Healthy and Easy Banana Ginger Muffins
Banana Ginger Muffins are soft, moist, and warmly spiced, with the natural sweetness of ripe bananas and a bit of crunch from walnuts or pecans. They're easy to make and especially delicious with a morning cup of coffee or afternoon tea.
If you love warmly spiced muffin recipes, you may also love these Healthy Pumpkin Muffins.
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What Are Banana Ginger Muffins?
Banana ginger muffins combine the mellow sweetness and moisture of ripe bananas with the warming flavor of ginger. The result is a tender, gently spiced muffin that makes a delicious breakfast, afternoon snack, or simple treat to share.
What I Love About These Banana Ginger Muffins
Muffin baking is a weekly ritual in my kitchen. A freshly baked batch makes busy mornings easier and gives us something simple to enjoy throughout the week.
These muffins are one of my favorite ways to use ripe bananas when I'm craving something a little different from traditional banana bread. Ginger brings a warm, slightly peppery note to the sweet banana flavor, while walnuts or pecans add a welcome bit of texture.
They're particularly lovely during fall and winter, but we make them throughout the year whenever there are ripe bananas waiting on the counter.
How Strong Is the Ginger Flavor?
The ginger flavor in this recipe is warm but relatively gentle, allowing the banana to remain prominent.
For a more pronounced ginger flavor, you can add a little extra ground ginger or stir finely chopped candied ginger into the batter. Several readers have successfully doubled the ginger, and some have added candied ginger or sprinkled ginger sugar over the tops before baking.
That flexibility makes the recipe easy to adjust depending on how much ginger flavor you enjoy.
Why Are the Bananas Added to the Dry Ingredients?
The mixing method in this recipe is slightly unusual because the mashed bananas are added to the dry ingredients before the remaining wet ingredients.
I use this method to help disperse the banana evenly throughout the flour mixture. It helps prevent heavier pockets of mashed banana from collecting near the bottom and creates a more evenly textured muffin.
Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, mix the batter only until everything is incorporated. As with most muffin recipes, overmixing can make the muffins less tender.
Walnuts or Pecans?
Both walnuts and pecans pair beautifully with banana and ginger.
Walnuts bring a slightly earthy flavor, while pecans are a little sweeter and more buttery. Use whichever you have on hand, or omit the nuts when baking for someone who prefers nut-free muffins.
Serving Banana Ginger Muffins
These muffins are especially delicious served slightly warm. Enjoy them on their own or with a little butter, cream cheese, or your favorite fruit preserves.
One reader even served the warm muffins with ice cream, which sounds like a lovely way to turn them into a simple dessert.
For another banana muffin variation, try my Maple Banana Muffins, made with Greek yogurt and a hint of maple.
Healthy Banana Ginger Muffins Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 bananas mashed
- ½ cup pecans chopped (or walnuts)
- ¾ cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar plus more for garnish if desired
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger for a bolder flavor, grate ¼ teaspoon fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ and lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line it with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, nuts, oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and melted butter.
- Pour the egg mixture into the banana mixture and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. If desired, sprinkle the tops lightly with additional brown sugar.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Ginger flavor: The ginger flavor is gently warming rather than strong. For more pronounced flavor, increase the ground ginger slightly or add finely chopped candied ginger.
- Nuts: Use chopped walnuts or pecans, or omit them if preferred.
- Mixing: The mashed bananas are intentionally combined with the flour mixture first to help distribute the banana evenly throughout the muffins.
- Do not overmix: Once the wet ingredients are added, stir only until the batter is combined for the most tender texture.
- Brown sugar topping: The additional brown sugar is optional but gives the muffins a lightly crisp, sweet top.
- Storage: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly before serving.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
More Muffin Recipes to Try Next
- Maple Banana Muffins
- Mixed Berry Yogurt Muffins
- Healthy Morning Glory Muffins
- Greek Yogurt Lemon Muffins
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear your comments and consider giving it a 5-star rating. Explore the recipe index for more easy, delicious ideas, and stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube!
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Great recipe but couldn’t taste the ginger. Will add more next time. 🤣They were delicious warm with ice cream. I cooked them in silicone cupcake moulds and they simply popped out when cooked and cooled.😊
Would recommend this recipe.
Thank you so much, Joanne! I’m glad you enjoyed them, especially warm with ice cream. Adding a little more ginger next time sounds perfect if you’d like that flavor to come through more strongly. And thank you for sharing the tip about the silicone cupcake moulds; how lovely that they released so easily. I so appreciate your recommendation! 😊
I added about 1/3 -1/2c. of chopped candied ginger...and did add a little extra ginger as well. So good.
Unusual to mix the mashed bananas in the "dry" ingredients bowl.
That sounds delicious, Maureen! The chopped candied ginger, along with a little extra ground ginger, must give the muffins such wonderful flavor. And you’re right—the mixing method is a little unusual. In this recipe, I add the mashed bananas to the dry ingredients to help distribute the banana evenly throughout the batter rather than letting it settle toward the bottom. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Excellent! Always nice to have a variation of a banana muffin. I followed the recipe except omitted nuts, used small oats instead of large, and did half whole wheat flour. Turned out great 🙂
Oh My YUM 😋!!! Delish
Thank you, Debbie, for trying the recipe and rating it! I'm so glad you enjoyed them!!
I just made these as I had some brown bananas. I doubled the ground ginger and added chopped glacé ginger too. Absolutely delicious.
Thank you for trying these muffins, Kerrie. I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Like you, I love to double the ginger too!
These are great! I doubled the ginger and also mixed ginger and surar on top. Mmmmmmm
Hi Georgia! The love the additional ginger you used. I'm so glad you liked them!
Made these twice now. They are so moist and a wonderful combination of flavors with banana, ginger and pecans. I made a crusty topping of pecans and dark brown sugar in the mini chopper.
I’m such a fan of that flavor combination too! Awesome idea to use a mini chopper for the topping!
Baked these and they turned out so moist and delicious! Absolutely loved them. Didn’t have oats so substituted with flour and an extra banana. Would highly recommend this recipe!
Hi Neena! I'm SO glad you liked these muffins. I love the flavor combination in them. Thank you for letting us know!!