Perfect Banana Nut Muffins
I’ve made a decision. All weekends should be 3 day weekends. Agreed?
Having Monday off yesterday was the BEST! We got to sleep in, ate breakfast together, then Shawn had to slip off to work for a few hours. I had the house to myself. I felt like a stay-at-home housewife. How do I get that job? Because sign me up! I cleaned, did laundry, got to go to the grocery store during the golden hour.
Do you know about the grocery store golden hour? It’s at 10am, and you will feel like you have the store to yourself. Freshly stocked produce, no lines at the register, and you can get a parking spot right up front. I usually grocery shop around 4pm after I’m off work, and it’s bedlam. I’m trying to maneuver the crowded Trader Joe’s aisles along with every mom and their kids straight from the “after school pickup”, and all the working adults trying to grab stuff for dinner on their way home.
It was during this golden hour, as I was taking my sweet time and perusing all the produce, that I noticed they had 4 pound bags of overly ripe banana’s on sale for just $2. I used to feel bad for poor, neglected bananas when they turned brown. That is, until, I perfected banana nut muffins. Seeing all those perfectly brown and speckled bananas on sale for so cheap, I just knew I had to whip up a batch of banana nut muffins.
These banana nut muffins are based off of my favorite banana bread recipe ever by America’s Test Kitchen. They have a genius technique of using 5 whole bananas, microwaving them, then straining off the extra moisture the cooked bananas release. They then cook down the “banana juice” until it’s reduced by half. This removes a ton of extra moisture so the banana muffins don’t get heavy or weighed down, but are still packed with banana flavor.
The end result is light, fluffy muffins with a crispy and crunchy exterior and soft crumb interior.
The next time you find yourself with 5 extra ripe bananas, you must make these banana nut muffins!
Perfect Banana Nut Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 5 large very ripe bananas, peeled
- 1 stick, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the top third. Spray 1 muffin tray with non stick cooking spray, set aside.
- In a microwave safe medium size mixing bowl, add the 5 peeled bananas, cover with plastic wrap and poke a few holes to ventilate. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Bananas will be soft and have released about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of liquid. Transfer bananas to fine-mesh strainer placed over medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.
- In a small sauce pan, cook the banana liquid over medium heat until it has reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Combine the bananas, banana liquid, butter, eggs, light brown sugar and vanilla extract. Stir until most lumps are removed.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Add in walnuts and gently fold into the batter. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Will make exactly 12 muffins. Bake for 40 minutes, rotating the tray half way thru. Cool muffins in tray for 10 minutes, then remove from tray and allow to cool for another 5 minutes.
- Will keep in an airtight container for 5 days.
Notes
44 Comments on “Perfect Banana Nut Muffins”
I wish my grocery store sold bags of ripe bananas! I loveeee banana nut muffins, they’re one of my faves. Such a cool technique for the bananas! I never would have thought to do that. I need to give that a whirl!
Nathalie, I can’t stand going to the supermarket straight from work. I do it all the time, because I never get myself organised enough to go at any other time, but I can feel the stress rising up in me as I try to manoeuvre my way around all the other shoppers. Oh well!
Thanks for sharing this special banana-prep technique with us. I’ll have to give that one a try. I bet these really are the ultimate tasty banana muffins!
Haha yes the grocery store “golden hour” is my fave – less crowds and fresher produce for the win :) These muffins sound like a winner too – love that microwaving tip and all the walnuts in here! They look fantastic Natalie – I love banana muffins :)
Those muffins DO look perfect! Such perfect and fluffy “muffin tops”. :) Will have to try this variation sometime.
I wholeheartedly agree! Every weekend needs to be a 3 day weekend. The amount of stuff I accomplished with just one extra day was amazing! And these look fantastic! Perfectly moist and fluffy!
These muffins look amazing, Natalie! I love banana muffins, so I definitely need to try out this recipe! I love the addition of walnuts- really delicious.
3 day weekends would be lovely :)
I didn’t know of grocery store golden hour. Pretty nifty.
And most of all, the muffins sounds delicious!!
Haha, I love “grocery store golden hour!” I tend to plan my visits so I can avoid people at all costs…grrrr to those people who stand in the middle of the aisle! I also think that all weekend should be 3-day weekends. I’m pretty sure this would make everyone a little less grumpy! Loving this post today, Natalie; and these muffins just look like the perfect weekday breakfast snack. Yum!
I totally agree with your 3-day weekend mentality. It was just the best having that extra day off! It sounds like you had the perfect day and these muffins look amazing!
I love America’s Test Kitchen recipes. These banana nut muffins look AMAZING!
Oh I am 1,000% with you on the three day weekends deal. Is there someplace we can go vote on that?
These muffins look perfect, I could really really go for some banana bread now, I’d never heard of that straining technique so I’m excited to try it out!
I totally agree, three day weekends are the best! I need to start going to the grocery store during the golden our, because it seems like whenever I go, everyone else is going too and it is so crowded you can’t even move your cart around, let alone stand in the cashier line for less than ten minutes! I have a bunch of frozen bananas in my freezer right now and these muffins are calling their name :)
What a great feeling to be able to go to the SM at the golden hour!
The banana nut muffins look stunning. I’m just having a cup of coffee while reading your post and would love to have a bite :)
Heehee, I am getting ready to go to the store right now! (10am here). It won’t be quite as relaxed as I will have my little helpers with me, but it won’t be crowded! These look delicious! I love banana muffins!
Never thought of the ten o’clock golden hour, but it’s true, it is the best time. Love the way you look at and project things Natalie, very refreshing! These banana nut muffins look amazing!
My favorite muffins. I like the microwave trick to release moisture, great tip Natalie. Have a great week friend.
3 day weekends are the best! I feel like I have so much more time to get things done and enjoy the weekend. Banana muffins are my go-to for when I have plenty of ripe bananas and want a little treat. Have a great week, Natalie!
Isn’t “grocery store golden hour” the best? It almost makes grocery shopping fun when you have practically the entire store to yourself! LOL. And oh-my-gosh, I LOVE banana nut muffins! Yours look sooo soft and moist inside, which is no surprise since you have 5 bananas packed in these gorgeous muffins! Love that tip about microwaving the bananas. — Must try that! Pinned! :)
HAHA @ grocery store golden hour. I ALWAYS plan my visits during that time so I can avoid the lines – so glad I’m not the only one! I ADORE banana muffins..and those nuts in thurrr? Oh girl, love me some crunch! Pinned :)
Nat, I am laughing right now about the “the grocery store golden hour”. You are so funny. I love reading your posts and I wish you could post every single day :-) I think you do a really good job when you take step-by-step pictures. Love, love, love so much. Have a wonderful day ;-)
Well you are just the sweetest Olivia! You totally put a smile on my face after reading this, which is not easy to do on my first day back at work after a 3 day weekend. Haha! Hope you have a great rest of your day! And thanks SO much for reading!
;-)