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These banana nut muffins are my new favorite way to use up extra bananas at the end of the week. The walnut streusel topping is an indulgent addition that makes these muffins irresistible.
Banana nut muffins are a breakfast staple and are usually the first thing I go for if we’re grabbing a quick morning bite from a cafe. I don’t know if I’ve met a banana baked good that I didn’t love, but these have a little something extra to offer with their filling, walnut-packed centers and satisfying streusel topping. There’s just something warm and comforting about them and they’ve proven to be a practical baking project as well. Breakfast time is quick and easy when I have a fresh batch of these muffins on the counter. I just pair a muffin with some fresh fruit and yogurt for Jack, and he’s well-fed, happy, and ready to take on the school day. Feel free to make these muffins with whole wheat flour to add a little extra goodness to your morning meal or afternoon snack. These muffins have that perfect fluffy-but-dense muffin texture that isn’t too cakey, too sweet, or too tough. I hope they become a new favorite for you, too.
Try this quick-bread recipe next: Easy 3-Ingredient Banana Bread
Ingredients Needed for the Banana Nut Muffins and Topping
You’ll need:
- Chopped walnuts
- Ripe or over-ripe bananas
- Ground Cinnamon
- All-purpose flour (or substitute a gluten free 1:1 flour if needed)
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Light brown sugar (here’s how to make your own if you’re out)
- Milk or a non-dairy substitute
- An egg or a plant-based substitute
- Butter or a plant-based version, softened
- Easy 4-Ingredient Streusel Topping
What makes this such a great muffin recipe is that it’s made up of pantry staples, so you can whip up a batch whenever you realize that you have extra bananas left over. If you don’t have any walnuts, feel free to swap in other nuts like pecans, pistachios, macadamia nuts, or even raw pumpkin seeds. Try a few tablespoons of each all together if you’re feeling really nutty. 🙂
Other wonderful additions would include a splash of vanilla extract, a few handfuls of dried cranberries, or a 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Just like your favorite bakery: Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins
Method for Preparing the Banana Muffins
Start by combining the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Sift and whisk everything together and set it aside. In another medium bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.
Mix up the streusel topping according to the recipe, adding in 1/2 cup of your chopped walnuts. Set this aside as well.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the softened butter and brown sugar to the bowl, then cream them together until smooth. Add the egg and the milk and mix everything together until you have an even, homogenous mixture. Add the mashed bananas and mix a little bit more.
With the mixer running on low, add the dry ingredients, a little at a time, until the batter just comes together. Add 1 cup of the walnuts and continue mixing.
Line a muffin pan with muffin papers (these are the parchment tulip-shaped papers I used) and scoop batter evenly into each cup until it’s about 3/4 full.
Top each portion of banana muffin batter with a teaspoon or two of the streusel topping for a little extra crunch, then bake the muffins until they’re golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Cool the muffins on a wire rack and store them at room temperature in an airtight container or serve them still warm from the oven with a cup of tea or a mug of steaming hot coffee.
Here’s the full printable recipe. Use it on your phone or tablet, or print it off to add to your recipe binder!
These banana nut muffins are my new favorite way to use up extra bananas at the end of the week. The walnut streusel topping is an indulgent addition that makes these muffins irresistible.
- 1 1/2 cups Chopped walnuts
- 3 Very ripe bananas
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 1/14 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 3/4 cup Brown sugar
- 1 stick Melted butter or a plant-based substitute
- 1 Egg or a plant-based alternative
- 1/4 cup Milk or non-dairy option
- 1 recipe 4-Ingredient Streusel Topping
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Mash the bananas in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the dry ingredients in another medium bowl and set aside. Prepare the streusel topping according to recipe directions, adding 1/2 cup of the chopped walnuts. Set that aside as well.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the melted butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs, milk, and mashed bananas and mix until you have a smooth, even mixture.
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With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients, a little at a time. Mix until all the ingredients are incorporated and the batter just comes together. Add the remaining 1 cup of walnuts and continue mixing until the walnuts are evenly distributed.
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Line a muffin tin with muffin papers and scoop the batter into the papers until each cup is about 3/4 full. Sprinkle each muffin with about 1-2 teaspoons of the streusel topping.
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Bake in a 350° oven for about 25-30 minutes until the muffins are golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the top comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool slightly before serving. Store in an airtight container.
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.