Nutty Banana Bread Muffins

I’m pretty sure everyone has their go-to banana bread recipe. Well, here’s ours. It wasn’t passed down by mom or nana (although we’ll need to backtrack those at a later date) and we don’t claim ours to be the best because we know there’s dozens of amazing banana bread recipes. But what I will say is, this is my absolute favorite version of banana bread that we’ve made to date. I make it about every other week—usually on Sundays morning—and it’s simple, light, nutty, and warms the soul the way I want it to. So in our house, it’s the best.

When it comes to banana bread, I like it moist but not gooey, sweet but not overly sweet (like a cake), and nutritious enough to eat in the mornings while being flexible enough to satisfy an afternoon sweet tooth. Is that a tall order? Maybe. But you tell me. Regardless, I think these muffins strike the perfect balance of what I was looking for.

I will also say that banana bread is really personal for some of us. By this I just mean, it likely brings back a specific childhood memory, or it may even spark friendly debates over which recipe is ‘better’, and it may even bring out pickier than normal opinions from the unlikely. With that in mind, I think banana bread varies in taste preference and should reflect what YOU like and prefer. This is that version for me, but modified to feel a bit healthier and just as tasty. Let’s begin!

The beauty of this recipe is you can throw everything into one bowl, no mixer required. Seriously. We just use a medium bowl and a fork. That’s it. Even though I estimate 15 minutes of prep time, you could easily pull this together and in the oven in less than 10 minutes.

If you’re wondering whether you can bake this as a loaf, the answer is yes. It just needs to bake another 10-15 minutes. I just prefer muffins for a few reasons:

• It’s easier to grab and go. No knife, no plate. Hassle-free.
• It’s pre-portioned if you’re watching calories.
• It’s easier to store. We like to put ours in a glass jar and keep on the counter.

Last thing is, I like to use a combination of almond flour and whole grain flour for these muffins. The almond flour gives it that nutty undertone while adding a boost of moisture — and the whole grain flour offers a little more nutrition, while helping the muffin get that light, fluffy texture. Without it, the muffin won’t rise as much and will feel more dense. If you’re gluten-free, you can use AF for all parts calling flour. And vice versa, if you only have all-purpose flour, or bread flour, you can use that for all parts calling almond flour. I’ve tried it both ways and come back to the combined method. See image below.

Image on the left is our muffins made with almond flour and whole grain flour. Image on the right are muffins made with only almond flour (slightly darker in color and denser in texture).

Serves: 12 muffins

Time: 45 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup butter, salted or unsalted
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup whole grain flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F (176C) and prepare your baking pan. We like to use a 12 count muffin pan (non-stick) and lightly grease with olive oil or butter.
2. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until fully mashed, add the butter (fully melted), and mix lightly until creamy.
3. Without over mixing the batter, add in your egg, vanilla extract, and olive oil.
4. Next, fold in the remaining dry ingredients. We suggest adding the baking soda, salt, and sugar first. Mix lightly until combined. And slowly fold in the flour last, and mix lightly until combined.
5. If you’re adding nuts to your batter (optional), go ahead and add those now.
6. Evenly distribute the batter into your greased muffin pan. Bake in oven for 25-35 minutes. We recommend keeping a close eye on these especially around 25 minutes to prevent over-baking.

Notes

• We use a 12 ct muffin pan but you can use a 6 ct (for larger muffins) or a small bread loaf pan (bake time will be 15-20 min longer)
• Nuts are optional but great if you love a little extra nutrition and crunch. We like to add 1/2 cup of pecans
• For gluten-free, just replace all flour with almond flour. The muffins/loaf will not rise as much and will be slightly denser but still very good.
• On the flip side, if you don’t have almond flour, you can use standard all purpose flour for all flour