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Most banana blackberry muffins are either too sweet, too dense, or fall apart from excess moisture released by the berries. This recipe solves all three problems.
Plus, these are naturally sweetened mostly with ripe bananas and made with oats for extra staying power. They’re perfect for breakfast, snacks, lunchboxes, and a great way to use up both overripe bananas and fresh blackberries.
Why you’ll love these banana blackberry muffins
- Soft and fluffy texture
- Naturally sweetened mostly with ripe bananas
- Made with oats and whole wheat flour
- Easy one-bowl recipe
- Perfect for breakfast, snacks, and lunchboxes
- Freezer-friendly
- Kid-approved and adult-approved
If you’re anything like me, you often find yourself with a few overripe bananas on the counter and berries that need to be used before they’re forgotten in the fridge. This recipe puts both to good use in a muffin that’s wholesome enough for breakfast but delicious enough to feel like a treat.
If you want more naturally sweetened muffins with banana, I bring you banana apple muffins and banana carrot muffins!
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
I am highlighting just the ones that need further explanation. The complete list is in the recipe card below.
- Bananas – Use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots. The riper they are, the sweeter and more flavorful your muffins will be.
- White whole wheat flour – This provides the benefits of whole grains while maintaining a lighter texture than traditional whole wheat flour.
- Blackberries – Fresh blackberries work beautifully here, but frozen blackberries can also be used. There’s no need to thaw them first.
- Rolled oats – add fiber, texture, and help make the muffins more filling.
Substitutions and Variations
- No blackberries? Swap with blueberries, raspberries, chopped strawberries, or a mixed berry blend. Fresh or frozen berries both work.
- Swap the flour: Use all-purpose flour for a softer texture or whole wheat flour for a heartier muffin.
- Make them dairy-free: Replace the butter with olive oil, avocado oil, or melted coconut oil.
- Egg-free: combine 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed with 6 tablespoons water and let the mixture sit for 5–10 minutes until thickened
- Add citrus flavor: Stir in 1 teaspoon lemon zest to complement the blackberries.
- Boost the nutrition: Add 1-2 tablespoons ground flaxseed, chia seeds, or hemp hearts.
- Add crunch: Fold in up to ½ cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or sliced almonds.
- Reduce the maple syrup: If your bananas are very ripe, you can reduce or omit the maple syrup for a less sweet muffin.
- Add chocolate chips: Stir in ¼-½ cup chocolate chips for a more dessert-like treat.
How to Make Banana Blackberry Muffins
You’ll find the full recipe card with all the exact measurements at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Mash the bananas until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are perfectly fine. Be sure to measure after mashing, as banana sizes can vary quite a bit.
Step 2: Whisk together the mashed bananas, eggs, maple syrup, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add to the wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined.
Step 4: Add to the wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined.
Step 5: Gently fold in the blackberries, being careful not to crush them too much.
Step 6: Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Expert Tips
- Toss the blackberries with flour. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.
- Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes. This helps them finish setting and makes them easier to remove.
- The flavor gets even better the next day. The banana and blackberry flavors continue to develop as the muffins sit.
- Double the batch and freeze half. These muffins thaw beautifully and are perfect for quick breakfasts and lunchboxes.
Banana Blackberry Muffins FAQs
Yes. Use them directly from frozen and do not thaw beforehand.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or warm briefly in the microwave before serving.
Absolutely. If your bananas are very ripe, you can reduce or even omit it.
Yes. Reduce the baking time to about 10 to 12 minutes and check for doneness early.
More Muffin Recipes (with banana)
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!
Banana Blackberry Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (300g), about 3 medium
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (or olive oil or coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup AP flour or white whole wheat flour (150g)
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (50g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Stir in
- 1 cup blackberries, slice in half (toss in 1 tablespoon flour, shake off excess)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease.
- Mix the wet ingredients.In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, eggs, maple syrup, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients.In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Combine wet and dry.Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Fold in the blackberries.Gently fold the floured blackberries into the batter until evenly distributed.
- Bake.Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool.Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
