These bakery style Banana Blackberry Muffins are soft, moist, and packed with sweet banana flavor and juicy blackberries in every bite. Made in just one bowl with simple pantry ingredients and no mixer needed, they come together in under 30 minutes. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack!
These Banana Blackberry Muffins are soft, moist, and packed with sweet banana flavor and juicy blackberries in every bite. Made in just one bowl with no mixer needed, they’re as easy as they are delicious!
Whether you have overripe bananas sitting on the counter or fresh summer blackberries to use up, this is the perfect recipe. They bake up tall and domed with golden tops and a tender crumb that stays moist for days. I topped these with a simple crumb topping just like my streusel Topped Banana Bread, but you can leave them plain or add a raw sugar topping instead.
If you’re a fan of berry muffins, be sure to try my Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins and Lemon Blueberry Poppy Seed Muffins.
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Why You’ll Love These Banana Blackberry Muffins
- One Bowl Wonder: The batter comes together in a single bowl with just a whisk. Minimal dishes, minimal fuss.
- Perfectly Moist: Thanks to ripe mashed bananas and melted butter, these muffins have a soft, tender crumb that never dries out.
- Bakery-Style Tops: A simple high-heat start gives you those gorgeous tall, domed muffin tops you see at the bakery.
- Great Use for Ripe Bananas: The riper your bananas are, the sweeter and more flavorful these muffins will be. Those brown-spotted bananas you almost threw away are the secret ingredient here.
- Quick & Easy: From mixing bowl to oven in under 10 minutes. Ready to eat in about 30 minutes total.
Ingredient Notes
- Ripe Bananas: This is the most important ingredient in this recipe. Use bananas that are very ripe, with lots of brown spots or a peel that is mostly brown. The riper they are, the sweeter and more moist your muffins will be. Don’t use yellow or green bananas, they won’t have enough flavor or sugar to properly sweeten the batter.
- Blackberries: Fresh blackberries work best and give you the most vibrant, juicy pockets of fruit. If using frozen, do not thaw them first, fold them in straight from the freezer to prevent the batter from turning purple. Toss them in a teaspoon of flour before folding in to help prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
- Melted Butter: Using melted unsalted butter gives these muffins a rich, bakery-style flavor. Make sure it has cooled slightly before adding so it doesn’t cook the egg when combined. You can substitute with neutral oil for an even moister crumb.
- Granulated White Sugar: Sweetens the muffins. You can use a mix of light brown and granulated sugar as well.
- Eggs: Large room temperature eggs binds the batter and gives the muffins structure.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract enhances and deepens the overall flavor. Don’t skip it.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure while keeping the muffins light. Spoon and level your flour rather than scooping directly from the bag to avoid packing in too much and ending up with dense muffins.
- Baking Powder & Soda: Needed for a tall, fluffy rise. Make sure they are fresh for the best results.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the banana flavor. Don’t skip it.
Substitutions & Variations
- Butter vs. Oil: Melted butter gives a richer flavor, while neutral vegetable or canola oil gives an even moister texture. Both work. You can also do half and half.
- Make it Dairy-Free: Swap the butter for the same amount of melted coconut oil or a neutral vegetable oil, and replace the buttermilk with any plant-based milk plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Make it Gluten-Free : Substitute the all-purpose flour with a good quality 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend that contains xanthan gum.
- Banana Blackberry Chocolate Chip: Fold in ½ cup of mini dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips along with the blackberries for a rich twist.
- Add Warm Spices: Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to the dry ingredients for a cozier, more autumnal flavor.
- Small Batch: Halve this recipe to make exactly 6 muffins. Bake time remains the same.
- Mini Muffins: Fill a mini muffin pan and bake at 375°F for 10-13 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here is how to make these banana blackberry muffins. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease well with nonstick spray. For taller muffin tops, use two pans and fill every other cup.
Mix the wet ingredients.Add the white sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract to the mashed bananas. Whisk vigorously until everything is smooth and well combined.
