Banana Nut Muffins with Brown Butter

Banana nut muffins topped with chopped pecans, with bananas and a small dish of pecans in the background.

Banana Nut Muffins with Brown Butter

These banana nut muffins are the perfect anytime, year-round muffin. They’re soft, ultra-moist, and packed with flavor from caramelized browned butter, sweet bananas, and crunchy, salty pecans. They check all my muffin boxes: easy to make, made with simple ingredients, ready in under 45 minutes, and freezer-friendly. These are sure to become a new staple in your home!

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings muffins

Calories 216kcal

Author Kelly Nash

Cost $10

Equipment

Ingredients

⅓ cup unsalted butter browned and cooled slightly
1¼ cups mashed bananas (about 2-3 large bananas)
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar packed
2 large eggs
1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1¾ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup pecans chopped, plus extra for topping

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners, or use a non-stick pan and spray with non-stick spray (if you don't have liners).
Brown the butter: In a small saucepan, brown the butter on the stovetop over medium heat. Mixing occasionally, melt the butter and allow it to start to foam. Once you start to see little brown flecks form on the bottom of the pan, continue to mix until you smell a nutty aroma and the butter turns an amber color. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to cool.
⅓ cup unsalted butter
In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until creamy (they will be lumpy). Add in both sugars, eggs, cooled browned butter, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
⅓ cup unsalted butter, 1¼ cups mashed bananas, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and gently mix until there are no streaks of flour left (be careful not to over mix).
1¾ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tsp cinnamon
Gently fold 1 cup of chopped pecans into the batter.
1 cup pecans
Scoop batter into paper liners, filling about ¾ of the way full. Top with extra chopped pecans (optional)
Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the edges turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. I usually start checking my muffins around 15 minutes just to be careful. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Notes

Store muffins in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for 5 days.
If you want to warm your muffin, pop it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds until warmed throughout. My favorite way though is to cut the muffin in half, and place each half face down into a skillet with melted butter. Toast until the muffin has soaked up some butter and turns slightly brown and toasted.
To freeze- allow the muffins to cool completely before placing them in a freezer safe baggie or container. To defrost, allow the muffins to sit at room temperature until thawed.

Nutrition