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These mini banana muffins are soft, fluffy, naturally sweetened with ripe bananas and applesauce, and made without any added sugar. They come together in one bowl with simple pantry ingredients and bake in just 12 minutes, making them perfect for busy mornings, lunchboxes, and easy grab-and-go snacks.
Recipe at a Glance
- Perfect For: Babies (once developmentally ready and allergens have been introduced), toddlers, kids, and adults
- Flavor: Naturally sweet, soft, fluffy, and full of banana flavor
- Texture: Moist, tender, and perfectly bite-sized
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 24 mini muffins
- Sweetened With: Ripe bananas and unsweetened applesauce
- Best For: Breakfast, lunchboxes, after-school snacks, and meal prep
- Dietitian Approved: Made with wholesome ingredients like white whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with fruit
- Freezer Friendly: Freeze for up to 3 months for an easy grab-and-go snack
“Thank you so much for sharing this! They are soooooo good. Love that you don’t use any sugar! We’ve made them twice so far and our friend asked did you bought them from a store?” – Hayley
And if your kids are anything like mine, they’re won over every time by mini versions of our favorite dishes. You don’t want to miss these mini tacos, mini pancakes, mini waffles or mini pizza.
For even more inspiration, I’ve rounded up all my dietitian-approved muffin recipes for toddlers and kids. From mini bites to full-sized favorites, they’re wholesome, freezer-friendly, and kid-approved.
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 – The riper, the better! Lots of brown spots = natural sweetness and great flavor. Got extras bananas? Check out these healthy banana recipes for babies and kids.
- White whole wheat flour – All the nutrition of whole wheat, but lighter and slightly sweet. Perfect for these soft, fluffy muffins.
- Eggs – Use room-temperature eggs for the best rise and texture.
- Unsweetened applesauce – Keeps the muffins moist without needing extra sugar.
- Chocolate chips (optional) – Not required, but they take these little muffins up a notch. If you love the chocolate and pumpkin combo, try these healthy pumpkin muffins (with chocolate chips) for a cozy treat.
Substitutions
- Flour – All-purpose flour works great. You can also use 1:1 gluten-free flour or oat flour. If you’re tempted to use all whole wheat flour, go half-and-half (1 cup all-purpose + ½ cup whole wheat) to keep them from getting too dense.
- No eggs? No problem! You can try with flax or chia eggs. You might also enjoy these egg free banana muffins or eggless blueberry muffins.
- Add-ins – Want to mix things up? Throw in chopped walnuts or almonds, shredded carrots or coconut, or dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, or dates.
How to Make Mini Banana Muffins
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
Step 3: Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Be careful not to over mix! Use a spatula (instead of a whisk) to gently stir together until all the flour is wet.
Step 4: Gently stir in chocolate chips or any add-ins of choice.
Step 5: Divide batter evenly into 24 muffin cups.
Step 6: Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the inserted toothpick in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Recipe Tips
- Scoop, don’t pack your flour – Use a spoon to fill your measuring cup, then level it off. Scooping straight from the bag can give you way more flour than you need (and dry muffins — no thanks!).
- Let cold ingredients warm up – Take your eggs, milk, and applesauce out of the fridge about 15 minutes before you start. It makes a difference in how well the muffins rise.
- The riper the bananas, the better – Those super spotty bananas are pure gold for sweetness and moisture.
- Go easy on the mixing – Once everything’s combined, stop stirring. Over-mixing is what makes muffins dense instead of soft and fluffy.
- Adjust sweetness – I recommend trying the recipe as is the first time around. If you’d like a little extra sweetness, add a splash of honey or maple syrup the next time you make them.
Storage
First, cool completely on a wire rack. Then transfer the muffins to an airtight container and keep on the counter for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days. Enjoy at room temperature or microwave briefly.
You can also freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer bag. Here’s how to store and freeze muffins so they taste just as good as the day you made them.
Mini Banana Muffins FAQ
Yes, frozen bananas can be used for mini banana muffins. Thaw them before using and drain any excess liquid.
Yes, prepare the recipe as described, scoop the batter into a 12-cup muffin pan. Bake at 375°F for about 18-22 minutes. Oven temperatures vary, so start checking for doneness at the 18-minute mark by lightly pressing on the tops of the muffins. If they spring back when touched, they’re ready to be removed from the oven.
More Healthy Muffins
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Mini Banana Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (210g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Wet
- 1 cup mashed banana (240g) , 2-3 medium bananas
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup milk of choice, room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (65g)
- 3 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Add-ins
- 3/4-1 cup chocolate chips, chopped nuts, dried fruits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a nonstick 24 cup muffin pan or use a silicone muffin pan.
- In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Be careful not to over mix! Use a spatula (instead of a whisk) to gently stir together until all the flour is wet. The less you stir the mixture, the lighter and fluffier your muffins will be.
- Stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly into muffin pan and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the inserted toothpick in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Take any cold ingredients out of the refrigerator at least 15 minutes prior to baking. This will help the muffins rise more. This includes eggs, milk, and applesauce.
- Use over-ripe bananas – Your muffins will turn out sweeter and moister.
- After combining the dry and wet ingredients, do NOT over-mix the muffin batter. Mix lightly with a spatula until just combined. This will help prevent dense muffins.
- Adjust sweetness – I recommend trying the recipe as is the first time around. If you find that you desire more sweetness, you can add some honey or maple syrup.
I made this for the second time and added dates. It made so much difference in terms of sweetness. And I also put almonds on top. My toddler loves it! I’m glad I came across your website. It’s been very helpful! Thank you so much for sharing recipes!
Thank you so much for sharing this! They are soooooo good. Love that you don’t use any sugar! We’ve made them twice so far and our friend asked did you bought them from a store?
aww! love that!!!
These turned out absolutely fluffy and fantastic. I only had one egg left and they were still amazing.
Would definitely recommend!
Aww yay! Makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for sharing!
Its an absolute hit with my baby! I love love love all of your(MJ) recipes and trust them to be both healthy and delicious! You are an absolute genius❤️😍💖
Aww I’m so glad, and thank you for saying that!
Nice and easy to make recipe tips tanks
I made these for my toddler’s afternoon snack and she gobbled up 3 and then another one after dinner. She LOVEd these mini muffins! My husband and I could not stop eating them too. Thank you so much for this easy and healthy recipe!
Love hearing that!! Thanks for sharing!
Can I replace the applesauce with datesauce here?
Sure!
I just made these with oat flour and they turned out amazing! Im honestly so shocked at how healthy and yummy it is. From now on, I’ll be making this to enjoy for the entire family and not jsut for little one. Thanks for your amazing recipes!!
Aww yay!!!! You’re welcome :).
Taste really good and easy to prepare! Thanks for the recipe:)
You’re welcome!
Hey any alternative for applesauce?
You can try adding a bit more banana
Does this work for full size muffins too? We love your Banana Chocolate Chunk recipe, but I love that this one uses applesauce for sweetness.
Sure! I would start checking after 16 minutes or so!