Banana Nut Muffins are a classic grab and go snack or a sit down with a coffee style breakfast. Full of perfectly ripe and delightfully sweet bananas and studded with crunchy and chewy nuts, this is about to be your new favorite baked goody.

banana nut muffins on a plate with few pecans

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Muffins hold a special place in my heart, since it’s the first things I ever learned to bake. To me, they’re the perfect breakfast. Great to be enjoyed with a cup of good coffee in the comfort of my own home, or the perfect grab and go breakfast. Either way you look at them, they are superstars. I love to make all sort of muffins, but probably the most popular muffins I make are these banana nut muffins!

I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but my muffins are some of the best. They have big, squishy tops with a soft fluffy interior. Now texture aside, the flavor we achieve today is full on sweet banana interspersed with crunchy nutty pecans.

a banana nut muffin broken in half with a small bottle of milk behind it

Achieving Perfect Muffins

A few years ago I mastered the secret to making muffins with the perfect dome. The secret really is for the batter to be lumpy and to fill the muffin cups all the way to the top if not higher, just as you can see in the pictures.

There’s one more secret. Preheat your oven to a higher temperature then to turn down the heat when you put the muffins in. This will help them rise nicely. You will still want to bake these at 400 F degrees which will help the outside of the muffins set, while the inside is still liquid.

Now that you know my secrets, it’s time to get baking.

Ingredients

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Dry ingredients – All purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Wet ingredients – Banana, brown sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and butter.
Pecans – We’re using chopped pecans today, but you can substitute these for your favorite nut, whatever kind it may be.

How To Make Banana Nut Muffins

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Prepare oven and muffin pan: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 6 or 12 muffing baking pan with cooking spray, or line it with muffin liners.
Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Combine wet ingredients: In another bowl whisk the mashed bananas with the brown sugar, eggs, butter, milk and vanilla extract.
Make batter: Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and using a spatula mix everything until the flour is moistened, don’t over mix, and keep in mind the batter will be a bit lumpy. Fold in the chopped pecans.
Spoon into muffin tin: Spoon the muffin batter (I used an ice cream scoop) into the prepared muffin pan. The batter should be enough for 12 small muffins or 6 jumbo muffins.
Bake: Turn down the oven to 400 F degrees and place the muffins in the oven. Bake them for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Not A Fan Of Pecans?

No problem! Any number of nuts would be absolutely delicious in these muffins. You can instead use walnuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, or macadamia nuts would work just perfectly in these muffins.

banana nut muffins in a muffin pan fresh out of the oven

How Do I Know if My Muffins Are Done Baking

There are a couple ways to check if the muffins are done.

Touch the muffin top lightly and if it springs back, they are done.
Insert a toothpick in the center of the muffin and when you pull it out, the toothpick should be free of the batter when baked through.

Some Tips

Besides my secret to making muffins with the perfect dome, I have some other tips to share with you.

As with any banana bread, ripe bananas are key. The more ripe your bananas are, the better and more delicious your muffins will be. You know that point when they turn ugly and brown and nobody wants to eat them? Those are the bananas you want.
Mash your bananas with a fork or a potato masher, we want them lumpy. Remember the lumpy batter is the secret to a high dome.
Do not over-mix the batter! Over-mixing muffin batter can lead to muffins that are tough and dense. That’s a no-no. We want muffins that are light and fluffy!

overhead shot of a bunch of muffins on parchment paper

Storing Leftover Muffins

Transfer your muffins to a resealable bag and store in your pantry or on the counter top for 3 – 4 days, no need to refrigerate! This recipe freezes well too, just place them in resealable freezer bag and press the air out. They will keep fresh for up to 3 months, just allow to thaw on the counter when ready to eat!