I love making these banana muffins made with cake mix when I have overripe bananas. Amazingly, these muffins are made with only three ingredients including cake mix, bananas and eggs. These muffins taste delicious and are a great to-go breakfast or snack. They are kid-friendly and very portable. This recipe makes 18 nice-sized muffins.
If you love bananas and chocolate together, try these banana chocolate muffins with 3 ingredients. They are easy to make and delicious!
I have also made these two-ingredient pumpkin muffins a lot these last few weeks. It's another simple muffin recipe with a big add-in of healthy pumpkin.
Table of contents
Why I love these muffins
Bananas: Ripe bananas add natural sweetness, moisture, and a delightful banana flavor that everyone loves. It's a fantastic way to use up those overripe bananas sitting on your counter.
Budget-Friendly: Utilizing a cake mix and readily available ingredients keeps the cost low, offering a delicious and economical treat without breaking the bank.
Effortless Baking: No need for complicated measuring or sifting! This recipe uses a cake mix as the base, eliminating the fuss and ensuring success even for beginner bakers.
Infinite Variations: Add chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or a sprinkle of cinnamon for a personalized touch. You can even use different cake mix flavors for endless flavor combinations.
Ingredients
Yes, these banana muffins are made with only three ingredients!
1 box yellow cake mix - I like using Betty Crocker mixes but your favorite brand works. Just make sure that there is 15.25 oz of mix in the package (amounts seem to be changing.
3 large bananas (or 4-5 small bananas) Bananas should be well or over-ripened
2 large eggs lightly beaten
½ teaspoon cinnamon (totally optional) My family loves cinnamon with any banana bread. Other delicious add-in items include chocolate chips, chopped walnuts and even butterscotch chips.
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
Step 2
Add bananas to a large bowl. I used 3 large-sized bananas. You could use 4 - 5 small ones. I use a potato masher. Actually, sometimes I use a hand mixer. Just don't overmix; you still want some of the banana texture.
Step 3
Add two large eggs to the mashed bananas. I usually crack the eggs into a small well in the bananas, try to beat just the eggs, and then mix them all in.
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Step 4
Add a box of cake mix. Just the cake mix. Not the ingredients you are told to add to the box.
My family loves cinnamon. I add about ½ teaspoon. This is an optional ingredient. If you like the cinnamon flavor, add it.
This is a sticky batter, and you won't be able to pour it. I line my muffin tins with paper muffin liners. Then I use a scoop to help portion the batter evenly and neatly.
A Texture FYI
This texture is slightly different from a scratch banana bread recipe. It's not as dense. But, it's just as flavorful and delicious. It has a great place in every person's recipe collection of quick and easy recipes.
Bake for approximately eighteen minutes (test with a pick for doneness). Mmmmmm, they smell so good when they bake.
Helpful Equipment tips
If you are going to frequently make muffins, buy yourself a good nonstick muffin tin especially if you don't regularly use paper muffin liners! Also, I'm a huge fan of using scoops to transfer the batter into the muffin tins. So much easier and less messy (no drips of batter everywhere! I use these scoops. Paper muffin liners are great with these muffins!
Can I make this as 2 ingredient banana muffins?
Don't have any eggs handy? This works out fine without eggs. It just makes fewer muffins. The muffins will be denser than the original version, but they still taste great!
Storage and freezing
These keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in a covered container. They get a little moist, so I take them out and remove the lid for a few minutes before before serving them.
They freeze well, individually wrapped. I never have any leftovers to freeze!
FAQs
I will sometimes sift some icing sugar on this just before serving. These banana cake mix muffins don't need to be fancy because they are so delicious!
Yes you can. The muffins may need to bake a minute or two longer. Really ripe bananas also add sweetness so if you use unripened bananas your muffins may be a little less sweet.
Other Delicious Muffins
Cake mix banana muffins
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 3 large bananas Very ripe - or 3-4 small bananas
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon optional but delicious
Instructions
- Turn oven on to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Mash bananas
- Add and mix in the two eggs
- Add cake mix to the egg and banana mixture. Do not add the ingredients listed on the box!
- Add optional cinnamon
- Stir until everything is well mixed. This can be done by hand or at a slow speed with a hand mixer. The batter should have banana lumps in it so it is not smooth.
