Easy Banana Nut Muffins Recipe

I love muffins because they’re quick bread you can eat with one hand while searching for your missing shoe. Ha!

These Banana Nut Muffins fit the bill.

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When I was a kid, my mom’s banana nut muffins were my “head start” on the day.

Soft, moist crumbs, pockets of sweet bananas, and crunchy chopped walnuts.

Now I’m the grown-up, but I still want breakfast to be easy!

This easy muffin recipe uses basic ingredients you probably have in your pantry and fruit bowl right now.

Especially those sad, overripe bananas giving you guilt trips on the counter.

We mash those large bananas (use a potato masher or the back of a fork), whisk a few dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, stir in the wet ingredients in a medium bowl, and boom! Batter done.

Ten minutes of work, 17 minutes of baking, and you’ve got golden-brown muffins that smell like banana cake but feel totally legal for breakfast.

These muffins are ridiculously forgiving: melted butter or vegetable oil or coconut oil, regular milk or almond milk, walnuts or chopped pecans, even mini chocolate chips for the rebel in you.

I’m pretty sure Lily could live off of these muffins.

The hard part is convincing her to wait until they’re cooled! I get it, though.

Hot muffins are just the best.

So grab your 12-cup muffin pan, line it with muffin liners, crank up the oven, and let’s turn those sweet bananas into Banana Nut Muffins the whole family will inhale!

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Jump to:

• WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
• INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
• HOW TO MAKE BANANA NUT MUFFINS:
• FAQ: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
• CAN I USE DIFFERENT NUTS?
• CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD?
• ANY ADDITIONS?
• ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
• HOW TO STORE:
• DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
• Easy Banana Nut Muffins Recipe

1. Super-moist texture
   Mashed bananas, brown sugar, and a little vegetable oil keep the crumb tender. No more dry muffins here. Just big banana flavor in every bite.
2. One-two oven punch
   The higher temperature jump-starts lift for tall, fluffy muffins, then the lower temp bakes them gently. You’ll see that golden brown dome you love from your favorite coffee shop.
3. Rested batter = better batter
   A 15-minute batter rest in the muffin cups lets the flour hydrate. That means fewer tunnels, prettier tops, and muffins that taste like you used a stand mixer. Even if you only used a wooden spoon.

• All-purpose (aka purpose flour)
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Ground cinnamon
• Salt
• Mashed bananas
• Light brown sugar
• Large egg
• Vanilla extract
• Chopped walnuts

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1. Preheat the oven to 425°F—line 12 muffin cups with liners, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
3. Whisk together the mashed bananas, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl. 
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until combined.
5. Stir in the walnuts.
6. Fill each muffin liner 2/3 full with the muffin batter.
7. Let sit for 15 minutes.
8. Add more walnuts on top if desired.
9. Bake muffins for 5 minutes, then immediately turn the oven down to 350°F and continue to bake for 10-12 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
10. Let cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin, take the muffins out, and cool completely on a wire rack.

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CAN I USE DIFFERENT NUTS?

Absolutely. Chopped pecans are a classic swap, but almonds, hazelnuts, or macadamias also rock.

Not a nut fan? Fold in mini chocolate chips for extra flavor.

Just a little something to add texture.

You won’t regret it!

CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD?

Yes. Cool muffins to room temperature, wrap each in plastic wrap, then stash in an airtight container or zip-top bag.

They’re fine on the counter 2 days, in the fridge 5 days, or in a freezer-safe bag up to 2 months.

I mean, who doesn’t want muffins that they can pull out of the freezer at a moments notice?

That’s just plain smart!

Warm briefly to revive the banana flavor.

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ANY ADDITIONS?

Oh man, the dried cranberries sound amazing. What do you think?

• Sprinkle of pure maple syrup over the batter before baking
• Drizzle of peanut butter after baking
• Handful of dried cranberries for sweet-tart pops
• Dusting of coarse sugar for a crunchy lid
• Pinch of pumpkin spice in fall
• Swirl of Nutella on top (thank me later)
• Toasted coconut flakes for island vibes
• Zest of an orange for brightness
• Dash of white pepper for subtle heat
• Tiny cubes of cream cheese hidden in the center

ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?

Try out some of these ideas and let me know in the comments how the recipe turns out for you!

• Replace ½ cup flour with whole wheat flour for extra fiber
• Use ¼ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream plus ¼ cup oil for richer crumbs
• Swap melted butter with olive oil for a lighter fat
• Trade cinnamon for cardamom if you love chai flavors
• Try coconut sugar instead of brown sugar for caramel notes
• Gluten-free 1:1 flour blend works (check affiliate links for brands)

ROOM TEMPERATURE: Store the muffins in a single layer inside an airtight container for up to two days; slip a paper towel in the container to catch extra moisture.

REFRIGERATOR: Keep the muffins covered with plastic wrap and they’ll stay fresh for about five days; warm each one for 15 seconds to soften before eating.

FREEZER: Wrap each muffin individually, place them in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze for up to two months; thaw overnight, then toast for five minutes at 300 °F to revive that fresh-baked taste.

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These banana nut muffins prove breakfast can be fast, easy, and bakery-level tasty.

Stash a batch in the freezer, and next time you oversleep, you’ll still have an afternoon snack (or breakfast) ready in seconds.

Grab your large bowl, those sweet bananas, and bake.

You’ve got this “banana muffin recipe” business down!

Learn more about the author, Dana DeVolk, on our ABOUT ME page!