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One Bowl, One Banana Muffins

ByLeslie Kiszka Posted Updated
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4 from 34 votes

Based off my fan-favorite banana bread recipe, this is an easy small-batch 1 banana muffin recipe that only needs one banana, one bowl, and 30 minutes!

A banana muffin sliced in half with melted butter on a white plate

Ever found yourself with one lone, sad overripe banana, and wondered what in the world you could make with it? Sure, you could just eat it, or slice it and plop it on some oatmeal. But what's the fun in that?

Am I asking too many hypothetical questions? Yes, I am. So let's focus on the fact that I have a solution for you: banana muffins with one banana.

Linda said: “These muffins are SO good! I had one REALLY ripe banana and after a quick Google search found you and this recipe. They’re the perfect muffin – light and fluffy inside, and golden brown outside. I love that they’re not too sweet. Thank you for sharing! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“

These banana muffins are great for so many reasons:

  • They make such a good grab-and-go breakfast (even if the only go-ing you're doing is to your home office)
  • If you live alone, you don't have to worry about having made entirely too many muffins that you can't get through yourself
  • Since they're best the same day (still good after that, just best that same day), it's the perfect amount to add to a quick family breakfast

What can I make with one banana?

This one banana recipe makes 4 delicious, moist regular-sized muffins, or around 10-12 mini muffins.

If you have a particularly large ripe banana or you add nuts to the batter, you may end up with more than that! The nuts add a little bulk, so you get a little more bang for your batter buck.

Muffins in a muffin tin

How to make small batch banana muffins

Brown and black overripe banana on a white and red dishtowel

Step 1: In a large bowl, mash an overripe banana to remove as many of the lumps as possible. If desired, run through a food processor or blender for a few seconds.

Muffin batter in clear mixing bowl with a whisk on a white and red dish towel

Step 2: Add brown sugar and whisk together until well combined. Add melted butter, egg white, and vanilla extract and beat with a whisk until well combined.

Muffin batter in clear mixing bowl with a whisk on a white and red dish towel

Step 3: Add flour, baking soda, and salt (and cinnamon, if using) and whisk again until the muffin batter is just combined.

Muffin batter in white liners inside a muffin pan

Step 4: Pour batter into prepared muffin pan (it's best to use the center cups for most even baking), filling cups 3/4 of the way. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then turn the oven temperature down to 350°F. Bake for another 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops are set and golden.

Tips for making the best banana muffins

  • You want an overripe banana. I'm talking brown, black, super spotted, just really terrible looking. Those are the best for bread and muffins and add the best flavor. I talk about “why” even more in the post for my banana bread.
  • They can be easily customized to your preferences – add chocolate chips, walnuts (my personal favorite), berries, or whatever else floats your boat.
  • Use muffin liners, or not. If you don't have any on hand, you can make your own muffin parchment liners or you can spray the muffin tin cups with nonstick spray.
  • Fill the muffin liners almost to the top. Under-filled muffins make me sad – I'd recommend they be 90% filled. If you wanted to add a little streusel topping or chopped nuts, just sprinkle it right on top – no need to adjust the amount of batter in the cup.
  • Start by baking them at 425°F, then lower it to 350°F – but leave the door closed! This helps give them little puffed-up tops instead of sad, flat ones.
Banana muffins on a white dishtowel with walnuts and a white mug
A banana muffin sliced in half on a white plate

What if I want more than 4 muffins?

Then you came to the wrong place because this is a small-batch recipe, silly.

I'M KIDDING. You can make twice as many muffins by just doubling all the ingredients except for the egg white – instead, just use one egg (white and yolk).

How to store banana muffins

You'll want to store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days (if they last that long), or in the fridge for a week.

I like to eat mine warmed up with a little tab of butter…. mmm.

To do the same, just pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds, slice, and slather.

Half a banana muffin with a tab of butter on a white plate

FAQs

How many cups is one banana?

I typically find that 1 banana = 1/2 cup mashed banana. That can, of course, vary based on the size of the banana itself.

How do you store banana muffins?

Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days (if they last that long), or in the fridge for a week. To eat warm, pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds, slice, and slather with a tab of butter.

How many muffins does this recipe make?

This one banana recipe makes 4 delicious, moist regular-sized muffins, or around 10-12 mini muffins.

How many calories are in one banana muffin?

For this recipe, there are approximately 211 calories in each banana muffin.

Rating this recipe is a great (and free) way to support Stress Baking. After you've enjoyed this recipe, click on the stars below to share your experience – thank you!

One Bowl, One Banana Muffin Recipe

4.24 from 34 votes
Based off my fan-favorite banana bread recipe, this is an easy small batch banana muffin recipe that only needs one banana, one bowl, and 30 minutes!
A banana muffin sliced in half with melted butter on a white plate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 21 minutes
Total Time: 31 minutes
Servings: 4 muffins

Equipment

Ingredients
 

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F and spray muffin tin with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mash banana to remove as many of the lumps as possible. If desired, run through a food processor or blender for a couple seconds.
    1 overripe banana
  • Add brown sugar and whisk together until well combined.
    1/4 cup (55 g) light brown sugar
  • Add melted butter, egg white and vanilla extract and beat with whisk until well combined.
    3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
    1 egg white
    1/4 teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
  • Add flour, baking soda and salt (and cinnamon, if using) and whisk again until just combined. If you're going to add anything like berries or nuts, fold them in now.
    1/2 cup (62 ½ g) all-purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon (½ teaspoon) baking soda
    pinch salt
    pinch of cinnamon
    1/3 cup (60 g) add ins like berries, chocolate chips, walnuts, etc.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan (it's best to use the center cups for most even baking), filling cups 3/4 of the way.
  • Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then turn the oven temperature down to 350°F. Bake for another 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and tops are set and golden.
  • Let muffins cool in tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Video

Notes

Storage: Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days (if they last that long), or in the fridge for a week. To eat warm, pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds, slice, and slather with a tab of butter.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 39IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

The provided nutrition information is generated by an automatic API and does not take variations across specific brands into account. This information is provided as a general guideline and should not be treated as official calculations. Learn more here.

