Banana Nut Muffins (made with cake mix)
Make some sweet and moist Banana Nut Muffins with just a few ingredients in just over a half hour with this easy semi homemade recipe!
AN EASY, FLAVORFUL BANANA NUT MUFFIN RECIPE
I am a muffin lover! Honestly, muffins are really just cupcakes in disguise without frosting. But it sounds healthier to say muffin, right? Banana Nut Muffins are the perfect breakfast or quick snack (or dessert) that combines the flavors of ripe bananas and crunchy nuts in an easy-to-make handheld delight. Y’all know I love a good cake mix recipe so let’s whip up a batch of these moist and flavorful muffins!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S):
This cake mix is ridiculously flavorful, and funny enough, it really does not taste like it’s a boxed cake mix. It’s so flavorful and can be used in so many tasty treats. I use it for my Pecan Praline Cake recipe and my Butter Pecan Poke Cake. So, using this mix in muffins really adds a lot of flavor and sets these muffins apart from your ordinary banana nut muffins.
While I love these muffins just the way they are, sometimes you may want to switch it up and I can understand that. A few other mix-in ideas are raisins, different chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or other baking chips. If you want to add a bit more flavor to the muffins you can add a teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg. You can also make up a glaze with a little milk and powdered sugar and drizzle it over the muffins after they come out of the oven. No matter what you decide to do, these muffins will be delicious and full of banana goodness.
I know some of you kind folks know exactly how to pick out a good banana but not everyone does so I’m here to help!
BROWN SPOTS: When it comes to picking good, ripe bananas at the grocery store, there are a few key things to look out for. First and foremost, pay attention to the color of the bananas. While green bananas are still unripe, they will eventually turn yellow as they ripen (but it could take some time.) Look for bananas that are mostly yellow with a few brown speckles. The speckles indicate that the starch is converting to sugar and the banana flavors will be sweet. And we want sweet, right? If you plan on making the muffins right away, you want those super ripe, ready to go NOW bananas. If you’re grabbing bananas a few days before you plan to make the muffins, you can go for a little less ripe bananas as they’ll continue to ripen on your counter until you’re ready to use them.
You’ll want to add the extra flour to help hold the muffins together (so they are more the texture of muffin instead of cake), especially with the moist bananas, eggs, and other ingredients. The extra baking powder helps give you nice, beautiful, extra fluffy muffins.
These Banana Nut Muffins should be stored, lightly covered, at room temperature for 3-5 days. You may find that they stick to one another if you stack them so try not to do that if possible. You can also store them in the refrigerator for a week or freeze them for up to 2 months. They may dry out slightly in the refrigerator or freezer and should be brought to room temperature or reheated in the microwave before serving.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- butter pecan cake mix– if you can’t find this, you can use a white or yellow cake mix in a pinch but you won’t have as much buttery nut flavor. You can even use a chocolate cake mix if you want a chocolate banana nut muffin!
- all-purpose flour and baking powder – I talk a bit more about why I add these additional ingredients above in the FAQ section.
- large ripe bananas– if you don’t have ripe bananas, you can use less ripe bananas but they will have a very strong and sweet banana flavor. I go into this in a bit more detail above in the FAQ’s section.
- large eggs – if you have time, allow the eggs to come close to room temperature. This will help them incorporate into the batter much easier.
- walnuts– You can also use pecans, almonds, or any other nut if you prefer. If nuts aren’t your thing, just leave them out.
HOW TO MAKE BANANA NUT MUFFINS
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and prepare two muffin tins with cooking spray or cupcake liners. Whisk together the cake mix, flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the mashed bananas, eggs and 1 cup of chopped walnuts.
Mix only for about 1 minute or until everything is just combined. If you want to use an electric mixer or stand mixer, that is fine but this batter hand mixes pretty easily. Scoop the muffin mix into the prepared muffin tins, filling each about ⅔ full with batter. Do not overfill.
Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of chopped walnuts over the top of the muffins. Bake for about 17-20 minutes on the middle rack or until the top turns golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tins and serving warm or placing on a cooling rack to cool completely
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Banana Nut Muffins (made with cake mix)
Ingredients
- 1 box butter pecan cake mix
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (for the batter)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts (for the topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and prepare two muffin tins with cooking spray or cupcake liners
- Whisk together 1 box butter pecan cake mix, ½ cup all-purpose flour, and ½ teaspoon baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in 3 large ripe bananas, mashed, 2 large eggs and 1 cup chopped walnuts.
- Mix only for about 1 minute or until everything is just combined.
- Scoop the muffin mix into the prepared muffin tins, filling each about ⅔ full with batter. Do not overfill.
- Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped walnuts over the top of the muffins.
- Bake for about 17-20 minutes on the middle rack or until the top turns golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tins and serving warm or placing on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
