Mantecadas De Plátano (Banana Muffins) or should I say, Banana Crumb Cupcakes? They’re truly a muffin but they’re so light and fluffy it resembles a cupcake more than a muffin. A delicious treat that’s perfect for any time of day.

A plate with Banana muffins.

These muffins are always a hit in my house and make them often. Since I’m a banana lover, sometimes I buy way too many bananas!….more than I can eat in one week. And as soon as I have 3 bananas that start to over ripen, I make these Mantecadas de Platano.

These muffins are humble in appearance, but packed with a rich banana flavor, soft and fluffy. Make sure to gently fold in the flour to ensure that the finished muffins are light and fluffy instead of dense and stodgy. The crumb mixture on top is optional, but highly recommended for a bit of crunch and toasty flavor.

Also check out: The Classic Mantecada.

Why you’ll love it

  • No electric equipment needed. To make the mix you only need a fork and a whisk!
  • They light and fluffy and taste like cupcakes!
  • Perfect way to use ripe bananas.
  • These muffins only require simple ingredients that most likely you already have at home!
Overhead image of the muffins on a white platter.

This recipe was originally published in Sept 2018. It was updated to revise the content and photographs. The original recipe remains the same. Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the crumb topping you’ll need brown sugar, a little all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon and 1 tablespoon cold butter.

Here are the main ingredients for the muffins:

  • All-purpose flour
  • baking soda and baking powder
  • Cinnamon and table salt
  • 3 ripe bananas. They don’t have to be brown but make sure they’re soft.
  • Vanilla extract
  • White sugar
  • 1 egg and canola oil

How to make Mantecadas De Plátano

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it comes together in no time and there is no special equipment necessary. All you need is a few bowls, a whisk, a spatula and a fork!

  1. Start by preheating your oven. Set it to 375 °F. (190 °C), then line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners or coat with nonstick spray; set aside.
  2. To make the crumb topping by combining the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add 1 tablespoon cold butter to this mixture and with your hands, blend it until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Set aside.
One bowl with egg/banana mixture, one egg with flour and another small bowl.
  1. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and canola oil.
A bowl with muffin batter and one with cinnamon crumbs.
  1. Gently fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened.
A 12 muffin pan showing the cinnamon crumbs on top of the batter.
  1. Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin tray and then sprinkle with reserved crumb topping.
  1. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.
Close up image of the crumbs on top of the muffin.


How to Store

  • Use an airtight container: Sealable containers help keep air out and freshness in.
  • Cake Boxes: Cardboard cake boxes with lids are an excellent choice for short-term storage.
  • Freezer Bags: For freezing, use freezer-safe, airtight bags.

Reheating

Muffins always taste better warm. You can reheat in microwave for a few seconds or in the toaster oven to keep the top crunchy. Keep an eye on them as they reheat fast!

Serving Suggestions

Start with the basics – pair your mantecadas with a steaming cup of coffee, tea or a cold glass of milk.

Serve them with a fruit and yogurt parfait as it is the perfect accompaniment to any morning muffin because it adds a little bit of extra sweetness while still providing some nutrition and freshness.

Or make them into mini muffins to serve at brunch next to a large pot of Mexican hot chocolate. This combo sounds perfection to me!

A plate with Banana muffins.

I hope you like this recipe! Share it, or leave a rating and comment below. For questions that need an answer right away, please contact  me and I’ll get back to you asap. Gracias!!!! xx, Ana

Print Recipe:

A plate with Banana muffins.

Mantecadas De Plátano (Banana Muffins)

Servings 12 muffins
Ana Frias
5 from 12 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Mantecadas De Plátano (Banana Muffins) or should I say, Banana Crumb Cupcakes? They're truly a muffin but they're so light and fluffy it resembles a cupcake more than a muffin. A delicious treat that's perfect for any time of day.
12 muffins

Ingredients  

For the Crumb
  • cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon cold butter
For the muffins
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 bananas mashed
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • cup canola oil

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 °F. (190 °C) Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners or coat with nonstick spray; set aside.
  • To make the crumb topping by combining the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add the butter and with your hands, blend it until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Set aside.
    ⅓ cup packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon cold butter
  • In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and canola oil. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened.
    1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt
  • In another bowl, smash the bananas with a fork then add the sugar, egg and canola oil. With a whisk or fork, mix all ingredients well. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened.
    3 bananas, 1 tsp. vanilla, ¾ cup white sugar, 1 egg, ⅓ cup canola oil, ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
  • Gently fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined. It may be a little lumpy due to the banana but that's okay.
  • Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin tray and sprinkle with reserved crumb topping.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 184mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g

The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.

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Recipe Rating




17 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made these over the weekend with the kids and it turned out so so good!!! I can’t wait to double batch them in the future.

  2. 5 stars
    Enjoyed these for breakfast this morning and started my day off right! Turned out light and fluffy and paired perfectly with my morning cup of coffee!

  3. 5 stars
    Just made these up for breakfast and they are delicious! The only change I made was to use 4 very over-ripened bananas bc I had to use it up and we live at 6500′ so the extra liquid never hurts! I will definitely be adding these to the recipe book. Thank you!!!