All you need is ONE banana to make these delicious small batch banana muffins! These banana muffins are moist, fluffy, packed full of flavor, and so easy to whip up!
ONE overripe, spotty banana. Just the one. The poor little banana is too mushy to eat by itself and he doesn’t have a spotty banana friend to join him in a loaf of banana bread. So what to do with the one, lonely, spotty banana? Make some super delicious small batch banana muffins, that’s what.
Has anyone else experienced the one overripe banana conundrum? My children usually eat up bananas pretty quickly, so this is a new phenomenon to me. But for whatever reason, a lone, overripe banana kept ending up in my fruit bowl. Just hanging out with nothing to do. I got tired of not knowing what to do with it, so I developed a recipe for small batch banana muffins. A muffin recipe that uses just the one banana. Voila! Problem solved.
Not only did I end up with a perfect-sized batch of super moist, super delicious banana muffins, but now all the future lonely, unused bananas that will ever appear in my fruit bowl have now found redemption. It’s a beautiful story, really.
So let’s get to the nitty gritty of these small batch banana muffins. There are other “one-banana” recipes out there, but a lot of them are bland, dry, and honestly just an excuse to use up an old banana (Uh huh, I went there). Not this recipe! These muffins are super moist, fluffy, and packed full of flavor. I like to sprinkle these with turbinado sugar before baking, which gives them that bakery-style sugary exterior that contrasts so nicely with the soft interior. Plus, these banana muffins have a great rise to them, which makes them feel even more like you picked them up from a bakery. AND they’re incredibly fast and easy to make. I seriously love this recipe.
Well, folks, I’m just doing my part by saving all the lonely overripe bananas from the trash can. You, too, can be a hero- go make these small batch banana muffins!
What you’ll need to make these banana muffins:
Flour: For structure.
Baking soda + baking powder: For leavening power.
Kosher salt: For balance.
Ground cinnamon: A little touch of cinnamon adds great flavor and warmth to these banana muffins!
Banana: All you need is one, overripe banana for these muffins! In addition to flavor, bananas make these muffins moist and tender.
Granulated sugar + brown sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness and tenderizes the batter, while brown sugar adds a deeper flavor and moisture.
Vegetable oil: Different from butter, vegetable oil stays liquid at room temperature. This means that these muffins will stay soft and moist long after they’ve cooled!
Egg: Just one egg adds structure, moisture, and helps with binding.
Sour cream: A few tablespoons of sour cream make these banana muffins extra tender and soft.
Vanilla extract: For added flavor.
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling.
How to make these banana muffins:
FAQs:
Why is this recipe primarily listed in grams? I develop my recipes in grams because weighing your ingredients is the best, most accurate way to bake. Baking is a science and precision is key to success! Measuring cups are not standardized, and what’s more, the way each baker uses them varies drastically, which ultimately gives you inconsistent (and sometimes negative) results. For instance, did you know that scooping flour out of a cannister can give you 50% more flour than what’s called for in the recipe? By weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups, you can confidently know that you are using the correct amount of each ingredient, giving you greater success & delicious results. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale, like this one when you bake. Plus, it makes clean up a lot easier!
Can I use yogurt instead of sour cream? Yes! Just be sure it’s plain, full-fat yogurt.
What if I don’t have turbinado sugar? You can sprinkle these with granulated sugar before baking or simply leave them plain! Whatever you have is fine. I prefer turbinado sugar because it gives the tops of the muffins a little extra crunch that contrasts really nicely with the soft, fluffy interior.
A few notes before you bake:
For taller muffins, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. First, spoon the batter into every other muffin tin. The extra space allows hot air in the oven to circulate better, giving you a better rise. Second, let the batter rest in the muffin tins for 15 minutes before sprinkling with turbinado sugar and baking. This gives the baking powder a little extra time to do it’s thing.
Take note that the recipe instructs you to first bake the muffins at 425°F for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F for the remainder of the bake time. This initial blast of higher heat makes the muffins rise quickly, giving them that nice crown.
Small Batch Banana Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 15 minute rest time)
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 39 minutes
- Yield: 6 muffins 1x
- Category: Breakfast & Brunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Breakfast, Brunch, Snack
Description
All you need is ONE banana to make these delicious small batch banana muffins! These banana muffins are moist, fluffy, packed full of flavor, and so easy to whip up!
Ingredients
- 125 gm (1 cup, spoon and leveled) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large, overripe banana (about 125 gm or 1/2 cup mashed)
- 50 gm (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 80 gm (1/3 cup, firmly packed) light brown sugar
- 75 gm (1/3 cup) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 30 gm (2 tablespoons) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line 6 standard-sized muffin tins with paper liners in an “every other” pattern (see image above for reference).
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon to a medium bowl and whisk to combine; set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, mash the overripe banana. Add the sugar and brown sugar and whisk until the mixture is glossy. Next, add the vegetable oil, egg, sour cream, and vanilla extract, and whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the ingredients together, until no more pockets of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 6 muffin tins. Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 13 to 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in their tins for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
*Turbinado sugar: if you don’t have turbinado sugar, you can sprinkle these with granulated sugar or leave them plain.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
