Banana Walnut Muffins

5 from 1 vote

Apr 04, 2024

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Once you sink your teeth into one of these banana walnut muffins, you’ll be hooked. They’re moist, tender, and loaded with real banana flavor and a smattering of walnuts. Finished with a buttery raw cane sugar topping, they’re the perfect grab-and-go breakfast or snack.

A bunch of banana muffins on a cooling rack.

I have two beautiful daughters – a tween and a teen – who ask me to make muffins or blueberry crepes just about every weekend. Sundays, mostly. And the top request is to make these particular muffins over and over again. Luckily for me, they are super quick and easy to make and a great way to use up overripe bananas. Moist and tender with the perfect raw cane sugar topping, this banana muffins recipe is excellent as a quick breakfast or snack but even better slathered with butter alongside a whole brunch spread.

Why We Love Banana Walnut Muffins

Texture-perfect. The sour cream and bananas make these classic muffins wonderfully moist. The sour cream also contributes a tenderness that takes them over the top, and you also have the crunch of the walnuts scattered throughout. Can’t get any better!
That raw sugar topping. I love the subtle addition of raw sugar to the tops of these muffins. It provides the perfect bit of sweetness and a subtle crunch.
Quick and easy. You’ll only need about 15 minutes in the kitchen before you pop these babies in the oven. Plus, the steps are super easy to follow. Then, in just 20-25 minutes of baking time, you’ll be ready to dive into some of the best muffins ever.
An any time of day treat. Banana walnut muffins are sweet but not too sweet, making them perfect for breakfast, snack, or even dessert.

Labeled ingredients for banana walnut muffins.

Recipe Ingredients

Are you ready for some delightful banana and walnut muffins? You’ll need a few simple ingredients like all-purpose flour, ripe bananas, and chopped walnuts along with a handful of other baking staples.

All-purpose flour – For the best results, I recommend sticking with all-purpose flour for this recipe to make sure these muffins turn out delicious.
Baking soda – The baking soda helps the muffins rise as they bake so they turn out nice and light and fluffy.
Salt – You need the salt to balance out the sweetness of the muffins.
Ground Cinnamon – Sometimes I will add a pinch of ground nutmeg as well.
Brown sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will work here. If you want a deeper, more molasses flavor, go with dark brown sugar.
Unsalted butter – Required for both the batter and to mix with the cane sugar; ensure it’s at room temperature for proper creaming with the sugar.
Eggs – I suggest using room-temperature eggs because they mix more easily into the batter.
Vanilla extract
Sour cream – The sour cream adds to the tenderness of the muffins.
Bananas – You want to use over-ripe bananas. They have a higher sugar content and mash up better, which will yield sweeter muffins with a superior texture.
Walnuts – The walnuts are optional. You could use a different nut (pecans would be great) or leave them out altogether. Alternatively, replace the nuts with raisins, chocolate chips, or fresh blueberries.
Raw cane sugar – You’ll use the raw cane sugar to top the muffins before you bake them. This step is optional but I think it makes a world of a difference.

How To Make Banana Walnut Muffins

Let’s get to baking! Follow these simple steps to create a batch of deliciously nutty banana walnut muffins. I have a feeling they’ll quickly become a household favorite!

Combining the dry ingredients for muffin batter. — Combine the dry ingredients.

Combining butter and brown sugar in a bowl. — Combine the dry ingredients.

Adding an egg to creamed butter and brown sugar. — Mix in the eggs, one at a time.

Mixing vanilla a sour cream into the wet ingredients for banana walnut muffin batter. — Mix in the eggs, one at a time.

Mashing bananas with a fork. — Mash the bananas.

Folding walnuts into banana muffin batter. — Mash the bananas.

Filling a muffin pan with banana walnut muffin batter and topping with butter and raw cane sugar. — Fill the muffin tins and top with melted butter and raw cane sugar.

Two hands holding a muffin pan full of muffins. — Fill the muffin tins and top with melted butter and raw cane sugar.

Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 12-cup muffin tin with butter.
Combine the dry ingredients. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Combine the wet ingredients. Using a mixer, cream the brown sugar and butter until fluffy and lighter in color. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla, and then the sour cream.
Mash the bananas. Mash the bananas until mostly smooth.
Put it all together. Mix the bananas into the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Mix in the dry ingredients and then fold in the walnuts.
Bake. Fill each muffin tin to the brim, brush the muffins with melted butter and sprinkle with raw cane sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Cool. Cool the muffins in the tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Two stacked up banana muffins, with the top muffin's texture exposed.

Tips for Success

Room temperature butter. Allow the butter to soften at room temperature before beginning. If it is too cold, it won’t cream properly with the butter and sugar.
Cream thoroughly. When creaming together the butter and sugar, it is important to do so until the mixture has lightened significantly in color and become fluffy. By doing so, you are incorporating air into the batter to yield lighter, fluffier cupcakes.
Measure the flour carefully. Baking is a science. As such, it’s important to measure everything carefully, especially the flour. Too much flour can yield dry, dense muffins. If you use too little flour, your muffins will turn out sticky and dense. Instead of scooping flour out of the bag, use a spoon to fill the measuring cup and then level it off with a butter knife.
Don’t over-mix. When adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix just until everything is combined. Over-mixing can cause the glutens in the flour to over-develop, which usually results in dense, tough muffins.
Don’t over-bake. Overbaking is a one way ticket to dry muffins. So set a timer and check the muffins at 20 minutes and then again every couple of minutes after until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out mostly clean. I also suggest using an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is preheated to the proper temperature.

Serving Suggestions

I love serving these banana muffins warm, sliced in half and spread with a pat of melted butter. Maybe even a drizzle of honey or a slather of jam as well.

Muffins are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast, but if you have a little extra time in the morning, enjoy one with a bright Immunity Boosting Smoothie or my addictive Healthy Coffee Protein Smoothie.
They also go so well with these Sheet Pan Eggs or a slice of my Spinach Quiche and a glass of orange juice. Strawberry Milk, too!

Banana walnut muffins on a cooling rack. One is cut in half.

How To Store Muffins

To store. Once the muffins have cooled to room temperature, seal them in an airtight container and store them on the counter for up to 4 days. Alternatively, wrap each in a double layer of plastic wrap and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months to be thawed when needed. I do not recommend storing muffins in the fridge. They will dry out.
To reheat. You certainly don’t have to reheat these muffins but I prefer them warm. Allow a muffin to thaw (if applicable) before covering it with a damp paper towel and microwaving in 15-second intervals until warm.

More Muffin Recipes To Try

In a muffin mood? Here are some of my other top picks for you to try. Let me know which ones make it to your favorites list.

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