Sour Cream Banana Muffins with 2 Bananas

These Sour Cream Banana Muffins are made with 2 bananas and sour cream for a moist and tender breakfast treat. Made with basic ingredients and two mixing bowls, you’ll have breakfast on the table in 30 minutes.

When a craving for banana bread hits, but I don’t have the time to make it, these easy sour cream banana muffins are my go-to recipe. They are soft and moist with a tender crumb and a hint of warm spices throughout.

As a busy mom, I love making these banana muffins and baked donuts for a quick and delicious breakfast for my family. They’re also the perfect addition to a Saturday morning breakfast menu for hosting family and friends. All you need is basic ingredients, a couple of mixing bowls, and 10 minutes to prep.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Staple baking ingredients. No special ingredients for this recipe. All you need is basic baking ingredients that you’ll find in your pantry and fridge.
• Easy prep. These banana muffins are mixed by hand (just like these banana cookies) for a quick and easy prep. No mixer necessary!
• Moist muffins. With the addition of sour cream, these muffins are moist (the way muffins should be!).

Ingredients You'll Need

• Bananas. The key ingredient for the flavor in the muffins. Selecting very ripe bananas will give you the best flavor since ripe bananas are sweeter. Additionally, ripe bananas mash easily into the ideal consistency for mixing into the batter.
• All-purpose flour. Provides structure and texture to the muffins. All-purpose flour gives the right amount of tenderness to the muffins (not too dense and not too cakey).
• Baking powder and baking soda. Leavening agents that contribute to the rise of the muffins for a light and fluffy texture.
• Cinnamon and nutmeg. These spices contribute to the flavor of the muffins. I love using a cinnamon and nutmeg combination for a warm and cozy element.
• Salt. Enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
• Butter. Adds flavor and moisture to the batter as well as contributes to the tender crumb of the muffins. We’re using melted butter which is free of lumps because it easily incorporates into the batter for a more consistent texture and flavor.
• Granulated sugar. We’re using granulated sugar to sweeten the muffin batter. Because bananas also contribute sweetness, we don’t need a lot of sugar.
• Egg. Adds richness and acts as a binder, which contributes to the rise of the muffins.
• Vanilla. Always use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
• Sour cream. Adds moisture and richness to the muffins and creates a tender crumb. The acidity of sour cream activates the baking soda. Use full-fat sour cream for the best results.

Easy Ingredient Swaps

• Light brown sugar. You can substitute an equal amount of brown sugar for the granulated sugar. It will not affect the sweetness of the muffins, but it will make them more moist and slightly darker after baking.
• Greek yogurt. No sour cream on hand? You can easily swap it out with an equal amount of full-fat Greek yogurt.

How to Quickly Mash Bananas

You are ready to make these sour cream banana muffins, but your bananas aren’t super ripe. No need to try to mash firm bananas. Instead, here are some tips to quickly ripen bananas.

• Oven method: Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet in a preheated 300°F/150°C oven. Bake them for 15-20 minutes until the skins are black and they are soft to the touch. Allow to cool before mashing them.
• Microwave method: Using a fork or knife, poke holes all over unpeeled bananas. Place them on a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 30-second intervals until softened.

Note: The microwave method will not produce super ripe bananas like the oven will, however, they will become soft enough to mash easily into the ideal consistency.

Helpful Tools for Making Homemade Muffins

• Muffin pan. If using a dark-coated pan, set the oven temperature to 325°F/177°C to prevent your muffins from burning.
• Cupcake liners. Using grease-proof liners prevents the muffins from sticking to the wrappers.
• Digital kitchen scale or measuring cups. Using a scale will give you the most accurate measurements.
• Measuring spoons.
• Mixing bowl. You’ll need a medium one to whisk the dry ingredients and a large one for the wet ingredients.
• Rubber spatula. Helpful for gently folding the ingredients together without overmixing.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Before you begin: Bring the egg and sour cream to room temperature and read the recipe from start to finish. Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C and line a muffin pan with 9 cupcake liners.

Note: Sprinkle some coarse sugar over your muffins before popping them into the oven. It’ll add a slightly crunchy texture and a pretty garnish.

Don't Forget These Muffin Baking Tips

With a few essential muffin baking tips, you will have perfect soft and tender banana muffins every time. Be sure to use these tips:

• Use room temperature ingredients. Be sure to bring all your ingredients to room temperature (even your egg!). This will allow your ingredients to be incorporated evenly and smoothly.
• Mix wet and dry ingredients separately. Before adding them together, whisk the wet and dry ingredients separately to prevent the batter from becoming overworked.
• Do not overmix. The most important step is not to overmix the batter. Instead, mix the ingredients just enough that they are moistened and just combined. It’s OK if there are lumps in the batter or a few streaks of flour.
• Fill the muffin pans to the top. For this sour cream banana muffin batter, you’ll want to fill the liners to the top with batter for beautiful muffins.
• Cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Let the muffins sit for 5 minutes in the hot pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool. It’s important for the muffins to start to firm up before trying to move them.

Ideas for Variations

If you’re looking for inspiration to change things up, try these simple tweaks.

• Mix-ins. We love adding chopped toasted pecans or walnuts and mini chocolate chips for some added flavor and texture. Add up to ¾ cup of mix-ins to the batter.
• Nutella swirled. Spoon Nutella over each muffin and swirl with a toothpick like these pumpkin muffins for a fun twist.
• Mini muffins. Hosting a party or serving little ones? Bake these muffins in a mini muffin pan for 7-10 minutes.

How to Store & Freeze These Muffins

Muffins are best eaten the same day they are baked. We even love popping them in the microwave for 10 seconds to warm them and serve them with some butter. But here’s how you can store these muffins:

• To store: Place completely cooled sour cream banana muffins in an airtight container. Add a paper towel layer on top of the muffins (this will absorb excess moisture as the muffins sit). Cover and store at room temperature for up to 4 days (changing the paper towel as needed).
• To freeze: Store completely cooled muffins in a freezer-safe container or resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Once ready to enjoy, thaw at room temperature.

Note: For the best flavor and texture do not refrigerate the muffins. Store up to 4 days at room temperature, and freeze anything longer than that.

Frequently Asked Questions

I hope you love these Sour Cream Banana Muffins as much as we do and that they become a family favorite! Please leave a comment below, I love reading your feedback. And if you’d like to make this recipe later, don’t forget to pin it on Pinterest. Happy Baking!

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