Delicious and easy banana muffins made with caramelized banana and Nutella swirl on top! Caramelizing the banana helps bring out and enhance the flavor.
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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- 1½ cup all-purpose flour (1½ cup = 240 g)
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 2 overripe bananas (2 medium size = 11 oz = 300 g)
- ⅓ cup sugar (⅓ cup = 70 g) (for caramelizing bananas)
- 3 Tbsp water
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (170 g = 12 Tbsp) (at room temperature)
- ⅔ cup sugar (⅔ cup = 140 g)
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- ½ cup milk (½ cup = 120 g) (at room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tsp Nutella (optional)
Gather all the ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 350Lightly spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or line with cupcake liners.
- Sift flour and baking powder and cut bananas into thin slices.
- To make caramel, cook sugar and water over medium heat in a small saucepan. Gently tilt the pan off the heat to distribute color evenly as the sugar caramelizes.
- When the mixture turns into a nice amber color, immediately add sliced bananas and coat with caramel and turn off the heat.
- In the bowl of the electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until soft. Then add sugar and mix until creamy and fluffy.
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl, stir into the batter and blend well.
- Add half of the flour to the batter and mix well. Then stir in half of the milk. Add the rest of flour and mix, and finally stir in the rest of milk. Mix well to combine.
- Add vanilla extract and fold in banana just until combined.
- Spoon muffin batter into muffin tin ¾ full. If you like, top each muffin with ½ tsp. of Nutella and use a skewer or chopstick to swirl it into the batter.
- Bake muffins at 350F for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer insered in center comes out clean. Serve warm or let cool and store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on February 5, 2014.
OMG Nami! These look absolutely delicious. I will definitely try to make these very soon! 😀
Thank you Courtney! Hope you enjoy these muffins. 🙂
yay another dessert recipe! they look very delicious. thank you for posting. =)
Thank you Shaona! 🙂
You read my mind. I had leftover bananas and was thinking of turning them into muffins. Thanks for sharing this recipe, Nami!
LUV these banana muffins with Nutella, Nami! Making a special trip to the market for some Nutella and making these asap 😉
Thank you for the new twist on Banana Muffins – never thought of adding Nutella! I have always used cocoa powder in the mix! Can’t wait to try this! 🙂
Thank you for your comment Sandra! Yes, try Nutella! It’s really delicious! <3
The “swirl”makes it a party! GREG
And you say you don’t bake, Nami. Well, obviously you do, and very well, too. They look lovely.
These muffins look wonderful, Nami! The Nutella swirl is just what I need in the morning ;).
I think Nutella is really nice addition to these muffins!
I never get tired of bananas, but I’m always ready for banana bread or muffins, too. I really like your tip of using caramelized sugar with the bananas! That’s brilliant. Really nice recipe — thanks.
These muffins look so delicious, I want one for breakfast daily 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Yummy muffins, perfect for breakfast or brunch…def my kind of muffins! Oh and you guys are so great and generous two people….I’m proud of you! I really loved your book… and I wish you even more success!
The caramelized banana really makes it special and worth the extra step. In the family, it is my daughter who loves to bake so your recipe will surely be forwarded to her. Thank you Nami. 🙂
I love the look of your muffins and just love the swirl. I make my own muffins and cookies because like you, you just don’t know what’s in the bought ones xx
I think you already know what I am going to say…I just want one of these before I retire for the night. Tooooo good!
Nami, what a way to step up the classic banana muffin! It sounds delectable! I realized today is “world nutella day’ but you know I think my family and I have nutella almost every day! This is a great way to use it and the caramelized banana makes it so special. I love a good banana muffin and these must be awesome!
I love the caramelization on the banana, these look amazing! I love how you are giving part of your profits to charity!
I couldn’t agree with you more about those packet ingredients nobody can pronounce. I love your muffins!
Caramelising the bananas is genious!
Oh Nami you are simply a saint. It is so kind of your to donate to those charities!
I am only reminded how much I love muffins by this post. While I need to wait for my banana to go black, I am drooling over the swirled nutella here
The muffins look awesome and I am liking that you have caramelized the bananas for these muffins, which is so unlike most methods that I have seen. I am definitely going to use your recipe next time.
