Easy Moist Blueberry Banana Muffins

This easy blueberry banana muffins recipe is a delicious combination of blueberries and ripe bananas. They are simple to make, extra moist and your family will love them.

You can also turn blueberry banana muffins into an entertaining (if slightly messy) family project where your children help you to make the batter and pour/scoop the batter into the muffin trays. Your kids will love their “blue” culinary creations!

Blueberry Banana Muffins with Mini Chocolate Chips

This is the muffin “version” of my great tasting Blueberry Banana Bread recipe. My simple blueberry banana muffins are easy to make and takes me roughly 10 to 15 minutes or so to prepare and clean up (excluding the time to bake the muffins). FYI – You will find a printable and “pin-able” recipe at the bottom of this page.

Easy Blueberry Banana Muffins (without any Toppings)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups – Mashed Bananas (ripe) – This is roughly 3 large bananas. However, use 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas for the most consistent results as banana sizes vary!
• 1/2 Cup – Vegetable Oil – Use a neutral tasting vegetable oil such as corn oil or mild/light olive oil. Or you can use 1/2 cup of softened unsalted butter. See the tips section below for more info.
• 2 – Large Eggs
• 1 Cup – Granulated White Sugar – Use 1/2 to 2/3 cup of sugar if you want less sweet muffins & you are using very ripe bananas.
• 2 Cups – All Purpose flour – Not bread flour.
• 1 Teaspoon – Vanilla Extract
• 1 Teaspoon – Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon – Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon – Salt
• 1 1/2 Cups – Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• Optional – 1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon – Use 1 teaspoon if you prefer a stronger cinnamon flavor or you are using not fully ripe bananas.
• Optional – Sprinkle some chopped walnuts or mini chocolate chips on top of the batter in each muffin cup before you place the trays in the oven. This helps to create more interesting looking blueberry muffins.

Servings – Roughly 18-24 standard muffins (non-jumbo muffins). Amount depends on whether extra ingredients were added, the size of muffin cups, how much batter was added to each muffin cup, etc.

Equipment Needed – Measuring cups & spoons, large mixing bowl, long wooden spoon, muffin trays, paper muffin liners (baking cups), oven mitts, wire cooling racks… and of course, an oven.

Blueberry Banana Muffins with Chopped Walnuts

Key Ingredients – Blueberries & Mashed Bananas

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mash bananas with a fork.
• Lightly beat eggs.
• Mix the mashed bananas, oil, eggs and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Stir until completely mixed.
• Mix in remaining ingredients (except the blueberries). Gently stir until batter is completely mixed.
• Add the blueberries to the batter. Stir in the blueberries until fully mixed into batter.
• Place paper muffin baking cups (liners) inside the muffin trays. Or grease the muffin trays if you are not using muffin baking cups or non-stick muffin trays.
• Add the batter to the muffin baking cups until each cup is roughly 75% full with batter. FYI – I like to use an ice scoop to fill my muffins cups. I find it easier to use than a spoon.
• Optional – Sprinkle some chopped walnuts, mini chocolate chips or coarse sugar on top of the batter in each muffin cup before you place the muffin trays in the oven.
• Place muffin trays into the oven.
• Bake muffins for 23 to 26 minutes at 350 F.
• Remove the muffin trays from the oven. Use oven mitts when removing the muffin trays.
• Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes within the muffin trays.
• Remove the muffins and place them on a wire cooling rack in order to completely cool. This cooldown can take 30 to 60 minutes.
• Please read the tips below to avoid common muffin mistakes & to learn about different variations that you can make with these muffins.

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Helpful Tips

• The tips below are designed to help blueberry banana muffin “novices” and/or people with limited baking experience.
• Click on my “print recipe” link if you want to print out this recipe. It includes all of the recipe’s ingredients and instructions. However, the recipe print function does not include my tips section. Please read the tips section below in order to avoid common recipe problems.
• This recipe is part of Bread Dad’s series on Easy Muffin Recipes such as chocolate chip banana muffins, eggless banana muffins and cake mix muffins.

• Use RIPE bananas for the best results!! If you use unripe green or hard yellow bananas, your blueberry banana muffins could come out bland (with little banana flavor). Unripe bananas have more starch and less sugar than ripe bananas. The natural sweetness of ripe bananas works best when making a blueberry banana muffins recipe.
• Ripe bananas are soft and have many small brown & black spots on the exterior of the yellow banana peel.
• FYI – A beautiful pure yellow banana (without any spots) is not fully ripe!!
• For the most consistent & best results, you should use a measuring cup and measure out EXACTLY 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas. This will help to prevent your banana muffins from being too dry or too wet. Given the variability in banana sizes, you are more likely to have problems if you use 3 random bananas (as you might be adding too much or too little liquid) versus using exactly 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas.
• FYI – 3 medium-sized bananas equal roughly 1 to 1 1/4 cups of mashed bananas. 3 large-sized bananas equal roughly 1 1/3 to 1 2/3 cups of mashed bananas. Of course, banana sizes can vary greatly… and my version of medium and large-sized bananas may differ from yours!

