Take banana bread to the next level with this easy and delicious Caramelized Banana Muffins recipe. I coat banana slices in caramel to enhance their flavor and add a swirl of Nutella hazelnut spread for an eye-catching accent. Kids and adults alike will love them.
My family loves my Banana Bread that I’ve been making since my college days. When they are tired of it, this Caramelized Banana Muffin is my go to recipe.
If you make banana muffins but not with caramelized bananas, you have to give this recipe a try! Caramelized bananas add so much flavors to the muffins and they are absolutely delicious!
Overripe Bananas, Make Caramelized Banana Muffins!
Since my children started to eat solid food, bananas are always in the kitchen. They snack on them between meals, put them in their yogurt, or eat them with pancakes and crepes on weekends.
But once in a while, my children would go through “no more banana” stage, and it always happens all of the sudden without any warning. Luckily, I know they will always eat my banana muffins or Banana Bread so I don’t have to end up eating all the bananas myself.
How To Caramelize Bananas
This banana muffins recipe uses caramelized bananas instead of mashed banana in the batter.
To make caramelized bananas, put sugar and water in a saucepan and caramelize the sugar first. Then add the banana slices and coat them with the caramelized sugar. And finally fold in the caramelized bananas into the batter.
Yes it’s an extra step, but believe me it’s totally worth it!
Add Nutella Swirl to Caramelized Banana Muffins
I usually put one slice of banana on top of my muffins (see below), but once in awhile I add Nutella to my banana muffins. Just lightly swirl Nutella into the batter…and the kids love it!
If you think they are too sweet and want to pick either caramelized bananas or Nutella, of course pick caramelized bananas for this recipe.
Other snacks I make with banana include Frozen Chocolate Covered Banana treats, they are refreshing and delightful during hot weather.
Enjoy the muffins warm with your favorite cup of hot tea, milk or coffee.
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- Sesame Cupcakes with Honey Meringue Frosting – Guest Post by T and Tea Cake
- Steamed Cake (Mushi-pan)
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Caramelized Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (plain flour) (weigh your flour; for weights, click the Metric button; or use the “fluff and sprinkle“ method and level it off)
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 11 oz overripe bananas (2 medium bananas)
- ⅓ cup sugar (for the caramel)
- 3 Tbsp water (for the caramel)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (12 Tbsp; at room temperature)
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) (at room temperature)
- ½ cup milk (at room temperature)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 6 tsp Nutella (hazelnut spread; optional)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Lightly spray the muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or line with cupcake liners.
- Sift 1½ cups all-purpose flour (plain flour) and 1½ tsp baking powder. Peel 11 oz overripe bananas and cut into thin slices.
- To make the caramel, cook ⅓ cup sugar and 3 Tbsp water over medium heat in a small saucepan. Gently tilt the pan off the heat to distribute the color evenly as the sugar caramelizes.
- When the mixture turns a nice amber color, immediately add the sliced bananas and coat them with the caramel. Turn off the heat.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat ¾ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature) on medium-high speed until soft. Then, add ⅔ cup sugar and mix until creamy and fluffy.
- Whisk 2 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) in a bowl, stir into the batter, and blend well.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the batter and mix well. Then, stir in half of the ½ cup milk. Add the rest of the flour and mix, and finally stir in the rest of milk. Mix well to combine.
- Add 1 tsp pure vanilla extract and fold in the caramelized bananas just until combined.
To Bake
- Spoon the batter into the muffin tin about three-quarters full. If you‘d like, top each muffin with ½ tsp Nutella (for a total of 6 tsp Nutella) and use a skewer or chopstick to swirl it into the batter.
- Bake the muffins at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or let cool completely for storage.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days and in the freezer for a month.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on February 5, 2014.
I wrote down this recipe in a notebook almost 10 years ago when I was in college, decided to revisit it again – still a hit after all this time! Thank you for a wonderful recipe that has lasted me through the years 🙂
Hi Ashley, Thank you so much for your kind feedback!
Nami and all of us at JOC are so happy to hear that you have been enjoying this recipe since the beginning of Nami’s blog. Thank you for visiting our website again.
Hi Nami! I made this recipe today and it’s sooooo good! I always fail with muffins because they get so dry and crumbly. I didn’t have Nutella but it was still good! My husband loves baked goods and he said this is one of the best banana muffins he’s had! Thank you for sharing this recipe! 🤍
Hi Yami! Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
Nami and all of us at JOC are so happy to hear it turned out well for you and that you and your husband love it.
Happy Cooking!☺️
Absolutely delicious! I made it for my West African family, we have a similar banana dessert called akara and the main thing I love about it is the strong banana flavor, but those are normally fried. I love that these muffins have almost the same taste, without the need for extra oil!
Hi Sheila! We are so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed Caramelized Banana Muffin!
Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback.🙂
Wow Nami!! I’ve never seen a recipe for banana cake before with caramelized banana. Usually for banana bread/cake it says to just mash up the banana and add it in, but this recipe is much better because you can really taste the banana, and the flavour is amazing! 美味しかったですよ！ありがとう 😊
Hi Natasha! Aww thanks so much for your kind feedback and I’m glad you enjoyed it! どうもありがとう！
Do you mashed the caramalised banana in the batter? Or just blend it without mashing?
Hi Yuli! I didn’t mash, just blend in. I think even leaving small chunks would make it a nice texture. 🙂