Food & Cooking Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Banana Nut Muffins 5.0 (3) 3 Reviews These muffins pack all the flavor of banana bread into individual, portable portions. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 19, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Jacob Fox Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Servings: 12 Our banana nut muffin recipe creates fluffy, nutty muffins that are packed with banana flavor. The batter comes together quickly and easily using just two mixing bowls and a whisk, and the muffins bake up tender and golden in just 20 minutes. Toasted walnuts are stirred into the batter and scattered on top with a touch of sanding sugar for a crunchy finish, while brown sugar and ground cinnamon add a subtle warmth. You'll want to use extra-ripe bananas for this recipe, they are the easiest to mash and will add the best flavor. (If yours aren't quite that ripe, don't worry—we have a solve for that as well.) Enjoy the muffins throughout the week or freeze some to have them on hand for breakfasts and snacks whenever you need them. 17 Recipes That Make the Most of Overripe Bananas Top Tips for Making Banana Nut Muffins Use extra-ripe bananas: For the best texture and flavor, it's key to use super ripe bananas for this recipe; they should have large brown spots or streaks on their peels and be quite soft. We don't recommend using under ripe bananas, which will still have some green on their peels—they will not be as sweet or flavorful and will be difficult to mash. Spoon, don't scoop, your flour: When measuring out your flour, it's always best to lightly spoon it into your measuring cup rather than scoop the cup into the container, which can cause the flour to pack too tightly and throw off the amount that ends up in your recipe. Level the measuring cup off with the back of a knife before adding it to your bowl. Use room temperature ingredients: We recommend using room temperature eggs and milk for this recipe as they will blend more evenly with the other ingredients. We also suggest letting the melted butter cool a little before adding it to the other ingredients for the same reason. How to Ripen Bananas Quickly for This Recipe If your bananas aren't very ripe but you still want to make these muffins, there are two ways to speed up the process: Use a paper bag: If you're okay to wait a day or so, place the bananas in a paper bag with an apple or pear, then fold the bag closed. The other fruit will emit naturally occurring ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process. Depending on how ripe (or unripe) the bananas were to begin with, this should take one or two days. Turn the oven on: For quicker results, you can bake bananas—still in their skins—at 300 degrees Fahrenheit on a parchment-lined baking sheet until the flesh is softened and the skins turn black. This should take about 30 minutes or so, but you'll want to check on them every 10 to 15 minutes to see how they're coming along. To soften brown sugar that's hardened in its container, transfer it to a microwave-safe container, drape with a paper towel, and microwave in 20-second intervals until softened. If you have more time, you can place a piece of bread in the container, close the lid, and let it sit overnight; the sugar will absorb the moisture in the bread and soften right up. Ingredients 1 ½ cups (5 ounces) walnuts, divided 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon coarse salt ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 extra ripe bananas, mashed (1 cup) ¾ cup light brown sugar 1 stick unsalted butter, melted 1 large egg ¼ cup milk Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling (optional) Directions Jacob Fox Heat oven and prepare pan; toast and chop nuts: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with baking cups. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant, about 12 minutes. Cool 15 minutes then coarsely chop. Jacob Fox Whisk dry and wet ingredients separately; combine, then stir some of nuts: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, whisk together banana, sugar, eggs, butter, and milk. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients then stir in 1 cup walnuts. Jacob Fox Divide batter among muffin cups; top with nuts and sugar: Divide batter evenly between prepared cups using a 2-ounce scoop. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup nuts and sanding sugar if desired. Jacob Fox Bake muffins; let cool slightly, then remove from pan: Bake until tops spring back when lightly touched, 20-25 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Jacob Fox How to Store Banana Nut Muffins Cooled muffins can be stored in an airtight container lined with paper towels (this will help to absorb excess moisture) for four to five days. For longer storage, wrap muffins individually in plastic and freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to three months. How to Thaw and Reheat Frozen Muffins Frozen muffins can be defrosted overnight in the refrigerator, then toasted or microwaved briefly to rewarm. For a faster thaw, you can microwave unwrapped muffins for 20 to 30 seconds or wrap each one in foil (without the plastic) and bake at 350 degrees until softened and warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes. Variations To make a chocolatey version of this recipe: Fold in 3/4 cup chocolate chips with the cup of nuts. For a more spice-forward flavor: Add a dash of ground nutmeg and/or cloves to the dry ingredients along with the cinnamon. 5 More Muffin Recipes to Try: Lemon Poppy-Seed Muffins Double-Chocolate Muffins Gluten-Free Banana-Almond Butter Muffins Morning Glory Muffins Our Favorite Blueberry Muffins Rate It PRINT Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and freelance writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.