Banana Crumb Muffins

Banana crumb muffins with cinnamon brown sugar crumble and vanilla bean glaze are coffee cake meets banana bread. They are the best of both baked goods rolled into one. 

These muffins have both the fluffy, light texture of a coffee cake and the flavor of a banana bread. The cinnamon brown sugar crumble is the perfect topping and there is nothing a little vanilla bean glaze does not make better. These look and taste like they are straight out of a bakery. They are the perfect breakfast treat or really… anytime treat.

Components of the banana crumb muffins:

• Buttermilk banana muffin: The buttermilk banana muffins are packed with banana flavor and extra tender because of the buttermilk. We also alternate the dry and wet ingredients for an even more tender muffin. In case the banana flavor isn’t enough, we add vanilla and a little almond extract for the perfect tasting muffin! 
• Brown sugar crumble: We add crumble everywhere we can and these banana muffins are no exception. We top these with a brown sugar cinnamon crumble for a spiced, caramelized, sweet crumb.
• Vanilla bean glaze: Vanilla bean glaze is the icing on top of these muffins. It is sweet, creamy, and packed with vanilla flavor. The creaminess pairs perfectly with the crumble and muffin.

Tips for the perfect banana crumb muffins:

• Ripe bananas: Like with most baked goods, the bananas should be very ripe for these muffins. The more black speckles, the merrier. The riper the bananas are, the more sugar they have. As bananas ripen, the starches are converted into sugar which makes them super soft, sweet, and flavorful – a win-win-win when it comes to baked goods.
• Buttermilk: There is a reason that buttermilk is an ingredient in almost all of our favorite cakes. It is used in our banana cake, chocolate sheet cake, and oreo cake. Since buttermilk is more acidic than milk, when it is added to baked goods it helps break down the gluten in baked goods. This process of the buttermilk helping break down the gluten in baked goods creates a more tender (and delicious) cake. These muffins are no exception to this process. The buttermilk makes a tender muffin that has more of a fluffy cake like texture. 

• Almond extract: Almond extract adds a bakery-like flavor to these muffins. It is our secret ingredient in so many baked goods, like our blueberry crumb muffins. It is sweet, slightly nutty and one of our favorite flavors on the planet. If you are not an almond extract fan, this can be left out.
• Alternate the wet and dry ingredients: This is a method used in cake baking to prevent a tough cake. If all the wet ingredients are added at once, the batter can separate. If all the dry ingredients are added at once, the batter can get tough due to overmixing. This method creates minimal mixing and a smooth batter which produces a tender cake.

FAQs:

Can I make these without the cinnamon brown sugar crumble? Although the crumble can be left off for these muffins, we strongly recommend adding it. These muffins benefit so much from the crumble for two main reasons: 1. The texture – the muffins are soft and fluffy which is great but they benefit from a spiced, sweet crumb on top 2. The appearance – the muffins are relatively flat and don’t get a big dome top so we like the look the crumb adds on top for a bakery style appearance

Can I make these without the glaze? Yes – this step is entirely optional. We like adding this for a couple main reasons: 1.Taste: It adds a sweet, creamy vanilla bean flavor to the muffins 2. Appearance: It makes them look like a bakery quality muffin with very little additional effort.

Is there a buttermilk substitute? Although our first choice is to use buttermilk for this recipe, if you can’t find buttermilk here is a simple substitute using regular milk and lemon juice. To make the substitute add 1 tablespoon lemon juice into a cup minus 1 tablespoon of regular milk (to make 1 cup liquid total). Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before using. This combination will make a great buttermilk substitute.

Do the bananas need to be ripe? Although this recipe can be made with any bananas, the riper they are the better they will turn out. When bananas ripen, the starches are converted to sugar. This ripening and sugar conversion process makes them softer, sweet, and more flavorful. When it comes to baked goods all of these are pros for a tender, flavorful muffin. So for the best muffins, the riper the better.

Do the banana crumb muffins keep? Like many baked goods, these muffins are best served warm. Although they are best right out of the oven or the same day, they can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and served the next morning.

Print

Banana Crumb Muffins

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Ingredients

Crumb Topping:

• 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour 180 grams
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 100 grams
• ¼ cup white sugar 50 grams
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 grams
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons butter melted 113 grams

Muffin Batter:

• 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas about 3 large or 4 medium
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 oz
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt 3 grams
• 1  cup white granulated sugar 100 grams
• 1/2 cup salted butter softened, 113 grams
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk 4 oz

Glaze:

• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar 200 g
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 g or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
• 2 tablespoons milk 30 g

Instructions

Crumb topping:

• Add the flour, brown sugar, sugar, salt and cinnamon to a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
• Pour in the melted butter. Mix together until large crumbs form. Set aside
  

Muffin Batter:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
• Mash ripe bananas with lemon juice. Set aside
  
• In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients- flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt
• In the base of a kitchen aid or in a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes on medium high until pale and fluffy. Add each egg, one at a time and the extracts and beat for 1 more minute on medium high
• Next on low speed, add in the wet and dry ingredients. When adding, alternate the dry ingredients (flour mixture) with the wet (buttermilk), beginning and ending with the dry (we do this in 5 parts – ⅓ dry, ½ wet, ⅓ dry, ½ wet, ⅓ dry)
  
• Add in the banana mixture and mix on low until just evenly combined and scoop into a lined muffin pan
  
• Top each muffin with ~1 tablespoon of the crumble
• Bake until a toothpick comes out clean (~20 minutes)
• Set aside for about 10 minutes before glazing

Glaze:

• In a medium bowl, add powdered sugar and vanilla. Gradually whisk in milk
• When the muffins are slightly cooled, drizzle the glaze over top with a spoon or piping bag (a ziploc with the corner snipped off will also work) and serve
  
• Note: these are best the same day (or even better while still warm) but can be enjoyed the next day if tightly wrapped in saran wrap and covered.

Notes

Note: these are best the same day (or even better while still warm) but can be enjoyed the next day if tightly wrapped in saran wrap and covered.