Bakery-Style Banana Nut Muffins (video)
These banana nut muffins are soft, fluffy, moist, and loaded with banana flavor. They have that signature bakery-style large muffin tops and they’re ready for the oven in only 15 minutes. 
Why this recipe is so great:
This recipe is super easy to follow. There is no mixer required – you just whip the batter up by hand and bake. I use the same baking technique in this recipe as I do with most of my muffin recipes. I start with a high oven temperature of 425F to get that initial rise from the batter, then bake at 375F till it’s cooked through to get that gorgeous muffin top. These banana nut muffins have been enjoyed around the world. Here are some reviews:
“I totally love this recipe. I made it with my 3-year-old boy and they came out perfectly, soft, fluffy and super yummy. Hugs from Peru.” – Yacqueline
“I just had to stop by and thank you for the wonderful recipe. Not overly sweet at all, just the perfect amount. Already baked it three times, and last time decided to add some streusel with some oats and more walnuts, but it’s perfect as it is. Very delicious I dare you to eat only one muffin. Cheers from Brazil!!!” – Ana
Ingredients you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Cinnamon and Vanilla
- Vegetable oil or any kind of neutral-tasting oil
- Granulated and brown sugar
- Eggs
- Milk of any kind
- Ripe bananas
- Walnuts or pecans
How to make banana nut muffins:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula and stir everything together until just combined. Fold in 2/3 cup of chopped walnuts.
- Evenly divide the batter into a 12-cup regular-sized muffin tin lined with paper liners. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup chopped walnuts.
- Bake 425F for 5 minutes. Then keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the heat to 375F and bake for another 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Expert tips:
- Leavening agents – The key to these muffins being fluffy and not dense is to use enough leavening agents. Mashed bananas are heavy and weigh down the batter, so using a combination of baking powder and baking soda, and using enough of each helps lift the batter. But you don’t want to use too much that you can taste it.
- Baking temperature – The initial high temperature is especially important with this recipe because of all the moisture from the bananas. The high temperature causes a rapid burst of steam and expands the batter, making the texture fluffy. It also evaporates some of the moisture so the muffins aren’t dense and gummy. Then reducing the temperature allows the inside of the muffins to finish cooking without drying out and overcooking the outside.
- Sweetness – This recipe is designed not to be too sweet, but if you prefer a sweeter muffin, feel free to add another 1/4 cup of granulated sugar or a sprinkle of turbinado or brown sugar on top of each muffin.
How to store banana muffins:
You can store banana muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
How to freeze banana muffins:
Once the muffins are completely cooled, place in a freezer-friendly container or ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. 
You might also like:
- Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Best Ever Banana Bread
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Maple Glazed Banana Walnut Bread
Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.
Banana Nut Muffins {Bakery-Style}
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (100g) white sugar
- 1/2 cup (110g) packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup overripe mashed banana , (about 3 medium)
- 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.2 & 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla and bananas.1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil, 1/2 cup (100g) white sugar, 1/2 cup (110g) packed brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 3/4 cup (180ml) milk, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup overripe mashed banana
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir everything together and just as the batter starts to come together, fold in 2/3 cup of chopped walnuts.2/3 cup chopped walnuts
- Divide the batter amongst the 12 paper liners and top with the remaining chopped walnuts.1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425F. Keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the heat to 375F, bake for another 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Notes
I haven’t even tasted them yet, but I had to comment because this recipe made the most beautiful perfect looking muffins!! I’m so excited about it!
Thank you! I’m glad you think they are beautiful:) Enjoy and happy Saturday!
This recipe delivered exactly as promised and was very easy to make. Unlike some recipes I’ve tried from online sources, these muffins were everything the recipe described – light, fluffy and moist. I didn’t have paper liners and my standard muffin cups were very full when using all the batter. I made sure to lightly grease the top surface of the tin so what I was hoping would be nice high, wide muffin tops wouldn’t stick. They turned out perfect -beautiful domed tops and lots of crunchy walnut pieces on top. I also sprinkled some sanding sugar on top for a little extra crunch and sweetness since you mentioned the muffins aren’t too sweet. They are just the right sweetness for our taste. I noticed in the comments some references to buttermilk or soured milk but the recipe I followed just said “milk”. I don’t think it made much difference but I do like the tang of soured or buttermilk. Will use that next time.
This is the first recipe I came across on pintrest and haven’t even bothered to look for another. This one is absolutely perfect! I usually have to make 2 batches because my husband devours one batch on his own! Thank you!
You’re very welcome, Viviana! Glad to hear you and your husband enjoy it so much:)
Amazing recipe, my banana muffins haven’t come out this great in a long time! I even halved the white sugar and they were still perfect.
