Banana Upside Down Muffins

A soft, nutmeg spiced base with sticky caramelized banana topping make the best ever banana upside down muffins!

Close up photo of a Banana Upside Down Muffin

Why this recipe works

Let me introduce you to sweet banana upside down muffins. A fluffy muffin base perfectly spiced with grated nutmeg followed by caramelized dark brown sugar “topping” and a banana slices. If that doesn’t paint the picture for you, I’m not sure what will.

I love upside down desserts, the way the sugar caramelizes and just melts in your mouth. We all know about classic pineapple upside down cake, but have you ever thought of making a version with bananas? I’m always looking for ways beyond banana bread to use ripened bananas. Lo and behold, the perfect recipe for just that. I’ve been making these banana upside down muffins since 2009 and they’ve always proven to be a winner for both breakfast and dessert!

Banana Upside Down Muffin topped with whipped cream and a banana slice

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredients for Banana Upside Down Muffins

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

MUFFINS – The muffin base is lightly flavored with grated nutmeg. Feel free to warm it up even further with a dash of cinnamon or toss in some chopped nuts. You can even swap the muffin base out with banana muffins for more banana flavoring. The dark rum called for in the ingredients adds a lovely touch of nutty vanilla flavor, I highly recommend trying it. You can always substitute with about 1/2 tablespoon or so of rum extract instead.

TOPPING – The topping is a simple mixture of butter and dark brown sugar. I initially found this recipe in Mani Niall’s cookbook called Sweet! in which he uses dark muscovado sugar in place of the dark brown sugar. Muscovado sugar leans heavier on the molasses flavor, you can use either or here!

How to Make Banana Upside Down Muffins

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 F. Lightly spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
To prepare the pans, place 2 teaspoons of the butter and 2 teaspoons of the brown sugar in each muffin cup. Bake until the mixture in each cup is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool for a few minutes.
Peel the bananas and cut them on a diagonal into 48 thin slices.
In each muffin cup, place two banana slices on the bottom and two banana slices along the sides.
To make the muffins, sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in a medium sized bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, eggs, milk, rum, and vanilla.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the egg mixture, and stir just until blended. Do not overbeat.
Divide the mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them as full as possible (be sure to divide them evenly, they will be about 3/4 way full).
Bake until the center of a muffin springs back when pressed gently with your finger, about 18 minutes.
Immediately invert the muffins onto a wire rack. Cool briefly and serve. The muffins are best the day they are made.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

How do you store leftovers?

These muffins are best the day they are made. However, you can store them in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for an additional two to three days.

Hand holding up a Banana Upside Down Muffin with two bites taken out

Serving Suggestions

Serve your banana upside down muffins alongside coffee or tea in the morning. Or, serve them for dessert with fresh whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon or chopped nuts.

You might also want to try them drizzled with caramel sauce or warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

I love to bake and cook and share my kitchen experience with all of you! Remembering to come back each day can be tough, that’s why I offer a convenient newsletter every time a new recipe posts. Simply subscribe and start receiving your free daily recipes!

This recipe originally appeared here on July 12, 2009 and has since been updated with new photos and expert tips. Original recipe credit – Sweet! by Mani Niall.

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Amanda Davis

President at Amanda's Creative Studio, Inc.

Amanda Davis is the entrepreneurial mom of four grown children and four step children. She and her husband, Chef Antoine, love to cook together creating recipes for this blog. Amanda also make kid's crafts and creates decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years. She is also a craft book author five times over and product developer as well as the owner of FunFamilyCrafts.com. You can find her on social media by using the buttons to the left!