mini banana bread

this mini banana bread recipe brings you the most perfect moist and fluffy mini banana bread muffins – a warm, tender dessert for two with all the nostalgic flavour of classic banana bread in a cozy, single-serving size.

why you will love this mini banana bread recipe

• perfect portion size for one or two – personally, i could probably eat both of these myself, but these mini banana bread chocolate chip muffins would be perfect as a quick and easy dessert for two people! either way, there’s no leftover loaf of banana bread waiting to be eaten. make this easy mini banana bread whenever the craving strikes and you just want a quick dessert!

• quick bake time – the mini banana bread bake time is significantly less than the baking time required for a full loaf of banana bread. these quick mini banana bread ramekins take about 25-30 minutes to bake, which is perfect for when you’re craving fresh banana bread but don’t want to wait an hour for a whole loaf of banana bread to bake.

• easy recipe – you can make this mini banana bread ramekin for two people using simple ingredients, with a simple process and no fancy tools required. easy to make for any beginner baker who just feels like whipping up a sweet treat!

learn how to make these mini banana bread cakes

this quick and easy mini banana bread is perfect for when you want a last minute sweet treat! we’re going to start off by melting butter and adding mashed banana and milk to it. mix these together, and then we‘ll add brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract. once you mix those in until combined, add cream cheese and mix that in until you get a relatively smooth mixture. gently fold in the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt) and then add chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. fold those in until you get a thick banana bread batter and split the batter between two greased ramekins. bake the small banana bread cups, adding extra chocolate chips on the top halfway through the baking time, and we’re done!

mini banana bread ingredients

• butter – i used unsalted butter for these banana bread mini cups – you are also welcome to use salted butter instead, but i would recommend just skipping the extra salt in the recipe if you’re using salted butter.

• banana – i make this mini banana bread with one banana – i did use a very small banana though so you may have to use less than one regular-sized banana. be sure to use a very ripe banana with lots of brown spots for the best flavour and natural sweetness. the riper the banana, the better your banana bread mini muffins will taste.

• milk – i make this mini banana bread recipe with whole milk or full fat milk, but you can use any milk you like.

• light brown sugar – i like to make these mini banana bread muffins with light brown sugar for added flavour, and because the brown sugar helps keep the banana bread quite moist.

• granulated sugar – this mini banana bread muffin recipe uses a mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar.

• vanilla extract – optional, but a small amount will add a nice, subtle vanilla flavour to your mini banana bread.

• cream cheese – i added a small amount of cream cheese to these mini banana bread cups to make the banana bread fluffy and moist. you can add yoghurt or sour cream in place of this if you don’t have cream cheese.

• flour – we’ll be using plain flour or all purpose flour for these quick mini banana bread cups.

• baking powder – a small amount of baking powder is added to the mini banana bread mixture to help the banana bread rise.

• baking soda – again, a small amount of baking soda is added to help the mini banana bread rise and creates that lovely tender crumb.

• salt – i add salt to the dry ingredients to enhance the flavours and help balance out the sweetness.

• ground cinnamon – optional but highly recommended! the cinnamon adds a warm, cozy flavour to these mini banana bread ramekins.

• walnuts – again, optional, but i think adding chopped walnuts complements the banana bread flavours really well and also adds some lovely texture.

• chocolate chips – again, optional, but i love making these mini banana bread loaves with chocolate chips because the chocolate works so well with the banana and cinnamon. i like to add chocolate chips inside the batter and also top the mini banana bread muffins with chocolate chips at the end as well. i like to add dark chocolate chips but you can also add milk chocolate chips if you like.

tools:

• one medium or large bowl – we’ll need a medium/large bowl for the mini banana bread mixture. all of the ingredients will be going in one bowl at the end, so you’ll need to make sure the bowl is large enough for everything.

• two small bowls – you’ll need one bowl for mashing the banana and you’ll need one for all of the dry ingredients.

• fork – for mashing the banana

• whisk or spoon – for mixing the banana bread batter together

• ramekins or any kind of oven safe dish – i’m using two large ramekins to bake these mini banana bread muffins.

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: preheat oven and grease two large ramekins or your mini banana bread baking pan with butter or oil.

step two: in a small bowl, mash the ripe banana with a fork until it becomes smooth and creamy with minimal lumps. set this aside.

step three: in a medium or large bowl, add butter. melt the butter in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring every 20 seconds, until mostly melted. then, remove the bowl from the microwave and add the mashed banana to it as well as some milk.

step four: mix the butter, mashed banana and milk together until combined.

step five: then, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cream cheese and vanilla extract and mix these in until combined.

step six: in another small bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon. mix these together.

step seven: add the dry ingredients to the wet batter and gently fold them in until just combined, and until there are no longer any visible streaks of flour. the banana bread batter will look relatively smooth and thick.

step eight: add the chopped walnuts and the chocolate chips and gently fold them into the banana bread batter.

step nine: split the banana bread batter between your greased ramekins or add the batter to a mini banana bread pan, then place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes.

step ten: remove the mini banana bread ramekins from the oven and add extra chocolate chips on the top of each banana bread cup and press them in.

step eleven: place the mini banana bread cups back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.

step twelve: remove the mini banana bread cups from the oven, let them cool slightly and let’s eat!

tips and notes

• if using salted butter, skip the extra salt stated in the recipe.

