Banana and milky caramel combine beautifully in these Banana Muffins Swirled with Dulce de Leche. This twist on a classic pairing makes a delicious breakfast treat or snack.
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Bakery-Style Banana Muffins at Home
Lately I’ve been adding dulce de leche to everything, and I’ve also been experimenting with bakery-style muffins. When I thought about new ways to use homemade dulce de leche, banana muffins were an obvious choice—bananas and caramel are a natural match.
These muffins are a great alternative when you want to use up overripe bananas. While banana bread is always wonderful, muffins are quicker to portion, bake, and enjoy. If you often find a bunch of bananas sitting on your counter, this recipe is a tasty solution.
Muffin or Cupcake? You Decide
This recipe is based on a bakery-style muffin method and blurs the line between muffin and cupcake. With generous swirls of dulce de leche, these banana muffins are indulgent enough to feel like a treat but simple enough for breakfast.
Ingredients that make these banana muffins magical
These muffins are large, tall, and moist with domed tops—just like pastries from your neighborhood bakery. The texture comes from a combination of oil, milk, and sour cream, while mashed overripe bananas and dulce de leche add deep banana and caramel flavor.
Tips for Making This Recipe
- Use very ripe bananas with lots of brown speckling for the best sweetness and banana flavor. They should mash easily but not be completely liquefied.
- Layer the batter and dulce de leche: add a small amount of batter to each cup, top with a teaspoon of dulce de leche, swirl gently with a toothpick, add more batter, then another dollop of dulce de leche and swirl again. Finish with a sprinkle of sparkling sugar if desired.
- If your dulce de leche is thick or cold, warm it briefly (10–20 seconds) and stir to loosen. A splash of milk can also thin it. Cold, heavy dulce de leche can sink to the bottom of the muffin.
- Begin baking at a higher temperature for a short time (425°F for 5 minutes) then reduce to 350°F for the remainder of baking to help produce tall domed muffin tops.
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Need Ripe Bananas?
If your bananas aren’t quite ripe enough, you can quickly ripen them in the oven. Baking them whole for a short time darkens the skins and softens the fruit so they mash easily and add more concentrated flavor to baked goods.
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Banana Muffins Swirled with Dulce de Leche
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 cup mashed overripe banana (about 2 large bananas)
- ½ cup dulce de leche (homemade or store-bought)
- Sparkling sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, stir together the vegetable oil, brown sugar, eggs, milk, and sour cream until combined.
- Add the mashed banana and mix until incorporated.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until no dry streaks remain.
- Fill each muffin cup about ¼ full with batter. Add a teaspoon of dulce de leche on top and swirl gently with a toothpick.
- Add more batter so the cups are about ½ full, add another teaspoon of dulce de leche, and swirl again.
- Sprinkle the tops with sparkling sugar if using.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for about 15 more minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- To freeze, wrap each muffin and store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or warm gently in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 287 kcal | Carbohydrates: 45.7 g | Protein: 5.8 g | Fat: 9.8 g | Saturated Fat: 6.8 g | Cholesterol: 39 mg | Sodium: 240.3 mg | Fiber: 1.2 g | Sugar: 21.2 g
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