Warm, homemade banana nut muffins are always in season! These fluffy, moist, and perfectly sweet muffins are ready to eat in only 30 minutes. Plus, they're packed with banana flavor and crispy walnuts! You'll love this easy one-bowl recipe! Here's what people have to say:
- Kelli said, "Had to hide them from my 4 year old and hubby."
- Sha wrote, "Omg!! Perfection!! And my house smells AMAZING!! Soooo yummy!!!"
- Dave commented, "Doubled recipe. Made loaves instead of muffins - still great."
- Paul wrote, "Came out great I just added some cinnamon."
- Jenn said, "I made these into banana nut mini muffins. Turned out great and the kids loved them!"
Jump to:
Why You'll Love Banana Nut Muffins
- One Bowl. No need to bring out multiple bowls (i.e., one for the dry ingredients and one for the wet ingredients). Everything is mixed in one bowl!
- Customizable. You can easily swap out the walnuts with pecans or chocolate chips. This recipe works well for mini muffins, too.
- Moist Every Time. No fail recipe ensures a moist muffin (because dry muffins are just the pits!)
- Perfectly Sweet. My readers have told me time and time again that these muffins have the perfect blend of white sugar and brown sugar.
- Tastes just like Banana Nut Bread!
Check out my White Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins. Just like these muffins, they're pretty awesome! What's your favorite muffin?
Ingredient Photo, Notes, and Swaps
- Ripe Bananas - you'll want to use overripe bananas (look for the dark spots but no bruises) and mash them until they resemble baby food. You can also puree the bananas in your food processor for extra fluff!
- Real Butter - use unsalted butter, but if salted butter is all you have, go ahead and use that.
- Whole Milk - I recommend whole milk because it has a higher fat content which helps keep the muffins moist.
- Egg - room temperature eggs seem to blend better with the melted butter. Easy swap - liquid eggs (like EggBeaters).
- Pure Vanilla Extract - vanilla extract is a classic flavor enhancer! Easy swap - use maple extract for a deep maple flavor.
- White and Light Brown Sugars - combining both white and brown sugar ensures the perfect level of sweetness with just a hint of molasses flavor from the brown sugar.
- All-purpose flour - do not substitute with self-rising flour. The texture won't be the same if you do. Easy swap - use whole wheat flour.
- Salt and Baking Soda - common baking ingredients when using all-purpose flour. Do not substitute the baking soda with baking powder. The results won't be the same!
- Unsalted Walnuts - you can find unsalted walnuts in the baking section of the store. Do not use salted walnuts which are typically found in the snacks section of a store. Easy swap - unsalted chopped pecans.
If you still have a bunch (pun absolutely intended) of overripe bananas, use them to make my Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes! They use a lot of the same ingredients as these muffins.
Delicious Add-ins
- Add some chocolate chips (my husband's suggestion, lol).
- Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the batter.
How to Make Banana Nut Muffins
- Add the mashed bananas, melted butter, and milk to a large mixing bowl. Mix to combine.
- Add egg, vanilla, and brown sugar. Blend with a whisk.
- Add in the remaining dry ingredients. Blend with a whisk. Fold in the walnuts.
- Fill muffin pan cups to about ¾ full*. An ice cream scoop works well for this step. Bake as directed in the recipe card. Enjoy!
* Ensure each muffin cup has an equal amount of batter. Top with additional walnuts for that bakery-style flair, if desired.
Pair your muffins with a batch of pumpkin spice breakfast pancakes for the coziest autumn morning.
Tips for Perfect Banana Nut Muffins
- This recipe calls for packed brown sugar: spoon the brown sugar into a measuring cup. With the back of a spoon, press down the brown sugar. Spoon more brown sugar into the measuring cup, and pack down again with a spoon. Repeat the process until the measuring cup is full of brown sugar.
- Don't overmix the batter. Just blend it enough with a whisk to incorporate the ingredients.
- Spray a standard 12-muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. OXO offers a wonderful, heavy gauge muffin pan with easy grip sides.
Delicious Topping Ideas
These muffins are perfect just the way they are! But if you're feeling a little fancy, dress them up with these fantastic serving ideas:
- Spread butter, peanut butter, or almond butter on sliced, warm muffins.
