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My 4-ingredient banana muffins are moist, fluffy, and perfect for using your leftover bananas. They’re made in one bowl with minimal added sugar!
When my family requests a grab-and-go baked good using overripe bananas, you better believe I’m making these 4 ingredient banana muffins! I was inspired to transform my classic 4 ingredient banana bread into making muffins, and they turn out just as good, but in a fraction of the time.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- A one-bowl recipe. So you’re not left with a mess first thing in the morning.
- Easy and quick. All you need are 4 kitchen staples and 20 minutes of your time.
- Healthy. Eggs and bananas are two of the four ingredients, which means this is technically a breakfast food, right?
- Freezer-friendly. I always make a double-batch and freeze the leftovers for a muffin emergency.
Need more recipes for leftover bananas? Use them in my banana mug cake, protein banana bread, or banana bread cookies next.
Key Ingredients
- Mashed bananas. Use the ripest, brownest bananas you have. Those are the softest and will yield sweeter muffins.
- Large eggs. Use room temperature eggs so they’re easier to mix.
- Self-rising flour. Self-rising flour combines all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. It’s used to save time and minimize the number of ingredients in a recipe. Do yourself a favor and make my homemade self rising flour to always have it on hand.
- Brown sugar. I prefer brown sugar as it yields a softer muffin, but white sugar also works. Avoid maple syrup or other sticky sweeteners, as they add too much moisture.
- Mix-ins. Optional, but I love to fold in chopped nuts.
How to make 4 ingredient banana muffins
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven and line a muffin tin with muffin liners. Spray the liners with cooking spray.
Step 2- Mix. Mash the bananas in a bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and mix until smooth. Fold in any optional mix-ins at the end.
Step 3- Bake. Pour the banana muffin batter into the muffin pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Step 4- Cool them briefly before removing them from the tin.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Start at a higher oven temperature. Try baking the muffins at 400F for the first 5 minutes, then cook them at 350F for the remaining time. I find the initial high temperature helps the muffins rise even more.
- Blend the bananas. To guarantee a smooth and soft batter, blend the bananas in a blender or food processor. Alternatively, I find a potato masher or fork does an excellent job.
- Avoid overmixing. Overmixing is the #1 cause of dense muffins, as too much air is lost and too much gluten develops. Only mix until you have a smooth and cohesive batter.
- Swap the mix-ins. Try walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips.
Storage instructions
To store: Keep the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: Place the cooled muffins in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
I haven’t tried this recipe without eggs, so I can’t make promises, though I imagine an egg substitute (like applesauce or flax meal) would do a good job.
Your muffins likely turned out soggy if too much moisture was in the batter. To fix this, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time and mix until you have a thick but pourable batter.
Yes! To make mini muffins, pour the batter into a mini muffin tin and bake for 8-10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
More easy muffin recipes to try
4 Ingredient Banana Muffins
Video
Ingredients
- 3 large bananas
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups self rising flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners and grease lightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the bananas and mash them well. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth. Stir through the brown sugar., then fold in the flour until just combined. If adding any mix-ins, fold them through at the end.
- Evenly distribute the batter amongst the muffin tin, filling them 2/3 of the way. Bake the muffins for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published July 2023, updated and republished February 2025
love this recipe. Have made it many times sometimes adding walnuts, or pecans. Love how fast and easy it is to make. I would rate this a 10. Thank you Armin for all your great recipes.
Thanks for your recipe i lik cooking sweet so I will try and make it today and other things from your recipe have a great day thanks again