Banana Walnut Muffins

Banana bread is amazing for so many reasons—for starters, you can get those old bananas off the counter! Plus, it’s super quick to throw together, and it makes for a delicious breakfast, snack, or dessert.

One of the other amazing things about banana bread is that it is SO versatile. With just a couple of quick substitutions, I have used this recipe to make a loaf that was gluten free and vegan and virtually indistinguishable from the original recipe. Just swap the egg out for 4 oz of apple sauce, and the flour out for a one to one gluten free flour (Bob’s Red Mill has an excellent one!).

Typically I like use walnuts for these but pecans are also delicious, and the mix of the two…*chef kiss*. It just depends what I have on hand. You can certainly omit the nuts, but I think the crisp from the cinnamon sugar topping with the crunch from the nuts balances beautifully with the tender banana bread.

This banana bread recipe is great as a classic loaf, or as muffins if you want something easier to grab and go. I use a six cup muffin tin and fill every other cup in order to get a nice jumbo bakery-style muffin.

These will store nicely in an airtight container on the countertop or in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Banana Walnut Muffins/Loaf

Time:

15min active, 45-50min total (for muffins)

15min active, 65-75min total (as a loaf)

Yield: 1 loaf or 6 large muffins

3 overripe bananas

¾ cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 ½ cup flour

Topping:

¼ cup sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees farenheit.

In a large bowl, mash together the bananas and sugar with a fork. You're looking for a consistency close to applesauce here, but a few larger chunks is totally fine. Next, add in the oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir until combined. Add in all of the remaining dry ingredients and stir until everything is well incorporated.

In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar for the topping.

For muffins, I like to use a jumbo, 6 cup muffin tin. Line the tins with baking cups, and fill the cups 3/4 of the way. Sprinkle the muffins with an even portion of cinnamon sugar and walnuts. Bake for 28-30 minutes. Use a toothpick to test their doneness, you’re looking for a clean toothpick with just a couple of crumbs.

If you’re going the loaf route, you’ll want to use an 9x5” loaf pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, and pour in the mix. Top with as much of the chopped nuts and sugar topping as you’d like and bake for 50-60min.

Once the cake is done, allow it to cool before removing from the tin. Serve warm and with butter, or with ice cream and a little caramel sauce for more of a dessert vibe.