What’s better than a tasty home-made muffin to start the day? Well, as the title suggests, they’re beautiful banana breakfast muffins. Actually, they’re completely bananalicious, for brunch, a snack or any time.
Quick. Fresh. Delicious. What could be better?

These light and tasty muffins are the perfect treat for breakfast, brunch or any time. They are classic Quick, Fresh, Delicious – easy to make and great to eat.
These are wonderful for using up those overripe bananas and you want a change from standard banana cake. They’re really quick and easy to whip up and rise to a golden perfection. An added bonus is they freeze well, so if you’re not making for a crowd, you can simply freeze them and remove them and plac ein a container to thaw in the fridge overnight.
On the subject of overripe bananas – there is simply no excuse for throwing them away. They are great for muffins, cake and can be frozen to be added to smoothies.
They’re also great for desserts, adding a richness that underripe bananas just can’t seem to manage. Try them sliced and sautéed in a pan with a caramel made from brown sugar, butter and a dash of cream. But that’s only if you’re not watching your weight. They’re a bit decadent that way.
But back to the muffins…
I like adding walnuts to this recipe, which adds a nice crunch. You can leave them out, or substitute them for your another nutty flavour. Try pecans – or even macadamia nuts! That’s the beauty of recipes like this, you can tailor them to suit your own taste.
Or add another type of fruit! You could try my banana and blueberry muffins, which blends the bright, juicy flavour of blueberries with banana for another delicious treat.
Whatever way you look at them, they’re bananalicious!
Bananalicious breakfast muffins
Course: Breakfast, BrunchDifficulty: Easy12
muffins13
minutes25
minutesDelicious, tasty and perfectly light. These muffins are simple to make and super delicious.
You will need
self-raising flour
baking powder
bicarbonate of soda
caster sugar – raw or white
butter, melted (see note)
vanilla extract
eggs, lightly beaten
ripe bananas, mashed – about 180-200 grams
milk or buttermilk (for a better flavour – see note)
walnuts, chopped (optional – see note)
Here’s what to do
- Heat a fan forced oven to 170C/330F.
- Line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin cases.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and caster sugar with a big pinch of salt (omit the salt if using salted butter) into a large bowl.
- Mash the bananas in a separate bowl, then add the melted butter, vanilla extract, eggs and buttermilk. Whisk until the eggs are all mixed in and it’s nicely combined.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the banana mixture in.
- Lightly mix all together with a fork until all ingredients are just combined. Try not to mix too much or the texture will be more dense.
- If using nuts, stir these through last.
- Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin cases.
- Check the muffins after 20 minutes. They should be nicely browned on top and the cases should be pulling away from the sides of the tin.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips and tricks
- Buttermilk adds a slightly tangy flavour to the muffins and really enhances their deliciousness. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a tangier, slightly thickened milk by adding 1 tsp lemon juice to the milk and let sit for 15 minutes before using.
- If you don’t have or don’t like walnuts, you can substitute them with another nut (toasted hazelnuts are great) or just leave them out.
- Butter – salted or unsalted is fine. If using salted butter, you can omit the extra salt or just add a tiny bit extra. A little salt balances the sweetness of the banana and sugar.
Want more breakfast and brunch recipes? Try these

Yummy Banana and blueberry muffins are full of flavour, with the bright juiciness of the blueberries adding another dimension.

Home-made English muffins are a huge leap from the store-bought variety. They’re fluffy and tasty and are a 100% happy food.

Make your own crumpets and you’ll have the sort of comfort breakfast that sings of comfort. These are best slathered in good butter and drenched in a good quality honey. And while they take a little patience to make, the effort is well worth it. They’re simply yummy!
Note: you can use standard egg rings to make these in, but if you can get your hands on proper crumpet rings, like these from Melbourne’s Kitchen Warehouse, then it’s worth the investment.
Note: this post was updated with replacement photos of banana muffins on 22 October 2023.