Recipe created by Leslie Kiszka
4.24 from 34 votes (32 ratings without comment)

128 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    I would have appeciated a temperature afdustment for making mini muffins rather than a loaf. But starting at a higher temp and the loseing worked great. There is so much better/margarine in recipe that I do nor think they need butter sorrad on them.

  2. 5 stars
    Ok. The first and only recipe page I didn’t skip to the recipe cuz it was massively entertaining. I too stress bake, had a lowly sad banana, saw this and was drawn to it.

    I added walnuts and choc chips mixed in and on top (see earlier ref to STRESS baking lol), it yielded 5 perfect muffins. I did it in my toaster oven, cuz it’s 38c/100f today so screw that whole oven thing, so it actually was done in about 10-12 minutes.

    I didn’t have to taste it to know it was delicious, but I did, and it was…especially with a glass of red. Many thanks for relieving a very stressful day – curious to do this with peanut butter and oats

    1. I want you to know that your comment made my WEEK. Thank you so much for the kind words, and I am EXTRA happy you loved the end result! Clearly I need to develop a peanut butter and oats version now ;)

  3. 5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe countless times. It’s an absolute favourite. Making them again today as quick-grab breakfast muffins for the week. So yummy!

      1. 5 stars
        Made these today. Really great. I didn’t have any vanilla (have now put on my shopping list). Still came out good. Added raspberries. Will definitely make again

  4. 5 stars
    I made this recipe today(doubled) and will definitely make iit again Was so quick and easy and popular with family…wanted to add a photo but cannot work out how Thanks for your recipe ..

  5. 5 stars
    Delicious! I was in a hurry and I didn’t take the time to separate the egg or melt the butter. Instead I used a whole egg and 3 tablespoons of avocado oil. The avocado oil has a neutral taste and is very healthy. These rose beautifully and filled my kitchen with a delicious aroma. I also love that I used only one bowl to make these. My family says that this recipe is a keeper.

  6. 5 stars
    I honestly didn’t expect this recipe to come out as amazing as it did. I specifically looked for a recipe that called for one banana since I didn’t want to put it to waste and boy am I happy. Super moist. Definitely making these again.

      1. 5 stars
        I never write reviews online, but these muffins were so good that I had to comment on them! I added chopped walnuts to mine and left the rest of the recipe as is. They were so tasty, not too sweet and not dry like so many other muffin recipes. Thank you! Definitely deserves a 5 star rating!

  7. Loved the trick for getting that muffin rise! These look, smell, and taste wonderful!

  8. 5 stars
    What a great idea! I had one sad banana in the refrigerator for several days. I used white whole wheat flour and a whole egg. I made them in a silicone egg bite mold. Ended up with 5. Thanks for the recipe.

  9. 5 stars
    These were so good! I added 1/3 cup chopped walnuts like suggested and also added half of a dove dark chocolate in the center for extra chocolatey goodness. The chocolate was melty and the muffins were amazing served warm! This recipe is totally a keeper and I will be making it again :)

    1. Ooooo, I like where your head is at with the chocolate :) Glad you enjoyed it – thanks for coming back to leave a comment and star rating, I greatly appreciate it!

  10. 4 stars
    Made 12 mini ones. Added walnuts and a few chocolate mini
    Chips. Very moist you won’t be disappointed if you make them.

    1. You can’t omit the ingredient altogether because you need it to help bind everything together, but you can use an egg white substitute like aquafaba if you need to!

  13. 5 stars
    These are SO yummy! I made a batch of mini muffins and it was hard not to eat them all! I will definitely be keeping this recipe! Thank you!

  14. 5 stars
    I loved these muffins! I added a handful of dried berries and cherries (like Craisins) and sprinkled some plain old fashioned oats in the tops. They’re amazing, and my wife even liked them and she isn’t enthusiastic about baked goods.
    Definitely a keeper!

  15. 4 stars
    Great recipe! I definitely recommend! I had at brunch time and it was great! Replaced a few things to experiment and that worked out great too! Replaced brown sugar with coconut sugar and did 1 1/4 cup flour and then a 1/4 cup oats! Just to add some texture and more fiber. (these measurements is what I did for 12 serving but that’s easy enough to figure out for other sizes I’m sure) One thing I didn’t really like was the lack of banana taste so maybe next time I’ll do more overripe bananas cos these weren’t that overripe! So delicious and all my family enjoyed! Thanks so much ❣️

    1. Glad you liked it, even with all the substitutions and not overly ripe bananas! I hope the next time you make them that they’re 5 stars for you.

    2. @NG, Obviously deserves 5 stars, the reason they weren’t as good as your expectations derived from your own substitutions and lack of even using the integral ingredient specifically stated – over ripe bananas…

Comments are closed.