Moist, banana-packed muffins with toasted walnut pieces throughout and a golden, slightly caramelised top, the most satisfying and substantial morning muffin in the collection.
About This Recipe
Banana nut muffins are the muffin format of the beloved banana bread, taking all the essential flavour elements of the loaf and concentrating them into individual portions that bake in twenty minutes rather than an hour. The very ripe banana provides the moisture, sweetness, and intense banana flavour. The toasted walnuts provide textural contrast, visual interest, and the nutty richness that makes this combination so satisfying.
Toasting the walnuts before adding them to the batter is the single most impactful technique improvement available in this recipe. Raw walnuts have a slightly green, grassy quality that disappears entirely when toasted, replaced by a deep, roasted nuttiness that pairs beautifully with the caramelised banana flavour. Five minutes in a dry pan is all that is required, and the difference in the finished muffin is immediately detectable.
Brown sugar rather than white is the preferred sweetener here, its molasses content contributing a slightly deeper, more caramelised sweetness that works with the banana rather than competing with it. Combined with the cinnamon that appears in the batter and optionally as a sprinkle on the muffin tops before baking, it produces a muffin that smells as good as it tastes while it is in the oven.
History and Origins
The banana nut combination in baked goods is a natural extension of the banana bread tradition that became established in American baking in the 1930s. Walnuts were among the most widely available nuts in the American baking tradition and their pairing with banana became standard in banana bread recipes across the country. The muffin version followed as the American muffin culture expanded in the late 20th century
Banana Nut Muffins
Course: Cupcakes12
servings12
minutes20
minutes2880
kcalIngredients
•t3 very ripe bananas mashed
•t180g brown sugar
•t120ml neutral oil
•t2 large eggs
•t1 tsp vanilla extract
•t240g plain flour
•t1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
•t1 tsp cinnamon
•t0.5 tsp salt
•t120g walnuts toasted and roughly chopped
Directions
- Toast walnuts in a dry pan for 4 to 5 minutes until fragrant. Cool and roughly chop.
- Preheat oven to 190C. Line a 12-hole muffin tin.
- Whisk mashed bananas, sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla together.
- Add flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt. Fold until just combined.
- Fold in toasted walnuts.
- Divide between cases filling three quarters full.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool 5 minutes then transfer to rack.
Notes
- Toast the walnuts before adding to the batter. This is not optional for the best result. Raw walnuts have a slightly bitter, grassy flavour that toasting removes entirely, producing instead a deep roasted nuttiness that is the defining flavour of this muffin.
Use the ripest bananas available. A banana with a fully blackened skin and soft, almost liquid interior produces a dramatically more flavourful muffin than a yellow banana. The sugars have converted and concentrated and the result is incomparably better.
These muffins are very moist due to the banana content. The skewer may come out with a few moist crumbs which is correct and desirable. Only raw, wet batter on the skewer indicates the muffin needs more time.
Press a walnut half onto the top of each muffin before baking for a more attractive, restaurant-quality presentation. The toasted walnut on top caramelises further during baking and provides an elegant finishing touch.
Chop the toasted walnuts roughly rather than finely. Large, clearly visible pieces of walnut provide both visual interest and the textural contrast of a satisfying crunch against the soft muffin crumb.
For maximum banana flavour refrigerate the mashed bananas overnight before using. The cold slows the oxidation and concentrates the flavour compounds further.
These muffins improve significantly on day two as the banana flavour deepens and the walnut pieces soften slightly to integrate better with the surrounding crumb.
Make Ahead Tips
Keep at room temperature for 4 days. Freeze for 3 months. These muffins improve on day two as the flavours meld.
Storage and Serving
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. The banana keeps these moist for longer than most muffins. Freeze individually wrapped for 3 months. Excellent toasted the next day.
Variations and Substitutions
Replace walnuts with toasted pecans for a buttery, slightly sweeter nut flavour. Use macadamia nuts for a more tropical, luxurious feel. Add 100g of dark chocolate chips to the batter alongside the walnuts for a banana walnut chocolate chip muffin. Add 2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter to the wet ingredients for a banana peanut butter nut muffin. Swirl a teaspoon of Nutella into the top of each muffin before baking for a hazelnut chocolate banana combination. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the tops before baking for a more caramelised exterior. Add a pinch of cardamom to the cinnamon for a more exotic, warmly spiced version that pairs particularly well with pecans.
