Caramel Banana Muffins

I’m just going to say it – these caramel banana muffins are THE best way to use up those ripe bananas on the counter. They’re sweet, incredibly moist, and are topped with a sinfully sweet ribbon of homemade caramel. See, I told you they were delicious!

I just adore how easy these muffins are to whip up, and you can easily get the kids involved with mixing and scooping. Once they’re done, enjoy them with milkshakes, stuff them in lunchboxes, or anything in between!

The muffins themselves are super tasty, but it’s the caramel icing that truly takes the cake (pun intended!). It’s beautifully sweet without being sickly and adds visual interest and plenty of texture to those muffin tops.

Just don’t blame me when you eat an entire batch all at once. No judgment here though – I’ve been there.

Why You’ll Love These Caramel Banana Muffins

• They’re extremely easy to make and will please the whole family!
• The combination of caramel and banana flavors is utterly delicious.
• There’s minimal prep work involved and they store well in both the fridge and freezer to extend the deliciousness!
• The recipe is perfect for getting kids involved as the steps are simple – just make sure they’re careful around heat.

Ingredients

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The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.

For the muffins

• Shortening. For a buttery flavor that you just can’t beat!
• Sugar. I like using caster sugar for baking, but you can use granulated sugar if you’re in a pinch.
• Egg. To bind your muffins and add moisture.
• Bananas. Make sure they’re as ripe as possible. Not only are they sweeter, but they’re far easier to mash!
• Vanilla extract. Brings out the flavors in this recipe beautifully.
• All-purpose flour. This is the base of the muffin batter and meshes with the baking soda for a great rise.
• Baking soda. For getting those muffins to rise!
• Salt. Just a pinch to balance the flavors.

For the caramel icing

• Salted butter. For a flavorful and tasty drizzle.
• Brown sugar. Gives the icing its signature caramel flavor and sweetens things up nicely.
• Milk. Makes your icing moist and stops it from being too thick to drizzle.
• Powdered sugar. For a bit more sweetness (that’s super smooth!)

How to Make Caramel Banana Muffins

• Step One: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
• Step Two: Stir together muffin ingredients in a large bowl until combined. Scoop batter into paper liners until ¾ full.
• Step Three: Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a cooling rack.

• Step Four: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Whisk in powdered sugar.

• Step Five: Place icing in a small baggie and cut out the corner. Drizzle icing over the muffins.

Equipment Needed

You’ll need a few key pieces of equipment to prepare these caramel banana muffins. These are a few of my top picks for this specific recipe that’ll set you up for success.

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• Measuring cups
• Mixing bowl
• Muffin pan

What to Serve with Caramel Banana Muffins

• Nutella Coffee Milkshake
• Caramel Coffee Milkshake
• Maple Coffee Milkshake
• Cake Mix Cobbler
• Lemon Blueberry Fluff

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• When I make these caramel banana muffins, I always try to grab ripe bananas. Like with banana bread, riper bananas make super sweet muffins and cakes. Plus, they’re way easier to mash than green bananas! The higher sugar content also creates far sweeter muffins, which is worth thinking about.
• Make sure your caramel icing is set properly before putting it in a piping bag. You’ll have trouble piping super-wet icing. You can put it in the fridge for a few minutes if you’re struggling to get it to set.
• Don’t be tempted to take them out early. You want to make sure that your muffins are baked to perfection and not gooey in the middle. That’s why we test them with a toothpick to make sure there are no goopy bits left!
• Don’t overmix the batter. Any muffin should be perfectly tender, and overmixing is a one-way ticket to a dense and chewy bite.
• Go with muffin liners. I get that clearing up a greasy muffin tin can be irritating. To make things easier, use muffin liners for easy clean-up.

Variations and Substitutions

• You can technically make these muffins with oil if you don’t want to use shortening. I tend to find oil-made muffins are slightly more moist, but the shortening gives them far more flavor!
• If you want to dial up the crunch, feel free to add nuts to your batter or use them to top the icing.
• If you don’t have all-purpose flour, you can replace it with self-raising and alter the baking soda measurements.
• Want a crunchy and caramelized top? Sprinkle them with turbinado sugar for a slight change in texture!

Storage Instructions

Fresh muffins typically only last 2 days or so at room temperature (that’s if they’re covered and in an airtight container).

If you want them to last longer, you can usually put them in the fridge for up to a week.

Can I Freeze?

If you want to freeze your caramel banana muffins, I suggest wrapping the muffins in plastic or freezer bags.

They’ll keep in the freezer for 3 months and you can thaw them in the fridge before eating.

If you need to thaw them more quickly, preheat an oven to 350°F and bake them for a few minutes (3 or 4 is enough!).

Banana Recipes

• Banana Cupcakes
• Banana Bread
• Banana Streusel Muffins
• Banana Raspberry Muffins
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Banana Chocolate Cake
• Cinnamon Banana Pancakes
• Banana Cake with Toffee Frosting

I also have Sugar and Spice Muffins and Lemon Pound Cake Muffins that you might like. You may also enjoy this Caramel Apple Dump Cake, Caramel Sauce, Caramel Nut Brittle, Caramel Apple Tarts, Salted Caramel Fudge and Honey Banana Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

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