In these Small Batch Raspberry Banana Muffins, the tartness of the raspberries is perfectly balanced with the sweetness of a banana. Made in one bowl, this small batch makes just enough for a few friends to enjoy breakfast or a snack!
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I am crazy about raspberries and I can't help myself from putting them in all of my morning baked goods. From pancakes to mixed fruit crisps to these Small Batch Raspberry Banana Muffins, I'm popping the berries in everywhere!
I don't know about you, but I do find raspberries to be pretty darn tart. When I use them I like to combine them with another sweeter fruit to balance that tartness, while still highlighting its essential raspberriness.
For this recipe I added a banana. Just one. Its creamy sweetness perfectly compliments the raspberry without trying to be out here saying "Look at me! I'm a banana!!" like a maniac. It's just chill, letting raspberry be the star without being overwhelming. The mashed bananas are an emotional support fruit. I think you'll like these raspberry banana muffins a lot.
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Ingredients
I hope you've been around the blog enough times to have a well stocked baking section in your pantry. If not, get started. We'll wait. Then we'll make a small batch of these raspberry banana muffins.
You can freeze your fresh raspberries overnight to save time in the morning. Freezing the berries makes them easier to fold into the muffin batter without them breaking apart. It also makes slicing some to garnish the tops easier.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
I know how it is. You pulled up a recipe for raspberry banana muffins and you don't have, or can't eat, one of the ingredients. Let's make this work:
- Raspberries - You can use frozen raspberries from the freezer section of your mega market, but don't defrost them. Place them in the batter fully frozen.
- Gluten - Although I haven't tried it in this recipe, you can substitute all-purpose flour with gluten free flour.
- Ripe Bananas - If you have a banana sensitivity, try adding raspberries to my classic buttermilk muffin recipe instead.
- Yogurt - If you don't have Greek yogurt, you can always use regular yogurt or sour cream as a one-to-one replacement, by weight.
- Go eggless - Check out my Eggless Banana Muffin recipe for all the tips for making these completely eggless, and possibly dairy-free if using vegan yogurt. They use only 4 ingredients and are ready in less than 30 minutes!
Variations
Listen, you came here for raspberry banana muffins, but maybe you want to change things up. You're crazy like that.
- Chocolate chips - I make a one bowl banana bread lots of chocolate chips that really rocks my world. Add your choice of dark chocolate chips or white chocolate chips for an even more complex Raspberry Banana Muffin.
- Other Berries - You can add another berry, like blackberries, if you like.
- Nuts - Add walnuts or pecans, or top them with slivered almonds.
- Streusel - Instead of raw sugar on top, try making a quick streusel for your raspberry banana muffins. Combine ¼ cup granulated sugar or brown sugar (50 g) + ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (40 g) + 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (43 g). Mix with your fingers until crumbly and sprinkle a generous amount on top of each muffin.
Crazy for bananas? For a truly decadent breakfast or brunch, try my Bananas Foster Waffles with crispy waffles and rich, buttery bananas foster sauce!
Instructions
By having you mix your small batch muffins all in one bowl, I am keeping you from a life of dishwashing drudgery. And if you weigh your ingredients (as I always recommend with baking), you won't dirty any measuring cups, just a few utensils. You're welcome.
Start your Raspberry Banana Muffins by putting your raspberries on a small sheet pan in a single layer. Place them in the freezer while you get going on the batter. Taking this step will help keep your berries whole when you mix them in.
Next preheat your oven to 425°F and either spraying 6 wells in your muffin pan with nonstick spray or lining the wells with muffin liners. Now let's make some muffins.
Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, mash your banana with a fork.
Step 2. Add egg, yogurt, and vanilla.
Step 3. Mix until everything is well combined. Small chunks of banana are fine, preferred even. Yum!
Step 4. Sprinkle your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt evenly over the top of your wet ingredients.
Step 5. Use your spatula to kind of mix the dry ingredients over the surface, then start combining the two.