Add the dry ingredients.Sprinkle the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt directly over the wet ingredients. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold until just combined – stop as soon as the last streak of flour disappears. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
Fold in the blackberries.In a small bowl, toss the blackberries with 1 teaspoon of flour. Gently fold them into the batter with 2-3 slow strokes of the spatula. Be careful not to break the berries apart.
Fill the muffin cups.Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each almost to the top. Optionally sprinkle with coarse sugar or streusel topping for a sparkly, crunchy top.
Bake.Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool.Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy warm or let cool completely.
Tips & Tricks For The Best Banana Blackberry Muffins
- Use very ripe bananas. Brown-spotted or mostly brown bananas are ideal. They’re sweeter, softer, and mash more easily, resulting in a more flavorful and moist muffin.
- Don’t overmix. This is the golden rule for muffins. Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix only until the last streak of flour disappears. Overmixing develops gluten and leads to a tough, dense texture. A few small lumps in the batter are totally fine.
- Toss blackberries in flour. Before folding the blackberries into the batter, toss them in 1 teaspoon of flour. This helps them stay suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom of the muffins while baking.
- Rest the batter (optional): Letting the batter sit for 10-15 minutes makes for taller and fluffier muffins.
- Fill the cups almost to the top. For tall, bakery-style domed tops, fill each muffin cup about ¾ to the top. If you want even taller tops, use two muffin pans and fill every other cup so heat can circulate around each muffin.
- Use the high-heat method. Starting the muffins at 425°F for the first 5 minutes creates a burst of heat that helps the muffins rise rapidly and form those gorgeous domed tops. Then reduce the oven temperature to finish baking through without over browning.
FAQs
Absolutely. This recipe works beautifully with fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, or sliced strawberries. The baking time remains the same.
The most common cause is overmixing the batter. Once the flour goes in, mix only until the last streak disappears. Also make sure your baking powder is fresh and your bananas are very ripe.
Tossing the berries in a teaspoon of flour before folding them in helps prevent sinking. Also, a thicker batter (achieved by not overmixing) does a better job of suspending the fruit.
Storage & Freezing
- Room Temperature: Store cooled banana blackberry muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Place a paper towel underneath and on top of the muffins to absorb any excess moisture and keep them from getting soggy.
- Refrigerator: These muffins can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Let them come to room temperature before serving or warm them briefly in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
- Freezer: These banana blackberry muffins freeze beautifully! Let them cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours until solid. Transfer to a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours or microwave for 30-45 seconds straight from frozen.
More Muffin Recipes You Will Love
Recipe
Banana Blackberry Muffins
Equipment
- 1 12-cup Muffin Tin
Ingredients
For the banana blackberry muffins:
- 1 ¾ cups (210g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups mashed bananas about 3 large ripe bananas
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated white sugar
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup blackberries
For the streusel topping:
- ⅔ cup (80g) All purpose Flour
- 6 tablespoons (75g) white granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons (50g) light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoon (85g) unsalted Butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease well with nonstick spray.
- For the streusel, combine the flour, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Drizzle the melted butter over top and stir to combine. The mixture will be clumpy. Set aside.
- In a small bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda. and salt.
- In a large bowl whisk the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract until well combine.
- With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery muffins.)
- In a small bowl, toss the blackberries with 1 teaspoon of flour. Gently fold them into the batter with 2-3 slow strokes of the spatula. Be careful not to break the berries apart.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each almost to the top. Sprinkle with the prepared streusel topping, if using.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and continue baking for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy warm or let cool completely.
Notes
- Bananas: Use very ripe, heavily speckled or mostly brown bananas for the sweetest, most moist muffins.
- Don’t overmix: Mix until the last streak of flour just disappears. A few lumps in the batter are totally fine.
- Frozen blackberries: Do not thaw first. Fold in straight from the freezer and toss in flour before adding to the batter.
- Taller muffin tops: Use two muffin pans and fill every other cup so heat circulates evenly around each muffin.
- Storage: Airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
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