Banana Muffin Tops Recipe

These healthy banana muffin tops make great snacks!

Take the best part of the muffin, with it’s golden and just-a-tiny-bit-crispy top, and satisfy your banana bread craving in a single bite with these delicious, fluffy banana muffin tops! These moist morsels of sweetness are perfect to accompany your morning coffee and easy to grab and gobble for little snackers too.

We Love These Easy Banana Muffin Tops!

I’m always thinking about kids’ healthy snack ideas. Whenever I make these delicious little banana muffin tops, it’s hard to keep them on the plate. They’re scrumptious!

I love making freshly baked banana muffins. But sometimes I want the kids to just have a half, so I started baking the muffin thins and here we are. These banana muffin tops are healthy, less guilt, and make a great snack.

I have 2 boys and a husband, so I usually make a double batch. I like to freeze them and have them handy to use for school snack bags.

Banana Muffin Tops Recipe Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large brown bananas (around 1.5 cups when mashed)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar – sub with white granulated sugar or coconut sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter – sub for melted coconut oil

Optional add-ins

• if you’re a fan of cinnamon, add 1 teaspoon

Optional toppings

• sprinkle granola, walnuts, coconut, streusel topping, mini chocolate chips, cinnamon chips

Banana Muffin Tops Picture Instructions

How To Make Banana Bread Muffin Tops

Have all your ingredients measured out, and ready to go. I find it’s so much easier to measure everything out and set aside. Then you can simply reach into each bag or container when you need.

Also, make sure your bananas are very ripe or over-ripe. Choose bananas with brown speckles – this is when they’re soft and sweet.

Making The Banana Bread Muffin Top Batter

Start by preheating your oven to 350º F.

In a medium bowl, combine your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt).

In a separate bowl, mash the banana with a fork or masher and add in the other ingredients (eggs, brown sugar and melted butter). Mix until the bananas are in very small pieces.

Then add your flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Using A Muffin Top Pan

To make muffin tops you have a number of choices. I bought a whoopie pie pan by Wilton when we made the Sharkfin Whoopie Pie video. It’s the same as a muffin top pan – I honestly can’t see a difference, and I have looked.

I love using it for these banana muffin tops. Of course, it works for any muffin top recipe. You can also use it to make cupcake tops, and frost them. The kids are satisfied that they’ve had a treat, but you’ve just cut the sugar by more than half.

You can also use a jam tart pan, a lined baking sheet or silicon mat, or even your regular muffin tin (only fill the liners 1/3 the way). More details coming up.

You’ll want to spray the pan with a non-stick spray. I like the one from William Sonoma, but there are plenty non-stick sprays at the grocery store that cost a lot less.

Fill them with the banana muffin batter just under the rim.

Then I like to add a little granola or walnuts to the top. Sometimes I use chocolate chips, or toasted coconut. Add your, or your child’s favorite topping.

(Btw, if I make them for their school snack bags I don’t use nuts since the kids are in a nut-free school.)

Bake in your preheated oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes. Check on them at 10 minutes, and if golden brown around the edges, they’re done.

You can also check they’re done with a skewer or toothpick. Insert into the center of the muffin top and remove. If it’s clean, they’re done.

Allow them to cool a few minutes before turning our onto a wire rack to cool fully.

If you like the Banana Muffin Tops, then try our other muffin recipes. Let us know if you try them, and leave us a comment.

Using A Regular Muffin Tin or Baking Sheet For Muffin Tops

If you don’t have a muffin top pan, try this banana bread muffin tops recipe with a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, silicon baking mat or your regular muffin tin.

For the latter, fill the muffin liners 1/3 of the way.

If using a baking sheet or mat, drop spoonfuls of batter (around 2 tablespoons per muffin top) onto the sheet or mat, leaving 1.5 to 2 inches between each.

For delicious thin, crispy muffin top, flatten each batter mound with the back of the spoon before baking.

Banana Muffin Tops Recipe FAQS

What are muffin tops?

Muffin tops are simply the top of the muffin. And arguably the best part! The golden, puffed up, slightly crisp part, without the rest of the muffin body that’s normally encased in a muffin liner.

They’re also called muffin cookies, because you can bake them on a baking sheet, just like you do cookies. Simply, drop spoonfuls of batter onto the sheet with space in between and bake.

Another term for a muffin top is a muffin thin, because they’re very thin version of a muffin.

How to make muffin tops

You can make muffin tops using any muffin recipe and your regular muffin tin or by using a lined baking sheet or muffin top pan. You’ll use around 2 tablespoons of muffin batter per muffin top (an ice-cream scoop makes a good measure) around 1/3 to 1/2 the amount for regular muffins.

For this reason, muffin tops take around half the time to bake as regular muffins, so be sure to keep a close eye on them.

Do I need to use a special baking tin?

No, you can make muffin tops with your regular muffin tin and only fill the muffin liners 1/3 of the way.

However, I prefer to use a muffin top pan, a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. This gives a better result when it comes to the golden brown, slightly crisp top – this part is what makes muffin tops taste so good!

If you’re using a baking sheet or mat, make sure to leave 1.5 to 2 inches between the spoonfuls of batter and try to get them as evenly sized as possible so they all bake at the same rate. 2 tablespoons is normally plenty.

If you prefer thin muffin tops, flatten each dollop of batter with the back of the spoon.