- Bake for approx. 18 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick
Notes
Nutrition (I am not a nutritionist. These are estimates only)
Anonymous
Thanks so much! I'm eager to try the banana muffins. I've done the pumpkin ones before and I'm getting ready to make more to take to a Thanksgiving dinner. Our family has egg allergies so these types of recipes are perfect for us. They're especially great since many of the desserts at potlucks contain eggs. We are able to take something tasty along for dessert!
Anonymous
Just made a batch and put them in the oven. Looking forward to a mouthful of happiness roughly in about 20 minutes. By the way, I always have one right out of the oven..Never have the patience to let it completely cool 🙂
Anonymous
First I'd like to mention that most muffins are not healthy, but that being said they are better than lots of other options. We made these yesterday with the butter pecan cake mix, and everyone loved them! Super easy in a pinch.
ZD Toepfer
@ Veronique L. - I don't see anywhere in Momcrieff's post saying these are healthy. Cupcakes / Muffins I do not believe were ever meant to be "healthy". They are meant to bring a smile upon ones face while devouring them.
momcrieff
Thank you for your kind support. I couldn't have said it better! I certainly don't claim these are health food. But, they are a nice, easy treat. And yes, in my house, they occasionally are considered breakfast : ).
Linda P.
These sound great! I will definetly try it 🙂
kevoshmevo
Veronique needs to make a batch of happy muffins : /
With 3 kids this is quick and easy - I think both the banana and pumpkin recipes tasted great !
Monika
this was great! made these with a devils food cake mix instead of yellow cake. Going to make these for my sons class! thanks for the recipe!
Veronique L.
I'm sorry but that's not a muffin. That's a banana cupcake without icing. Way too much sugar. A muffin is healhty that is not. This is CAKE mix. And by the way the recipe is way more than 2 ingredients. A cake box mix is full of crap ingredients.
momcrieff
I did a rough calculation a few months ago and came up to 160 calories. (box of cake mix plus can of pumpkin divided by 12)
Erin
Love this muffin recipe! So easy to make and very yummy. 🙂 Used white cake mix with 4 bananas. I added a little bit of cinnamon and chocolate chips. I had to cook them a little longer, 20 to 24 minutes.
CeeEllEff
I just made these using a box of carrot cake mix and 4 way overripe bananas. Wow...so easy and delicious. They were pretty sweet, but nothing a nice pat of salty butter couldn't adjust! Thanks for the idea!
Fyi...MFP says my version is 195 cal, 1.5g fat, 24g sugar, 2.3g protein, 1g fiber.
Anonymous
I used chocolate cake mix. Delicious!
momcrieff
Yes, 12 muffins. I just recalculated with the mix I used this morning. It's 160 calories per serving and they are saying 10 servings per box. So, 1600 total plus the bananas - 330 - 3 large - for a total of 1990 calories. Then divide by 12 for a calorie count of 160 each. Different mixes have different calories so I'm not sure which one I used when I originally wrote out the recipe. Does this make sense? If you don't mind just a few more calories, these are awesome with a handful of chocolate chips! Hope you enjoy them.
Nicole
I only had 3 bananas so I added 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt. They were still healthy and tasted devine!
Ann
Yummy! Looks delish! Can't wait to give them a try!
Gigi
Tried these today...I didn't have yellow cake mix but I had lemon box cake mix....added some poppy seeds and used 3 really ripe bananas. Came out pretty good. Batter was thick but I only had 3 bananas. I will make these again definitely, maybe experiment with other box cakes mixes, and add a 4th banana. Thanks for sharing 🙂
momcrieff
Glad it worked out for you! Next time if you are short a banana, just throw in an egg. It'll give you that little extra liquid that you need.
hdh
I have made these and added mini choc chips and nuts. Delicious!!!!
momcrieff
Yes, a little add in makes these even more delicious! I've also been adding my bag of frozen blueberries. Might also be an option : ).
Lillian
Hi, I'm wondering if you happen to know how many calories per muffin? More or less. Thanks. They look delicious! 🙂
momcrieff
Hi Lillian
They would have about 150 calories.
Anonymous
Delicious! Just made these and couldn't resist one warm muffin right out of the oven.
sallie
This is a really easy recipe and I love it