Moist Banana Walnut Muffins with Crumbly Streusel Topping

Why You’ll Love Banana Nut Muffins

• One bowl. Everything mixes in a single bowl for easy prep and minimal cleanup.
• Customizable. Swap walnuts for pecans or chocolate chips, or make mini muffins if you prefer.
• Consistently moist. This reliable recipe yields tender, moist muffins every time.
• Perfectly sweet. The combination of white and brown sugar gives balanced sweetness with a hint of molasses.
• Tastes like classic banana nut bread in muffin form.

If you enjoy these, try my White Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins. What’s your favorite muffin?

Ingredient Notes and Swaps

• Ripe bananas — Use overripe bananas with brown spots (no bruising). Mash until smooth or puree for extra fluff.
• Butter — Unsalted melted butter is recommended; salted butter can be used if needed.
• Milk — Whole milk helps keep the muffins moist, but lower-fat milk will also work.
• Egg — Room temperature eggs blend more smoothly; liquid egg substitutes are an option.
• Vanilla extract — Classic flavor enhancer; maple extract can be used for a different note.
• White and light brown sugars — Combining both yields balanced sweetness and a touch of molasses from the brown sugar.
• All-purpose flour — Do not use self-rising flour. Whole wheat can be substituted if desired.
• Salt and baking soda — Essential for proper texture and rise; do not swap baking soda for baking powder.
• Unsalted walnuts — Use unsalted chopped walnuts from the baking aisle; pecans are a great substitute.

Delicious Add-ins

• Stir in chocolate chips for a sweeter treat.
• Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the batter for warm spice.

How to Make Banana Nut Muffins

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a standard 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick spray or liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, melted butter, and milk; whisk until blended.
3. Add the egg, vanilla, and brown sugar; whisk to combine.
4. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined, then fold in the chopped walnuts.
5. Scoop batter into muffin cups about ¾ full, topping with extra walnuts if you like. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, then cool 5–10 minutes before serving.

Use an ice cream scoop for even portions and to speed up filling the pan.

Tips for Perfect Banana Nut Muffins

• Pack the brown sugar firmly into the measuring cup for an accurate amount.
• Do not overmix the batter — stir only until ingredients are incorporated to keep muffins tender.
• Use a standard 12-muffin tin and coat with non-stick spray or liners for easy release.

Delicious Topping Ideas

These muffins are great plain, but try these finishing touches:

• Spread with butter, peanut butter, or almond butter while warm.
• Try Nutella for a rich, unexpected pairing.
• Dust cooled muffins with powdered sugar for a simple bakery-style look.

How to Quickly Ripen Bananas

• Microwave: Pierce the peel several times and microwave 30 seconds at a time until soft (do not peel first).
• Oven: Bake unpeeled bananas at 300°F until skins are black, about 15–20 minutes; let cool before handling.
• Paper bag: Close bananas in a brown paper bag; they soften in a day or two. Adding an apple or avocado speeds ripening.

Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigeration can extend freshness a couple of days but may dry them out.

Yes. Freeze tightly wrapped muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 10–15 minutes or microwave a wrapped muffin briefly to warm.

A pat of butter is classic. Other tasty options include honey, cream cheese, peanut butter, Nutella, or apple butter.

Yes — thaw frozen bananas and mash them before using.

Best Way to Store Muffins

Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Refrigeration can dry them out, but freezing preserves them well; thawed muffins remain moist.

This recipe was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2025.

If you make these banana nut muffins, please leave a comment to share how they turned out — I’d love to hear from you.