Banana Nut Muffins
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Sweetened with honey and enriched with Greek yogurt, these banana nut muffins are irresistibly tender and moist. Each muffin is crowned with a crunchy lid of honey, cinnamon, and walnuts, making them as beautiful as they are delicious—a perfect way to turn overripe bananas into something special!
When I was in culinary school, the chefs would randomly (and terrifyingly!) inspect our trash cans to ensure we hadn’t tossed any scraps that could be repurposed. I quickly learned that nothing goes to waste in a restaurant kitchen: stale bread becomes breadcrumbs or croutons, bones become stock, vegetable trimmings become soup, and overripe bananas are transformed into banana pancakes, banana cake, banana bread, or even banana ice cream. These banana nut muffins are one of my favorite ways to use up those spotted bananas—they’re quick to make, incredibly flavorful, and always a hit.
“Just made these and they turned out amazing. Super moist and fluffy…The sweetness is perfect, not too sweet. This is the perfect muffin recipe.”
What You’ll Need To Make Banana Nut Muffins
- Chopped Walnuts: Adds crunch and nutty flavor to the muffin topping. If you’d prefer not to use nuts, you can substitte a nut-free granola or a sprinkling of coarse sugar for crunch (omit the honey).
- Honey: Provides natural sweetness and helps to bind the topping. Additionally, it adds sweetness and moisture to the muffins.
- Cinnamon: Adds warmth and spice to enhance the flavor of the topping.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base for your muffins. Measure it by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Act as leavening agents, helping the muffins rise. Additionally, the baking soda reacts with acidic ingredients for extra lift.
- Butter: Adds richness, flavor, and moisture to the muffins.
- Sugar: Sweetens the muffins and contributes to their texture.
- Eggs: Add richness, help bind the ingredients together, and provide structure.
- Mashed Bananas: Offer moisture, sweetness, and banana flavor. The browner and spottier your bananas, the better.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the muffins.
- Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream: Adds moisture and tenderness to the muffins.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, make the walnut topping: In a small bowl, toss the nuts with the honey and cinnamon until the nuts are evenly coated (the mixture will be sticky). Set aside.
Next, whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Set it aside.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar and honey, and beat until the mixture is nice and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Add the banana, vanilla, and yogurt (or sour cream).
Beat until blended (the batter will look grainy; that’s okay).
Mix in the dry ingredients. The batter will be thick.
Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin tin (the cups will be very full) and sprinkle evenly with the nut topping.
Bake the muffins until the tops are golden and domed, 25 to 28 minutes.
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. The muffins will keep nicely for several days; they can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
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Banana Nut Muffins
Got bananas? Turn them into these easy banana nut muffins—they’re perfect for breakfast or a sweet treat anytime!
Ingredients
For the Walnut Topping
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the Muffins
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas, from 2 to 3 overripe bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream (low fat is fine)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Make the walnut topping: In a small bowl, toss the nuts with the honey and cinnamon until the nuts are evenly coated (the mixture will be sticky). Set aside.
- For the Muffins: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and honey until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary. At medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated between additions. Add the mashed bananas, vanilla, and yogurt (or sour cream) and beat until blended (the batter will look grainy; that's okay). Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well blended.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin (the cups will be very full) and sprinkle evenly with the nut topping. Bake the muffins until the tops are golden and domed, 25 to 28 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 – 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 302
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Sugar: 21 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 216 mg
- Cholesterol: 52 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Made this the other day my niece and 4 yr old nephew was visiting. I made them while they were there. The recipe was easy to follow and I used sour cream instead of Greek yogurt. We couldn’t wait for them to fully cool off so we tried them when they were warm. They were fabulous so light and moist. My 4 yr old nephew loved them also. Another great recipe
These turned out perfect!! I added 1/2 cup of oat bran in place of flour, chopped dates and walnuts to the batter! Such nice flavour, not so banana ( which I find can be overpowering). Thank you, this is a keeper!
Wow these are definitely bakery quality, tremendous!!
I have over ripe bananas in the freezer can I use them in place of fresh?
I have not rated it yet— but all the other recipes from you have been a big hit!
Yes, Lorraine, that’s fine (and so glad you like the recipes)!
What can I say, perfect as always. Moist, so much flavor, and the topping was perfection. As for every recipe I have ever tried of your I’m giving it 5 stars! Just a heads up, mine really over flowed, which actually just made for great nibbles. 😝
Super moist muffins, not too sweet. The topping added a nice crunch. The muffins didn’t rise very high – similar to what is shown in the recipe photo. Even though they were good, I’m not sure I’ll make these again only because I might rather have banana bread over these muffins.
I made these today and they are by far the most delicious banana nut muffins I’ve ever made and I’m old. I substituted Oui Honey yogurt because that’s what I had on hand. I had to use some Lyles Golden Syrup for some of the honey. I doubled the recipe for the nuts and the muffins did overflow – my mistake.
These muffins are soft and delicious and not too sweet.
I halved it because I had one black banana to use up and it made 7 muffins.
It will be my go to recipe from now on.
Lovely.
Wow!
These muffins turned out really delicious! I love the crisp top from the walnuts and honey on them. My batter made 15 muffins instead of 12 but I don’t mind. I made these to share with a friend who has an allergy to cinnamon, so I omitted it and they tasted just as good to me. This will definitely be my go to recipe for banana muffins.
My 3 bananas were just at the perfect over ripeness for these delicious muffins. Such an easy recipe to follow and make. I couldn’t resist having one a few minutes out of the oven. They were a big hit with my family. Love the crunchiness of the walnut topping.