Easy Banana Nut Muffins Recipe

My banana muffin recipe is loved by thousands of families! These banana nut muffins bake up with tall, domed bakery style tops and a soft, moist crumb. Ripe bananas and a handful of chopped nuts do the heavy lifting, and my resting trick does the rest. Follow the steps below for muffins that beat anything from a bakery case.

Beth, these are absolutely delicious. I was up very early this morning baking, while it was still cool in Las Vegas. I can always count on you for wonderful muffin recipes! I have your orange cake and coffee cake muffin recipes printed to bake this week. Thanks so much!!

-Lorena Wilson

This really is the Best Banana Nut Muffin Recipe!

I tested this recipe for six months before landing on the version below. I wanted tall, domed bakery style tops without a dry crumb or a sunken center, and that took real trial and error. I baked dozens of batches at different temperatures, rested the batter for different lengths of time, and tracked what actually worked. Every technique below made the cut because it fixed a specific problem, not because it sounded good on paper.

You’ll see that in the instructions. The high heat start, the short rest, and the every other cup trick all came from muffins that failed before they succeeded. I broke down exactly why each one works, so you understand the reasoning instead of just following steps blindly. You don’t need any baking experience to get bakery style muffins on your first try.

Banana Nut Muffin Recipe Ingredients

• bananas: adds banana flavor and moisture
• vegetable oil: adds fat and moisture 
• eggs: binds the batter together by providing structure
• vanilla extract: adds flavor
• all-purpose flour: flour is necessary to build structure
• granulated sugar: adds sweetness and flavor
• baking soda and baking powder: helps to leaven and lift the batter
• cinnamon: banana muffins benefit from cinnamon!
• salt: just a pinch to balance the sweetness and enhances the other flavors
• nuts: the star of banana nut muffins

How to Choose the Best Bananas for Banana Muffins

The best banana muffins start with the ugliest bananas in your fruit bowl. You want them heavily speckled with brown spots, or even mostly brown and black. Those spots mean the starches have converted to sugar, so the bananas are sweeter and more flavorful, plus soft enough to mash easily into the batter.

Skip bananas that are still yellow or just barely starting to spot. They haven’t broken down enough yet, and you’ll end up with a less sweet, less banana-forward loaf. If your bananas aren’t ripe enough, see the next section.

How to Quickly Ripen Bananas

Spotty, over ripe bananas make the best banana nut muffins! If your bananas aren’t ripe, you can fix that!

Place the bananas on a foil lined baking sheet in a 300ºF oven for 30-40 minutes, until the peels become black and shiny. Roasting them in the oven causes them to become sweet and mushy. 

How to Make Banana Nut Muffins

1. Mash 4-6 large bananas, then measure out 2 cups. It’s important to measure the banana since the size of each banana can vary so much. 
2. In a mixing bowl combine the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir to combine with a spatula. 
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and 1 1/2 cup nuts.
4. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, mixing by hand just until combined. The batter will be thick.
5. Cover the bowl with a towel and allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven to 425ºF.
6. For bakery style muffin tops, line a 12 count muffin pan with 6 muffins liners, meaning you’ll only fill every other muffin well with batter. Fill the liners super full with batter, about 6-8 heaping tablespoons. Top the muffins with additional nut pieces and sanding sugar.
7. Place one pan in the center of the oven and bake for 7 minutes at 425ºF, then keep the muffins in the oven, and turn the temperature down to 350ºF and bake for 13-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing. Repeat with the remaining batter, bumping the temperature back up to 425ºF.

How to Create Bakery Style Muffins

Bakery style muffins are known for their domed tops. Plus who doesn’t love them? I used a few techniques to help “lift” these muffins so they would have large, domed tops!

1. The Rest Period

Let the batter rest for 15 minutes after it’s mixed and before you scoop it into the muffin pan. During the resting period, starch molecules in the flour are absorbing the liquid in the batter, causing them to swell and giving the batter a thicker consistency (ref the kitchen whisper). Our 15 minute rest is just a quick rest. 

2. Fill Every Other Muffin Cup

This tip has been a game changer! For bakery style muffin tops, line a 12 count muffin pan with 6 muffin liners, meaning you’ll only fill every other muffin well with batter. Filling every other cup allows the muffins to spread and dome without running into each other. This technique also encourages the muffins to brown, creating a golden muffin top.

3. Fill Them To The Top

Fill your muffin liners to the top with batter. Yes, this goes against everything you’re heard but it’s important in helping the muffin gain that height.

4. Bake at High Temperature Initially

Bake the muffins at a high temperature (425ºF) initially, then lower to 350ºF. Starting the muffins off at a higher temperature causes the batter to rise rapidly, setting the outer surface of the muffin, producing a dome shape.

Banana Nut Muffins Recipe Tips

• Don’t skip resting the batter: Resting the batter for 15 minutes is an integral part of this banana nut muffin recipe.
• Measure the mashed banana. Banana sizing varies so much, so for best results mash the banana then measure in dry measuring cups.

How to make Easy Banana Nut Muffins Gluten-Free

I’ve made these muffins with both regular and gluten free flour with AWESOME results on multiple occasions. I recommend King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour. Use it as a one for one substitute for regular flour.

How to serve Banana Nut Muffins

Serve banana muffins warm or room temperature for breakfast, alongside lunch, or as a snack.

Storing & Freezing Suggestions

Storing Banana Walnut Muffins

If you’ll be eating the muffins within 24 hours of baking, you can leave them uncovered on the counter. The muffins will not dry out while left at room temperature for 1 day. 

In fact, muffins are so moist they can become soggy and those crunchy, sugary tops can disappear when stored in an airtight container.

But I have a trick to help that – paper towels. 

For longer storage, 2-4 days, line the bottom of an airtight container with paper towels. Place the muffins in a single layer in the container then cover the muffins with any additional layer of paper towels. The paper towels will act like a sponge, absorbing the moisture they release while they are stored. 

If the paper towels become too moist around day 2 or day 3, replace them with fresh paper towels. 

HOW TO FREEZE MUFFINS

Individually wrap each muffin in plastic wrap. Then place them in a ziploc bag or airtight container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To thaw, leave them at room temperature until defrosted, about 1 hour. Or unwrap them and microwave at 20 second intervals until defrosted.

Should banana nut muffins be refrigerated?

These muffins do not need to be refrigerated. They can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Muffin Recipes

• Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Applesauce Muffins
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
• Coconut Chocolate Chip Muffins

These turned out sooo good!! Put chopped walnuts and crystal sugar on top for a crunchy finish! I had 3 cups of mashed banana so I made 1 & 1/2 recipe and it made 12 awesome jumbo muffins!

-Rhonda