- Spreading some Nutella on that baked muffin for a unique and surprising flavor combo!
- Sprinkle the tops of the cooked, cooled muffins with powdered sugar.
How to Quickly Ripen Bananas
- Microwave. Pierce the banana skin severeal times with a fork (don't peel the banana). Microwave on high for 30 seconds, then gently press around the banana to see if it's soft enough. If not quite soft enough, continue to cook in 30-second intervals.
- Oven. Preheat your oven to 300F. Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and cook until the skins turn black, usually at the 15 to 20 minute mark.
- Brown paper bag. Place bananas in a brown paper bag (be sure to close the bag). They should be much softer in a day or two. Tip - adding an apple or avocado to the bag speeds it up a little more!
Frequently Asked Questions
To keep these muffins fresh and moist, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days (refrigerate them and they'll keep fresh for a couple days more).
Absolutely! You can freeze these muffins for up to 3 months if you wrap them tightly in aluminum foil or place them in plastic freezer bags. When ready to eat, it only takes about 10-15 minutes for one to thaw on the countertop or wrap one frozen muffin in a paper towel and microwave on high for 10-15 seconds.
As I stated earlier, nothing is more wonderful than putting a small pat of real butter on a freshly baked, hot muffin! But here are some other things you may want to try spreading onto a banana nut muffin: honey, cream cheese, or apple butter.
Yes! If you have frozen bananas, just let them thaw and then mash them up!
Best Way to Store Muffins
So now that you've made these delicious muffins, what's the best way to store them? Store them in an airtight container (ziptop bag or sealable container) on your countertop for several days. Putting them in the refrigerator may dry them out a bit. But they also freeze perfectly fine. Once thawed, they're still moist!
If you're going to be taking them somewhere, I really like a sturdy plastic carrier that keeps the muffins from moving around. The Southern Homewares 3-in-1 Plastic Holder Container is perfect for transporting pies, muffins, and cupcakes. It offers easy-grip handles, a snap-tight lid, and it's made out of durable plastic. Available now on Amazon!
More Amazing Muffin Recipes
Recipe
Banana Nut Muffin Recipe
Equipment
- Standard muffin pan
- large mixing bowl
- measuring cup(s)
- measuring spoons
- whisk
Ingredients
- non-stick cooking spray
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed about a cup of mashed bananas
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted walnuts, chopped (plus extra for topping if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a standard size (12-servings) muffin pan with non-stick spray or use muffin liners and spray them with non-stick spray.
- Add the mashed bananas, melted butter, and milk to a large bowl. Blend with a whisk to combine.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and brown sugar. Blend with a whisk.
- Add in the remaining dry ingredients and fold in until just mixed. Then, fold in the walnuts.
- Fill muffin pan cups to about ¾ full. Make sure each muffin cup has an equal amount of muffin batter. Top with additional walnuts, if desired.
- Place in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 17-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out fairly clean (no wet batter stuck on it). Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- This recipe calls for packed brown sugar: spoon the brown sugar into a measuring cup. With the back of a spoon, press down the brown sugar. Spoon more brown sugar into the measuring cup, and pack down again with a spoon. Repeat the process until the measuring cup is full of brown sugar.
- For extra fluffy muffins, puree the bananas in a food processor.
- Don't overmix the batter. Just blend it enough with a whisk to incorporate the ingredients. How to Store Muffins: You can store muffins at room temperature for up to 3 days if they're stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze muffins for up to 3 months if you wrap them tightly in aluminum foil or place them in plastic freezer bags. What to Put on a Baked Muffin: They're pretty darn good all by themselves, but you can try adding a pat of butter, peanut butter, Nutella, cream cheese, honey, or apple butter.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.
Deb says
This is My go to recipe for perfect muffins every time!!
Anne Clark says
Thank you so much for leaving your comment and 5 stars, Deb! I'm glad you like these muffins 🙂
Anita says
Tasty, moist, and easy!
Sherrie Stolt says
Are these delicious banana walnut muffins today, they’re sooo yummy!! Thank you for the recipe!!
Anne Clark says
Hi Sherrie! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review and a 5-star rating! I'm happy you liked the muffins; this just makes my day!
