Fluffy Eggless Banana Muffins
on Nov 30, 2023, Updated Jun 03, 2026
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These eggless banana muffins come together in one bowl with 8 ingredients and no egg replacer required. They bake up fluffy and tender inside with a crisp, caramelized top, and ripe banana keeps them naturally moist without any butter or dairy. If you have a few overripe bananas on the counter, this is a great use for them.
Why You’ll Love Eggless Banana Muffins
- One bowl, 8 ingredients, and no egg replacer needed.
- Less added sugar than most muffin recipes, with ripe banana providing most of the sweetness.
- Fluffy and tender inside with a crisp, caramelised top.
- 148 calories each and low in fat.
- Easy to customise with chocolate chips, blueberries or pecans instead of walnuts.
- A good way to use up overripe bananas that are too soft to eat on their own.
Ingredient Notes
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- Flour: This recipe was developed with all-purpose flour (white flour) and has not been tested with other flours though you should be able to substitute white whole wheat flour 1:1.
- Sugar: The recipe has been tested with regular white sugar, brown sugar and half white sugar and half brown. They all produce a good result but I like the flavor with brown sugar. You should be able to substitute coconut sugar but I haven’t tested it.
- Banana: Use 2 large or 3 small brown spotty bananas (slightly over-ripe). It’s best to use a digital scale to measure out 330 g of banana. While the recipe is fairly forgiving and I’ve tested with with less banana, it comes out best with 330 g or 3 small 110 g bananas.
- Oil: You can use olive oil, avocado oil or canola oil. I haven’t tested coconut oil or butter in this recipe.
- Walnuts: The walnuts are technically optional so don’t worry if you don’t have any or need the recipe to be nut-free. They can also be substitute with pecans, pumpkin seeds or any other nut, seed, mini chocolate chips or dried fruit.
Recipe Variations
Here are some ideas for variations on this recipe:
- Blueberry Banana: Omit the walnuts and fold in 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries just before filling the muffin cups. Fresh work best but frozen are fine straight from the freezer without thawing first.
- Banana Pecan: Swap the walnuts for an equal amount of roughly chopped pecans. Toast them in a dry pan for a few minutes before adding for a deeper, nuttier flavour.
- Banana Chocolate Chip: Swap the walnuts for up to 3/4 cup of chocolate chips. Dark or semi-sweet both work well. You can also try these vegan banana chocolate chip muffins for a version developed specifically with chocolate chips.
- Banana Peanut Butter: Reduce the oil to 2 tablespoons and stir 3 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter into the wet ingredients before adding the flour. It adds richness and keeps the muffins moist.
- Banana Coconut: Fold in 1/2 cup of desiccated coconut with the dry ingredients and sprinkle a little extra on top of each muffin before baking for a toasted coconut finish.
How to Make Eggless Banana Muffins
Step 1: Mash the banana in a large mixing bowl into a smooth paste. It’s ok if there are a few small chunks but it should be mostly smooth.
Step 2: Add the oil, vanilla and brown sugar to the mashed banana and mix until smooth and fully combined.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon) to the wet mixture and fold together until all of the flour is incorporated, then stop mixing. Avoid over mixing the batter at this stage. If you’d like to add walnuts, chocolate chips or berries, fold those in now.
Step 4: Scoop the muffin batter into a muffin tray, filling up 9 muffin cups. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with a little bit of brown sugar if you like.
Step 5: Bake the muffins for 30 minutes until firm on top and golden brown. Let them cool in the pan for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Expert Tips
- Use a digital scale to weigh the banana. Cup measurements vary too much with mashed banana, and the amount directly affects the texture. The recipe is tested at 330g.
- Make sure the oven is fully preheated before the muffins go in, and avoid opening the door while they bake.
- Stop mixing as soon as the flour is incorporated. A few dry spots are fine. Over-mixing develops the gluten and results in gummy, dense muffins.
- Bake immediately after mixing. Baking soda activates on contact with the wet ingredients, so the sooner the muffins go into the oven, the better the rise.
FAQs
No. Grease the muffin tin generously with oil or non-stick spray and the muffins will release cleanly once cooled. Let them sit in the tin for 5 minutes after baking before turning them out. Paper liners work fine too if you prefer less cleanup.
Yes. Let the muffins cool completely before transferring to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, leave them at room temperature for about an hour, or warm them in a 160°C (325°F) oven for 8 to 10 minutes. You can also microwave them individually for about 30 seconds, though the oven gives a better result for the top.
Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. They are at their best within the first two days when the top is still slightly crisp. After that the exterior softens but the muffins are still perfectly good. If you are making a batch ahead, freeze and thaw as needed rather than leaving them out for more than a few days.
This recipe has not been tested with gluten-free flour. A 1:1 gluten-free baking blend should work in theory since the ripe banana provides enough moisture and binding to compensate for some of the structural differences, but results cannot be guaranteed.
Yes. Thaw the banana completely at room temperature, then drain off the excess liquid before mashing. Frozen bananas release significantly more water as they thaw, and skipping the draining step can make the batter too wet and result in dense, gummy muffins.
The two most common causes are overmixing the batter and too much liquid from the banana. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which makes muffins tough rather than tender. Mix until the flour is just incorporated and stop, even if the batter still looks a little rough. Too much banana liquid has the same effect, so weigh the banana on a scale rather than measuring by cup, and drain thoroughly if using frozen.
If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
Eggless Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 small slightly overripe bananas, 330 g
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, 105 g
- 2 tbsp olive oil, 30 mL
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 180 g
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly spray a muffin pan with cooking spray or line with muffin liners.
- Mash Banana: Place the banana in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork until it forms a smooth paste.3 small slightly overripe bananas
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the brown sugar, vanilla and oil and mix until fully combined.1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the remaining ingredients and gently mix until all of the flour is incorporated. Once the flour is mixed in, stop mixing.1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Bake Muffins: Divide the muffin batter into 9 muffin cups in the prepared muffin tray using a spoon or ice cream scoop. Sprinkle the top of the muffins with brown sugar (optional). Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and a knife or toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Cool and Enjoy: Let the muffins sit in the pan for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Hi Deryn, could I omit the oil? Any adjustment to the recipe please? Thank you.
I haven’t tested them oil-free, sorry! I tried to get it as low as I could while still maintaining moisture and binding. You could maybe try almond butter but I haven’t tested it myself so I can’t say for sure. Let me know if you do.