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Easy banana muffins with cinnamon streusel

These easy banana muffins are made from scratch, they have a great banana flavor and they are ready from start to finish in under 30 minutes. They are tender and buttery, and topped with a delicious cinnamon streusel.

I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.

For ease of browsing, you can find all of my muffin recipes in one place.

Banana muffin in brown muffin paper with crumbles of streusel topping in front.

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Easy banana muffins with streusel

Muffins are a great option for weekend brunches, or an after-school snack. They are a little treat that pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea. And, they make an easy grab and go breakfast for busy mornings.

A dozen banana muffins in a muffin tin on a white background.

What you need to know

To make the best banana muffins, you’ll need ripe bananas. They do not have to be on the verge of turning black – a few speckles on the peel is what you’re looking for. The riper the banana, the sweeter it is. Keep that in mind when making these muffins.

Bananas that are really ripe are also softer, which means they are easier to mash up, and you won’t have hard chunks of banana in the muffins.

Banana muffin, cut open, and laying on its side on top of a brown paper liner.

Lastly, I use tulip muffin papers when I make muffins. The recipe yields 12 large bakery-style muffins, and that’s exactly what you’ll get. However, if you use regular cupcake papers (like the ones at the grocery store), you will get 14 – 16.

Ingredients

One of the best things about these easy banana muffins is the ingredient list. It is likely that you already have everything you need.

Ingredients for easy banana muffin recipe on a white background.
  • Flour + cornstarch – By swapping out a little all-purpose flour, and replacing it with cornstarch, we’re essentially making cake flour.
    • Substitution: You can use 2 cups of cake flour, if you have in the pantry.
  • Sugar – If the bananas you are using are very ripe and sweet, you can adjust the sugar by a couple of teaspoons, if you prefer muffins that are not very sweet.
  • Baking soda – This reacts with the acid in the yogurt to help the muffins rise.
  • Yogurt – Provides tang and moisture.
  • Eggs – Provide structure and moisture.
  • Bananas – We can’t have banana muffins without bananas.
  • Butter – Unsalted butter gives you control over the amount of salt.
  • Vanilla – You can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
  • Salt – All baked goods need salt. I like fine sea salt for baking.

How to make

Here’s a quick summary of how to make easy banana muffins. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe. 

Step by step photos showing how to make easy banana muffins.
  1. Prep – Preheat the oven. Mix wet ingredients in one bowl, and dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
  2. Combine – Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, and mix to combine.
  3. Scoop – I use a scoop to ensure that all of the muffins are the same size, which means they will bake evenly, at the same rate.
  4. Bake – Bake about 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Baked banana muffins in muffin tin on white background.

How to make cinnamon streusel topping

This is everything you’ll need to make the cinnamon almond streusel for the muffins.

Ingredients for cinnamon streusel on a white background.

The streusel recipe for these banana muffins is as easy as it gets. No cutting in butter or working the mixture between your fingers. Mix the sugar, flour, oats, almonds and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Pour the melted butter in and mix with a fork to combine.

Cinnamon almond streusel in a stainless steel bowl.

Try not to break the chunks of streusel into really small pieces, as it will melt into the muffins instead of staying on top like it is supposed to. You want big pieces of streusel to sprinkle over the tops.

Here are more muffin recipes we’re loving right now: easy blueberry muffins / Hubbard squash muffins / pumpkin cheesecake muffins / blood orange muffins

Muffin with a bite out of it sitting on a brown muffin paper liner with muffins in the background.

What is the muffin method?

The muffin method, which isn’t just for muffins, is basically this:

  • Dry ingredients in one bowl
  • Wet ingredients in another bowl
  • Pour wet into dry
  • Stir just until it’s all incorporated
  • Bake your muffins
Baked muffins with cinnamon streusel topping in a metal muffin tin.

Easy banana muffins FAQ’s

How long do homemade banana muffins last?

If stored in an airtight container, at room temperature, these muffins will last 4 days. To keep for longer, store in the refrigerator.

Can I freeze these easy banana muffins?

You can freeze them for up to 3 months, stored in an airtight container.

How does baking soda work?

Baking soda acts as a leavener in your baked goods. When you combine baking soda with something acidic, in this case – yogurt, and then introduce it to heat, it creates little gas bubbles that lift your baked goods to fluffy perfection. One thing about baking soda to remember is that it starts to react as soon as you mix it with your acid (yogurt), so don’t let it sit around, because you’ll lose the leavening power.