Olga L. says
Great recipe. I used pecans instead of walnuts. It is a delicious recipe.
Anne Clark says
Hey Olga. Pecans are a great sub for walnuts - I'm so happy you liked the muffins. Thank you so much for leaving 5 stars and a great comment!
Pat G says
Made these yesterday and they are by far the best banana muffins I’ve ever had. Highly recommend!
Anne Clark says
Hey Pat. Thanks for the great comment and 5 stars! You have made my day!! Hope you have a great week!
Jean says
This has become my favorite banana muffin recipe and my husband loves them! Just wondering if I were to use whole wheat flour as a portion of the flour, how much do you think I could use?
Anne Clark says
Hey Jean! I'm happy you both love the muffins 🙂 thank you for saying so! I always use caution when substituting WW flour for AP flour because it can be tricky with some recipes...WW flour absorbs more liquid and weighs less than AP flour. So I think testing it with a small amount first is best! I suggest using 25% WW flour and see how you like the final result. And be sure to let me know how it turned out. Hope you have a great day!
Bridgett says
This biggest issue I have with these muffins is that they never last. I always make them the evening before so that we can have them for breakfast the next day. They are so yummy that my family INHALES them as soon as they come out of the oven. The only solution I've found is to double the recipe and hide a dozen until the next morning.
Anne Clark says
Oh my gosh, Bridgett! I love this!!! It makes me so happy to know that you and your family love these muffins 🙂 Your comment made my day!!! Thank you 🙂
Christian Payton says
Can I substitute applesauce for both the brown sugar and white sugar? I am just trying to make them with less sugar?
Anne Clark says
Hey Christian! That's a great question. When substituting applesauce for both sugars in this recipe, it’s important to balance moisture and sweetness since applesauce adds liquid. I suggest using 3/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce; this will cover both the brown and white sugars. Reduce the liquid in the recipe to account for the moisture in the applesauce, so you can leave out the milk. Let me know how they turn out!
Debbi B says
Baked these muffins the day before a friend came over for coffee. These were SO easy and quick to make! They were delicious and moist and my friend was so tickled to get homemade muffins! I'm freezing the leftovers to share as a housewarming gift for another friend. I followed the recipe this time other than using dark brown sugar instead of light. (That's what I had on hand. It really gave them a warm, caramel-like taste that was yummy!) I made 16 delicious muffins using a #20 cookie scoop as my measurement tool. I will definitely bake these again!
Anne Clark says
Hi Debbi! It's great to know how much you enjoyed baking these muffins and sharing them with your friend. Using dark brown sugar was a great substitution; I love its caramel flavor. Freezing the leftovers for a housewarming gift is such a thoughtful idea, too. I appreciate you leaving such a nice comment - makes me happy!!
Renee says
I half the white sugar, and add 1 T of cinnamon. If you use 1/4 cup scoop you get 18 regular sized muffins. Perfect for sharing at the office love it! .
Anne Clark says
Hey Renee! I love the addition of cinnamon to these muffins and your handy tip about using a 1/4 cup scoop!! Thank you for leaving 5 stars!!
Mandee says
I love this recipe! It's so straightforward and end in delicious muffins or in my case banana bread made in a bundt pan. I always add 3 tbsp of unsweetened Cocoa powder and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. The end result is delicious slice of chocolate chip banana bread slice! I have made this many times over the past few years. At this moment, I just made it again and waiting it to cool down. This time I added unsweetened Cocoa powder, semi-sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips, toasted walnuts, and toasted macadamia nuts. I can't wait to taste it!
Anne Clark says
Oh wow, Mandee!! I absolutely love everything this...baking it in a bundt pan and your delicious additions. I wish I had a slice of it right now! Thank you so much for leaving a comment, and letting me and everyone else know about your baking experience 🙂
Tia Schroeder says
These are probably the best muffins I’ve ever had. They are super moist and have a great flavor. I substituted half of the nuts for chocolate chips and made them as mini muffins and they turned out great.
Anne Clark says
Wow, Tia, thank you so much for leaving such a great comment!! That was an excellent substitution you made, and mini muffins are fantastic (perfect for snacking!). I'm so happy they turned out great. Thanks again!!