walnut Archives • A Sweet Pea Chef

This is a no-fail recipe for easy and healthy Banana Nut Muffins. The banana muffins come out perfect: soft and dense, filled with banana flavor and nutty goodness and they are perfect as breakfast, snack or dessert. During the week, I am a happy camper with any of my make-ahead breakfasts like my frozen breakfast burritos, egg whites scramble with sweet potato hash, breakfast sandwiches or my quick and trusty smoothies. And a big cup of coffee. Duh. However, there are times when I want something different for breakfast. Something that can easily pass as dessert but it’s still healthy and nutritious. Something like my protein pancakes. Or like these healthy banana nut muffins. These easy banana muffins are a wonderful use of extra bananas that are too ripe to eat raw but too good to be thrown away. So, in case you wondered what to do with ripe bananas, these banana muffins are your answer. These little banana nut muffins are great for grab and go breakfast but they are also amazing for a sit down and enjoy with a cup of coffee at breakfast, especially during weekends when mornings are less hectic. This is a pretty simple banana nut muffins recipe and the muffins come out perfect: soft but dense, filled with banana flavor and, of course, nutty goodness. Sometimes, I sprinkle some crushed walnut bits on top of a few of them before baking and that adds a nice little touch as well. And a crunchy texture. <- LOVE This recipe is quite easy to make—you don’t need a mixer or to dirty many dishes either. It’s an all-around winner for everyone. If you’re looking for a twist on these tasty muffins that also happens to be healthy too, check out my Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe, too! So good! ARE BANANA NUT MUFFINS HEALTHY? Generally, banana nut muffins are not very healthy. BUT you can easily make them healthy and without sacrificing all the yumminess. Initially, this banana nut muffin recipe was not on the healthy side, but I revamped it and now the banana walnut muffins are totally healthy and nutritious. Here's how I did it: How to make banana nut muffins healthy: I used spelt flour instead of all-purpose flour. (More on why here) I removed the butter and added one more banana. I used coconut oil to grease the muffin tin instead of butter or vegetable oil. (More on why here) I sweeten it with ripe bananas instead of added sugar. (More on why here) The easy banana nut muffins remained easy to make. But now they are also healthy. I’d call that a happy win, wouldn’t you? HOW TO MAKE BANANA NUT MUFFINS Alright, so I am saying these banana nut muffins are easy and I mean EASY to make. How to make banana nut muffins: Preheat the oven; Grease the muffin tin; Mix the bananas with a fork or potato masher; Add the egg and vanilla over the bananas and stir until combined; In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and sea salt until well mixed; Add the dry ingredients over the banana mixture. Stir to combine. Here comes the tricky part – do not over-mix. The less you stir the mixture at this time, the fluffier the muffins will be when baked. It’s not that tricky after all, is it? Fold in the nuts; Transfer the mixture to the muffin tin; Bake. Woo-hoo! Your healthy banana nut muffins are ready! So. Easy. HOW LONG TO BAKE BANANA NUT MUFFINS Bake these healthy banana muffins for just 20-25 minutes. Use a toothpick to check if the muffins are done. That means you can be up and running with these babies in less than 40 minutes! Aaaaaaand, go! If the toothpick comes out clean and tops are golden brown, your banana muffins are ready. The interior of the muffins has to be soft. Make sure to not over-bake otherwise the muffins will be dry and not as good. WALNUTS VS PECANS IN BANANA NUT MUFFINS Pecans and walnuts are both healthy and yummy. Some people think they are the same thing, but they are not. There are a few differences between them. The first thing you’ll notice when you analyze walnuts vs pecans is the taste. Pecans are slightly sweet, while walnuts are slightly bitter. That’s why most people prefer roasted walnuts to raw walnuts. And, while both of these nuts bring amazing health benefits, particularly heart health benefits, their nutritional profile is not the same. Pecans have higher levels of vitamin E compared to walnuts. But walnuts are higher in Omega 3 and fatty acids. A cup of walnuts = 765 calories, 18 grams of protein, and 8 grams of fiber while a cup of pecans = 753 calories, 10 grams of protein, and 10 grams of fiber. Depending on your flavor preferences, you can opt for either pecans or walnuts. I prefer raw walnuts in my banana nut muffins, but the choice is yours. Heck, you could even leave them out or replace them with chocolate morsels, if you'd prefer! HOW TO STORE YOUR BANANA NUT MUFFINS You can store these simple banana muffins in 3 different ways: At room temperature. Wrap in plastic wrap or an airtight container to prevent drying. Stored like this, your banana muffins will last for 1 or 2 days. In the fridge. Place in an air-tight container and refrigerate the muffins for up to 4-5 days. In the freezer. To store the banana muffins in the freezer, cool them completely, wrap them in foil or place them in Ziploc bags. Banana muffins can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS FOR BANANA NUT MUFFINS For Gluten-Free Diets: Replace spelt flour with almond flour For Vegan Diets: Replace egg with flax egg or an additional mashed banana For Paleo Diets: Replace spelt flour with Almond Flour For Nut-Free Diets: Replace walnuts with dark chocolate chips Don't Like Coconut Oil? Replace with additional mashed banana More Healthy Muffin Recipes Want more healthy muffin recipes? Duh, right?!? Here are my fave healthy muffin recipes from the blog : Perfect Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (Easy low sugar muffin recipe!) Peach Muffins with Crumb Topping 9-Ingredient Blender Chocolate Muffins | Paleo and Gluten-Free! The Best Healthy Strawberry Muffins | Paleo and Sugar-Free! The Best Healthy Blueberry Muffins Paleo Apple Muffins with Crunchy Crumb Topping Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins So many tasty muffin recipes to choose from! You might need another muffin pan! Easy Banana Nut Muffins This is a no-fail recipe for easy and healthy Banana Nut Muffins. The banana muffins come out perfect: soft and dense, filled with banana flavor and nutty goodness and they are perfect as breakfast, snack or dessert. 5 ripe bananas, (mashed)1 egg, (beaten)1 tsp vanilla extract1 1/2 cups spelt flour ((can also use whole wheat pastry flour))1 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp ground cinnamon1/8 tsp sea salt1 cup raw walnuts, (chopped)1/2 tbsp coconut oil, (for greasing muffin pan) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease muffin tin with coconut oil. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas using a fork or potato masher. Add the egg and vanilla and stir to combine. Set aside.In a separate mixing bowl, combine the spelt flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and sea salt. Mix well.Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Do not over mix.Fold in the walnuts. Pour the mix into the prepared muffin pan, approximately 2/3 of the way full.Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and tops are golden brown.Allow to cool on a cooling rack. Baking, Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, No Refined Flour, No Refined Sugar, Non-Dairy, Sweet TreatEasy This post contains affiliate links for the kitchen items I use often and highly recommend.