Banana Muffins with Streusel and Homemade Icing

Use overripe bananas to make delicious muffins with a brown sugar streusel and vanilla icing on top for an easy sweet breakfast.

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I heard these are amazing and delicious, but I didn’t even get to try one. A few weeks ago, all the women in my family took a girl’s trip to San Antonio. While we were gone, Justin made some banana muffins for the boys, and they were a hit!

The muffins were such a hit there weren’t any left by the time we got home. Sweet breakfast foods go fast in our house. Especially when they contain bananas. We go through so many bananas in our house.

Because I didn’t get to try the banana muffins, we made them again. Now I can tell you that they are as delicious as the boys claim!

As with most recipes that contain bananas, it’s better if you use ones that are overripe and turning brown. When I take the boys to the grocery store, they often ask to buy two bunches of bananas, one to eat with breakfast, and one to let over-ripen to make banana bread or another banana recipe such as these muffins.

Why These Muffins Are Exceptional

When bananas are richly speckled and very soft, they contribute not only natural sweetness but also moisture that helps the muffin crumb stay tender without turning dense. The combination of baking soda and baking powder in the batter helps lift the muffins just enough to create a light yet moist texture rather than a heavy banana bread feel. The brown sugar in the streusel adds a caramel-like note that contrasts beautifully against the mellow banana, and the vanilla icing adds a gentle sweetness and visual appeal that makes these muffins feel like a breakfast treat rather than simply a snack.

Ingredient Science & Substitutions

If you’d like to switch things up, you can substitute up to one cup of the all-purpose flour with white whole wheat flour to add a little extra fiber without sacrificing lightness. If you don’t have applesauce on hand, you can use the same volume of plain mashed banana or half yogurt and half mashed banana to maintain moisture. For dairy-free icing, use a non-dairy milk such as almond or oat in place of regular milk in the glaze — it still blends smoothly and gives you that same drizzled finish. And if you’d like a nut-free version, simply omit nuts from the streusel or swap in toasted oats for crunch.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

If your muffin tops aren’t rising nicely, try filling the muffin cups to about two-thirds full and bumping the oven temperature by 10 °F for the first 5 minutes of baking before reducing it, which encourages a nice domed top. For muffins that turn out dry, the most common culprit is over-baking; check with a toothpick a minute early and remove them when crumbs cling to the tester. If the crumb seems gummy or wet, it may be that the bananas were too watery or not mashed enough — aim for well-mashed, creamy bananas. For sinking middles, avoid opening the oven door too early and make sure your baking powder is fresh.

Storage, Freezing & Reheating Instructions

Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. For longer storage, wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap and place them in a resealable freezer bag; they can be frozen for up to three months. When ready to serve, thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes or reheat in a 325 °F oven for 5 minutes. For a quick microwave option, unwrap a muffin, cover it with a damp paper towel, and heat for 15-20 seconds on medium power — the moisture from the paper towel helps keep the crumb soft.

Flavor Variations

To turn these into banana nut muffins, stir in ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter before adding the streusel. For a chocolate twist, fold in ½ cup of mini chocolate chips just before scooping the batter — the banana-chocolate combo is always a favorite. If you’d like smaller bites, use a mini muffin pan and reduce the baking time to about 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. For a banana bread-style muffin, reduce the baking temperature to 350 °F and bake for 5 extra minutes, filling the cups nearly to the top so the muffins bake up tall and dense like a loaf.

Serving Suggestions & Tips

• Overripe bananas often have brown spots on them. Those will make the best banana muffins since they will create a more flavorful banana muffin. 
• Add in your favorite nuts to make banana nut muffins. Or make banana chocolate chip muffins by mixing in some chocolate chips. 
• Replace the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a healthier muffin. 
• Banana muffins can be frozen, so opt to make a double batch and freeze some for a quick breakfast later in the week. 
• I prefer to use cooking spray in the muffin pan, but you can also use silicone muffin liners or paper liners. 

Banana Muffins Step by Step

Ingredients

Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 bananas (mashed)
• 1/3 cup applesauce

Streusel

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tbsp cold unsalted butter

Vanilla Icing

• 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp milk

Preparation

Preheat the oven temperature to 375F and line a muffin pan. We like to use our silicone liners to prevent the waste of single-use liners. Or, you can grease the muffin cups and use them without a liner.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, combine the egg, brown sugar, vanilla extract, mashed bananas, and applesauce.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir until fully combined, without mixing more than necessary.

Use a cookie scoop or a spoon to fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full with the muffin batter.

In a small bowl, prepare the streusel by combining the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Use a pastry blender to cut the cold butter into the streusel ingredients.

Sprinkle the buttery streusel over the muffins then bake for 20-25 minutes, until the muffin tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to make the icing.

Once the muffins have cooked and cooled slightly, drizzle with the vanilla icing on top of the crumb topping.

Banana Muffins with Streusel Leftovers

Storage: Allow the muffins to cool to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container. For the best results, store the muffins in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. 

Reheating: The best way to reheat the muffins is in the oven at 350F for about 5-10 minutes, until warmed. 

Freezing: To freeze banana muffins, let them cool completely after baking, then individually wrap each muffin in plastic wrap or foil, and store them in a freezer-safe bag to prevent freezer burn. They can be frozen for up to 3 months and thawed at room temperature before serving. 

Recipe

Banana Muffins with Streusel and Homemade Icing

Use overripe bananas to make delicious muffins with a brown sugar streusel and vanilla icing on top for an easy sweet breakfast.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Course:

Breakfast

Cuisine:

American

Diet

Vegetarian

Keyword:

banana

|

banana breakfast

|

banana muffins

|

breakfast

|

icing

|

muffins

|

overripe bananas

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powdered sugar

Dietary Needs:

Nut-Free

Cooking Method:

One-Pan Meals

Servings: 12 muffins

5 from 8 votes

Ingredients

Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 bananas (mashed)
• 1/3 cup applesauce

Streusel

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tbsp cold unsalted butter

Vanilla Icing

• 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp milk

Recommended Equipment

• Mixing Bowls – Stainless Steel
• Whisk – Wire
• Cookie Scoop
• Pastry Blender
• Baking Cups – Silicone

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375F and line a muffin pan
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon
• In another mixing bowl, combine the egg, brown sugar, vanilla extract, mashed bananas, and applesauce
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir until fully combined, without mixing more than necessary
• Use a cookie scoop or a spoon to fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full
• In a small mixing bowl, prepare the streusel by combining the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon
• Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter
• Sprinkle the streusel over the muffins then bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean
• Meanwhile, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to make the icing
• Once the muffins have cooked and cooled slightly, drizzle with the vanilla icing

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Nutrition Facts

Banana Muffins with Streusel and Homemade Icing

Amount Per Serving (1 muffin)

Calories 198 Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Fat 2g3%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Cholesterol 17mg6%

Sodium 177mg7%

Potassium 194mg6%

Carbohydrates 43g14%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 26g29%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 85IU2%

Vitamin C 2.6mg3%

Calcium 38mg4%

Iron 1.1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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