Banana Nut Muffins

Jump to Recipe· 5 from 3 reviews

These banana nut muffins are super moist, made with 5 extra-ripe bananas, and are better than boxed mix! This one-bowl recipe is easy to make and will become one of your favorite muffin recipes.

These soft banana muffins are a perfect healthier breakfast or snack to pair with a cup of coffee or tea. Healthy walnuts are mixed into the muffin batter and the muffins are topped with even more chopped walnuts and turbinado sugar for some added crunch!

These banana nut muffins are super flavorful and have a moist, fluffy texture. This recipe makes about 15 bakery-style banana muffins so you’ll have enough to share with your family and friends if you’d like!

This recipe was inspired by one of my all-time favorite banana muffin recipes, these maple bacon banana muffins! This was one of the earlier recipes I published and I think about them often. If you're looking for a decadent, almost dessert-like banana muffin, these are it.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Substitutions
Variations
How To Make Banana Muffins With Walnuts
Expert Baking Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Equipment
Storage
More Recipes You'll Love
Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This recipe will use up all of your old, brown bananas! Did you buy too many bananas or forgot about them? This banana muffin recipe calls for 5 ripe bananas or about 2 to 2 ¼ cups of mashed ripe bananas. This is what gives this recipe such a moist texture and loads of real banana flavor.
This is a great option for breakfast! Homemade muffins are an easy breakfast to enjoy in the morning with your cup of coffee or tea. This is also a good option if you’re on the go or need to pack breakfast or lunch with you.
These muffins are super moist and flavorful. As we mentioned earlier, this recipe calls for quite a bit of mashed banana. You’ll actually see flecks of ripe banana throughout these baked muffins just like you would with a boxed mix or a muffin from a bakery!
This recipe is easy to make and can be made in one bowl.
These muffins turn out amazing every time! I have made this recipe countless times and I always get the best banana muffins each time.

Ingredients

This recipe calls for pantry staple ingredients you should already have on hand! Plus, this muffin recipe will use up all of your over-ripe bananas. It's a win-win.

Bananas
Eggs
Butter
Brown sugar
All-purpose flour
Baking soda
Cinnamon
Salt
Walnuts
Turbinado or coarse sugar

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions

Need to make a substitution or missing an ingredient? Here are some ways you can alter this recipe to fit your unique dietary needs.

Gluten-free? I have not tested this recipe with other flour. I recommend trying a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour if you try to make this recipe gluten-free. Leave a comment and let me know how this goes!
Don’t like or have walnuts? I would recommend using chopped pecans instead! This is another great nut to use in baked goods.
Nut-free? Whether you are allergic to nuts or you’re simply not a fan of them, these banana muffins will turn out just as good without nuts! Feel free to add a different mix-in of your choice instead.
Want to use less sugar? I would recommend using ½ cup of lightly packed brown sugar and ¼ cup of honey or pure maple syrup. You can also try using coconut sugar instead of brown sugar if you prefer to bake with coconut sugar.

Variations

Here are a few ideas for customizing this recipe and making different flavor variations:

Use pecans instead of walnuts. This is another good option if you don’t want to use walnuts.
Substitute the nuts for a different mix-in of your choosing like fruit or chocolate chips.
Add chocolate! Some chocolate chips in these banana nut muffins would taste wonderful.
Add a streusel topping. Take the topping mixture that you would normally use for streusel muffins and use that on top of these banana muffins for some added crunch and sweetness. If your streusel topping is too buttery, it may affect the rise of these muffins.

This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how they turned out in the comments below!

How To Make Banana Muffins With Walnuts

Step 1: Beat melted butter and brown sugar together until combined.

Step 2: Peel bananas.

Step 3: Use a mixer to beat the bananas until mostly smooth, leaving some chunks of banana.

Step 4: Add mashed bananas to the butter and sugar mixture and beat to combine. Add eggs and beat to combine.

Step 5: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Don't over-mix.

Step 6: Fold in the walnuts until fully incorporated.

Step 7: Line your muffin tin with parchment paper liners and grease with non-stick cooking spray. Fill each muffin liner most of the way with batter. Top each muffin with extra chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of coarse sugar.

Step 8: Bake muffins according to the directions. Let cool and store covered at room temperature for 3 days.

Expert Baking Tips

Use a muffin scoop to portion out the muffin batter. Fill each muffin cup almost to the top edge of the liner. If you only fill your muffin cups halfway, your baked muffins will not have that tall, bakery-style look.
Use some non-stick cooking spray to lightly coat your parchment paper liners to prevent sticking.
Use fresh walnuts for the best-tasting nut muffins.
Bake your muffins in every other muffin cup to achieve a tall, bakery-style look. This allows more air to circulate around the sides of each muffin. (To do this, you would bake 6 muffins in a 12-muffin tin at a time so they are spaced out.)
Let your muffins cool in the muffin tin before removing them.
Store baked muffins in an airtight container or cover the cooled muffin tin with aluminum foil.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a question about this recipe? Here are some additional tips and commonly asked questions:

Are banana nut muffins healthy?

Banana nut muffins are healthier than most muffin recipes because they are mostly sweetened with ripe bananas and walnuts which have many health benefits.

To cut down on the sugar in this recipe and make these muffins even healthier, use ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup honey or pure maple syrup. You can also try using coconut sugar instead of brown sugar if you prefer to bake with coconut sugar.

Can you freeze banana nut muffins?

Yes, you can freeze banana nut muffins. Wrap cooled muffins in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze muffins for up to 2 months and thaw to enjoy. Muffins are best enjoyed when freshly baked and freezing may alter the texture and taste.

How long do you bake banana nut muffins?

Baking time may vary based on the recipe and your oven. However, this banana nut muffin recipe calls for a baking time of 20 to 25 minutes.

Equipment

You’ll need standard baking equipment to make these muffins. You will use a mixing bowl, a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, measuring cups and spoons, a large muffin scoop, a muffin tin, parchment paper liners, and a rubber spatula to make this recipe.

Storage

Room Temperature

Store freshly baked muffins at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days. To extend their shelf life, store covered muffins in the fridge for up to a week. Muffins are best enjoyed warm, so if stored in the fridge, microwave them for about 10 seconds before enjoying.

Freezing Instructions

Wrap cooled muffins tightly in plastic and place them in a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to enjoy, remove the muffins from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature.

Keep in mind that muffins that were frozen may have a different texture and appearance than freshly baked muffins.

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