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These banana nut bread mini muffins are the easiest, fluffiest pastries swirled with brown sugar and vanilla and studded with toasty pecans (or walnuts)! They’re one of my go-tos for brunch parties, holiday breakfasts, or casual weekend snacking. And since they’re just two bites, they’re amazing for serving with other mini brunch-y snacks like ham and cheese puff pastry bites or these gorgeous charcuterie skewers.

A white platter of banana bread mini muffins on a brown marble counter next to bananas and brown bowls of pecans, cinnamon sticks, and ground cinnamon.

Last weekend, my friends had a Sunday Swap party where we exchanged homemade goodies farmer’s market style. Omg, it was so fun! If you’re looking for a girls’ day situation, I 10/10 recommend. I came home with granola, homemade chapstick, tea blends, and other treats that have been keeping me alive all week.

My contribution was frozen cookie dough, but next time, I’m definitely going to bring these muffins! They are just too good and so easy for snacking. The recipe is based on my best ever banana bread that I’ve been making ever since I was in pastry school. These bites are super moist and fluffy, have a deep banana flavor, and a little crunch thanks to toasty nuts.

They also make a great addition to holidays like Easter or Christmas, especially if you’re feeding a crowd. Since they’re just two bites, everyone can enjoy a few muffins without any waste! Plus, you can freeze leftovers for grab-and-go breakfasts.

Toast the nuts

Brown and white bowls of flour, sugar, brown sugar, bananas, eggs, butter, pecans, sour cream ,and vanilla next to muffins liners on a tan counter.

I am a big fan of nuts in baked goods. A lot of people don’t like them, but I think it’s because most people don’t toast the nuts beforehand!

If you just add raw nuts straight to the batter, they will become soft and flavorless. Toasting the nuts makes them crunchy and brings out the oils so they taste toasty and amazing.

Feel free to use whatever nuts you like in this recipe. I typically use pecans, but walnuts are also a fan fave!

Bake in a mini muffin pan

A white bowl of butter, sugar, brown sugar, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla on a beige counter.
Add the butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, & sour cream to a bowl.
A hand using a whisk to stir butter, eggs, and sugar in a white bowl.
Whisk the mixture until it’s smooth, 1-2 minutes.
A white bowl of whisked butter, sugar, and eggs with mashed banana on a tan counter.
Then, add the mashed banana and mix it very well.

As a general rule, the more brown the bananas, the sweeter the muffins will be. Make sure to use bananas that are borderline black and super fragrant for the best flavor!

A white bowl of whisked butter, sugar, eggs, and banana topped with flour.
Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, & cinnamon until it’s about 75% mixed.
A white bowl of batter for banana nut mini muffins topped with pecans.
Fold the pecans into the batter, just until it’s combined. Don’t over-mix though!
A white bowl of batter for banana nut bread mini muffins on a tan table.
If you have time, let the batter sit for 30 minutes (or even overnight) for extra tall muffins.
A hand using a scoop to scoop batter out of a white bowl next to a mini cupcake pan.
Divide the batter between 60 mini muffin liners.
A pan of raw mini banana muffins on a tan table.
Bake at 350°F (177°C) for about 12-14 minutes.
A white platter of mini banana muffins with pecans on a brown marble counter next to bananas and brown bowls of pecans, cinnamon sticks, and ground cinnamon.
Let the muffins cool completely and enjoy with butter!

Storage tips

The best way to store these muffins is to place them in an airtight container. They stay moist for quite a while, I’ve had them after 4 or 5 days and they still taste great!

Just keep in mind that muffins tend to get sticky in a container, so place them in just 1 layer. If you don’t want them to be sticky, you can cover the muffins with a linen for 1-2 days instead.

A white platter of banana bread mini muffins with walnuts on an orange marble background next to bananas, cinnamon sticks, and crumbled nuts.

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Easy + Moist Banana Nut Bread Mini Muffins

Yield: 60 mini muffins
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Resting Time – optional: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
I am in love with these banana nut bread mini muffins! With brown sugar, extra ripe bananas, and pecans (or walnuts), they are fluffy, flavorful, toasty, and absolutely delicious. I love making these for brunch parties, holidays, or as a quick weekend snack. And they're just two bites, so you can serve them with other brunch-y bites!
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Ingredients

  • 240 grams all purpose flour (2 cups)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, I use Diamond
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 very ripe bananas, almost black
  • 115 grams unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (1/2 cup)
  • 100 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
  • 105 grams dark brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 120 grams full-fat sour cream (1/2 cup)
  • 115 grams pecans or walnuts, toasted and finely chopped, + more for topping (1 cup)

Equipment

  • Mini muffin pan + paper liners

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a mini muffin pan with paper liners. (If you have a 24-cup mini muffin pan, you will need to bake the muffins in batches.) Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
  • Next, peel the bananas. Place them in a shallow bowl and use the tines of a fork or a potato masher to smash the bananas into a very smooth purée. You should have about 325-350 grams or 1 1/2-1 3/4 cups of mashed banana.
  • Add the melted and cooled butter, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, vanilla extract, and sour cream to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Then, mix in the mashed banana. The mixture may curdle a little, but it'll smooth out!
  • Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix until the batter is about 75% combined. Then, add the toasted and chopped pecans or walnuts. Fold the nuts into the batter just until the batter is well-mixed and there are no streaks of flour. There may be a few lumps, but that's ok! Just don't over-mix the batter or the muffins will come out dense.
  • If you have time, cover the bowl and let the batter sit for 30 minutes, until it's nice and fluffy. (You can also refrigerate it for 2-3 hours.) This step is optional, but gives the baking powder a head start which makes the muffins extra tall.
  • Use a scoop to divide the batter between the mini muffin liners, filling them almost all the way to the top. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with extra chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired.
  • Bake the muffins for 11-12 minutes, just until an inserted toothpick has a few moist crumbs. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. (Let the muffin pan cool completely before making the rest of the muffins, if baking in batches) Enjoy!

Notes

For the best results, use a scale to weigh the ingredients rather than using measuring cups. If you don’t have a scale, here’s how to measure the flour. First, fluff it with a whisk or fork. Then, spoon the fluffed flour into a measuring cup and level it off without packing the flour into the cup.
The darker the bananas, the sweeter the muffins will be. I use bananas that are almost black and very fragrant for the best flavor and texture.
Feel free to use any nuts you like. Just make sure to toast them so they are crunchy and flavorful! If you use raw nuts, they will be bland and soggy.
Store leftover muffins in a single layer in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Muffins tend to get a little sticky in containers, so if you want to avoid this, cover the muffins with a linen for 1-2 days instead.
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Author: Sara Lynn Hunt Broka
Serving: 1mini muffin, Calories: 67kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 43mg, Potassium: 41mg, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 13mg
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