Bakery-Style Banana Muffins with Crumb Topping
These moist and flavorful banana muffins are easy to make, bursting with banana flavor, and topped with a buttery cinnamon crumb. Perfect for weekend mornings, meal prep, or using up ripe bananas.
Ingredients
- Muffin Batter:
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 ripe bananas medium, mashed with some texture
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar adjust to taste
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- ¼ cup sour cream
- Crumb Topping:
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or grease with butter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In another bowl, mash bananas until mostly smooth. Add egg, vanilla extract, and sugar. Whisk until well combined.
- Stir in melted butter and sour cream until just combined.
- In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt for the crumb topping. Cut in cold butter with fingers or pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients. Gently fold together with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide batter evenly into muffin cups, filling about ¾ full. Top generously with crumb topping.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Muffin tops should spring back when touched.
- Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
For best results, use bananas with lots of brown spots. Do not overmix the batter; a few flour streaks are okay. Store at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months. Add-ins like chocolate chips or nuts (up to ½ cup) work well. You can substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream and use oil instead of butter if desired. For mini muffins, reduce bake time to 12–15 minutes.