Thanks for sharing the recipe — these look so delicious! I can see why the Nutella is a recommended step. I’m sending this recipe to my mom, who has been a long-time fan of banana cake… now she can add muffins to her repertoire. =)
Thank you Kimmi! You’re so lucky your mom is a baker! My mom baked only several times growing up (as long as I remember…). 🙂
Nutella and bananas sure is a fantastic combination! My kids also went through a “I am crazy about bananas” stage, where they insisted we buy bananas every day (they eat like 2 a day!).
They look really pretty and tempting! I love that swirl on the top.
Cheers,
Rosa
Oh my gosh. This really looks like heaven. I don’t know how you think of these amazingly good looking muffins but I’m looking forward to making it this week!
Hi Megumi! Well, bananas and Nutella are something my kids love. I usually make banana & nutella grilled sandwich for snack, so adding Nutella to banana muffins are something they really enjoy… 🙂 I hope you enjoy these muffins too, Megumi! 🙂
It’s incredible the list of ingredients on prepared mixes, and not only ingredients we don’t know, we cannot pronounce them!!!
Anyway, your muffins look so good.
Nami – love the extra step of caramelizing the bananas first – I’m sure it adds some nice depth of flavor to these beautiful muffins.
I’ve made similar muffins before and they are addictive! I love them so so so much 🙂
These look wonderful Nami! I am always looking for new ways to use up those ripe bananas and these sound delicious especially with the Nutella inside 🙂
Oh that is quite the amazing extra step to caramelize the sugar first and then put with the bananas. What a rich flavor. And the Nutella does not hurt lol. Great muffins Nami!
Your muffins look delicious, Nami! No wonder your kids love them!
I have to try them, when I have some overripe bananas!
These banana muffins look moist, and adding Nutella is really smart 🙂 … It’s been a while since I bought bananas, but I’ll get some to try your recipe!
I love banana muffins! Your chocolatey swirl is perfection!
Love this banana nutella muffin! Kids will be sure to gobble this up!
You do the best tutorials!! I love banana and chocolate together and these looks like the perfect sweet treat. 🙂
These look and sound wonderful, Nami. I always have Nutella in my pantry and have the same situation with bananas around here! Funny how that works 🙂
I made this with my friend the other day and it was one of the best banana muffins I have ever had/made! The overall muffin wasn’t really sweet (which I love) and the nutella just really gives it a boost of flavour! Thanks for the AMAZING recipe!! \(^ v ^)/
素晴らしい！！！是非なみさんのバナナマフィンを作りたい。バナナを砂糖に焼くことは本当に良い考えですね。
恐れいますが、日本の大地震関係のチャリティーへ義金を考えていますでしょうか。。。何れにしてもなみさんの心広い活動は本当にえらいです。
Kimさん、コメントありがとうございます！
東北地方太平洋沖地震への義金は個人的にさせてもらいました。本を買って下さる方からの収入は、色々な国の方が買って下さってるので、出来れる限り世界中の困った人達に使ってもらえるような団体に寄付出来たらと思ってます。 🙂
Caramelizing the bananas first sounds like a great idea. I bet they are so sweet and delicious. Did you make these for a girl scout activity? I remember seeing a photo on facebook with a banana as a garnish. I bet you they were very happy to get these as a treat.
These look absolutely divine! Definitely making these soon! 🙂
Another baking! wow Nami this is great, I love the addition of nutella swirls, this can be a perfect lunchbox item
I love the idea of caramelizing the bananas first! I think more baking recipes should call for caramelizing fruit first. Lucky kids. 😉
I totally agree with you, I have no idea what ingredients are really in pre-packaged baked goods (which is why I like to make my own 🙂 But I’m sure it’s more important when you’re feeding your children. Caramelizing the bananas before mixing it in sounds like a really delicious touch! I’ve never thought of that. Banana bread is hard for me to resist, and I’ll need to try this! (BTW, it’s so great that you’re supporting Samaritan’s Purse–I think they do great work.)
wow, banana and nutella, i guess i didn’t had any guts to regret it Nami!!!