• You can use fresh or frozen blueberries to make these moist blueberry banana muffins.
• I prefer to use fresh blueberries. Why? Some frozen cranberries can rupture during the freezing process and this can add “unplanned” extra moisture to the batter. Extra moisture can lead to underbaked muffins, longer baking times, etc. In addition, fresh blueberries allow you to visually inspect the berries for size, color, etc. It is harder to inspect packaged frozen blueberries.
• Unfortunately, my fresh blueberries always seem to spoil quickly (even if they are in the refrigerator). Therefore, if I can’t use my fresh blueberries right away, I freeze them for longer-term storage.
• If you use frozen blueberries, please make sure NOT to add any extra moisture (e.g. ice crystals) as this will cause your blueberry banana muffins to be underbaked. You should wash & DRY frozen blueberries in order to remove any excess ice.
• If you find any muffin cups with too much batter and too few berries, you can push a few extra blueberries into the batter within the cups.
• Visitors – Do you prefer to use fresh or frozen blueberries when making moist blueberry banana muffins? Please post your blueberry thoughts & tips in the comment section below.

• Optional – Some people like to add ground cinnamon to their blueberry banana muffins, especially if the bananas are not very ripe. The cinnamon flavor offsets the blandness of the non-ripe bananas. I prefer to use only 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon in order not to overwhelm the banana and blueberry flavors. However, many of my visitors like to use 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, especially if they are not using very ripe bananas. The extra cinnamon helps to mask the lack of banana flavor (due to the less bananas).
• Optional – Sprinkle some chopped walnuts (broken into tiny bits) or mini chocolate chips on top of the batter in each muffin cup before you place the trays in the oven. This helps to create more interesting looking muffins versus plain old blueberry banana muffins. Just make sure to use small walnut chunks or mini chocolate chips so they don’t “sink” into the muffin as it rises in the oven.
• Optional – If you want to add extra sweetness and a “crunch” to the muffin tops, you can sprinkle large sugar crystals (e.g. coarse turbinado brown sugar) on top of the batter in the muffin cups before you place the muffin trays in the oven. However, even without this large sugar crystal topping, blueberry banana muffins taste great! However, be aware that large white or brown sugar crystals (used frequently for baking decoration) differ from “regular” sugar that has small sugar crystals. You can usually find these large sugar crystal products in the baking ingredient aisles of most major supermarkets.
• Visitors – What do you like to add in order to make your blueberry banana muffins special or more unique? Special toppings (e.g. sprinkles or sugar)? A mixture of fruits (e.g. blueberries & cranberries)? Chopped walnuts or pecans? Spices? Replace some of the blueberries with chocolate chips? Please leave blueberry banana muffin tips in the comment section below.

• For these moist blueberry banana muffins, I like to use vegetable oil instead of butter. Why? Muffins made with vegetable oil tend to taste MOISTER than muffins made with butter. The main reason is because vegetable oil remains liquid at normal room temperatures whereas butter turns back to a solid at room temperature. Therefore, the use of vegetable oil helps to create extra moist blueberry banana muffins (beyond the moistness provided by the juicy blueberries & mashed bananas).
• Also butter contains about 16% to 18% water (versus 0% in most vegetable oil). This water evaporates during the baking of the muffins (and thus creates a drier tasting muffin versus blueberry banana muffins made with vegetable oil).
• Optional – However, it you want a more buttery tasting (but slightly drier) muffin, you can replace the oil with unsalted butter on a 1:1 basis.
• You should use a NEUTRAL flavored vegetable oil (e.g. corn) in order to make this easy blueberry muffin recipe.
• Stronger flavored oils (e.g. peanut oil or extra virgin olive oil) may NEGATIVELY impact or change the taste of muffins. You want to use an oil that has very little flavor (so it does not interfere with the muffin flavor).
• If you want to use olive oil, I would recommend using a “mild”, “light” or “extra light” olive oil as they would have the least flavor impact on the muffins. Unfortunately, extra virgin and virgin olive oil have stronger flavors and are more likely to negatively impact the taste of your muffins.
• A number of my visitors like to use avocado oil in order to make their muffins and banana breads. Avocado oil has a neutral flavor and is high in monounsaturated fats. However, as you are probably aware, avocado oil is usually significantly more expensive than corn oil.
• Visitors – Do you prefer to use vegetable oil or butter to make your blueberry banana muffins? And if you use oil, what oil do you like to use? Please post your oil & butter thoughts in the comment section below.

• My easy blueberry banana muffins recipe doesn’t use complex steps such as halving berries, two different baking temps, zesting oranges or lemons, multiple mixing bowls, use of an electric mixer, etc. Why? Because muffins are supposed to be a fast and easy treat. I don’t have the time to make super fancy & over complicated muffins when I am trying to make a fast & tasty snack for my family & friends. I like to keep things simple and cut down on potential errors (because a baking failure is expensive).
• There are a variety of ways to pour the batter into the muffin tray. For example, you can scoop with a spoon (while using another spoon to scrape off the batter into the muffin tray), use a small cup and spoon, use an ice cream scoop with a trigger release, use a homemade “pastry bag” to squeeze the batter into the muffin liners, etc.
• When making muffins, I prefer to use an ice cream scoop with a trigger. This makes it quick & easy to release the correct amount of batter into each muffin cup.

