Our homemade banana nut muffin recipe is the easiest, best version of this classic breakfast favorite! It’s made in one bowl, uses up lots of brown bananas, and makes the most moist, delicious muffins you’ve ever had!

banana walnut muffins in a baking pan and two out, one sliced in half


Say goodbye to bland, dry muffins and hello to these Banana Nut Muffins that are the best ones on the internet! Our recipe has dozens of 5-star reviews for good reason - the muffins turn out perfectly moist and delicious every time with only 10 minutes of prep and one bowl!

If you love baking with bananas as much as we do, you should also try my Best Banana Bread Recipe, and Coconut Lime Glazed Banana Bread!

3 stacked banana walnut muffins

Why this is the Best Banana Nut Muffin Recipe

This is my favorite basic banana bread recipe that I have been making for years. It uses lots of bananas for major banana flavor, which is great because when we have overly ripe bananas, it's usually a bunch of them, not just one or two.

And since I'm a big fan of nuts in basically everything, I add some chopped walnuts and bake it in muffin pans instead of loaf pans for easy, single servings that I can throw in the freezer and reheat one or two for quick weekday breakfasts or after school snacks for my girls.

a baking pan with walnut banana muffins and bananas off to the sides

Banana Nut Muffin Ingredients

  • Ripe bananas - This recipe is perfect for using up those spotted, brown bananas that are sitting on your counter that no one wants to touch.
  • All-purpose flour - Regular unbleached white flour is perfect for this recipe, although you could replace ⅓ of that with whole wheat flour if you want.
  • Salted butter - I use salted butter in all my baking. If you only have unsalted butter, just add an extra pinch of salt to the recipe.
  • Sugar - White granulated sugar gives just the right amount of sweetness.
  • Egg - This is a binding agent that helps give the muffins their texture.
  • Vanilla extract - A flavor agent that rounds out and balances all of the other flavors.
  • Baking soda & baking powder - These two work together for the right amount of lift for light, fluffy muffins.
  • Ground cinnamon - A wonderful warm spice without overpowering the other flavors.
  • Salt - So the muffins don’t taste bland.
  • Chopped walnuts - I hardly chop the nuts at all since I like large chunks of walnut in my banana muffins. You can also sub in chopped pecans or even chocolate chips instead, if you prefer.

How to Make Banana Nut Muffins

  1. Mash 3-4 ripe bananas in a large mixing bowl with a fork. Add the melted butter and stir them together with a wooden spoon.
  2. Stir in the sugar, egg, and vanilla, then sprinkle the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt over the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
  3. Add the flour and nuts at the same time, and stir just until no streaks of flour remain.
  4. Divide the batter between 12 greased muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 24 minutes until golden brown.
banana walnut muffins in front of a muffin tin

Banana Nut Muffin Recipe tips for success

  • There is just a hint of cinnamon in these moist banana muffins, which really makes a difference and they have beautiful, golden brown muffin tops. You can sprinkle a few extra chopped walnuts on top of the muffins, if you want, and they get nicely toasted in the oven while the muffins are baking.
  • Don't get too hung up on the number of bananas. If you only have 2 bananas, that will work too, there will just be slightly less banana flavor in these muffins.
  • Like almost any muffin recipe, overmixing the batter can cause them to be dense, rather than light and tender.
  • Fill the muffin cups mostly full before baking. I prefer to spray my muffin cups with cooking spray rather than use muffin liners for these banana nut muffins.
  • You could easily make this recipe into a loaf of banana nut bread by pouring the batter into a loaf pan and baking for 50 to 55 minutes in a 350 degree oven, until a tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

What is the secret to moist muffins?

Moist muffins result from the correct balance of ingredients and baking techniques. Adding ingredients like mashed bananas help keep muffins extra moist. But you should also avoid overmixing the batter; a few lumps are fine. Control baking time and temperature—overbaking dries out muffins, so test with a toothpick for doneness. After baking, cool them in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to prevent sogginess. Stored in an airtight container, and they'll retain moisture longer.

banana walnut muffins and whole bananas to the side

Ways to enjoy this Banana Nut Muffin Recipe

We enjoy our banana muffins with a tall glass of cold milk while they are still warm from the oven. For a special treat, I like to slice one in half and spread it with some fresh strawberry jam or butter. They would also be great with a smear of Nutella!

Storing Banana Walnut Muffins

Let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack, then store any uneaten muffins in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze any leftover muffins in an airtight container in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. They freeze well and make a great easy breakfast or snack when you are short on time. Warm them up in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and they will taste almost as if they were just baked!

More Muffin Recipes You Are Sure to Love

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.

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Banana Nut Muffin Recipe

4.93 from 132 votes
Amy Nash
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 12 muffins
These soft, moist, easy banana nut muffins are loaded with banana flavor and studded with walnuts for a little crunch.  No need for a mixer - just use one bowl and stir everything together with a wooden spoon!

Ingredients
  

  • 3-4 ripe bananas, mashed
  • cup salted butter, melted
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (212g)
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts plus extra for topping if desired

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a muffin tin by lightly greasing the cups or lining them with paper liners.
  • In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and mashed bananas and stir with a large wooden spoon.
  • Stir in the sugar, egg, and vanilla, then sprinkle the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt over the banana batter and give it another stir to combine.
  • Add the flour and nuts last and stir just until no streaks of flour remain.
  • Evenly divide the batter among the cups of a lightly greased muffin tin. If you want, sprinkle the top of each muffin with a few additional chopped walnuts before baking.
  • Bake for 20-24 minutes, until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle of one of the muffins comes out clean.

Video

Notes

If you want to make a loaf of banana bread instead of muffins, just pour all of the batter into a lightly greased loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserted near the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Nutrition

Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 183mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 17g
Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @HouseOfNashEats or tag #houseofnasheats!

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About the author

Hi, I'm Amy

I enjoy exploring the world through food, culture, and travel and sharing the adventure with mostly from-scratch, family friendly recipes that I think of as modern comfort cooking.

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Reader questions and reviews

  1. 5 stars
    I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it the same day. It was super easy and I had all the ingredients on hand. My muffins tasted delicious although they looked a little flat to me, and there may have been one too many bananas. I used 4, but there were chunks of gooey banana fruit, which I want to avoid the next time. Either I will need to mash the fruit more, or use less of it. These muffins are going to Sunday School in the morning! I'm sure they will be gobbled up by my church members. Thanks so much for the simple recipe. I will definitely be using it again!

  2. 5 stars
    Very delicious 😋 and so simple to make I have made this recipe so many times I now have remembered the recipe without looking 👀 at it thank you 🙏🏻 for sharing your delicious 🤤 yummy recipes