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    Gastronotherapy » Recipes » Holiday

    Banana Ginger Muffins

    Modified: Oct 5, 2023 · Published: Dec 7, 2020 · by MaryAnne · 15 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Light and fluffy banana ginger muffins are flavored with molasses, ginger, and cinnamon to create the perfect marriage of gingerbread and banana bread. Sour cream and yogurt are added for moisture and creaminess, bananas provide natural sweetness, and fresh ginger gives them a bit of a zing.

    muffins in a muffin tin with a napkin and cup of coffee in the background.

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    Orange zest and candied ginger are added as the final touch to make these muffins unforgettable. Ready in less than 30 minutes, they make a great holiday breakfast, tea-time snack, or edible gift.

    This banana ginger muffin recipe is moist, spicy, and so easy. The rich flavor from molasses pairs so well with the warm spices and bananas, and the whole-wheat flour adds a touch of nuttiness.

    Get ready for your kitchen to smell like the holidays!

    Jump to:
    • ⭐️ Why These Muffins are the Best
    • 🍌 Ingredient Notes
    • 📝 Variations & Substitutions
    • 🥄 How To Make Banana Ginger Muffins
    • 🍴Storage Instructions
    • 👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips
    • 💬 Frequently Asked Questions
    • ☕️ More Muffin Recipes
    • Banana Ginger Muffins Recipe

    ⭐️ Why These Muffins are the Best

    • Moist, rich, and spicy banana muffins with flavors of cinnamon, ginger, and molasses
    • A great way to use up your ripe bananas
    • Quick and easy breakfast or snack
    • No special equipment needed
    • Makes a great holiday gift
    • Freezer-friendly recipe

    🍌 Ingredient Notes

    muffin ingredients arranged on a table.
    • Unsulphured molasses - provides a deep and complex flavor that's often found in gingerbread
    • Whole-wheat flour - Gives nutty flavor and added health benefits.
    • Ripe bananas - Provides moisture as well as natural sweetness. If you have more ripe bananas to use up, try my banana peanut butter cookies, banana oat pancakes, or banana french toast.
    • Orange zest - Adds bright citrus notes
    • Ground ginger - Provides zesty spicy notes that are key to gingerbread
    • Ground cinnamon & ground cloves - Warm and subtle notes of spice

    📝 Variations & Substitutions

    • Make dairy-free/vegan: Substitute 1 flax egg for the egg, and use any dairy-free/plant-based alternatives for the yogurt, sour cream, and milk.
    • Make gluten-free: I have not tested this recipe using gluten-free flour, but you should be able to swap all-purpose gluten-free flour 1:1 without a hitch. If you try it, please let me know how they turn out!
    • Nuts. Add ½ cup of chopped and toasted nuts of your choice to add nuttiness and crunch. Walnuts or pecans would taste great!
    • Yogurt and sour cream. You can use one or the other, or both, for excellent results.
    two muffins stacked with cinnamon sticks on the side.

    🥄 How To Make Banana Ginger Muffins

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or use cupcake liners. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the molasses.

    olive oil and molasses whisked in a small bowl.

    In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, and orange zest. Add the olive oil and molasses and stir until well combined.

    wet ingredients whisked together in a bowl.

    Add the flours, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves. Stir a few times until just combined.

    muffin batter combined in a mixing bowl.

    Using a cookie scoop or large spoon, scoop into muffin tin and sprinkle a pinch of granulated sugar on top of each muffin.

    muffin batter in tin with a napkin.

    Bake for 17-20 minutes, until the tops are puffy and firm to the touch. Cool for a few minutes before serving.

    freshly baked muffins resting in a muffin tin with cinnamon sticks.

    🍴Storage Instructions

    Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Because these muffins contain so much moisture, their shelf-life will not be as long if stored at room temperature.

    How to freeze: Wrap your completely cooled muffins individually in foil and place in a freezer bag. Muffins can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips

    • Don't overmix. Overmixing your muffin batter can lead to tough and chewy muffins, and we want a light, fluffy, and airy texture. When adding your dry ingredients, stir just until combined.
    • Use unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap molasses. Unsulphured molasses is the finest quality, and is the type that most grocery stores carry.
    • Use ripe bananas. In this recipe, we use bananas to provide natural sweetness as well as moisture. Therefore, we want to use bananas that are quite ripe.
    • Use room temperature eggs. This allows more air to be incorporated when mixed, which creates light and airy muffins.

    💬 Frequently Asked Questions

    Why is my banana muffin hard?

    Over-baking can cause your muffins to turn out hard and dry. Therefore, follow your muffin recipe closely, and don't bake longer than instructed.

    What is the secret to fluffy muffins?

    Using room temperature eggs, along with room temperature dairy products, will allow more air to be whipped into your muffin batter, creating light and fluffy muffins.

    How do I make my muffins more moist?

    There are a few tips to ensure moist muffins, including not over-mixing your muffin batter, and not baking longer than instructed in the recipe.