Step 6. Halfway into mixing, start drizzling in your butter while you continue to stir. Stop mixing when there are still some visible streaks of flour.
Step 7. Now add your frozen raspberries, reserving about 8 or 10 for garnish. Gently fold until evenly distributed.
Step 8. Scoop your batter into the muffin tin. For better heat distribution, and a better rise, leave every other well empty.
Step 9. Slice your remaining raspberries in halves or quarters and garnish the top of each muffin with a few pieces.
Step 10. Sprinkle to top of each muffin with raw sugar.
Step 11. Bake muffins at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven, turn down the heat to 350°F for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool for another 10 minutes. Dig in and enjoy!
Equipment
Although you can purchase a 6-well small muffin pan, I still like to use a standard size muffin pan with 12 wells when making a small batch of muffins. This allows heat to circulate completely around each of the muffins, encouraging better browning and a better rise.
By the way, you can small batch any of my muffin recipes by clicking on the .5X button on the recipe card, near the ingredients. Small batch my ultra-chocolate muffins, my banana nut muffins, even my crumb cake muffins!
Expert tips
Most muffin recipes include melted butter and have you mix them in with the rest of the wet ingredients. Unfortunately, even if your eggs and yogurt are room temperature, your butter is likely to clump when you add it.
What I have you do is start mixing your other wet ingredients together with the dry ingredients and add the melted butter as you are mixing. This ensures that the fat is fully incorporated into the batter without clumping
Recipe FAQ's
One thing I learned about as a professional baker was something called 'oven spring". Normally applied to yeast risen breads and croissants, it still applies to a smaller degree to leavened goods. When your muffin hits the oven at the higher temperature, the initial contact with the heat causes the baking powder to work and the batter to puff, giving your muffins a higher dome. This happens in the first 5 minutes. Then you turn the temperature down and allow the rest of the muffin to bake to perfection.
Store any fully cooled leftover muffins in an airtight container, or a cake stand, lined with paper towels underneath and on top of the muffins, for up to 2 days. The paper towels will absorb any excess moisture, keeping the muffins from becoming gummy in texture.
I don't recommend refrigerating muffins or other quick breads. Doing so changes their flavor and texture, making them not as delicious. For longer storage I recommend wrapping your muffins in plastic wrap and then placing in a zip top bag. Freeze them for up to a month. Let thaw at room temperature.
More muffin recipes
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-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Small Batch Raspberry Banana Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 (120 g) medium banana very ripe
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ cup (120 g) greek yogurt room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter melted
Other pretty important stuff
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) raspberries fresh
- Raw or coarse sugar
Instructions
- Place your raspberries in a single layer on a plate or small sheet pan and put them in the freezer for about 20 minutes. This will keep them from breaking apart while mixing.
- Preheat oven to 425°F and grease 6 wells of your muffin pan. Melt your butter and leave aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, use a fork to mash your banana. Add your egg, yogurt, and vanilla and mix well.
- Sprinkle your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt evenly over the top of your wet ingredients. Use your spatula to kind of mix those dry ingredients together, then dig in and begin incorporazting them into the wet ingredients.
- When you are halfway through mixing, drizzle in your melted and cooled butter. Continue mixing until there are only a few streaks of visible flour. Fold in your frozen raspberries, leaving aside about 6 to 8 berries. Cut those in half for garnishing.
- Scoop your batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan. Top each muffin with 2 or 3 raspberry halves, with the pretty parts up. Sprinkle each muffin with about a teaspoon of raw or coarse sugar.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven, turn down the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool for 10 more minutes.
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TimW says
These are insanely good! The best muffins I’ve ever made…so moist, not a bit of crumble, and yet not dense.
I credit your detailed instructions to assemble and mix everything, and of course the ingredient proportions.
This is now my go-to.
Cynthia Christensen says
That’s awesome! Thank you so much!!
Rebecca says
These muffins are so good. Thanks for another great recipe!
Cynthia Christensen says
I’m so glad you like them!