• Use paper baking cups (muffin liners) if you want to easily extract the blueberry banana muffins from the muffin tray. Paper baking cups also result in less mess on your fingers when removing the muffins.
• Baked blueberries can be very sticky. It is best to use paper muffin cups/liners in order to prevent the blueberries from sticking to the bottom of the muffin tray.
• For larger muffins, you can buy trays designed for “jumbo” muffins (versus trays for standard sized muffins). This easy muffin recipe should generate roughly 9 to 12 jumbo banana muffins.

• You should use all purpose flour when making these simple blueberry banana muffins. Do NOT use bread flour. If you use bread flour, you will get tougher & more rubbery muffins.
• All purpose flour has less protein than bread flour and this results in less gluten development. Less gluten means more tender & softer muffins. Bread flour is best for sandwich breads when you need more structural support in order to achieve taller & airier loaves.
• Use FRESH ingredients (e.g. baking soda and flour) for the best results. For example, if you use stale baking soda and/or baking powder, your muffins will not rise properly and will be too dense. Baking soda & powder is best if used within 6 months of opening the container. Old & hard baking soda/powder may lead to rising problems and/or leave small bitter clumps in your muffins.

• Try to keep your ingredients (e.g. flour) in airtight food containers in order to extend their shelf life and avoid spoilage (e.g. exposure to moisture, pests and dust).
• Flour (when stored in an open bag and not in an airtight container) can absorb a lot of moisture from the air. This extra moisture throws off recipes and can lead to overly wet batter, the required baking time may be longer than expected, etc.
• Do NOT use an electric mixer to mix your ingredients (when combining the wet and dry ingredients). Stick to an old fashioned wooden spoon. An electric mixer can overmix the ingredients and your blueberry banana muffins can turn out rubbery & gummy.

• If you want to test these moist blueberry banana muffins to see if they are fully baked, you can use a digital “baking” thermometer. Muffins are usually fully baked if their internal temperature is around 200 F to 205 F. If the temperature is below this then they will be underbaked. If it is above this temperature range, they might be overbaked and dry.
• For the most accurate results, place the tip of the digital thermometer in the center of the muffin.
• It takes roughly 10 to 20 minutes to fully preheat most ovens with some variability due to the size of the oven, planned baking temperature (hotter takes longer), etc.
• I like to use a hanging oven thermometer to confirm that my oven has reached the right temperature before baking my muffins. This helps to prevent the muffins from being over or under baked.
• Place your blueberry banana muffins in the middle of your oven. If you place it on the top or bottom racks, the muffins may be too near the oven’s heating element and bake faster than expected or the tops of the muffins may burn.

• Long-Term Storage – To keep your moist blueberry banana muffins for more than a day or two (depending on the heat & humidity in your kitchen), you need to freeze them. After the muffins have COMPLETELY cooled, you should wrap each muffin in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. When wrapping the muffins, make sure there are no exposed areas or the muffins can get freezer burns. Place the wrapped muffins in a large freezer bag or airtight container and then place it in your freezer.
• To thaw frozen muffins, remove the plastic/aluminum wrap and microwave them for 30 seconds in your microwave. Or leave them on your kitchen countertop to thaw out for 1 to 2 hours.

• Love blueberries? Then you might also like to try Bread Dad’s recipes for Berry Banana Bread (made with blueberries & cranberries), Blueberry Banana Bread and Blueberry Banana Nut Bread (with chopped walnuts).
• If you have a problem with a recipe, please make sure that you are following the recipe exactly (e.g. using the correct oven temperature), using the correct amounts of ingredients (e.g. don’t eyeball the measurements versus using a measuring cup or accidentally add a tablespoon when a teaspoon is called for), using the correct ingredients (e.g. baking soda/powder versus yeast or all purpose flour versus bread flour), etc. Please don’t “wing” things with recipes.
• Always wear oven mitts/gloves when dealing with a hot oven, hot muffin trays, etc.
• For more easy banana muffin recipes, please visit Bread Dad’s section on Easy Muffin Recipes.

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Want more Bread Dad recipes? Check out these sections:

1. Bread Machine Recipes – 90+ recipes such as banana bread, sourdough bread, pizza dough, cinnamon raisin bread, etc.
2. Bread Recipes – French bread, buttermilk bread, bagels, Italian bread, etc.
3. Banana Bread Recipes – 60+ recipes such as banana nut bread, eggless banana bread, blueberry banana bread, etc.
4. Quick Bread Recipes – Recipes using baking soda such as pumpkin bread, cranberry bread, gingerbread, etc.
5. Muffin Recipes – Muffins are delicious “mini” versions of banana breads & quick breads!

Reference Sources

1. Wikipedia, Banana Bread
2. Wikipedia, Blueberry
3. Wikipedia, Muffin

Related Recipes

1. Banana Nut Muffins
2. Blueberry Banana Bread
3. Easy Banana Bread – Made with butter
4. Eggless Banana Muffins
5. No Butter Banana Bread
6. No Butter Banana Muffins

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