Banana Crunch Muffins

Indulge in the irresistible taste of freshly baked Banana Crunch Muffins. These mouth-watering muffins are made with ripe bananas, chopped walnuts, and topped with a sweet and crunchy oat topping. They’re the perfect treat for any time of day or an after school snack. 

If you want more delicious banana muffins the you must try my Cinnamon Banana Bread Muffins and these Nutella Banana Muffins. 

Amazing Banana Muffins with a Walnut Oat Crunch

You can never have too many banana recipes to use up those browned bananas on the counter, right?! Some weeks my family will devour a bunch of bananas in a day or two, while other weeks they won’t even touch them, so I am always looking for delicious ways to use them up. 

These banana crunch muffins are such a delicious way to use up ugly and brown ripe bananas. Soft, moist, bursting with fresh banana flavor, and tons of texture thanks to the oat crumble topping and chopped walnuts. 

Banana desserts are one of my personal favorites wether it’s an individual cup of Banana Pudding Parfait, a no bake Banana Cheesecake Pie, or this incredible layered Chessmen Cookie Banana Pudding. They’re all a hit!

Ingredients Needed

• Butter – I prefer salted butter. If using unsalted butter then be sure and add a touch of salt in with the dry ingredients; about 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon salt. 
• Granulated Sugar
• Light Brown Sugar – The recipe calls for this to be ‘packed’ which means that you press it into the measuring cup when measuring. Don’t just scoop and measure. You know it’s packed when the brown sugar keeps it’s shaped even after you dump it into the mixing bowl from the measuring cup. 
• Large Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• Ripe Bananas – The uglier & browner the better! 
• All-Purpose Flour – I always use unbleached all purpose flour. 
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Chopped Walnuts – Chopped pecans or almonds can be used as well. 
• Whole Oats – These are the larger oats that are labeled as ‘whole old-fashioned oats’. These are NOT the quick 1-minute oats, although those could be used if you want a smaller/less noticeable texture from the oats.

How To Make Banana Crunch Muffins

1. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a large mixing bowl until creamy and combine. This takes at least 1 minute of mixing. 
3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Add the mashed banana and stir just until combined. 
4. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. 
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing just until blended and no flour pockets or streaks remain in the batter. 
6. Fold in the chopped walnuts. 
7. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, butter, and flour with a hand or stand mixer. Add in the oats and chopped walnuts and mix just until incorporated. Divide this mixture evenly over the muffins. 
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops bounce back when gently tapped. 
9. Allow the muffins to cool for at least 5 minutes in the muffin pan before removing them to a cooling rack. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do You Have Any Tips or Tricks For This Recipe?

  • Although this is a simple, easy, and pretty straight forward banana muffin recipe there are some tips and tricks that will make it even easier for you to recreate this recipe in your kitchen ♥
    • Use Ripe Bananas : The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your muffins will be. I always like to tell people to use bananas so ugly that your family gives you weird looks for using them. 
    • Don’t Overmix The Batter : Over mixing can cause your muffins to become tough and dense once baked. The butter and sugar is the only thing that should beaten for at least 1 minute in order to get it fluffy. But the rest of the ingredients need to be mixed gently, on low speed, just until combined. Nothing more. 
    • Add Walnuts At The End : Folding in the chopped walnuts at the end will prevent them from getting crushed or broken up during the mixing process and will help them remain evenly distributed in the muffin batter. 
    • Let The Muffins Cool : Allowing the muffins to cool for a few minutes in the warm muffin tins, after baking, will help them hold their shape and prevent them from falling apart when you pick them up. 

• Can I Make Any Changes To This Recipe?

  • Chopped Nuts : Chopped pecans or chopped almonds can be used in place of the walnuts if wanted. 
  • Oats : I prefer and recommend using the whole old-fashioned oats but you can use quick oats if that’s what you have in your pantry. Quick oats just have a finer and smaller shape and texture than the whole old-fashioned oats. 
  • Salted Butter vs Unsalted Butter : I always sue salted butter for everything. I think it tastes better. But you can use these interchangeably, so use the one you have in your fridge or the one you prefer. If you use unsalted butter and the recipe does not call for additional salt, then you probably want to add some salt in with the dry ingredients. So for this recipe, add about 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter. 

How To Store Leftover Banana Muffins

• Place the muffins inside an airtight container, or Ziploc storage bag, and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. 
• If you want to keep them for longer then go ahead and freeze them. You can freeze the muffins, in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc storage bag, for up to 3 months. 
• If muffins are stored in the fridge or frozen, they will need to be reheated in the microwave or thawed in the fridge overnight, and then microwaved to warmed for eating. 

More Recipes That Use Ripe Bananas

• Amazing Banana Bread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bars
• Buttermilk Banana Bread
• Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
• Lemon Blueberry Banana Bread
• Easy Banana Nut Muffins
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Banana Pumpkin Bread
• Greek Yogurt Banana Muffins