I want to make this for my baby’s first birthday next week in the form of a cake. Would this recipe be good for a thick cake too? Also, can the recipe be doubled or do you recommend making two batches of the batter? Thank you Lily!
Thank you! I’m so glad you like it, Mila. I’ve never tried it for myself, but I don’t see why you couldn’t turn this recipe into a layer cake or a 9×13″ cake. And yes, you can double this recipe. Happy birthday to your little one next week!
Absolutely delicious. With defo make again with various other fillings.
I am always looking for new recipes and go for the ones with 5⭐
I read the comments and decided this is the winner to try!
I am going to use actual buttermilk, I always have for baking, but would like to use cake and pastry flour instead of all purpose.
Is there a difference in measurements?
No, not for this recipe. I hope you enjoy the muffins, stay safe and happy holidays!
yum with high tops!!
These muffins are perfect. They are moist and flavorful. I got so many compliments on them. Thank YOU!
Made these muffins for my family and they absolutely loved them so much. I love sugar so I added about 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips to my batter along with the walnuts. Would definitely make these scrumptious muffins again in the future.
Thank you for your wonderful review and great idea adding some chocolate chips to the recipe (because everything is better with chocolate!).
Love them! Perfect recipe, my 15 year old found it on Pinterest and made them. We had too many bananas going spoiling. Great way to get my 4 teens and hubby to consume their bananas and fresh walnuts with such a treat. Thank you!
You’re very welcome, Sophia! I’m glad you and the whole family enjoyed them. Have a great week!
Made the banana muffins today for my granddaughters. They were easy to make and tasted great! I added 3/4 mini chocolate chips. Did not add nuts. I soured the milk with 1T vinegar, as suggested by a reviewer. I am sure that they would have been wonderful without the changes. My husband suggested I make them again and add blueberries. He is not a fan of chocolate chips in muffins. Looking forward to trying another of your muffin recipes. I think many of us will have a few extra pounds to lose after COVID19. Stay safe, everyone.
Aww, thanks for your kind words, Judy! I definitely have a few quarantine pounds to lose, lol. Take care and stay safe as well.
Hi! I made your bakery style chocolate chip muffins and they were soo good. For this recipe, I’ve read in the comments that buttermilk works wonders. Could I make my own buttermilk using skimmed milk with lemon or just use skimmed milk? I’m afraid skimmed milk will make the batter more runny? Would low fat or whole milk be more ideal? Thank youu
You can use any kind of milk with this recipe. Skim milk (with or without lemon) is fine. Enjoy and have a great day!
I made this recipe yesterday to use up some very ripe bananas.
I made a couple changes by using almond milk and a stick of butter instead of milk and oil. I also used 5 very, very ripe bananas.
These came out amazing! I took them to my daughter’s family last night and told them I was using them to test out this recipe and they loved them. I will definately use this recipe again and again. (I am 65 years old and this was the first time I used any other recipe for banana nut bread/muffins except for my Great Grandmothers)
I’m so honored that you gave my recipe a try and liked it. Thank you for your lovely comment, Karen!
These muffins turned out beautifully and they were soo delicious! Will definitely make again.
This recipe is a keeper! I love that it is easy, no mixer needed. It is not too sweet. I sprinkle brown sugar on top after baking. This gives just the right amount of sweetness. My new favorite, delicious!
Thank you for your kind words, Eileen! I’m so glad it’s your new favorite. Stay safe and happy baking!
My family loves these…and all your muffin recipes! My 3 year old and I baked a batch today.
Thank you for your lovely review, Britt. So glad you and your family love the muffins. Stay safe and happy baking with your little one!
I have been looking at your recipes for a few months and last night I made these banana nut muffins and they were delicious! Thank you.
Best banana nut muffin recipe ever. 🙂 I used maple-flavoured almond slice instead of walnuts and it tasted fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Maureen! Thank you for your kind words and great idea with the maple-flavored almond slices:)
I’m not usually someone who comments of recipes but this Baker knows her stuff!!!!! Every muffin receipe I’ve tried from little sweet Baker has turned our perfectly. These are awesome! The chocolate chip ones are awesome too. Overly I actually trust what you say word for word!!!
Thank you, Dianne, for your rave review and for the trust! Much appreciated xoxo
Hi this looks delicious and I was wondering if you’ve ever tried this with buttermilk? If you haven’t do you think it will come out good?
Hi Natalia,
Yes, I have made this with buttermilk and it works beautifully. Thank you for your question and I hope you enjoy the muffins!
Can I make 6 jumbo muffins with this recipe?
Yes, you can. Just remember to extend the baking time. Enjoy!