Banana Nut Muffins that are better than anything you can buy at the bakery! Made with browned butter, these are truly gourmet.
Since my banana muffins have been so popular and have received so many 5 star ratings (thank you!) I thought I’d do an extra special version with nuts and browned butter. I really think you’re going to love these!
One day I’m sure I’ll run out of things to say about muffins. I’ve shared so many muffin recipes (remember my pumpkin muffins from earlier this month?) that it’s bound to happen.
Some of you might even be glad when that happens. When a muffin recipe pops in your inbox with just a thumbs-up emoji and the recipe and none of my rambling.
But today is not that day. Today, I want to talk to you about banana nut muffins. I need to let you know that these muffins are worth your time. They’re stop what you’re doing right now good. Soft, moist, oh-so-fluffy interiors topped off with crackly, crisp, well-sugared tops and punctuated with crunchy nuts. The. most. divine vanilla-accented buttery/banana flavor in every melt-in-your-mouth bite.
These banana nut muffins are muffin heaven, and it all starts with one key ingredient.
Brown Butter.
Why Use Browned Butter
Brown butter is baking gold. It’s simply butter that’s been heated long enough to cook out the water and turn the milk solids brown. This results in a kitchen with a buttery, cozy, and slightly nutty aroma that’s better than any scent Yankee Candle could ever lay claim too. But most importantly, it’s going to add a deep, rich flavor to your banana nut muffins.
With most of my muffin recipes, I prefer to use a blend of butter and oil. While the butter lends a great flavor to baked goods, the water content has the tendency to make your baked good come out drier (ironically)and denser than I like. To combat this, I often use a blend of butter (for flavor) and oil, which contains no water, for a moist, fluffy baked good.
But, since we’re cooking out that water, we can use all butter and no oil for a banana nut muffin with a truly incredible flavor. I mean, truly incredible. Oh, and it’s also more formally known by its French name, buerre noisette, and if that isn’t just the fanciest sounding ingredient I’ve ever cooked with then I don’t even know what is.
OK, I think I’m done nerding out about browned butter for the day, thanks for bearing with me. Let’s continue.
Tips for Making Banana Nut Muffins
- Don’t take your eyes off the butter while you’re browning it! Browned butter can become burnt butter really fast if you don’t pay attention, and if it becomes even a little burnt the taste changes from magical to awful. Burnt butter will ruin your banana nut muffins so you’ll have to toss it and start over. Don’t let this happen.
- Cook the banana nut muffins on 2 temperatures (as indicated in the recipe). I use this technique in my chocolate chip muffins and my blueberry muffins, among others. It helps the muffins to get a nice rise on them and gives them soft fluffy interiors without burnt or tough exteriors.
- My preferred nuts for Banana nut muffins are pecans, but walnuts or really any nut you like best will work just fine!
Enjoy!
Be sure to check out my VIDEO just below the recipe! If you enjoy these videos, please consider subscribing to my YouTube Channel so you can be the first to see all of my cooking videos!
Banana Nut Muffins
Ingredients
- 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 10 pieces (142g)
- 1 ½ cups mashed ripe or over-ripe bananas* (385g, this is typically 3 large bananas for me)
- ½ cup sugar (100g)
- ½ cup light brown sugar tightly packed (100g)
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- ¼ cup buttermilk room temperature preferred (60ml)
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups chopped pecans or walnuts divided
- sugar for sprinkling optional
Instructions
- Begin by browning your butter. Place butter pieces in a medium-sized saucepan (preferably not a cast iron or dark-colored one as it will be hard to see when your butter begins to change color) over medium-low heat.
- Once butter has melted, increase heat to just above medium. Swirl butter frequently with a wooden spoon as the butter bubbles and pops. Once the bubbling/popping slows, the butter will begin to turn brown.
- Watch the butter very carefully. Once it begins to brown and you can smell the nutty aroma of browned butter, remove from heat immediately and pour into a large heatproof bowl.
- Allow browned butter to cool for at least 20 minutes before proceeding.
- Once butter has cooled, preheat oven to 425F (220C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Stir mashed bananas into butter and stir well. Add sugars and stir again.
- Add eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk and stir ingredients very well. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to your wet batter and gently fold until ingredients are mostly combined and then stir in 1 cup of pecans (reserve ¼ cup for top) until all ingredients are just combined -- do not over-mix this batter or your muffins could come out dense and dry.
- Portion batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each liner ¾ of the way full.
- Sprinkle with remaining chopped pecans and coarse sugar, if using.
- Transfer muffins to oven and bake on 425F (220C) for 10 minutes and then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350F (175C) and bake another 6-8 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow to cool and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Miriam Rose Blanar
Just made these, and they are incredible! I was a rebel and filled them all the way to the top of the muffin liner and I ended up with about 13 huge muffins! Thanks for another great recipe! I never fail when I use your recipes. 🥰
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Miriam! 🙂
Maria B Rugolo
Hi Sam. I can’t wait to make these but was wondering, for the 3 bananas, what size bananas? Would you have final weight measurements before or after mashing that you could share?
Sam
Hi Maria! I just added some clarifying notes to the recipe to answer your question. It’s typically about 3 large bananas and comes out to 1 1/2 cups or 385 grams. I hope that helps and I hope you love the muffins!! 🙂
Maria B Rugolo
You’re the best Sam! Thank you for providing the weight measurement of the bananas and responding so quickly.
I made these last night and they are moist, delicious and the finished result is so pretty!
Sam
I’m so happy you enjoyed! Thank you for letting me know how they turned out!
Karen Yarber
I made these this morning and I was very pleased with how they turned out. The brown butter made a big difference. I was out of cornstarch, but they still turned out great. I think the two baking temperatures helped them rise well. Definitely a keeper! Will make them again. Everyone liked them. I used walnuts in lieu of pecans.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for coming back to leave a review, Karen! Enjoy the muffins ❤️
Katherine KR
Recipe is easy to follow. Muffins turn out great! I love your video too. I didn’t change anything. It’s really good in terms of taste and looks . Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for the review, Katherine! We’re so happy you enjoyed the muffins 😍
Dani
Any idea on how long the bake would be for a bread and jumbo muffins with this recipe?
Sam
Hi Dani! For the jumbo muffins I would follow the directions on my bakery style chocolate chip muffins. I’m not sure on the loaf pan though.
Dani
Thank you Sam! Following those directions worked perfect! I also made mini ones too.
Elena
I’ve baked these twice already and they are a hit with my son’s. They are awesome!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We love hearing that the muffins are a hit for your family, Elena ❤️ Enjoy!