These are looking good, healthy and delicious. Good for kids too.
Hi Nami,
I love anything with bananas and these muffins look outrageously delicious!
Oh, I can definitely see how the caramelized bananas would make a HUGE difference. What a great idea! I’m not a big muffin eater but I would never turn these done. YUM!
Just the thought of caramelized bananas is enough to send me over the edge. Your dishes are very similar to ones that I have. We have excellent taste!!!
Your muffins looks great!! Love the idea of adding the Nutella, love the swirl too. I mightget my kids to eat these when thy se he chocolate! :-)I printed your recipe, thank you,
check out my recent post, Valentine Cheesecake!!
Michael
https://michaelswoodcraft.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/strawberry-topped-cheesecake/
Mmm that looks so good!
Grml, I’m so jealous! I have the worst luck baking with bananas. The cake or bread still ends up tasty, but it never looks fluffy like yours. Well done Nami – they look so good!
It is my pleasure to come across your website and learn more about Japanese cooking recently. Thank you for your simple recipes and easy to follow.
You are looking for a good charity and I would like to recommend SYDA Foundation. P.O. Box 600, South Fallsburg, NY 12779-0600, USA
Here is the website: http://www.siddhayoga.org
Hi Jan! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! I’ll check out this charity. Thank you for your suggestion! 🙂
hi Nami,
is it ok to use low protein flour ? tks
Hi Chrissy! I’ve never used low protein flour before. Maybe you have to give it a try? Sorry I don’t have an answer… 🙂
I MUST try this recipe!! I would definitely make that extra effort to caramelize the bananas since it would smelly heavenly, I’m sure. 😉 Plus, the Nutella swirl? Sounds, amazing!
Nami is it possible to do this without an electric mixer? Mine just broke.
Hi Cheryl! You can make these without an electric mixer. As long as it doesn’t involve making meringue in recipes, I could do it without an electric mixer…. 😀 Hope you enjoy!
Hi Nami,
I noticed you listed the sugar quantities separately. How much sugar should I use for the caramelized bananas and how much fir the batter mixture? Planning to try your recipe tomorrow
Hi Judy! Sorry for confusion. The ingredients appear in order of preparation. So the first sugar will be for caramelizing. Hope this helps.
Thanks for clarifying Nami
Will it work if I substitute nutella with peanut butter?
Hi Eunice! Sure! 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Hi, I made your matcha chocolate recipe and my friends loved them. I’m planning to bake these muffins and I’m wondering how long they’ll last before their quality drops. Also, are there any tips to preserving their quality?
Hi Nancy! Personally I think next day will be still okay, but the quality will degrade after 2nd day.
During the research I found these sites to show the best way to preserve muffins:
http://www.savvyeat.com/brain-food-101-the-best-way-to-store-muffins/
http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17741
Hope this helps. 🙂
Thanks! Oh and when you listed 300g of banana, do you mean one banana is 300g or do you mean the weight of 2 bananas are 300g?
Hi Nancy! Sorry for the confusion. You need TOTAL of 300 g bananas. Hope this helps. 🙂
Just made these! Delicious!!
Hi Rachel! Thanks so much for trying this recipe! So glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
May I just say, thank you so much for adding the metric value to your recipes. As a European, it is very hard to figure out how to measure a cup of butter for instance and all of your recipes are delicious. I’ll make these muffins tomorrow morning and I’m sure they’ll come out just as great as all the other recipes on this website. Thanks for your work!
Hi Dominique! You’re welcome! I came from Japan where we use metric system…and it took me a long time to adjust to US conversion (and still adjusting!). My older recipes may include only cups because I had mostly US audience, but newer recipes should have both measurements. 🙂 I hope you enjoy these muffins. Thank you so much for following my blog! 🙂
Hey, after caramelizing the bananas, do you mash them first and then throw them into the batter, or you just throw them and let them be in chunks in the batter?
Hi Kania! It’s up to you, but I sliced the banana thin that by the time finish caramelizing, it was less chunky and more mashed. 🙂 Hope this helps!
