The BEST small Batch Banana Cinnamon Muffins
Well that’s a mouthful.
A mouthful of deliciousness, that is!
Am I the only one who loves to have a few muffins in the cake stand for breakfast every morning?
These are like muffins straight out of a bakery.
They are moist and fluffy inside, with bits of crunchy walnuts throughout.
I like They are topped with a homemade streusel that brings out the best flavor in these.
So for this recipe, I decided to go with a small batch. I didn’t have enough ripe bananas for a full batch of banana bread- only a single brown banana.
So I decided to roll with it and come up with something delicious. And I think I nailed it with this one.
It is the perfect match for a morning coffee or an afternoon treat.
This is what you’ll need for the perfect batch:
Equipment:
- Bowl & Spatula
- Small bowl and fork
- Muffin Pan
- Muffin Liners
Ingredients
- Bananas
- Sugar
- Oil (something with a neutral flavor such as canola oil)
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Walnuts
- Butter
- Cinnamon
- Cane Sugar
The cane sugar is totally worth it for that crumble on top. It is a little more coarse than granulated white sugar and it has a natural sweetness to it that is different as well.
Regular sugar will work just fine, but if you can get cane sugar, it is the touch of perfection on top!
The muffins are also super simple to put together. Basically just combine the wet ingredients and add the dry.
You want your banana to be as ripe as possible. The actual muffin has little sugar so the majority of the sweetness comes from the ripe banana and the topping.
The riper the banana is, the sweeter the muffin will be.
For my first batch, my banana wasn’t entirely ripe so it wasn’t too sweet. But the streusel on top saved it. Brought the perfect amount of sweetness to the muffin!
Substitutions, how to store, and more!
How to store:
This does make 6 muffins so it really isn’t much. However, if you don’t think you’re going to eat them all soon, you can freeze them for up to 3 months to enjoy later.
Simply allow to thaw overnight to enjoy the next day or remove from the freezer, remove the wrapper and microwave on HIGH for about 30 seconds.
If you decide to keep all of them out, they keep well at room temperature in a cake stand or an airtight container.
Just keep in mind that muffins tend to lose moisture and dry out as the days go by. Mine were perfect for about 4 days though. :)
Substitutions
I love a good cinnamon/banana/nut combo. But if nuts aren’t your thing, feel free to swap them with equal parts chocolate chips.
You can omit the cinnamon inside of the muffin and only use it in the streusel topping.
Or you can skip the streusel topping altogether, add a few more chocolate chips on top and some coarse sugar to make it a bakery style muffin.
Either way- and I’ve done both- they’ll be delicious!
How to enjoy:
My favorite way? Microwave for 10 seconds, split in half, drizzle with honey and enjoy alongside a cup of coffee.
Absolutely divine!
You could also lather on some peanut butter or honey butter if you’d like!
Last minute tips:
- Don’t overmix the batter- the last thing you want is tough muffins! We’re going for soft, fluffy and moist!
- Use a room temperature egg- it will mix in so much more smoothly.
- The browner your banana: the sweeter the muffin. Let that banana sit until it’s totally brown and mushy.
Let’s get baking!
Small Batch Banana Cinnamon Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 large very ripe banana
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Streusel Topping:
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/3 cup cane sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with 6 liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the banana well.
- Whisk in the sugar, oil, egg and vanilla until well combined.
- Add in the flour, baking soda and salt on top. Use a spatula to stir until combined.
- Lastly, stir in the walnuts.
- Divide batter between muffin tins.
For the streusel:
- Combine the ingredients, stirring with a fork until crumbly. Divide evenly amongst the muffins, pressing down slightly.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven, let them sit in the baking pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to fully cool.
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