    ☕️ More Muffin Recipes

    • Easy pumpkin cream cheese muffins arranged on a cutting board.
      Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins
    • almond poppy seed muffins arranged on parchment paper.
      Almond Poppy Seed Muffins
    • stack of apple muffins with an apple in the background.
      Chunky Gluten Free Apple Muffins (dairy-free option)
    • gluten free blackberry muffins arranged on a wooden board.
      Easy Gluten Free Blackberry Muffins

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook.

    Subscribe to my email newsletter to get a FREE e-book of 15 Healthy Weeknight Recipes, and get new recipes delivered to your inbox every week!

    banana gingerbread muffins arranged on a blue dish cloth.

    Banana Ginger Muffins Recipe

    Author: MaryAnne
    Light and fluffy banana ginger muffins are flavored with molasses, ginger, and cinnamon to create the perfect marriage of gingerbread and banana bread. Sour cream and yogurt are added for moisture and creaminess, and fresh ginger gives them a bit of a zing. Orange zest and candied ginger are added as the final touch to make these muffins unforgettable.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 17 minutes mins
    Total Time 27 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 muffins
    Calories 221 kcal

    Equipment

    • muffin tin
    • large bowl
    • cookie scoop or large spoon

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses
    • 1 egg, room temperature
    • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
    • ¼ cup sour cream, room temperature
    • ¼ cup Greek yogurt, room temperature
    • ½ cup milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
    • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
    • 1 cup whole wheat flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
    • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
    • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
    • granulated sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or place cupcake liners in tin.  In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the molasses.
    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, and orange zest. Add the olive oil and molasses and stir until well combined.
    • Add the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Stir a few times until just combined. Using a cookie scoop or large spoon, scoop into prepared muffin tin and sprinkle a pinch of granulated sugar on top of each muffin.
    • Bake for 17-20 minutes, until the tops are puffy and firm to the touch, or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes before serving.

    Notes

    • Don't overmix. Overmixing your muffin batter can lead to tough and chewy muffins, and we want light, fluffy, and airy. When adding your dry ingredients, stir just until combined.
    • Storage: Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Because they contain so much moisture, their shelf-life will not be as long if stored at room temperature.
    • Use ripe bananas. In this recipe, we use bananas to provide natural sweetness as well as moisture. Therefore, we want to use bananas that are quite ripe.
    • Recipe inspired by Pinch of Yum.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 221kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 5gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 250mgPotassium: 298mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 82IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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      Healthy Chocolate Cookies (vegan & gluten free)
    • Homemade vegan cookies with oatmeal and raisin on a cooling rack.
      Chewy Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
    • Homemade French onion dip in a bowl with chips.
      The Best Caramelized Onion Dip
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      Traditional Rum Balls

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Andrea

      November 17, 2021 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my, these sound amazing! Such great flavors for breakfast.

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        November 17, 2021 at 3:45 pm

        Thanks, Andrea! Yes, a very tasty and healthy breakfast! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Biana

      November 17, 2021 at 3:20 pm

      5 stars
      These muffins look delicious! A great idea for the holidays.

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        November 17, 2021 at 3:46 pm

        Thanks, Biana! I always look forward to them every winter!

        Reply
    3. cyndy

      November 17, 2021 at 5:30 pm

      5 stars
      These were a big hit in my house today. Will definitely be adding this to the family rotation.

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        November 18, 2021 at 7:31 am

        So glad to hear they were a hit, Cyndy! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Kechi

      November 17, 2021 at 5:43 pm

      5 stars
      I can only image the flavors loaded in this Banana Gingerbread Muffins! My little ones would love it!

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        November 18, 2021 at 7:31 am

        I hope they do, Kechi!

        Reply
    5. Maria San Juan

      November 17, 2021 at 7:24 pm

      5 stars
      My kids will surely love this! I am very excited about this. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        November 18, 2021 at 7:32 am

        You are welcome, Maria!

        Reply
    6. Mirlene

      November 17, 2021 at 7:35 pm

      5 stars
      I have not tried making gingerbread muffins yet! I need to try these with my kids this weekend!

      Reply
    7. Susan

      December 13, 2022 at 1:40 pm

      Can’t wait to make these! Can I substitute the whole wheat flour with white flour?

      Reply
      • MaryAnne

        December 13, 2022 at 1:49 pm

        Hi, Susan! Yes, you can use all white (all-purpose) flour if you like, but I would reduce the amount of milk to 1/3 cup. I hope you give them a go!

        Reply
    8. Melissa G.

      January 31, 2025 at 10:07 am

      You mentioned candied ginger in the intro paragraph but I don't see it in the ingredients. How do you use the candied ginger?

      Reply
      • MaryAnne

        January 31, 2025 at 10:50 am

        Hi Melissa, thanks for catching that! I add 2 Tablespoons of candied ginger to the muffin batter for extra spice and chewiness. Let me know if you give them a try!

        Reply
    5 from 8 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    Hi! I’m MaryAnne, the writer, recipe developer, and photographer behind Gastronotherapy, where I bring vibrant, delicious, and thoughtfully crafted mainly vegetarian and vegan (flexitarian) recipes to life. While my focus leans toward wholesome, nourishing dishes, my love for dessert ensures that indulgence always has a place at the table!

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