Hi nami,
Thank you for your hard work in creating such a great blog. I often refer to your webpage when i cook japanese food. I am japanese but grew up in america and can’t read japanese, so I’m so glad there is a japanese person showing how to cook real japanese food in English! Thank you so much!
Hi Kumiko! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy my blog! Thank you so much for your kind comment and encouraging words! I hope I have some recipes for your favorite Japanese food. 🙂
I just made these. Didn’t have Nutella but they came out delicious anyway. I might frost with chocolate cream cheese frosting. Your batter is so light and moist. Thanks for your post.
Hi Ms. Chen,
I actually have a favorite banana muffin/cake recipe that I have loved for years (it is however steamed and I haven’t tried it baked). But I saw this and it made me want to try your recipe!
-Cath
Hope you enjoy the recipe, Cath! 🙂 Steamed one is probably a lot healthier. 🙂
I just made these and, while they aren’t as beautiful as yours, they are delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Haven! I’m so glad you liked the recipe! 🙂 Thanks so much for your kind feedback!
Dear Nami,
I just made these 5minutes ago & the delicious chocolatey banana smell from the oven woke my housemates up! Haha. Wonderful recipe & I only used a silicone spatula all the way (cause I have no machine at this short term rented room) turned out amazing! Thanks for sharing & making my baking life full of surprises 🙂
Love,
Christyn
Hi Christyn! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my recipe and thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
Hi Nami, can i use a frozen ripe banana for this recipe ?
Yes you can! 🙂
Hi Nami,
Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe. It is so good and easy and most importantly the cakes are absolutely delish. I think caramelizing the banana is a great idea really helps bring out and enhance the flavour. I am not a huge fan of banana in cake in general but this has to be an exception! 😀
Nha
Hi Nha! I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your kind feedback. Yeah I love the caramelized banana too even though it’s a bit extra step. Thank you for giving this recipe a try in the first place despite you’re not a huge fan of banana. 🙂
Thank you for the recipe. Other charities to consider: Niassa Lion Project has a junior school for local children based on donations. Please see Nisssa Lion Project on facebook. Regards Anouk.
Thank you for your suggestion. We’ll take into a consideration. 🙂
Step 8 calls for milk but then it’s not listed in the ingredients, so I don’t know how much to add. Help?
Hi Jeff! I was a little bit in panic when I saw your comment, but thank goodness I have a soft copy of my recipe in Word and stored in external folder!!! Thank you for letting me know. Earlier today I had to manually transfer my recipe from the old recipe plugin to a new one, and I must have missed one line! PHEW….. I added the milk back in. Thank you so much for noticing!
i gotta try these! they sound so good! 🙂 my kids are also going through the one day we like bananas they next day they don’t. :
Hi Randi! Haha we share the same struggle. Keep good banana bread and banana muffin recipes handy! 🙂 I also use for my smoothie recipes too. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Made these today and they are amazing. Not heavy at all like other banana muffin recipes I’ve tried 🙂
Hi A! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! So happy to hear you liked it! Thank you for your kind feedback!
Hi Nami ????????
I have a couple of questions.
When i caramelized the bananas, they tend to be watery when i add the bananas to the caramelized sugar ( I waited until the color turned amber though). Is this right? Because the muffin didn’t rise as much as yours did.
Also, can I possibly freeze these muffins?
Thanks Nami ????
Hi Leony!
1) How watery is it? Is your banana more mushier than mine shown in the recipe? If it is very watery, that could be the reason why it didn’t rise. Too much liquid in the batter.
2) Yes, you can freeze these muffins!
Are you going to have a video of this recipe? 😀
Maybe one day! 🙂
I just made these and they are just incredible and so good-looking! The only thing I changed in the original recipe was the amount of sugar – I didn’t add the 2/3 cup (140g) of sugar at all! The sweetness from mushy bananas, caramel and Nutella was all these muffins needed to result in a fabulous treat.
Hi Laura! Wonderful! I’m happy to hear yours came out well. Thank you so much for your kind feedback. 🙂
I tried this and it turned out sooo good! Thank you for the recipe! ????????
Hi Mary Rose! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for trying this recipe. 🙂