Pecan Banana Muffins
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Pecan Banana Muffins combine a classic banana muffin batter with toasted pecans. These are super moist and make a delicious breakfast or snack!
One can never have too many banana recipes! Next, try my Banana Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping, Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Muffins, or Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread!
Best Banana Muffins
I know I always say these are the BEST or these are my FAVORITE, but you know – I’m a food blogger and that’s my job. 😀 I LOVE food!
What do you do with those extra bananas that are a little too brown? You turn them into something delicious. Bread, muffins, coffee cake, and smoothies. They’re all delicious, and it’s nice to have choices. Right?
Why this recipe works
- It’s simple. Made in one bowl, this recipe is simple to make!
- Delicious muffins! These are super tasty – moist and buttery and topped with crunchy pecans.
- These freeze nicely. Place leftover muffins in a freezer bag and freeze up to three months.
Want to include these on a brunch spread? Make my Ham and Cheese Frittata or my Overnight Omelette Breakfast Casserole too!
Ingredient Notes
- Bananas – You’ll need three overripe bananas. I use a hand mixer to puree them until runny.
- Butter – Using butter in these adds richness and moisture.
- Buttermilk – You can buy buttermilk or make your own. Simple add some distilled vinegar to milk and let it sit until thick.
- Pecans – I used chopped pecans and toasted them. Make sure you reserve a few for the tops!
How to make Pecan Banana Muffins
Step 1
Puree the bananas. In a medium mixing bowl, puree the bananas until runny.
Step 2
Mix the wet ingredients. Then add the remaining wet ingredients – the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and melted (and slightly cooled) butter. Whisk until well combined.
Step 3
Add dry ingredients. Then add the baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, and flour. Stir until combined.
Step 4
Toast pecans. In a nonstick skillet, toast the pecans until fragrant and browned. Then add them (reserving a few for the tops) to the batter and stir.
Step 5
Add batter to muffin tins. Spoon muffin batter to the muffin tins lined with cupcake liners, almost to the tops. Then add the reserved pecans to the top of the batter.
Step 6
Bake. Bake muffins in a preheated 350 degree oven for 22-24 minutes, or until done inside.
Step 7
Cool. Remove muffins to cooling racks.
Recipe Tips
- Use a hand mixer to puree the bananas until fairly runny. I prefer to do it this way instead of just mashing with a fork.
- Toasting the pecans will bring out the incredible flavor for these muffins.
- Reserve a few pecans for the tops of the muffins. I like to make sure others know that there are nuts in these (especially in the case with allergies) and so it’a an easy way to do this.
- Don’t over-bake. All ovens are different so be sure to test these muffins with a toothpick to check for doneness.
Make these muffins for all the occasions. For family breakfast, for meal prep for sack lunches, for a pre-workout or post-workout snack, or for just because! One can never go wrong with banana sweets!
Recipe FAQs
As long as the bananas aren’t molding, the darker the better. Don’t use bananas that aren’t OVERripe!
No, you can mash the bananas with a fork, and then add the remaining ingredients. Using a blender just helps break down the bananas a little easier.
Use a toothpick and insert into the center of the muffins. If it comes out wet, bake a little bit longer.
You can use chopped walnuts or chocolate chips instead of the pecans.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Pecan Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans – toasted
- 3 large bananas – overripe and pureed
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter – melted and slightly cooled
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour – spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat nonstick skillet to medium heat. Add pecans and toast until fragrant and browned. Remove from heat.
- In a medium bowl, puree the overripe bananas until runny. Add the remaining wet ingredients – the buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract, and melted and slightly cooled butter. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients – the baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, and flour. Stir to mix. Then add toasted pecan pieces (reserving some for the top, if desired) and stir again.
- Spoon batter into muffin tins lined with cupcake liners. Fill almost to the top of the liners. Add reserved pecans to the top of the muffin batter.
- Bake muffins for 22 minutes, or until cooked in the center. Remove to cooling rack.
Notes
- As long as the bananas aren’t molding, the darker the better. Don’t use bananas that aren’t OVERripe!
- You can use chopped walnuts or chocolate chips instead of the pecans.
Sue,
Have you ever tried your recipe with Kamut flour. a baking friend just gave me fresh ground kamut flour and I thought maybe 1/2 and 1/2 with w.w. flour.
I have not experimented with that type of flour, Maggie.
Amazing and an awesome idea to use those past ripe bananas.
Hi Sue, I’m not much of a baker, but neighbor is…so guess who’s going to get a copy of this recipe?
Your recipe caused me to think about the ingredients used, the salt used and the leavening ingredients. I learned that Kosher salt is about have the weight of table salt and sea salt is like kosher salt but with the flavors found in the area where its harvested.
Leavening ingredients backing powder & baking soda need an acid to leaven the dough. While powder has all it needs to work except water, soda needs an acid to work, and I think that’s why there is buttermilk in this recipe. Now what have both I asked myself, well if you use soda with buttermilk, you will have another flavor added to the taste profile and a good one too. I then asked why not use the soda only, well as it turns out powder has its qualities too. Baking soda helps baked goods brown better. And if one used soda only it would probably be a bit to sour.
Here are the links to baking soda/powder and to salts.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/what-is-kosher-salt
https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/baking-powder-vs-baking-soda-whats-the-difference
All of this is good info, Carl! Are you a scientist? 🙂