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These easy, one-bowl banana nut muffins are moist, tender, full of sweet banana flavor, studded with plenty of crunchy walnuts, and finished with sugar-crusted tops. With just 10 minutes of prep, you can make them in advance and keep them stashed in the freezer for grab-and-go mornings.
Table of Contents
If you’re looking for even more easy banana recipes, try this easy banana dump cake, our favorite Southern hummingbird cake recipe, this banana blueberry smoothie, and a loaf of buttermilk banana bread, too!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- One Bowl. Any recipe that uses minimal equipment and reduces the number of dishes that I have to wash is an automatic win.
- Simple Ingredients. These muffins take advantage of those overripe bananas that you might have sitting on your counter, and only require a handful of other basic ingredients that you likely have on hand.
- Quick. Ready from start to finish in about 30 minutes, banana nut muffins are quicker than baking a loaf of banana nut bread — and they’re equally delicious!
- Freezer Friendly. Bake a batch ahead of time and stash them in your freezer to enjoy when you need a quick breakfast or snack on the go. They thaw quickly in the microwave or on the counter.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for this easy banana nut muffins recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Eggs: give the muffins structure.
- Granulated sugar and light brown sugar: just enough for sweetness. I love the moisture and flavor that you get from a little bit of brown sugar.
- Vegetable oil: for a moist, tender texture; you can substitute with canola oil or even melted butter. Melted coconut oil would likely work as well, but it may give the muffins a subtle coconut flavor.
- Bananas: add flavor, sweetness, and moisture to the muffins.
- Pure vanilla extract: for more flavor. Use homemade 2-ingredient bourbon vanilla extract for the best taste.
- Baking soda and baking powder: the leavening agents that help these muffins rise high.
- Salt: balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- All-purpose flour: for even healthier muffins, swap out half of the all-purpose flour for 1 cup of whole wheat flour.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: warm spices that give the muffins cozy flavor. Instead of just the cinnamon and nutmeg, try other spices like ginger and cloves. You can also omit the spices altogether.
- Nuts: chopped walnuts are a classic addition to banana muffins, but you can sub with chopped pecans or almonds if you like.
- Sparkling Sugar: Add that bakery-style crunchy topping. Swap out the coarse sugar and instead add a streusel topping on your muffins.
Directions
We’re making these moist banana nut muffins with one bowl and about 10 minutes of prep time! They boast plenty of banana flavor, lots of crunchy walnuts, sugar-crusted tops, and taste like they came from a bakery.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Spoon the mixture into paper-lined muffin cups (you’ll need two standard-size muffin pans for 16 muffins).
- Sprinkle coarse sugar on top.
- Bake for about 20 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the muffins warm or at room temperature. They’re a great option for breakfast or snack when paired with a mug of hot coffee or tea, or with a cold glass of milk.
The muffins are delicious on their own, but you might also enjoy them spread with butter, cream cheese, almond butter, peanut butter, a dollop of jam, or a drizzle of honey. Add Greek yogurt or eggs and fresh fruit on the side for a satisfying morning meal.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: Banana nut muffins are a great make-ahead breakfast or snack because they just get better as they sit overnight and the flavors come together.
- How to Store: Allow the muffins to cool completely, then store in an airtight container or large Ziploc freezer bags at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 2 months.
- How to Reheat: Thaw frozen muffins on the counter overnight or in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, just until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the secret to moist muffins? Properly measuring, balancing the ratio of wet and dry ingredients, and not over-mixing the batter are the secrets to perfectly moist and tender muffins.
- Why are my banana muffins dry? Your muffins can turn out dry if you overmix the batter, use too little moisture (like banana or oil), or if you bake them for too long.
- How many cups is one mashed banana? One large banana yields about ½ cup mashed, so I use 3 large bananas for a total of 1 ½ cups. If you’re working with small bananas, you’ll need at least 4 (and maybe even 5).
- Can you use not-too-ripe bananas in this recipe? Overripe bananas with dark brown spots or a dark brown peel are necessary for this recipe. The overripe bananas are easy to mash and incorporate in the batter, and have a sweeter, richer banana flavor.
- How can I ripen bananas in the oven? Not to worry! If your bananas aren’t quite ripe enough, you can speed up the process with help from the oven. To do so, preheat the oven to 300°F. Place bananas (in their peels) on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until mushy and sweet. The banana peels will turn a black, shiny color (and will look really weird!), but don’t worry — the insides will be perfect. Just let the mashed banana cool completely before using in the recipe.
Expert Tips
- Use very ripe bananas for maximum flavor and sweetness. You want them to look quite speckled and brown! Mash them in a bowl with a fork, or place them in a large Ziploc bag and squeeze them with your hands until they’re perfectly mashed.
- Sift the flour to avoid any big clumps in your batter.
- Be careful not to over-mix the batter. You want it to come together so that everything is combined, but then stop stirring! Mixing too much will result in dry, dense muffins.
- Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips, raisins, or sweetened dried cranberries (such as Craisins).
- Mini Muffins: Divide the batter between mini muffin tins. Bake the mini muffins in a 350°F oven for a total of about 14-16 minutes.
More Recipes with Overripe Bananas
Best Ever Banana Nut Bread
3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Zucchini Banana Bread
3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Banana Nut Muffins
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
An easy banana nut muffin recipe that only requires one bowl and about 10 minutes of prep!
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups mashed overripe banana (about 3 large bananas or 4 medium bananas)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- Optional, for topping: coarse sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and brown sugar. Add the bananas and vanilla extract; whisk to combine.
- Sprinkle baking soda, baking powder, and salt over top. Whisk until well blended. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mixing just until combined. Do not over-mix. Fold in the walnuts.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup almost to the top. If desired, sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of coarse sugar on top of each muffin.
- Bake the muffins for 20 – 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean.
- Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas for maximum flavor and sweetness. You want them to look quite speckled and brown! Mash them in a bowl with a fork, or place them in a large Ziploc bag and squeeze them with your hands until they’re perfectly mashed.
- Use either canola oil or vegetable oil. You want a neutral oil that will not flavor the muffins, so don’t use olive oil. Feel free to substitute with melted unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Sift the flour to avoid any big clumps in your batter.
- Be careful not to over-mix the batter. You want it to come together so that everything is combined, but then stop stirring! Mixing too much will result in dry, dense muffins.
Nutrition
Serving: 1muffinCalories: 243kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 4gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 188mgPotassium: 151mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 49IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
I’d like to make these in a jumbo muffin pan. How long a baking time would they require?
Hi, Sue! I haven’t tested them in the larger pans, but I would try 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Just keep an eye on them the first time!