Banana Nut Muffins are moist and tender with a sweet, crunchy top and nuts. This easy recipe only needs 2 bananas, some nuts, pantry ingredients, and 30 minutes.
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These banana walnut muffins are delicious, tender, and moist with crunchy walnuts. So good you will hide a couple of bananas to use for muffins later.
They will fit a healthy diet like a low-calorie or low-fat diet. You will have a great start on a healthy breakfast, a special snack, or freeze them for later.
This banana nut muffin recipe only needs a bit of hand mixing—no mixer is required. It uses 2 to 3 ripe bananas and some kitchen staples you already have. Just follow the easy step-by-step photo instructions.
Try these related recipes like Banana Nut Bread, Oven Baked Banana Pancakes, Banana Nut Cookies, and Banana Nut Cake. Ot other muffin recipes like Apple Muffins, Strawberry Cinnamon Muffins, and Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins.
🍌Ingredients
- Ripe Bananas—to make 1 ½ cups of mashed bananas—2 large or 3 medium bananas.
- Real Butter—if unsalted, add a pinch of salt.
- Vanilla Extract
- Milk—volume will vary by the volume of bananas.
- Chopped nuts—usually walnuts, but some prefer pecans. You may want to sprinkle a few on top with the sugar.
- Other Ingredients: All-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg (optional).
👨🍳How to Make Banana Nut Muffins
- Mix wet ingredients by mashing 2 large overripe bananas, melted butter, an egg, and vanilla extract. Mix well and add enough milk to make 2 cups of wet ingredients.
- Mix all the dry ingredients and chopped walnuts in a large bowl.
- Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Do not over-mix.
- Pour batter into prepared muffin tin with paper liners, sprinkle top with sugar and optionally additional nuts.
- Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick comes out clean.
⏰How long to bake muffins?
Standard-size muffins will take 20-25 minutes. Start checking at the low end of the range. There are a few variables, like your exact oven temperature, the pan, and the fullness of the muffin tin.
Three ways to tell when a muffin done
- Lightly press on the top of the muffin, and if it pops back quickly and leaves no indentation, it is done.
- The toothpick test—insert a toothpick in the top center of the muffin. It is done when the toothpick comes out clean.
- Internal temperature—a fully cooked muffin will have an internal temperature of 200°to 205°.
👨🍳Making mini or jumbo muffins
This recipe is for 12 standard-size muffins, but you can make different sizes. Make them like you want: mini, regular, or jumbo. Just cook to the endpoint and not by time.
Generally, bake mini muffins for 10 to 15 minutes and jumbo muffins for 25 to 30 minutes.
🖊️Variations and Options
- Additions and substitutions: I don't usually add anything else. But common suggestions are blueberries, cranberries, and chocolate chips.
- Nuts: Walnuts are the classic nuts, but pecans are commonly used. Or skip the nuts to make banana muffins.
- Topping: I suggest a simple sprinkle of sugar or brown sugar, giving a nice crust on top. A sprinkle of chopped walnuts with sugar is a nice touch. You can make a streusel topping, but I don't feel it is needed.
- Pump it up: A tablespoon or two of strong coffee may increase the "banana taste." Add it to the liquid before topping it off with milk.
✔️Tips for making the best muffins
- Get the liquid ingredient volume correct. Bananas vary in size—two large or three medium will get the 1 ½ cups you need. A little less will be made up with milk.
- Do not overmix. Mix until the dry ingredients are all incorporated into the batter but stop then.
- Do not overbake. The oven and pan will vary the baking time. For perfect muffins, watch for the endpoints.
- Never use baking powder with aluminum which may cause an aftertaste.
❓FAQs
While many muffins are loaded with fat and sugar, this recipe is lower in fat and calories. They are not healthy but can be a nice treat within a low-calorie or low-fat diet with 175 calories and 6 grams of fat.
Yes, they are great for baking if you don’t have time to use them now, peel and freeze them until you can bake bread or muffins.
Good at room temperature for 2 days, refrigerated for 3-4 days, and will freeze nicely for 3-4 months in an airtight container.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°, not convection. Prepare a muffin pan, give them a light spray of cooking spray, and line it with paper liners if desired.
Mash the bananas well in a 2-cup measuring cup. Get as much banana as possible, leaving space for the egg and vanilla—2 large or 3 medium. 1 ½ cups will be perfect, and you won't need milk.
Melt ⅓ cup of butter in the microwave—about 20 seconds, depending on your microwave.
Add 1 egg to the banana and mix. Add the melted butter, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and just enough milk to make 2 cups of the "liquid."
You need about ¾ cup of chopped walnuts. You may use pecans or other nuts are fine.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl; the walnuts with 1 ½ cup AP flour, ¾ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon nutmeg (optional).
