Easy Banana Nut Muffins

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This simple banana muffin recipe is the perfect way to use ripe bananas for a quick and easy addition to breakfast or a simple snack. You can make these banana bread muffins with or without nuts.

What Makes This Banana Nut Muffin Recipe so good?

Ah, yes. Find ripe bananas –> make banana bread. A tale as old as time. But it doesn’t just have to be about the banana bread, you know.

Just like tons of zucchini in the garden doesn’t always have to be about zucchini bread. It can also be about zucchini ravioli and summer pasta salad.

While I would never turn away a loaf of banana bread, there’s something special about these little muffins. The tops get toasty with the pecans and they turn a little bit crunchy with all that brown sugar business going on.

Slightly crunchy tops making way to moist and fluffy banana centers.

All the things you love about a slice of banana bread, but you get the slightly crunchy top every single time, not just closer to the edges. That is an absolute winner in my book!

It actually already exists on my site in the form of classic banana bread, and as my dear husband will tell you, his mom has been making that banana bread for as long as he can remember.

I only had to make a few tiny tweaks to the recipe to perfect these moist banana bread muffins, and it is one of our favorites for us and for the kids.

The ingredient list is very basic.

You’ll need:
• flour
• baking soda
• cinnamon
• salt
• brown sugar
• granulated sugar
• butter
• eggs
• ripe bananas
• water (yes, water– take it up with Betty if you think it’s weird, but, it works!)

WHAT KIND OF NUTS ARE IN BANANA NUT MUFFINS?

While I prefer walnuts in my banana nut muffins, you can really use any nut you like! We often use pecans, but cashews, pistachios, and almonds would make a nice addition, too.

I like to use nuts, but you can also use chocolate chips. See the notes section of the recipe if you want to make these adjustments.

It makes for gorgeously domed muffins with slightly crisp tops.

Banana Nut Muffins Recipe Variations

• Feel free to leave out the nuts! These banana nut muffins have a really delicious banana base and are perfectly moist and flavorful on their own.

• To make jumbo muffins: initial bake time is 7 minutes and an additional 20-22 minutes. This recipe will make about 7 jumbo size muffins. 

• To make mini-muffins: bake for 12-13 minutes at 350°F (177ºC) for the entire time. Recipe yields about 40 mini muffins.

Tips for making Homemade Banana Nut Muffins

• If you want your muffins to bake up extra tall, consider letting the batter rest for 15 minutes before baking.

• Be sure you’re mixing the batter just until it’s incorporated. Over-mixing can lead to a tough crumb.

Handheld banana bread, basically. Who wouldn’t automatically love that too??

More banana recipes for your enjoyment: banoffee pie, Bananas Foster cake, banana crumb snack cake, almond flour banana bread, and classic banana bread.

5 from 6 votes

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Easy Banana Nut Muffin Recipe

This simple banana muffin recipe is the perfect way to use ripe bananas for a quick and easy addition to breakfast or a simple snack. You can make these banana bread muffins with or without nuts.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Bake Time23 minutes mins

Total Time38 minutes mins

Recipe Author Lynn April

Servings: 15 muffins

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 and ⅔ cup (200g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar
• ▢ 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 3 medium or 2 large bananas¹ mashed
• ▢ ⅓ cup (80mL) water
• ▢ ½ cup chopped nuts² optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF (204ºC). Spray the wells of a 12 count muffin pan with non-stick spray or line them with cupcake liners. Set aside.
• In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a large bowl with a handheld mixer, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat both of the sugars and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and beat again until completely incorporated. Add the banana and the water and beat again until everything is combined.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, stopping when everything is just incorporated. Stir in the nuts (if using) with a spatula.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared wells. I like to use an ice cream scoop with a thumb trigger. Sprinkle some reserved nuts (if using) on top of the batter. Bake the muffins for 8 minutes, then without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350ºF (177ºC) and bake for an additional 13-15 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Muffins stay fresh kept in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days or in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Muffins freeze well, up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying or pop in the microwave for about 15 seconds to warm up.

Notes

1. Bananas: you’re looking for about 1 and ½ cups of mashed bananas.
2. Nuts: these are totally optional. I prefer pecans or walnuts, reserve about 2 Tablespoons for sprinkling. You could also use ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (standard size). If you want to use mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, increase to ¾ cup.

 

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Did you make this recipe?Mention @freshaprilflours on Instagram or tag #freshaprilflours!

Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.