Updated 2nd September 2024
These banana nut muffins are so easy to make and they are always a hit at the breakfast or brunch table. They make a great grab and go snack or breakfast if you remember to make a batch ahead of the week making your Monday better and saving the you the visit to the drive through. Loaded with banana flavor and a touch of vanilla and warm spices. My preferred nut is pecans but walnuts work beautifully and I always like to add some chocolate bits too but you can leave those out for more of purist banana nut muffin.
My family loves banana bread – I’m always buying bananas for my smoothies and my breakfast bowls but I seem to be the only one eating them that way – the rest of the family loves to see them sit and get speckled and eventually if they wait long enough, get turned into banana bread, cake or these muffins. I don’t blame them – these are perfect with a cup of coffee or tea and I love mine warmed up with a bit of melted butter.
Easy Banana Nut Muffin Ingredients:
- BANANAS: Over ripe bananas are usually best for banana bread – they add a natural sweetness to baked goods. You can also use frozen bananas too. Thaw the frozen bananas. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe
- ALL PURPOSE FLOUR: Feel free to use an all purpose Gluten free flour to make them GF
- EGGS: I use large and room temperature eggs so they incorporate into the batter better
- VEGETABLE OIL: Feel free to use any one you prefer – I typically use canola oil or coconut oil
- VANILLA: I always use pure vanilla extract for best flavor
- SPICES: I keep it simple with a little cinnamon and nutmeg. Feel free to add more or don’t add any at all if you prefer them without – but I think they are best with at least a little cinnamon
- SUGAR: I use both brown sugar and granulated sugar for this recipe for the extra added moisture and that slightly caramelized deeper flavor but you can easily use one or the other but it may affect the moisture levels in the muffins
- BAKING SODA, BAKING POWDER & SALT: Just a little of each for leavening and flavour
- BUTTERMILK: Buttermilk gives baked goods just the best texture, moisture and helps with the leavening as well as adding to the flavor. If you do not have any buttermilk – make it by combining 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar lemon juice. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes and voila you have simple homemade buttermilk. If you don’t have any or don’t want to make any feel free to substitute it with plain yoghurt.
- OPTIONAL ADD INS: Some like their banana nut muffins simple and plain and others like them loaded up with different nuts (like chopped pecans or chopped walnuts- use whichever you like or whatever combo you like) as well as chocolate chips or chocolate chunks or even seeds and raisins – feel free to add some into the batter – up to ½-1cup. You could also add some coarse sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top of the loaf before it goes in the oven. It gives it a nice, sugary crunch! Feel Free to use any additional spices you like to add to your banana bread as well
How to Make Banana Nut Muffins
These Banana Nut Muffins are quite simple to make. Here are the basic instructions with more details in recipe card below.
- SMASH the bananas with a fork or masher
- WHISK together dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, spices and chocolate chips if using along with the nuts.
- WHISK together wet ingredients: vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, mashed bananas and vanilla.
- COMBINE the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients gradually and FOLD / gently stir until just about combined – do not over mix
- Gently SCOOP out batter evenly into prepared pan right up to the brim or just under of each muffin tin, sprinkle over more chocolate chips and nuts and coarse sugar if using
- BAKE at 425°F for 7 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and continue to bake for another 12-15 minutes
- COOL in pan a few minutes then remove from pan, allow to cool and enjoy!
Banana Nut Muffin Tips
There are a lot of tips out there – here are a few that I implement often to get nice domed bakery style muffins! Of course these are optional but if possible are a great way to get a taller bakery style muffin top.
- BAKING MUFFINS AT INITIAL HIGH TEMPERATURE: The initial high blast of heat will help these beauties rise and dome/puff up really nicely
- SPACING OUT BATTER: Or spacing out the liners in the muffin pan allows the heat from the oven to circulate around each muffin equally, helping muffins to rise, bake, and brown more evenly. Spacing them out also allows you to fill the liners to the brim without the tops overflowing. So that means for a standard 12 muffins tin you would make 6 muffins and would need 2 trays to bake the muffins. This definitely does work but most of the time I just use one single pan cause I simply want to make them all together – one and done!
- DO NOT OVER-MIX BATTER: This will create a drier denser muffin – but at the same time make sure the mashed bananas are well incorporated and distributed within batter
- DO NOT OVER-BAKE MUFFINS: as soon as the tester comes out with just a couple crumbs you are done – over baking will also create drier muffins (the muffins will continue to bake from heat of pan)
- USE OVERRIPE BANANAS: you know the ones – spotty brown and soft are perfect for banana bread
- PREHEAT OVEN PROPERLY: Each oven heats and bakes differently so please take this into consideration and keep an eye on all baked good minutes before they are suppose to be done – and make sure your oven is properly preheated before baking – this will make all the difference.
- MEASURE CAREFULLY: measure all of the ingredients carefully before starting recipe.
- CHECK FOR DONENESS A FEW MINS EARLY: check the doneness at the 12 minute mark and feel free to tent with foil if tops of muffins are browning too quickly. There is always a range of baking times in recipes for a reason – because all ovens and baking pans are different and distribute heat differently.
How to Store Muffins After Baking
Before storing or freezing muffins it’s important that muffins have fully cooled before storing them – otherwise they will end up soggy. After that you are set to store or freeze them as directed below:
- Room temperature: Keeping muffins in an airtight container on your kitchen countertop is the best way to store muffins for up to 2-3 days. Line an airtight container or zip-lock bag with paper towel and store the muffins in a single layer. Place another layer of paper towel on top of the muffins as well. The paper towels act to absorb excess moisture. They can be stored in a container without paper towel, but are more likely to become soggy the longer they’re in there.
- Freezer: To freeze muffins, place them in a single layer in a freezer bag or wrap individually with plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Make sure you get as much air out of the bag as possible, to reduce the chance of freezer burn, place that sealed bag inside another bag and seal that one too. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature, or in the fridge overnight or place them unwrapped on some paper towel in the microwave for 20-30 seconds
- Refrigerator: Typically, avoid refrigerating muffins. Doing so tends to dry them out.