• for the best results with this quick mini banana bread, use a banana that’s very ripe with lots of brown spots. the riper the banana, the sweeter and more flavourful your mini banana bread will be.

• be careful not to over mix the batter. once you add the dry ingredients, make sure to gently fold it in using a spoon, and don’t mix for longer than necessary. mix until just combined – a few small lumps are perfectly fine. over mixing can lead to tough, dense banana bread.

• make sure you preheat the oven so that it’s already hot by the time you’re ready to bake the mini banana bread. this will ensure that the banana bread cups bake evenly and that they won’t take longer to bake.

• adjust baking time as needed. every oven is different, so i recommend keeping an eye on your mini banana bread muffins as they bake. don’t just bang them in the oven and leave until the designated time is up. it might be a good idea to check your mini banana bread for doneness a few minutes before the recommended baking time. you can check by inserting a toothpick into the centre – if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, they’re done.

• when baking, place the mini banana bread ramekins on the middle rack with top and bottom heat.

• use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. while i add both metric and cup measurements for this mini banana bread recipe, i always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your ingredients for most accurate results.

• if you don’t have ramekins, you can absolutely make this banana bread in mini pans or in one mini banana bread pan – just adjust the baking time accordingly and keep an eye on the banana bread while it’s in the oven.

frequently asked questions

1. can i use salted butter in this mini banana bread recipe ?

   – yes, you can use salted butter. if you use salted butter for this mini banana bread recipe instead of unsalted, i would recommend skipping the extra salt in the recipe.

2. do i have to use vanilla extract to make this mini banana bread ?

   – the vanilla in this mini banana bread recipe is optional. just a small amount of it gives this banana bread a nice, subtle vanilla flavour, but if you would prefer not to use it or don’t have it, that’s also completely fine.

3. can i make this mini banana bread recipe with oil instead of butter ?

   – yes, you can make this mini banana bread with oil instead of butter. it will be slightly different in taste and texture but will still be delicious!

4. do i have to make this mini banana bread recipe with chocolate chips or can i skip them ?

   – i love making this mini banana bread with chocolate chips because the chocolate really complements the banana and cinnamon flavours. however, you can absolutely skip the chocolate chips if you’d prefer to make the mini banana bread without them.

5. can i make this mini banana bread without brown sugar ?

   – a mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar is recommended for this mini banana bread recipe as the brown sugar adds moisture and helps give these mini banana bread cups a richer flavour. however, if you don’t have brown sugar, you can substitute it with granulated sugar. using all granulated sugar for this mini banana bread recipe might change the taste and texture of the mini banana bread slightly, but it will still be delicious! for best results, use a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar as stated.

6. can i make this mini banana bread with sour cream instead of cream cheese ?

   – yes, you can. you can substitute the cream cheese with something like sour cream or thick plain yoghurt.

7. can i make this as a mini banana bread mug cake in the microwave instead of using ramekins or a baking dish ?

   – since these mini banana bread muffins are baked in the oven, you’ll need to use an oven-safe dish to make them. i have not personally tried making this in the microwave so i can’t guarantee that the results will be the same.

8. can i make this mini banana bread ahead of time ?

   – i would really recommend baking these mini banana bread cups fresh so that they can be enjoyed while they’re still warm and soft. while the banana bread will stay fluffy even the next day, its taste and texture is best when baked fresh and still warm from the oven!

9. can i make this as a mini banana bread for one instead of two ?

   – absolutely! you can make this as one mini banana bread loaf in a mini banana loaf pan instead of making two separate banana bread ramekins. or if you want a smaller serving, you can just halve the recipe and make one mini banana bread ramekin instead.

10. how long do mini banana bread loaves take to bake in the oven ?

    – i have not personally tried this as a mini banana bread loaf recipe so i cannot say for sure what the mini banana loaf baking time will be. if you’re making this as one mini banana bread loaf instead of two cups, it will take longer than the stated times in the recipe instructions. just keep an eye on your mini banana loaf in the oven, and you can insert a toothpick into the centre to check if it’s done – if a few moist crumbs stick to the toothpick when you take it out, it should be ready.

11. can i make this mini banana bread into mini muffins instead of two banana bread cups ?

    – yes, you can make this mini banana bread in a mini muffin tin to make smaller banana bread muffins – just keep an eye on your mini banana bread muffins in the oven to ensure that they don’t over bake.

12. can i make this mini banana bread in the air fryer ?

    – i have personally not tried making this small banana bread in the air fryer, but if you do decided to try it out, i’d recommend using a lower temperature and just keeping an eye on it so that it’s not over or underdone. insert a toothpick into the centre to make sure there’s no wet batter on it and you’ll know it’s done.

recipe