Banana Blueberry Muffins

When those bananas sitting on the counter have amassed maximum sucrose, it’s time to break out the mixing bowls. If you have blueberries around too, whether fresh or frozen, then you’re mere moments away from a morning spent with these tender, moist banana blueberry muffins that are packed with sweet, fruity flavors.

Ingredients for Banana Blueberry Muffins

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• All-purpose flour: Most muffin recipes rely on all-purpose flour for a tender muffin that holds its shape nicely.
• Bananas: When baking with bananas, always use super ripe bananas that are flecked with brown spots or have almost fully taken on a brown color. These bananas are the sweetest!
• Eggs: Yes, baking with room-temperature eggs does matter! They emulsify into the batter better so the muffins turn out even more tender and gorgeous.
• Butter: Take a moment to melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly before incorporating it into the batter.
• Sweeteners: Both granulated sugar and maple syrup sweeten these blueberry banana muffins.
• Milk: While we call for 2% milk, you can really use any milk (or cream!) you want. Whole milk, skim milk, heavy cream and even buttermilk would work here.
• Blueberries: You may use fresh or frozen blueberries for these muffins. When I’m baking blueberry desserts, I love using in-season, fresh blueberries. When they’re out of season, though, I reach for a bag of wild blueberries (I love their small size and concentrated flavor!) from the frozen aisle.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the pans

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 16 muffin tin wells with paper liners or grease them with cooking spray.

Step 2: Make the batter

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In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, sugar, maple syrup, milk and vanilla. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until it’s moistened.

Editor’s Tip: Try not to overmix the batter or you can run the risk of over-developing the gluten. This can create tough, dense muffins instead of tender, fluffy ones.

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Fold in the blueberries just until they’re evenly dispersed.

Step 3: Bake the muffins

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Fill the prepared muffin cups three-fourths full with the batter.

Pop the muffins in the oven. Bake them until a few toothpicks inserted in the centers of the muffins in the middle of the pan come out clean, 22 to 25 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: I like to use a cookie scoop to disperse the batter between the muffin tins. It makes the job a bit cleaner and allows you to divide the batter more evenly.

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Let the muffins cool at room temp in the pan for five minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan and onto a wire rack.

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Recipe Variations

• Sprinkle on streusel: For added texture and sweetness, sprinkle a bit of streusel on top of each muffin before baking.
• Add extra mix-ins: Right as the blueberries are folded into the batter, feel free to include other mix-ins, too, like mini chocolate chips, chopped candied ginger or toasted nuts.
• Brown the butter: Taking a moment to brown the butter pays off immensely, adding toasty, nutty flavors to baked goods. As the butter browns, though, some of it will evaporate, so I recommend browning one stick of butter, then measuring out 5 tablespoons of the browned butter for the muffins.
• Play with baking spices: Want to amp up the flavor a bit? Warming spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg would work especially well in these blueberry and banana muffins.
• Include citrus zest: Orange, lemon or even lime zest would be a bright, refreshing addition to these muffins.

How to Store Banana Blueberry Muffins

To store these blueberry banana muffins, let them cool completely to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature for up to three days or stored in the fridge for up to five days, although the fridge will make them dry out a bit.

Can you freeze banana blueberry muffins?

Yes, you can freeze blueberry and banana muffins. Allow them to cool completely to room temperature, then transfer the muffins to an airtight container. Stash them in the freezer for up to three months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, allow the muffins to thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours.

Banana Blueberry Muffin Tips

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Can you make this banana blueberry muffin recipe dairy-free?

Yes! To make these banana blueberry muffins dairy-free, replace the melted butter with canola oil and swap in a nondairy milk alternative for the 2% milk.

Can you replace the blueberries with different fruit?

Absolutely! Feel free to replace the fresh or frozen blueberries with blackberries, raspberries, chopped strawberries, chopped peaches or chopped sweet cherries. Or, use a mix of different fruits so you can really make this banana blueberry muffin recipe uniquely yours.

How can you make bananas ripen quicker?

If your bananas aren’t quite as ripe as you’d like them to be, ripen them yourself with a few different techniques! My favorite method to quickly ripen bananas is baking them in the oven. Place the two unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake them in a 250º oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The skins should turn brown, and their flesh will be softened and sweet.

If you need them a little sooner, enlist the help of your microwave. Using a toothpick or fork, poke holes all over the unpeeled bananas, then microwave each one in 30-second intervals until your desired ripeness is achieved.