Partially eaten muffin in foreground with muffins in the background. There is a handmade mug in the background as well.

Variations and substitutions

  • Chocolate chips – Add in 3/4 cup of mini chocolate chips for a banana chocolate chip muffin.
  • Nutty – For extra nuttiness, add in 1/2 – 1 cup toasted, chopped walnut, pecans or almonds.

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Banana muffin in brown muffin paper with crumbles of streusel topping in front.

Banana Muffins

Cheryl Bennett
These easy banana muffins are tender and buttery, and topped with a delicious cinnamon streusel.
4.80 from 10 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Additional Time 5 minutes
Total Time 33 minutes
Course Muffin recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 12 large muffins
Calories 347 kcal

Ingredients
  

Muffins

  • 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour 210g
  • 4 tbsp. cornstarch UK: cornflour / 30g
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup. sugar 200g
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter melted and cooled / 57g
  • 2 large eggs room temp
  • 1 ½ cups mashed banana 3 – 4 medium bananas / 350ml
  • cup Greek yogurt plain / 75ml
  • 1 ½ tsp. vanilla

Streusel Topping

  • ½ cup flour
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup butter melted and cooled
  • ¼ cup oats
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds toasted
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°f / 200°c degrees.

Make streusel topping

  • Combine all ingredients for streusel, except butter, in medium bowl. Mix with fork to combine. Drizzle butter over the mixture, then mix with fork until it you have coarse crumbs. (It will look like wet sand) 
    Cinnamon almond streusel in bowl.

Make muffin batter

  • Combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt & sugar in a large bowl.
  • Whisk to thoroughly combine and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, butter, banana, yogurt and vanilla together.
    Wet and dry ingredients, in separate bowls.
  • Pour wet ingredients on top of dry ingredients and fold gently until just combined, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix. (Your laziness will be rewarded, I promise.)
  • Portion muffin batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups.
    Scooping muffin batter into paper liners.
  • Top generously with streusel topping (about 2 tbsps. each) and bake for 20 – 22 minutes. (Check for doneness with a toothpick or wooden skewer)
    Muffins topped with streusel, ready for the oven.
  • Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove carefully to a wire rack to cool completely.
    Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Notes

  • Store leftover muffins at room temperature for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
  • To keep muffins longer than 4 days, store in the refrigerator for an extra day or two, or freeze for up to 3 months.
  • I use tulip muffin papers when I make muffins. The recipe yields 12 large bakery-style muffins, and that’s exactly what you’ll get. However, if you use regular cupcake papers (like the ones at the grocery store), you will get 14 – 16.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 347kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 5gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 321mgPotassium: 185mgFiber: 2gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 306IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 2mg
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Originally published 9/24/12, most recent update 9/16/24.

12 Comments

  1. You are Ever So Wise to follow my advice! 😉 Seriously though, I don’t understand why anyone would make a muffin using the creaming method anyway. At that point, it’s just a cupcake. Weird.

    They turned out great w/Loverly peaks:)

  2. You acted on good advice, and these lovely muffins are proof! I love the measure of Greek yogurt as well. I too, find comfort in baking. You’re my people, Cheryl. 🙂

    1. Brooks, You are so kind… those of us that find puttering in the kitchen a comfort are a unique breed 😉
      Speaking of which: I was setting out my mise for scones about an hour ago. LOL

  3. These muffins were amazing! I don’t even really like banana muffins and I looked down and I’d eaten the whole thing! YUM!!!!!! Thank you!! 🙂

  4. This is the second recipe I have tried from Cheryl. The first was so good that I immediately checked her site first to see if she had a recipe for banana bread. I am so glad I did because this recipe was another winner. Once you try this recipe I guarantee you will not need another.

  5. I just baked these. I assumed it was for 12 regular sized muffins. I wanted to make large ones so I used the batter for 6 large muffins. They rose really high. I’m thinking I might have been able to make 8 out of them. I had to make my own cake flour so I added some cornstarch to regular flour. And I baked them at 400 for the 20 minutes, not quite done in the center so I just lowered the temp to 350 for another 5 minutes and they turned out done and delicious! Thank you Cheryl.

  6. I made these for my dental office this week…many employees there so I made an enlarged batch this time……..you got RAVE reviews on these and I immediately shared your site with them 🙂 Just fyi, lol…..

4.80 from 10 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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