We have brown bananas in this household, so you know what that means! We’re making some deliciously nutty banana muffins!
The key to perfect muffins is in the bananas. The browner and mushier they look, the yummier your muffins will be. But why is that? The brown bananas have an unappetizing appearance and texture, how could they turn into such a delicious dessert?!
Scientifically, we see green bananas have a high starch and fiber content compared to brown bananas which lose these components during the ripening process.
This determines their firm or mushy structure (high fiber + starch = firm VS low fiber + starch = mushy)
Therefore, brown bananas are a breeze to mash and mix into batter. No sore forearms here as you attempt to mash the fruit against the bowl!
Brown bananas also have a much higher sugar content than green bananas, which contributes to a sweeter dessert for your friends and family
So grab those mushy, brown bananas you left on the counter totally intending to be healthy but never actually ate (me too girl, me too), and lets turn them into something even more delicious! 🙂
The Ingredients
Butter: this will be just melted, with a batter as liquid as this room-temperature butter is too difficult to incorporate. Melting our butter allows the ingredients to fully combine
Spices: I tossed in cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg for a little extra flavor. This is optional! If you dislike either or both of these, just omit these from the recipe
Greek yogurt: If you don’t have any on hand, sour cream will also work. This adds moisture to the muffins, yum! If you are unsure which Greek yogurt to buy, I’d recommend a plain high-fat yogurt for a deliciously moist result
Pecans or Walnuts: These add a yummy, nutty texture to our muffins. It doesn’t matter which you choose to use, simply up to your preference and what you have available
Banana Nut Bread
Equipment
- 1 Large Bowl
- 1 whisk or spatula
Ingredients
Banana Nut Bread
- 4 ripe bananas As brown as possible
- 2 eggs room temp
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt or sour cream room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp melted butter unsalted
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup walnuts or pecans chopped
- 1/4 cup walnuts or pecans for topping
- 1 Yellow Banana for Topping optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃) and place muffin liners into your muffin tin
- Mash bananas brown bananas, some clumps are okay
- Add sugar and mix until combined, then mix in eggs, yogurt, butter, and vanilla
- Add dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt) until just combined. Be careful not to overmix your batter
- Chop up your nuts and fold gently into the batter
- Transfer batter to your greased muffin tin and sprinkle remaining nuts on top of your banana bread
- If you'd like to top with banana slices, take your yellow banana and slice thinly. Place slices on top of muffins
- Bake for 25 minutes (times may vary depending on oven and elevation). Check on your muffins at 20 minutes for browning. Test if fully baked by sticking a toothpick in the center; it is ready when the toothpick comes out clean (no wet batter on the pick)
- Remove from oven and let rest on the counter for 5 minutes or until the pan is comfortable to touch. Remove muffins from pan and let cool on a wire rack until they come to room temp, and enjoy!
Notes
- Chocolate chips: If you prefer chocolate chips to nuts, or want a mixture of both, you can absolutely add chocolate to this recipe! Just add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, I’d especially recommend mini chocolate chips if possible!
- Streusel topping: A yummy addition to any loaf! I have a recipe for deliciously simple streusel topping here you can add to your banana bread
- Yogurt: Greek yogurt is best used in this, preferably whole fat to preserve moisture but fat-free will also make for a yummy loaf
- Don’t like cinnamon?: No problem, I tend to have a heavy hand when it comes to spices, but feel free to remove it if it’s not to your liking!
- No butter: No problem! Just replace the butter with oil, either canola or vegetable oil
- Can this be bread instead?: Yes! Use the same recipe and oven temperature, but increase cook time. It takes about 55 minutes to an hour for me, but be sure to monitor your loaf towards the end for browning edges. The toothpick test is the best way to verify it is cooked through!
- Cooling: Let your muffins cool to room temperature! As tempting as it is, biting your muffins too early releases steam inside and removes the yummy moisture that would otherwise remain if left to cool