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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Muffins

    Banana Nut Muffins

    Updated: Oct 24, 2018 โ€ข Published: Oct 24, 2018 by Sam Merritt โ€ข 91 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
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    Banan Nut Muffins made with Browned Butter

    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!

    Banana Nut Muffin on parchment paper wrapper

    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.

    Browned butter for banana nut muffins

    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.

    Banana Nut Muffin in parchment paper liner

    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!

    Freshly baked banana nut muffin with bite out of it

    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!

    Browned butter banana nut muffins

    Banana Nut Muffins

    How to make Banana Nut Muffins with browned butter! These are gourmet, better-than-bakery muffins and I think you'll love them!
    Instructional how-to VIDEO included below the recipe!
    5 from 29 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 19 minutes minutes
    Butter Cooling Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 9 minutes minutes
    Servings: 18 muffins
    Calories: 245kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 10 Tablespoons (142 g) unsalted butter cut into 10 pieces
    • 1 ½ cups (385 g) mashed ripe or over-ripe bananas* (this is typically 3 large bananas for me)
    • ½ cup (100 g) sugar
    • ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar tightly packed
    • 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
    • ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk room temperature preferred
    • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
    • 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.
      10 Tablespoons (142 g) unsalted butter
    • 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.
      1 ½ cups (385 g) mashed ripe or over-ripe bananas*, ½ cup (100 g) sugar, ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
    • Add eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk and stir ingredients very well. Set aside.
      2 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk
    • In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
      2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon 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.
      1 ¼ cups chopped pecans or walnuts
    • Portion batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each liner ¾ of the way full.
    • Sprinkle with remaining chopped pecans and coarse sugar, if using.
      sugar for sprinkling
    • 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

    *I like to use a potato masher to mash my bananas, but a fork will work well too. Make sure to mash them well!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1.1mg

    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.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    Freshly baked banana nut muffin

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Isabel

      May 23, 2020 at 3:36 pm

      5 stars
      These are the best banana muffins Iโ€™ve made. I made them with toasted walnuts and the crumb topping from your brown butter walnut blondie recipe (another wonderful recipe) and they turned out perfect. I didnโ€™t have a second muffin pan, but the extra batter was the perfect amount for a miniature loaf of banana bread. This will now be my go to recipe for my extra ripe bananas. Thnak you! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 23, 2020 at 8:45 pm

        That sounds AMAZING! I’m so happy you enjoyed, Isabel! Thank you so much for commenting, I appreciate it! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    2. Kaylee

      April 15, 2020 at 1:59 pm

      I tried making these and they turned out spectacular. They really are the best banana nut muffins we have ever tried. The batch I made was gone all in one sitting lol Thank you so much for this recipe!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        April 15, 2020 at 2:05 pm

        I am so glad that you loved them, Kaylee! Thank you for trying my recipe. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    3. Sue Loudon

      March 14, 2020 at 12:38 pm

      5 stars
      These banana nut muffins are delicious. Today was my second time making them and I reduced the sugar both white and brown from 100g to 75g and I like them even better. This is by far the best banana nut muffin recipe. They are so light and tasty.

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        March 14, 2020 at 3:45 pm

        I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Sue! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    4. Janet G.

      December 15, 2019 at 4:22 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious. Thank you Sam!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        December 15, 2019 at 4:27 pm

        I am glad that you enjoyed the muffins, Janet! Thanks for commenting. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    5. Robin

      October 16, 2019 at 7:29 pm

      Can I use regular whole milk? I donโ€™t have lemon to add to milk to create buttermilk substitute.

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 16, 2019 at 10:37 pm

        Do you have vinegar, by chance? If not the muffins will still turn out, they just won’t be as moist and the flavor won’t be as nice as with buttermilk.

        Reply
    6. Maria

      September 30, 2019 at 2:32 pm

      5 stars
      These were DE๐Ÿ‘๐ŸผLI๐Ÿ‘๐ŸผCIOS. Best wishes to you and your baby!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        September 30, 2019 at 4:20 pm

        Thank you so much, Maria! I am glad that you enjoyed the banana nut muffins and a special thank you for the good wishes, we appreciate it! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    7. Kerry

      August 11, 2019 at 7:42 pm

      I make banana muffins regularly, but your recipe is different and I would like to try it. But you do not say if the oven temperature is conventional or fan forced.

