Banana Nut Muffins are moist and flavorful, packed with ripe bananas, crunchy walnuts, and a hint of cinnamon, perfect for breakfast or a snack. I love to eat one when it’s warm, with a pat of butter. Yum! If you prefer the muffins without nuts, check out my popular Best Banana Muffins. You will not be disappointed!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Bananas: Use ripe or extra-ripe bananas in the muffins. They have more sweetness and flavor when compared to unripe bananas.
- Butter: Melt unsalted butter and let it cool down a bit before adding it to the other wet ingredients. If using salted butter, you may want to lessen the amount of salt used.
- Sour Cream: Look for full-fat sour cream to give you moist, tender, and rich muffins. It also reacts with baking soda and baking powder, helping the muffins to rise nicely! If you don’t have sour cream, you can use plain Greek yogurt instead.
- Flour: I used bread flour for these muffins, which has a higher protein content (above 12%) when compared to all-purpose flour. It helps develop a sturdy dough, which helps with the texture and flavor. If substituting all-purpose flour, the muffins may have a lighter texture (not as dense) but still delicious.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a warm, spicy flavor that complements the sweetness of bananas and the nuttiness of walnuts.
- Nuts: Walnuts are a classic choice for banana nut muffins. But, these muffins would also be delicious with pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts, just to name a few. Or, leave out the nuts and enjoy the banana muffins!
Why Reduce Oven Temperature?
After the first five minutes of baking, reduce the oven temperature from 425°F to 350°F. Starting the baking at a high temperature helps the muffins rise quickly, giving them a nice dome. Then, reducing the temperature to 350°F for the remaining 15-20 minutes allows them to bake through evenly without becoming dry.
Customize Banana Nut Muffins With Your Favorite Mix-Ins
It’s easy to customize these muffins to your tastes. Here are some ideas for mix-ins you could try:
- Chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate)
- Dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, or chopped apricots
- Shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
- Seeds like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or flaxseeds
Can I Make These Muffins Into A Loaf?
Sure! If you prefer a loaf of banana nut bread, pour the batter into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for about 60-70 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs but not wet batter.
How To Store Banana Nut Muffins
There are a few ways to properly store muffins:
- Room Temperature: Because banana nut muffins are best enjoyed at room temperature, it’s recommended to store them this way. I typically use a larger sealable plastic bag or an airtight container to store the muffins in a single layer. Some people suggest placing a piece of paper towel at the bottom to absorb any condensation, although this may not be necessary if the muffins are adequately cooled before storage. However, when using an airtight container, I often add a torn piece of bread between the muffins to absorb moisture. It’s best to consume the muffins within 2-3 days for optimal freshness.
- Refrigerator:(Refrigeration, in general, dries out baked goods faster so a typical muffin recipe shouldn’t be refrigerated.) Place in a sealable plastic bag or airtight container and then place into the refrigerator. They should keep for up to 5 days. To reheat, remove from refrigerator pop into the microwave for 10 seconds or just allow muffin to come to room temperature naturally, about 15 minutes.
- Freezer: Place cooled muffins into a freezer-safe sealable plastic bag or a freezer-safe airtight container and pack as closely as possible without crushing. Remove as much air as possible. Label with date and recipe name.
Banana Nut Muffins
Ingredients
- 5-6 ripe bananas, about 2 ½ cups, mashed
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ¼ cup (57.5 g) sour cream
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups (381 g) bread flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups (234 g) walnuts, chopped, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, butter, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the bread flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps in the batter are okay.
- Gently fold in 1 ½ cups of the chopped walnuts until evenly distributed throughout the batter. Reserve the rest for topping.
- Divide the batter evenly between the lined muffin cups. Evenly top with the remaining chopped nuts.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. (Tops should not appear wet.)
- Once baked, remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving.
Video
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
These banana nut muffins were incredibly moist and flavorful. The combination of ripe bananas and walnuts was delightful, and they were perfect for breakfast or a snack.
Elizabeth
I loved the density of these muffins. And, I also love nuts, so the added walnuts worked for me!
Bella
These were just the right amount of sweet and had a lovely crunch from the walnuts. Definitely making them again.
Annabelle
I enjoyed these banana nut muffins, especially with a cup of coffee. They were moist, flavorful, and had a nice balance of sweetness. The walnuts added a nice crunch.
Selena
These banana nut muffins were so delicious! The walnuts added a nice texture, and the bananas kept them moist. They were perfect for a quick breakfast on the go.
