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Easy Banana Nut Muffins topped with caramelized walnuts make a perfect breakfast or after-school snack! They are moist, loaded with walnuts, and freeze well – perfect for busy mornings.
This Muffin recipe is very similar to our reader favorite, Banana Crumb Muffins, and our Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, and is just as easy.
These Banana Nut Muffins with Maple Walnut Topping are a family favorite! Muffins are one of my favorite things to bake and these banana muffins are no exception. They are so easy to make, freeze great, and make a perfect breakfast or snack on the go. The best part? They only take 30 min from start to finish.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Bakery-Style: These muffins have beautiful bakery-style high tops, let me show you how easy it is!
- Make-ahead: They keep moist and fresh for days because of the bananas, brown sugar, and melted butter.
- Butter: By using melted butter you get the perfect combination of moisture and flavor. Butter is a lot more flavorful than oil and by melting it you don’t have to cream it together with the sugar which saves time and works well in this recipe.
If you’re looking for more Bread and Muffin Recipes while you’re here, try out our Banana Nut Bread Recipe or our reader-favorite Cinnamon Swirl Bread.
How to Make this recipe
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.
- Make the batter: Combine dry ingredients. Mash Bananas, add melted butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in walnuts using a spatula.
- Muffin Pan: Divide batter between prepared muffin cups, filling them to the rim.
- Make the topping: Melt butter, add walnuts and maple syrup, and let simmer for 2 minutes.
- Bake: Divide the topping between muffins and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.
Julia’s Tips
- Use ripe bananas with brown spots for this recipe! They’ll be easier to mash and will result in sweeter and more flavorful muffins.
- The easiest way to mash bananas is in your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment but you can also use a fork or potato masher.
- Measure the flour correctly! Spoon it into the measuring cup, don’t scoop it out of the container, and level it with a knife.
- If the batter is too dry add 1-2 Tbsp of milk, this usually happens if the flour is not measured correctly or the bananas are small.
- Fill the muffin cups up to the brim of the pan, this way you get bakery-style muffins! Don’t be afraid, they won’t overflow.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter after you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix until just combined and no flour streaks remain!
- To make banana nut chocolate chip muffins reduce the amount of chopped walnuts to 1/2 cup and fold in 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- To make mini banana nut muffins use a 24-count mini muffin pan and bake the muffins for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean with only a few moist crumbs attached.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can substitute walnuts with other nuts like pecans, almonds, or even macadamia nuts depending on your preference. Be sure to chop the nuts before adding them to the batter to ensure even distribution.
To make gluten-free Banana Nut muffins, use a gluten-free flour blend in place of regular all-purpose flour. You can find pre-made gluten-free flour mixes at most grocery stores. Also, check the labels on other ingredients like baking powder to ensure they are certified gluten-free.
To make sure your Banana Nut muffins are moist and tender, use ripe bananas with brown spots. They have a sweeter and softer texture. Additionally, don’t overmix the batter; just stir until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Make-ahead, storage, and freezing
Storing: The cooled muffins can be stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Freezing: These muffins freeze well in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature for a few hours or overnight.
More Easy Muffin Recipes
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Banana Nut Muffins
Ingredients
For the Muffins:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 medium bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
For the Topping:
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a measuring jug, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add bananas and mash at medium speed. Then add melted butter and sugar. Mix until combined.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract, beat at medium speed until incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Fold in walnuts using a spatula.
- Divide batter between prepared muffin cups, filling them to the rim.
- For the topping: Melt the butter in a skillet, add walnuts and maple syrup. Let simmer at medium-low for 2 minutes until thickened. Add about 1 tsp of topping on top of each muffin.
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until a toothpick, inserted into the center, comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
Notes
- Use ripe bananas with brown spots for this recipe! They’ll be easier to mash and will result in sweeter and more flavorful muffins.
- The easiest way to mash bananas is in your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment but you can also use a fork or potato masher.
- Measure the flour correctly! Spoon it into the measuring cup, don’t scoop it out of the container, and level it with a knife.
- If the batter is too dry add 1-2 Tbsp of milk, this usually happens if the flour is not measured correctly or the bananas are small.
- Fill the muffin cups up to the brim of the pan, this way you get bakery-style muffins! Don’t be afraid, they won’t overflow.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter after you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix until just combined and no flour streaks remain!
- To make banana nut chocolate chip muffins reduce the amount of chopped walnuts to 1/2 cup and fold in 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- To make mini banana nut muffins use a 24-count mini muffin pan and bake the muffins for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean with only a few moist crumbs attached.
Nutrition
I originally posted this recipe back in August 2016, we’ve improved the recipe and added new photos!
hello, Julia. How big is the cup? 2 cups flour is how many ML?
You can switch to metric measurements in the recipe card. 1 cup is 240 ml, 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams. This recipe calls for 2 cups of flour so you need 250g of flour or 500ml of flour if you want to measure in volume.
Just made these today, they look delicious :) just wondering what size muffin cases you used as I only got 7 muffins when filling to the brim
Thank you, Caitlin! I use a Wilton 12-cup regular muffin pan and the cases have a 2-inch diameter. I’m sorry you got only 7 muffins! Perhaps your bananas were smaller than mine. I hope you liked them nevertheless :-)
They look delicious! Walnuts and maple syrup are among my favorite ingredients.
From one muffin lover to another, thank you for this great post with those beautiful pics!
I love walnuts in anything and these maple glazed muffins looks extra delicious :-)
Thank you, Revathi!
How have I only just found you?? Greetings from Bavaria! Muffins look delicious, thank you for sharing and I’m so glad I came across you blog X
So nice to meet someone from Bavaria, Adriana! I’m so glad you found me, I just hopped over to your blog and can’t stop looking around :-)
Now, these are the kind of muffins I need to start my day! They look so delicious!
Thank you, Annie!
MMMMM! I’m always on the lookout for a good muffin – I think this would be great on Christmas morning — or any other day of the year – LOL! Thank you for sharing. Love your pix!
Thank you, Lisa! I love a good muffin, too and these ones are a favorite of my husband and me. Perfect for Christmas morning :-)
I too prefer muffins to cupcakes. And I am also guilty of making too many muffins because I can’t wait to try different ingredients and flavor combinations. These look perfect for breakfast! :-)
Thanks, Christine! They are perfect for breakfast
I always have muffins in the freezer too. They come in very handy at times. I absolutely love the sound of these, can’t wait to try them.
Freezer muffins are the best :-) Thank you for your comment, Cristie!
What a delicious recipe! These muffins look really fluffy and I love the addition of maple and walnut.
Thanks Julia! Always nice to meet another Julia :-)