      Reply
      • Sam

        August 12, 2019 at 2:25 pm

        Hi Kerry! This is done in a conventional oven. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    8. Vicki

      August 08, 2019 at 10:41 am

      I want to say thank you for this recipe. It was easy to follow and the muffins were delicious. I made them this morning for breakfast and my son who doesn’t normally like muffins said, “Did you really make these? They are so good”. Well, we ended up skipping the rest of breakfast and just had muffins. I followed the recipe exactly other than I used walnuts instead of pecans because I had them on hand. The first batch came out a little dry and dark because I do not have an oven thermometer. I adjusted my oven temp slightly and the second batch came out beautifully. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!

      Reply
      • Sam

        August 08, 2019 at 9:26 pm

        Thank you so much, Vicki! I am so glad everyone enjoyed the muffins so much. It sounds like the perfect breakfast to me. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    9. Rachael

      July 15, 2019 at 12:39 pm

      5 stars
      WOW these are good!! And your chocolate chip muffins? Theyโ€™re CRAZY!! Your site is now the only one I use for muffins- canโ€™t wait to try your other recipes!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 15, 2019 at 9:58 pm

        Thank you so much, Rachael! I am so glad you are enjoying everything. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    10. Charlotte M. Logan

      May 12, 2019 at 4:59 am

      Made these as a Motherโ€™s Day gift for my sister. They were moist, melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and the flavor was amazing.. I NEVER want store-bought muffins again! This banana nut recipe beats all others hands down. You can call me #spoiledforlife ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 12, 2019 at 8:36 pm

        I am so glad everyone enjoyed the muffins, Charlotte! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    11. Sheena Nirghen

      February 11, 2019 at 2:49 pm

      5 stars
      I tried this recipe and absolutely love it! Itโ€™s soo moist, fluffy and soft.
      The brown butter definitely pushes it up a few notches!
      Canโ€™t stop eating it!

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 11, 2019 at 6:06 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed them, Sheena! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    12. Sheena

      February 11, 2019 at 11:58 am

      5 stars
      This is awsum!…just made some now excluding the nuts cos of allergies . Itโ€™s so soft , fluffy and moist and the brown butter definitely pushes up a few notches!…
      I canโ€™t stop eating!…love love love!

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 11, 2019 at 6:11 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed them, Sheena! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    13. Kathleen

      January 19, 2019 at 1:12 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Sam. Your website is the best. I go here first for something yummy to try. Your worst choc cookies are the awesome. I made these muffins today. They turned out good and the browned butter does make a big diff. My question on these is the flour. It says 2 cups or 250 g. I measured the 250 g and it was about 2 1/2 cups. I was concerned so I just spooned and leveled 2 cups. Which one should I go by? Otherwise the flavor was super. Love your videos. Have a super today.

      Reply
      • Sam

        January 19, 2019 at 8:15 pm

        Thank you for the kind words about my site and videos, Kathleen! For me a cup of flour is always 125g (so 250g for 2 cups) and that’s always what I use. I would use the 250g in the future. So glad to hear you enjoyed, and I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!! <3

        Reply
    14. Joanne

      October 25, 2018 at 2:36 pm

      These banana muffins look just as good, if not better, than a bakery muffin!

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 25, 2018 at 6:10 pm

        I say better than a bakery muffin. ๐Ÿ˜‰ It’s always better homemade right?

        Reply
    15. Shell

      October 24, 2018 at 2:10 pm

      5 stars
      I so enjoy the recipes you post!! I actually signed up for emails and I love how inspiring they are to make me want to get in the kitchen. Cooking and baking are my love language anyways, so it doesn’t take much but your website is so beautiful & recipes are amazing! I just wanted to leave a little love today and say thanks for the inspiration!

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 24, 2018 at 8:49 pm

        Thank you very much! โ˜บ๏ธ It really means a lot to me that you would take the time to let me know.

        Reply
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    5 from 29 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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