Banana Buttermilk Muffins with Pecans – Easy Peasy

Banana Buttermilk Muffins With Pecans are soft, moist, light, and loaded with bananas and pecans. They’re super quick to make, freeze like a dream, and are the perfect answer to use up those bananas in your fruit bowl that have started to go all spotty and black.

Top this off with a delicious streusel topping and you’ve got yourself a fabulous sweet treat for breakfast, brunch, lunch or anytime for that matter. Who needs an excuse to chow down on something so yummy as ourBanana Buttermilk Muffins With Pecans

At a Glance This Is What You Need To Make Banana Buttermilk Muffins with Pecans

Ugh, we couldn’t eat an overripe banana if you paid us, but throw them into a muffin mix and you’ve got one heck of a delicious sweet treat that you won’t have to pay us to eat.

You don’t even have to make these muffins until you’re ready too. Bananas freeze like a dream. Simply throw them in the freezer skin and all until you’re ready to whip up a batch of these banana buttermilk muffins and you can thank us later. Too easy!

Why Add Buttermilk to Muffins

Buttermilk helps to add lightness and tenderness to muffins. It creates a slightly acidic batter that helps keep the muffins moist and fluffier by breaking down long tough strands of gluten in the flour.

The acidity of the buttermilk also reacts with the baking powder and bi-carb soda (baking soda) by producing little bubbles of carbon dioxide which expand and helps the mixture to rise.

How To Make Buttermilk Substitute

No Buttermilk, No Problem!

Homemade buttermilk substitute comes together in about 5 minutes and only requires 2 ingredients, milk and an acid.

Simply mix 1/4 cup of milk with 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice or 1 teaspoon of white vinegar and allow to stand for 5 minutes.

The milk and acid react to form curds (a solid) and whey (a liquid) so the milk separates and becomes lumpy and looks curdled. You can now add the buttermilk to your batter and you’re good to go.

Buttermilk Banana Muffins With Oil

Adding oil to the muffin batter makes the muffin loftier with a more even crumb that stays moist and tender.

Use a light mild tasting oil such as canola (rapeseed), sunflower or corn oil.

The oil basically captures the gases that are released from the interaction of the baking powder and bi-carb soda (baking soda) and slows down the gluten formation keeping the muffins tender and fluffy. Now you know! 😎

Why Do I Need Overripe Bananas For Banana Muffins

As bananas ripen the starch is broken down and begins to turn to sugar and the sugars increase the natural banana flavour.

Although overripe bananas may not look that appetising and you’re tempted to toss them they are perfect for making Banana Buttermilk Muffins with Pecans or Quick Banana and Pecan Bread or any number of fabulous recipes that call for ripe bananas. So please please please don’t throw your ripe bananas out, you’ll be amazed at how much flavour they add to your cooking.😍

How To Make Paper Muffin Liners

You can easily make your own muffin liners using baking (parchment) paper. Cut paper into 14 cm (5 1/2 inch) squares then place the squares over the base of a glass or jar that fits the base of the muffin tin.

Use your hand to press the paper to the shape of the glass or jar and voila you’ve got homemade tulip muffin liners.

Using paper cases cuts down on washing up and makes the muffins portable. What’s not to like. 👍

How To Make Perfect Muffins

Muffins are super easy to make but there is a bit of chemistry going on with the batter and if you follow these tips you’ll bake up a batch of perfect muffins.

• have your oven preheated as you don’t want the mixture hanging about on the bench or the reaction of the buttermilk and the baking powder and bi-carb soda (baking soda) will release their carbon dioxide bubbles and if left for too long the bubbles will burst and you’ll end up with flat muffins
• make the muffin mixture using just a bowl and spatula and don’t be tempted to haul out the food processor or mixmaster as you risk over beating
• mix wet ingredients then add dry ingredients i.e flour, baking powder, bicarb soda (baking soda) and salt
• don’t be tempted to over mix or you’ll end up developing the gluten in the flour which toughens the muffins.
• All you need to do is just combine the wet and dry ingredients – resist the temptation to overbeat the batter by using no more than 12 stirs to combine the mixture
• use an ice cream scoop to give you even sized muffins

Streusel Topping Adds Just The Right Amount Of Sweet To Our Banana Muffins

You can make this recipe without the streusel topping but in our book, it really makes the muffin. The streusel topping adds a sweetness and crunch to the muffin which is delicious.

