Banana Nut Muffins
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Lightly sweetened with honey, these fluffy banana nut muffins are a delicious way to use up overripe bananas.
When I was in culinary school, the chefs would randomly (and terrifyingly!) inspect our trash cans to make we hadn’t tossed any scraps that could be repurposed into something else. I quickly learned that absolutely nothing is wasted in restaurant kitchens: stale bread becomes breadcrumbs and croutons; bones become stock; vegetable odds and ends become soup; cake trimmings become dessert trifles; and old bananas become muffins, banana cake, banana bread or banana ice cream.
These fluffy banana nut muffins sweetened with honey and enriched with Greek yogurt are one of my favorite ways to use up overripe bananas. Instead of folding the walnuts into the batter, I toss them with honey and cinnamon and sprinkle them over top to give each muffin a sweet and crunchy lid.
Table of Contents
“Just made these and they turned out amazing. Super moist and fluffy…The sweetness is perfect, not too sweet. This is the perfect muffin recipe.”
What You’ll Need To Make Banana Nut Muffins
- Chopped Walnuts: Adds crunch and nutty flavor to the muffin topping.
- Honey: Provides natural sweetness and helps to bind the topping. Additionally, it adds sweetness and moisture to the muffins.
- Cinnamon: Adds warmth and spice to enhance the flavor of the topping.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base for your muffins. Measure it by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Act as leavening agents, helping the muffins rise. Additionally, the baking soda reacts with acidic ingredients for extra lift.
- Butter: Adds richness, flavor, and moisture to the muffins.
- Sugar: Sweetens the muffins and contributes to their texture.
- Eggs: Add richness, help bind the ingredients together, and provide structure.
- Mashed Bananas: Offer moisture, sweetness, and banana flavor. The browner and spottier your bananas, the better.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the muffins.
- Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream: Adds moisture and tenderness to the muffins.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, make the walnut topping: In a small bowl, toss the nuts with the honey and cinnamon until the nuts are evenly coated (the mixture will be sticky). Set aside.
Next, combine the dry ingredients for the muffins in a medium bowl.
Whisk and set aside.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar and honey.
Beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Add the banana, vanilla, and yogurt (or sour cream).
Beat until blended (the batter will look grainy; that’s okay).
Add the dry ingredients.
The batter will look like this.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin (the cups will be very full) and sprinkle evenly with the nut topping.
Bake the muffins until the tops are golden and domed, 25 to 28 minutes.
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Banana nut muffins, banana bread, and banana cookies are best when your bananas are overripe, so you’re looking for them to be pretty brown and spotty. If your bananas are not quite ripe enough for baking, you can speed things up by placing them in a brown paper bag and folding down the top. The natural ethylene gas produced by the bananas is trapped in the bag, which accelerates the ripening process.
Sure! Banana nut muffins keep nicely, covered, at room temperature, for up to 4 days.
Absolutely, the muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 to 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.
It’s fine to omit the nuts; just add the cinnamon to the dry ingredients. Or if you’d still like a crunchy topping, you can try a nut-free granola or a sprinkling of coarse sugar (omit the honey).
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Banana Nut Muffins
Lightly sweetened with honey, these fluffy banana nut muffins are a delicious way to use up overripe bananas.
Ingredients
For the Walnut Topping
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the Muffins
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas, from 2 to 3 overripe bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream (low fat is fine)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Make the walnut topping: In a small bowl, toss the nuts with the honey and cinnamon until the nuts are evenly coated (the mixture will be sticky). Set aside.
- For the Muffins: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and honey until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary. At medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated between additions. Add the mashed bananas, vanilla, and yogurt (or sour cream) and beat until blended (the batter will look grainy; that's okay). Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well blended.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin (the cups will be very full) and sprinkle evenly with the nut topping. Bake the muffins until the tops are golden and domed, 25 to 28 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 – 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 302
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Sugar: 21 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 216 mg
- Cholesterol: 52 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Just made my first batch of these muffins. They overflowed a bit in the tin but I was still able to remove the muffins . The tops didn’t rise…I was thinking maybe I need to spread out the nuts a bit more – perhaps too heavy on the top?. I note others adjust the oven temperature so might try that too. They taste really good! I have made the blueberry muffins several times and they are amazing.
Hi Anne, Glad they taste good, but sorry they didn’t rise. I don’t think the nuts would’ve been the culprit. What brand of flour are you using?
Sorry Jen just saw your reply. I’m in Australia and used White Wings brand of flour.
Hi Anne, Unfortunately, I’m not familiar with that brand. If you try these again, I’d suggest a few more tablespoons of flour.
Can you make these without nuts. No topping or omit nuts in topping?
Hi Linda, My daughter likes these without nuts – just add the cinnamon to the dry ingredients. Or if you’d still like a crunchy toppping, you could try a nut-free granola or a sprinkling of coarse sugar. Hope you enjoy!
Would it be possible to make these without a mixer?
Hi Paula, A mixer will really give you the most predictable results. That said, I think it would work (with some elbow grease) but not sure how it will impact the finished product. Please LMK how the muffins turn out if you try it.
These are the only banana baked item I make. The topping is amazing. These muffins don’t need any butter when you reheat. They don’t even need to be reheated. They taste amazing for several days. Not too sweet, and great banana flavor. They come out perfectly every time. I got a fancy banana bread from a fancy coffee shop, and it was not as good as these are. I literally can’t say enough good things—just try them! 10/10, no notes.
Love this recipe but I, too, would have flat muffins… but I finally got the nice round muffin top by doing this with all my muffin recipes… I space my muffins out in the muffin tin, yes, its more pans but I can get both in my oven at the same time… I let my batter sit for at least 15-60 minutes before putting in muffin cups and then bake at 425F for 8 minutes and then reduce temp to 350F for 8-10 minutes… perfect muffins every time. I’m in the habit of doing this with all my muffin recipes and have success every time!
I’d echo the frequent comment others have made about this recipe: something is off. I too am an experienced baker and these consistently turn into pancakes. I haven’t had the batter running off the pan and burning as others have, but they definitely have come close to it. The taste is great, but that’s to be expected of something so simple.
These are absolutely amazing! I saved the recipe and it’ll now be my go-to. My sister said they were the best banana muffins she’d ever had. My only addition was mini chocolate chips I happened to have on hand. I’m sure they’d be delicious without them. As the recipe warned, the cups were super full and some kind of overflowed, but obviously that doesn’t affect the taste. I might start at a higher temp to get them to puff more, and then lower to finish them off.
I made these muffins today and they are so delicious and moist and flavorful! My husband really enjoyed them! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
This is my go to recipe for using overripe bananas. I had three bananas to use, but when I measured them I was shy one cup. To make up the difference, I mashed a half of an avocado and remeasured so I had one cup of banana mixture. I was delighted that the muffins turned out great!
I am looking to make these this week but I only have a mini muffin pan.
What would the recommended cook time be?
Hi Alicia, They should take somewhere from 10 to 13 minutes in the oven. *I’d start checking them at 10.) Enjoy!
I followed the recipe very precisely making no substitutes and the batter was beautiful, but using a standard muffin pan I filled the cups as described and even had a little better left and while they baked instead of puffing up in the center The muffins spread out and actually ran over the edge of the pan a bit. They were not pretty although I have no doubt they will taste delicious. Any ideas what might have happened?
Previous experience with muffin batters made me wonder if this one was not stiff enough prior to baking
Hi Judy, That’s a head-scratcher – the batter for these muffins is quite thick. Did yours look like the batter in the step-by-step photos?