🧁 Moist Banana Muffins (Not Too Sweet) – Two Flavor Variations

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Atsuko
Two muffins berries coffee jam flower plante
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Atsuko

Founder of @Umami Sans Frontières

In this post, I’d like to share a banana muffin recipe that has become one of my younger daughter’s favorite breakfast options. Muffins like these are so convenient on busy mornings — easy to grab and enjoy even when there’s not much time.😊 Since they’re meant for breakfast, these muffins are not overly sweet. They’re moist, soft, and light, with just the right balance of flavor. Thanks to the natural sweetness of ripe bananas, you don’t need a lot of sugar to create a satisfying treat.🍌 One of the highlights of this recipe is that you can make two delicious variations in one batch using a standard 12-cup muffin pan. Simply divide the batter in half, then flavor one with refreshing lemon and the other with juicy berries. With just a small extra step, you can enjoy two different flavors at once. These lightly sweetened, European-style breakfast muffins are perfect for family mornings, afternoon snacks, or even a sweet addition to a lunchbox.
Expense
💵
Preparation
15 mins
Baking time
25 mins
Rest Time

Ingredients

Cooking time: About 40 minutes
Ingredients:

Base Batter (Makes 12 Muffins)

  • 2 Ripe Bananas (about 200g)
  • 2 Eggs (room temperature)
  • 80g of Sugar
    Lightly sweetened. Increase up to 90g if you prefer a sweeter muffin.
  • 80ml of Vegetable Oil or Melted Unsalted Butter
  • 50ml of Milk (or Soy Milk)
  • 220g of All-Purpose Flour
  • 8g of Baking Powder
  • A Pinch of Salt
  • A Few Drops of Vanilla Extract (or Vanilla Sugar, optional)

Two Flavor Variations (6 Muffins Each)

🍋A: Banana × Lemon

  • 1 Tbsp of Lemon Juice
  • A Small Amount of Lemon Zest (optional)
    A little goes a long way — too much zest may add bitterness, so use only the yellow part.

🫐B: Banana × Blackberry (or Blueberry)

  • 80–100g of Blackberries (Blueberries also work well)
    Cut in half if the berries are large.
  • 1 Tsp of All-Purpose Flour (to coat the berries)
How to make it:

🥣 Preparation

1/ Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) when you are ready to bake.
2/ Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
3/ Rinse the blackberries and cut them in half if they are large.

berries

🥣 Make the Base Batter

4/ Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan. Let it cool slightly.
5/ In a bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth.

bananas6/ In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined.

eggs sugar7/ Add the mashed bananas to the egg mixture and mix well.

eggs sugar bananas8/ Stir in the melted butter, milk, and vanilla.

butter milk vanilla sugar added in batter

9/ In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

10/ Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently with a spatula.
Stop while a little flour is still visible — do not overmix.

added flouer baking powder in the batter

🥣 Divide the Batter into Two Flavors

11/ Divide the batter evenly into two bowls.
(About 365–380g per bowl, depending on the size of the bananas and eggs.)

🍋 Bowl A: Lemon Flavor

12/ Add the lemon juice and a small amount of lemon zest. Mix gently.

lemon juice added in one batter

🫐 Bowl B: Blackberry Flavor

13/ Lightly coat the blackberries with a little flour, then add them to the batter.

14/ Fold carefully so the berries do not get crushed.

blackberries added into the other batter

🥣 Fill the Muffin Cups

15/ Fill each muffin liner about 7–8 full. You should get 6 lemon muffins and 6 berry muffins.

put batter into the muffin form

🥣 Bake

16/ Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 20–25 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

baked muffin

baked muffins

2 muffins berries on the plate coffee jam knife

🌟 Serving Ideas & Helpful Notes 🌟

⭐️ Lightly Sweetened and Perfect for Breakfast: These muffins are not overly sweet, making them easy to enjoy as a breakfast treat.
If you prefer a sweeter taste, feel free to add a little more sugar.

⭐️ Blackberries (or Blueberries) Add a Fresh Flavor: Blackberries become softer and less tart when baked, giving the muffins a bright, fruity taste.
They pair beautifully with the gentle sweetness of bananas.
Blueberries work just as well, so you can use your favorite berries.

⭐️ A Little Lemon Zest Goes a Long Way: Lemon zest adds a lovely aroma, but only a small amount is needed.
Too much can create a slightly bitter taste, so use only the yellow part of the peel.
You can also skip it completely if you prefer.

⭐️ Use Very Ripe Bananas for the Best Flavor: Ripe bananas bring out natural sweetness and a richer aroma.
Bananas with brown spots on the skin are perfect for baking.

⭐️ Moist and Delicious Even the Next Day: Banana muffins stay wonderfully moist even after they cool down.
They’re great for the next morning, an afternoon snack, or even as a sweet addition to a lunchbox 😊

⭐️ Freezing Makes Them a Great Breakfast Stock: Because banana muffins are so moist, they can spoil more quickly at room temperature.
If you have leftovers, wrap each muffin individually and freeze them in a storage bag.
They taste great after thawing, and a quick warm-up makes them fluffy again.

⭐️ Easy to Grab on Busy Mornings: One morning, my younger daughter grabbed three muffins before heading to school — and after coming home, she reached for “just  one more!” 😄 These muffins are truly perfect for both breakfast and snacks ❤️

lemon muffin

Umami Sans Frontières – Copyrights 2026
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Written byAtsuko

Founder of @Umami Sans Frontières

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