Mix the wet into the dry and only mix until all the dry is incorporated. Do not over-mix.
Pour the batter into the cups—about ¾ full.
Sprinkle the tops with a generous amount of sugar and more nuts if you want. Spray the sugar with PAM.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the top to about the center of the muffin. It is done when the toothpick comes out clean. Or check for an internal temperature of 200° to 205°. Cool on a wire rack.
📖 Recipe
Easy and Quick Banana Nut Muffins
Ingredients
Wet
- 2-3 ripe bananas - 1 ½ cups of mashed bananas
- 1 egg - large
- ⅓ cup butter
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- milk - to make 2 cups of liquid
Dry
- 1 ½ cup AP flour
- ¾ cup sugar - plus more for the top
- ¾ cup walnuts - or pecans
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg - optional
Topping
- White or brown sugar
- chopped walnuts or pecans—optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°, not convection. Prepare a muffin pan, give them a light spray of cooking spray, and line it with paper liners if desired.
- Mash the bananas well in a 2 cup measuring cup. Get as much banana as possible, leaving space for the egg and vanilla—2 large or 3 medium. 1 ½ cups will be perfect, and you won't need milk.
- Melt ⅓ cup of butter in the microwave—about 20 seconds, depending on your microwave.
- Add 1 egg to the banana and mix. Add the melted butter, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and just enough milk to make 2 cups of the "liquid."
- You need about ¾ cup of chopped walnuts. You may use pecans, or other nuts are fine.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl; the walnuts with 1 ½ cup AP flour, ¾ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon nutmeg (optional).
- Mix the wet into the dry and only mix until all the dry is incorporated. Do not over-mix.
- Pour the batter into the muffin pan—about ¾ full.
- Sprinkle the tops with a generous amount of sugar and more nuts if you want. Spray the sugar with PAM.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. Just insert a toothpick in the top to about the center of the muffin. It is done when the toothpick comes out clean. Or check for an internal temperature of 200° to 205°. Cool on a wire rack.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- The bananas should be at least ripe, but overripe is better. 2 large bananas will be about right to make the 1 ½ cups of mashed banana.
- A tablespoon or two of strong coffee may increase the "banana taste." Add it to the liquid before topping it off with milk.
- The volume of milk varies with the volume of the mashed bananas. More banana is better than more milk.
- Never use baking powder with aluminum.
- I have increased the baking powder to get a lighter texture.
- The nuts and nutmeg are optional.
- The sugar and PAM topping form a nice crust and some nuts or use brown suger to make it what you want.
- Use the nuts you like. You will need ¾ to 1 cup.
- See the post above for a discussion of mini and jumbo-size muffins.
- There are some variables, so be sure to check the endpoint. Just insert a toothpick in the top to about the center of the muffin. It is done when the toothpick comes out clean. Or you can press lightly on the top of the muffin, and if it pops back quickly and leaves no indentation, it is done. Lastly, you can check the internal temperature for 200° to 205°.
- Good at room temperature for 2 days, refrigerated for 3-4 days, and will freeze nicely for 3-4 months.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally Published November 2, 2012. Updated with expanded explanation and options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Catherine Yoss
I love these Muffins. Recently I wanted to make them but had only 2 bananas. I used 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce. It worked out great! Keep sending us great recipes.
Beth Matteri
These banana nut muffins are amazing. So moist with great flavor.
Thanks for sharing.
Catalyst
Just tasted these. Spectacular, Dr. Dan. I forgot to add the black coffee but when my wife says "You done good!" I think I'll keep your recipe. Thanks!
Jojo
Hello - I really like your step-by-step instructions, that in particular has prompted me to make your recipe. They also look very tasty. Thank you.
Gigi
I love banana muffins and like to change them up a bit. I
I like to add maple flavoring to the mix sometimes.
I like to chop candied ginger and add that to the mix. I change nuts from time to time also.
These are great for snacks, breakfast and dessert!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Gigi,
Welcome to the blog.
I love a good banana muffin. I just got bananas today and think I will hide two for the weekend.
Those sound like great suggestions.
Thanks for the note, modifications and the rating.
Dan
Abby
Five stars. Seriously, the best muffins I think I've ever eaten. This will be a new go-to recipe!
Phil St. Pierre
The drumstick and thigh recipes are grand. I love your 7-2-11 and this is so simple to bake. One thing ,the house fills with smoke when i bake the thighs so I simply take them out to the grill in a deep pan on a grate with foil on the bottom and close the cover . After 35 minutes at 450 they are just great and picture perfect browned ... thanks for what you do and I look foward to future gems from you. And the photos are perfect .
Diane Roark
These look delicious! I love banana muffins. Blessings, Diane Roark