Easy banana nut muffins are the best way to use ripe bananas. They are soft, moist, and full of flavor. Perfect for breakfast or just a special snack.
Banana nut muffins are one of my all-time favorite things and these are a great tasty muffin. Good enough to hide a couple of bananas just to use for muffins later.
This recipe is an easy bake (3/10) with only a bit of hand mixing with ingredients you already have on hand. Just follow the simple step by step photo instructions.
My Rating
We loved them. Enough said.
Pro Tips: Recipe Notes for Banana Nut Muffins
Most of the internet recipes are approximately the same but a few interesting points.
The Amount of Bananas
The ratio of liquid (wet) ingredients to dry ingredients can really throw recipes like this way off, and the number and size of bananas just scream they will make your muffins fail.
The solution is to use a large measuring cup to mash the bananas and then fill the remaining volume out with the remaining liquid ingredients to a specific amount – 2 cups here.
So use two or three bananas.
Why Ripe Bananas?
For muffins and almost any banana recipe, we want ripe or “overripe” bananas. Why? They are sweeter and make the recipe much better than greener bananas.
Amylase is the enzyme that breaks down the starch in bananas into sugar, making the bananas sweet. Another enzyme will break down cell walls and soften the banana. And a third enzyme will change the color of the banana peel.
Other Tips
Do not over mix the batter and just pour the batter into the cups and let it settle in by itself. Do not pack it in.
The sugar and PAM topping forms a nice crust, so do not skip on the sugar.
A tablespoon or two of strong coffee may increase the “banana taste.” Add it in the liquid before topping off with milk.
Never use baking powder with aluminum.
The nutmeg is optional.
Use the nuts you like. You will need 3/4 to 1 cup. You can sprinkle some on top with the sugar for a nice touch.
Good at room temperature for 3-4 days and will freeze nicely for 3-4 months.
Other Banana Nut Recipes
Cream Cheese Filled Banana Bread
Sugar and Flour are missing from the picture.
Preheat oven to 350 (not convection this time).
Mash the bananas well in a 2 cup measuring cup.
Melt 1/3 cup of butter in the microwave. About 25 seconds depending on your microwave.
Add one egg to the banana and mix until well combined. Add the butter, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and add just enough milk to make 2 cups of the “liquid.”
You need about 3/4 cup of chopped nuts. I use walnuts but use pecans, or other nuts are fine.
Combine the dry ingredients in a larger bowl; the nuts with 1 1/2 cup AP flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon each of baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg (optional).
Mix the wet into the dry and only mix until all the dry is incorporated. Do not over mix.
Prepare 12 cupcake baking cups. I gave the pan a good spray of PAM, so they won’t stick. Pour the batter into the cups.
Sprinkle the tops with a generous amount of sugar. Spray the sugar with PAM.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, for me 23 minutes. Some variability due to the oven differences should be expected
Other Muffin Recipes
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Banana Nut Muffins
Ingredients
Wet
- 2-3 bananas - ripe
- 1 egg - large
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- milk - to make 2 cups of liquid
Dry
- 1 1/2 cup AP flour
- 3/4 cup sugar - plus more for the top
- ¾ cup nuts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg - optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Mash 2-3 bananas well in a 2 cup measuring cup.
- Melt 1/3 cup of butter in the microwave. About 25 seconds depending on your microwave.
- Add one egg to the banana and mix until well combined. Add the butter, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and add just enough milk to make 2 cups of the "liquid."
- You need about 3/4 cup of chopped nuts. I use walnuts but use pecans, or other nuts are fine.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a larger bowl; the nuts with 1 1/2 cup AP flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon each of baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg (optional).
- Mix the wet into the dry and only mix until all the dry is incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Prepare 12 cupcake baking cups. I gave the pan a good spray of PAM, so they won't stick. Pour the batter into the cups.
- Sprinkle the tops with a generous amount of sugar. You can add a few nuts if you want. Lightly spray the sugar with PAM.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, for me 23 minutes. Some variability due to the oven differences should be expected
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- The bananas should be at least ripe but overripe is better. 2-3 will do.
- A tablespoon or two of strong coffee may increase the "banana taste." Add it in the liquid before topping off with milk.
- Never use baking powder with aluminum.
- The nutmeg is optional.
- Do not over mix the batter and just pour the batter into the cups and let it settle in by itself. Do not pack it in.
- The sugar and PAM topping forms a nice crust, so do not skip on the sugar.
- Use the nuts you like. You will need 3/4 to 1 cup. You can sprinkle some on top with the sugar for a nice touch.
- Good at room temperature for 3-4 days and will freeze nicely for 3-4 months.
Check Out Other Great Recipes
Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
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