These easy banana nut muffins are to prepare you for the fast-approaching fall. Hearty, moist, and sweet within reason, they are the perfect treat for when the crisp autumn air begins to nip at your heels. All you need is about 30 minutes, a ripe banana or two, and some confectionary panache to whip up a batch of these easy banana nut muffins. Share ’em with others, or do as I do an eat ’em with some warm chai while draped in a fuzzy blanket.
“Well, I can’t eat muffins in an agitated manner. The butter would probably get on my cuffs.”
– Oscar Wilde
Some Ingredients You’ll Need
These easy banana nut muffins are fairly straight forward. There is no fancy technique or method to making them. With that said, there are some things that you can do to ensure that your muffins turn out truly spectacular.
Banana
As in banana bread, or most utilizations of banana in baking, the riper the better. Now, I’m not saying you should let your bananas rot or anything, but allowing the banana to ripen increases the banana-y flavor that it will impart. My rule of thumb with bananas is that if I can smell them from a couple feet away, they’re probably ripe enough to bake with.
Soy Milk
I like soy milk (typically the unsweetened variety) for baking, as well as for most things. It’s creamy, has a pleasant and more thick texture than other plant-based milks, and tastes good, too. However, most plant-based milks should substitute in for soy milk in this easy banana nut muffin recipe.
Ground Golden Flaxseed
Ground flaxseed will give these easy banana nut muffins more cake-y texture, and also serve as a binder in addition to the banana. It’s a good source of fiber and short-chain omega-3’s, too!
“Sometimes I think more creativity is put into muffin recipes than into the rest of society combined.”
– Jerry Seinfeld
Easy Banana Nut Muffin Recipe Video
Pecans: The Best Nut?
Personally, I think that pecans are one of the most delicious variety of nuts, and also the nut that works best in these easy banana nut muffins.
They’re sweet, soft, and have a beautiful burgundy color. Their flavor pairs really well with the banana, and adds a dimension of cozy, hearty subtle sweet to the muffins as a whole.
Despite my high opinion of the pecan, you can also use other nuts in this too.. Typically, a steadyfast replacement for pecans are walnuts.
Walnuts, while not as sweet as pecans, have a wonderful earthy bitterness that should compliment and contrast with the floral sweetness of the banana.
Really, it’s up to you!
How To Sweeten A Banana Nut Muffin?
For these easy banana nut muffins, I wanted them to be sweet, but not dessert-like, if you get what I mean.
I find that the perfect way to impart a bit of sweetness in baked goodies without going over-the-top is to add maple syrup. The syrup, while straight out of the bottle, can be quite strong; however, when baked, the flavor mellows a bit.
Now by maple syrup, I’m talking the real stuff – the good stuff from an actual maple tree. If you were to add the high-fructose mock-up, it’d likely turn out much too sweet, so take care of which kind of maple syrup you’re adding to this recipe.
I know maple syrup is expensive, basically liquid gold, but it’s worth it if you’re looking for more flavorful ways to sweeten your food, including these easy banana nut muffins.
Here’s a list of the best maple syrup brands of 2021, if you’re not sure what to get.
“One should always eat muffins quite calmly. It is the only way to eat them.”
– Oscar Wilde
More Muffin Recipes!
– Double Dark Chocolate Muffins
“Boys who spent their weekends making banana nut muffins did not, as a rule, excel in the art of hand-to-hand combat.”
– David Sedaris
If you enjoyed these easy banana nut muffins, consider leaving me a comment and recipe rating (clicking on the stars) before you go – it helps me immensely!
Banana Nut Muffins
Equipment
- 12-count Muffin Tin
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour mix
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup soy milk, or your favorite plant-based milk
- ½ cup mashed ripe banana, about 2 bananas
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon ground golden flaxseed
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup roughly chopped pecans, plus another tablespoon for topping the muffins
Instructions
- Firstly, preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly grease only 9 wells of 12-count muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Then, sift together the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the soy milk, mashed banana, brown sugar, olive oil, maple syrup, ground flaxseed, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- When the oven is preheated, combine the whisked wet ingredients with the dry, and add the ½ cup chopped pecans, too. Fold everything together until no dry flour remains.
- Fill the lightly greased cupcake wells about ¾ of the way full with the banana nut muffin batter. Bake the muffins for 24 – 27 minutes, or until firm to touch on top and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, without super moist batter stuck to it.
- Let the muffins cool for 5 – 10 minutes before enjoying!
Video
Nutrition
May you have good food in good company,
That Vegan Nephew
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