This easy one banana muffins recipe makes a small batch of moist muffins. With only one tablespoon of refined sugar {in the whole batch!} they are mostly healthy and packed with whole wheat flour and bran. The perfect way to start your day on the right foot!
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As a lifetime baker and busy mom, making a breakfast filled with good, nutrient dense foods is a priority for me. Enter this quick and easy recipe that will use up that one lonely banana sitting on your counter.
This one banana muffins recipe makes an insanely moist small batch that is perfect when you don’t want extra muffins hanging around. Plus it has the best, slightly crunchy, cinnamon sugar top!
This post was originally published in May of 2020 and has been updated with helpful information. The recipe remains the same, with one small change in technique.
💗 Why you will love this recipe using one banana
Small batch recipe ~ a perfect yield of six muffins!
Healthy ~ with low sugar and whole wheat flour, this recipe meets my criteria of healthy {please remember your and my idea of healthy may be different}.
No mixer needed ~ I don’t know about you, but I’m always a fan of not having to pull my mixer out!
Kid approved ~ my girls and their friends gobble up this banana muffin recipe.
🍌 ingredients needed
Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.
- Wheat bran ~ using bran is a great way to increase fiber and add nutrition density. I like Bob’s Red Mill.
- Whole wheat flour ~ I’m a fan of King Arthur Flour, but use your favorite.
- Baking powder and baking soda ~ bring a little lift to the small batch banana muffins.
- Kosher salt ~ just a little to balance the flavors.
- Ground nutmeg and vanilla ~ for flavor, I prefer pure vanilla extract.
- Bananas ~ one medium banana {7-8 inches in length}, the riper the better! This should give you about a half cup mashed banana. If you only have small bananas, you may need two.
- Honey ~ for sweetness {I prefer local honey}.
- Coconut oil ~ brings moisture to the one banana muffins.
- Egg ~ one large egg is needed.
- Milk ~ use your favorite; I typically use almond milk or 1%.
- Butter, brown sugar and cinnamon ~ for topping the easy banana muffins.
Remember to pin this recipe to Pinterest! Use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of this page.
👩🏻🍳 how to make 6 muffins from 1 banana!
Start by preheating your oven and preparing a muffin pan. These muffin liners are my all time favorite for both cupcakes and muffins.
Whisk together your dry ingredients. To give an extra nutritional boost and to keep these muffins on the healthy side, whole wheat flour and wheat bran make the base of the dry ingredients.
In another bowl, mix the mashed banana, honey, egg, melted and cooled coconut oil, vanilla and milk. {this doesn’t look the prettiest, so I didn’t include a photo}
Then pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently combine it all together. Now let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
I like using an ice cream scoop to easily fill the prepared muffin wells. The batter will fill the liners almost to the top.
Next melt the butter and mix in brown sugar and cinnamon. Add a small dollop of the cinnamon sugar mixture to the top of each muffin. This adds a nice bit of sinfulness to the taste of the muffins, while not adding much refined sugar.
📝 Tips for the best banana muffins
Use a very ripe banana ~ it will be sweeter, easier to mash and will provide extra moisture and more banana flavor. The banana should be very speckled or even turning black.
Don’t overmix the batter ~ this can cause tough muffins and we want fluffy and soft!
Let the batter rest ~ once mixed, let the small batch banana muffin batter rest for 10 minutes. This should help yield a taller muffin top. {This is the one small change in technique from the original recipe}.
💡variation ideas
Banana nut muffins ~ pecans and walnuts are both delicious additions. Add up to ½ cup.
Banana chocolate chip muffins ~ add up to ½ cup of mini or regular sized chocolate chips. We like semi-sweet chocolate.
Fruit ~ blueberries are fantastic with banana bran muffins!
Coconut ~ add ½ cup of chopped coconut.
For mini muffins ~ you should get 12 mini muffins; they will take about 10 minutes total to bake.
💬 frequently asked questions
Yes! If you need more than six muffins this banana muffin recipe easily doubles.
This recipe starts with the oven at 425°F. The hot blast of initial heat helps create a nice, tall top on the muffins. After five minutes, you will drop the temperature to 350°F for the remaining bake time.
Yes! Add up to ½ cup of nuts; pecans and walnuts are our favorites.
How to store
Place the small batch banana muffins in an airtight container and store at room temperature for 1-2 days. Muffins will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to one week if stored in an airtight container. They can also be frozen for up to three months.
As a side note, this one banana muffin recipe comes out so insanely moist that I tested leaving the muffins out uncovered overnight. They were still super soft and moist the next day!
Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Small Batch Banana Muffins. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
More healthier or small batch recipes or to enjoy
- Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls
- Small Batch Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Gluten Free Almond Brownies {make half the batch}
- Egg Free Chocolate Chip Cookies {make half the batch}
- Healthy Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Peanut Butter Oat Banana Bread
- Peanut Butter Muffins
- Zucchini Oat Bran Chocolate Chip Muffins
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
Small Batch Banana Muffins
With only one tablespoon of refined sugar (in the whole batch!) they are mostly healthy and packed with whole wheat flour and bran. The perfect way to start your day on the right foot!
I highly recommend using weight {metric} measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.
15 minutes
18 minutes
33 minutes
Ingredients
- ¼ cup wheat bran (16g)
- ¾ cup whole-wheat flour (98g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 medium banana, mashed, approximately ½ cup (90-100g)
- 2 tablespoons honey (I prefer local honey) (42g)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled (15g)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk* (120mL)
Cinnamon Topping
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted (14g)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (13g)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the wheat bran (¼ cup/16g), whole-wheat flour (¾ cup/98g), baking powder (½ teaspoon), baking soda (½ teaspoon), kosher salt (½ teaspoon) and nutmeg (½ teaspoon). Set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the mashed banana (1 medium/½ cup/100g), honey** (2 tablespoons/42g), cooled melted coconut oil (1 tablespoon/15g), vanilla extract (½ teaspoon), egg (1 large) and milk (½ cup/120mL). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until gently combined. Allow the batter to sit for ten minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line your muffin pan with paper liners or coat with non-stick spray.
- While the batter rests and the oven preheats, stir together the melted butter (1 tablespoon/14g), brown sugar (1 tablespoon/13g) and cinnamon (½ teaspoon) and add a small dollop (about ½ teaspoon) to the top of each muffin.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then turn the oven down to 350°F (keeping muffins in the oven the whole time) and bake another 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.
- Allow muffins to cool about 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool further.
Notes
*Use your favorite milk; I typically use almond milk or 1%.
**I like to add the honey to the melted coconut oil and stir the two together; I find it helps cool the oil quickly and lets the honey mix into the wet ingredients better.
Store small batch banana muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. Muffins will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to one week if stored in an airtight container.
They can also be frozen for up to three months.
This recipe easily doubles to make a dozen muffins.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 160Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 288mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 3gSugar: 11gProtein: 4g
The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.
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