very nice. The recipe is nice and easy and the crumb topping was great. I did have quite a bit of the topping left over (guess I didn’t sprinkle enough on each one) and I added some pecans for an added crunch.

    Reply

  15. Just made these and they are simply amazing ! So easy to make, while moist on the inside and crispy and sweet on top ! Definitely going to be a go to recipe of mine from now on !! 🙂

    Reply

  16. Thanks for the recipe! One question — in the second picture with the mixing bowl/mixer, are you adding the bananas to another wet mixture on the other side?

    Reply

    1. No, that’s the same wet mixture – in the picture, I’m adding in the bananas after mixing it first, but there’s no need to mix first.

      Reply

  19. I just literally finished baking these today and oh my baking GODS!!! They are so heavenly Devine, the crumb topping which turns like a caramelized topping has me singing… Thank you for sharing this recipe, it is honestly the best!!! I am a picky foodie!!

    Reply

  20. I just made these with some bananas that were over ripe and WOW these muffins are to die for! They are very light and fluffy and the crumb topping gave them a caramel flavor. This will be my new go to recipe for bananas. Thanks for sharing this great muffin.

    Reply

    1. Kristen, so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know you liked it!

      Reply

  22. THE best banana muffin ever! I followed recipe exactly as written and it was sooo moist and had the perfect amount of sweetness!! Thank you! Definitely a KEEPER

    Reply

  24. These muffins are my husband’s specialty. He used to make them for me all the time, and now it is the other way around.

    Reply

    1. I wish my hubby would cook for me! I have to take comfort in the fact he does all the dishes for me.

      Reply

  25. ohhh these look so tasty! I love easy recipes especially with summer here I need some tasty breakfast ideas for the kids.

    Reply

  26. I like the idea of adding the crumble, it makes an ordinary muffin extraordinary doesn’t it? I bet these don’t last long when you make them.

    Reply

  30. Those look amazing! These would be perfect to pair with a brunch over the weekend, or even a light breakfast.

    Reply

  31. You had me at banana crumbs. I love any pastry that has banana in it. These look really tempting!

    Reply

  32. That looks like a great recipe. We tend to let our bananas get ripe too fast in our home, this would be a great recipe to make without having to throw the too ripe bananas away!

    Reply

  33. We always have leftover bananas and these muffins would be a great way to use them before they go bad. I think they can even pass as a breakfast item too, at least they will in my mind.

    Reply

  35. They look delicious! I am a big fan of crumb topped muffins. So good for an early morning treat.

    Reply

  36. Oh my goodness, how delicious. I love everything about these. That topping? LOVE IT. Will have to make these, the only issue is whether I will be able to share them. LOL

    Reply

  39. They look amazing, I believe they would be the best ever. can’t wait to try it myself, printing off the recipe right now!

    Reply

  41. Oh these look and sound so amazing! I think my kids would really dig into them too. I need to try these out this week.

    Reply

  42. Oh my gosh, these look and sound phenomenal! I’ve been trying to master the “crumb” topping for a while! I have some over ripe bananas on my counter right now! Totally going to try this recipe today. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    1. Awesome!! I hope you love them and would love you to let me know what you think after you’ve made them if you can 🙂

      Reply

  48. BEST EVER BANANA CRUMB MUFFINS ARE THE BEST! Can’t wait to try these this weekend. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

    Reply

    1. Thanks! I won’t lie, I sort of hid the rest of them to enjoy with my morning coffee. My hubby didn’t notice, we tend to have tons of desserts everywhere.

      Reply

  50. We are going on a trip next week and this would be a great road trip! This looks delicious! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply