Crumb Banana Bread Muffin Recipe - Oh Sweet Basil (2024)

This crumb banana bread muffin recipe is like the most delicious banana bread but in muffin form and with a coffee cake inspired crumb topping that is so buttery and delicious! You can eat them for breakfast, for dessert, or our favorite…breakfast for dinner!

This banana crumb muffin is a spin off of a recipe I got from my dear friend Sarah. She makes this killer banana crumb bread, that we LOVE and I just couldn’t resist making them into muffins.

We buy bananas by the dozen in our house. We use them daily in protein smoothies, and also just to eat because bananas are so dang good. Occasionally we will get some that last long enough to become over-ripe, and then I know it’s time for some sort of delicious banana baked good! The questions is, do I make our classic banana bread (or any of our banana bread recipes, I am obsessed with banana breads!) , or these bakery style banana crumb muffins? The choice seems impossible! But there is something so convenient about muffins!

Muffins are a great grab-and-go breakfast, after school snack or individual dessert. These muffins have real bold banana flavor and are so tender. My kids go bananas for these banana muffins!

What’s the Secret to a Streusel Crumb Topping?

Salt is the secret to the best crumb topping! I’m serious, adding a little salt makes all the difference as it’s perfectly sweet with a hint of mouthwateringly delicious saltiness!

What Ingredients Do I Need to Make Banana Muffins?

Weekends are for buttermilk pancakes and week days are for yummy muffins! There aren’t going to be any surprises here and the bulk of the ingredients will be pantry ingredients, so grab your ripe bananas and let’s get baking! Here is what you will need:

Banana Crumb Topping

• Brown Sugar: adds sweetness and richness of flavor
• Sugar: adds sweetness
• Flour: adds structure to the topping
• Cinnamon: adds flavor
• Salt: enhances all the flavors
• Butter: softened, binds the topping together giving those yummy crunchy chunks

Banana Bread Muffins

• Flour: just regular all-purpose flour
• Baking Soda: acts as a leavening agent and gives the muffins their rise
• Salt: enhances all the flavors
• Canola Oil: keeps the muffins super moist
• Sugar: adds a little extra sweetness
• Brown Sugar: adds more sweetness and more depth of flavor
• Eggs: gives structure to the muffins
• Bananas: over-ripe, mashed

The measurements for every ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Why Use Over-Ripe Bananas?

The perfect bananas for this banana muffin recipe (or any baked good that uses bananas) are really yellow in color with brown spots freckled all over them. They can even be turning brown. Very ripe bananas are sweeter because the starches in the banana have begun changing into sugar. Don’t throw those bananas away people! They are the best for baking!

Other Ways to Use Ripe Bananas

Besides all the delicious banana quick breads, there are so many delicious ways to use ripe bananas. Here are a few ideas:

• Snickerdoodle Banana Bars
• Banana Coffee Cake
• Banana Pudding
• Chewy Banana Cookies
• Banana Cake
• Banana Bundt Cake

How to Make Banana Crumb Muffins

One of the things I love about muffins is that they are so easy. Here are the basic steps:

1. Make the topping. I like to get my fingers into it to mix it all together, but feel free to use a fork.
2. Combine all the wet ingredients in a stand mixer.
3. Combine all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
4. Mash the bananas in another dish.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth and then fold in the mashed bananas.
6. Fill the muffin cups or liners about 2/3 full and then bake partially, add the crumb topping and then finish baking.

The instructions in full detail can be found in the recipe card down below.

How to Mash Bananas

I like to put my bananas on a large plate and mash them with a fork. It also works just fine in a bowl or using a potato masher. This leaves the bananas chunky, which I like. I don’t recommend putting them in a blender or food processor because it makes the bananas too thin. You want some good chunks left!

Banana Muffin Variations

These muffins with the crumb topping is all you really need, but if you want to add more flavors or a little more texture, you could add chocolate chips, walnuts, pecans, peanut butter chips, almonds, etc. to the batter before baking. Any of the nuts would also go great in the topping!

Storage Tips for Banana Muffins

• Storing: Banana bread muffins should be tightly wrapped or kept in an air tight container. They will keep 2-3 days at room temperature. If you want them to last a little longer, store them in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to a week in the fridge.
• Freezing: Muffins will keep 2-3 months in the freezer. Wrap the muffins well in plastic wrap, foil or place in a freezer bag and then place it in the freezer. Set them out on the counter for a half hour or so to let them come to room temperature before serving.
• Warning: The crumb topping will lose it’s crunchiness once the muffins have been refrigerated or frozen.

Why I Love This Banana Muffin Recipe

I’m not going to lie, my favorite part of these muffins is that crumb topping! Good gracious why is butter with sugar and flour so good?! Ok there is so much more that is great about these though…

• Easy: You’ll have muffins in less than a half hour, and they are simple enough that my youngest (7yo) can almost make them from start to finish. I help with the oven!
• Texture: The muffins are super moist and tender and the crumb topping adds a yummy crunch on the top.
• Family Friendly: My kids love these and so does the hubs. And all my kids’ friends gobble them up when I make them for after school snacks.
• Versatile: These go with pretty much any meal…breakfast, brunch, snack, dessert, side dish at dinner, or just because!

You’re going to want add inches to your muffin top when you try this banana muffin recipe! Holy moly the crumb topping is heaven, the banana flavor is out of this world, and muffins are just so convenient and fun!

More Muffin Recipes You Should Try:

• Blueberry Muffins
• Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
• Costco Copycat Pumpkin Crumb Muffins
• Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
• Nutella Stuffed Double Chocolate Muffins
• Blackberries and Cream Muffins
• Nutella Swirled Pumpkin Muffins
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
• Nutella Stuffed Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
• Zucchini Muffins

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