It’s super quick to make and is crumbly and buttery and for us, it lifts the taste from very good to fantastic.

How To Store Banana Muffins After Baking

Muffins stay moist for 3-4 days if they last that long.

Allow the banana buttermilk muffins to completely cool and line an airtight container with a couple of sheets of paper towel and store muffins in a single layer. Place another couple of sheets of paper towel on top of the muffins, seal the lid, and store on the bench.

The paper towel absorbs any excess moisture preventing the muffins from becoming soggy. Nobody likes a soggy muffin! 😢

A tip we’ve read but not tried is to place a few saltine crackers into the container to absorb any moisture. Though for us we would rather use the crackers with a delicious cheese and chutney and enjoy them and let the paper towel do the job.

Refrigerating muffins tends to change the texture and makes them dry out faster, rather than keeping them moist.

Watch How To Make  Banana Buttermilk Muffins With Pecans

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What Is The Best Way To Freeze Muffins

Wrap muffins individually once they are completely cold in plastic wrap then pop them into a zip lock bag and squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible. Freeze for up to three months.

To thaw muffins simply take them out of the bag and unwrap them. Allow them to thaw on a cake rack covered with a fresh tea towel for around an hour or so.

Don’t forget to let us know what you thought when you make these fabulous Banana Buttermilk Muffins with Pecans in the comments below. 

Continue to Content

Yield: 12

Banana Buttermilk Muffins with Pecans

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Banana Buttermilk Muffins With Pecans are soft, moist, light and loaded with banana and pecans. They're super quick to make, freeze like a dream, top this off with a delicious streusel topping and you've got yourself a fabulous sweet treat for breakfast, brunch, lunch or afternoon tea.

Print

Ingredients

Muffins

• 280g bananas, skin removed - approx 4 medium bananas (10 ounces)
• 60ml neutral oil (vegetable or canola) 1/4 cup
• 100 gm caster sugar (1/2 cup / 3.5 oz)
• 60gm melted butter (2 ounces)
• 100 gm light brown sugar (1/2 cup tightly packed / 3.5 oz)
• 2 large eggs 60 gm / 2 oz
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup buttermilk - see note below to make your own
• 250g plain flour (all purpose) 9 oz
• 1/2 teaspoon bi-carb soda (baking soda)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 100 gm toasted pecan nuts (3.5 oz) see notes below

Streusel

• 1/2 cup plain (all purpose) flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 60 gm cold butter, cut into small dice ((2 ounces)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Instructions

We used a standard-sized 1/3 cup x 12 muffin pan for this recipe

Streusel

1. combine flour, brown sugar, salt and butter into a bowl
2. use two knives to cut through the butter or a food processor to create a mix that resembles coarse crumbs

Set Streusel Mixture Aside

Muffins

1. preheat oven to 220c (425f) and place muffin liners in muffin pan
2. if you are using patty cake liners (which are smaller than muffin liners) spray the top of the muffin tin lightly with oil so muffins wont stick
3. place bananas into mixing bowl and mash with a fork till smooth
4. add oil, melted butter that has cooled slightly and both the caster and brown sugars and stir only until combined
5. add eggs, vanilla and buttermilk and stir a few times till just combined - remember we don"t want to over mix - Go lightly with the mixing
6. sift flour, mixed spice, baking powder, bicarb-soda (baking soda) and salt over the wet mixture
7. gently fold through the dry and wet mixture remembering not to over mix - you simply want to combine the mixture, not beat it -( very important step! )
8. lightly fold through the pecans
9. dividemixture evenly between the 12 muffin liners
10. sprinkle streusel generously over the muffin batter
11. bake at 220c (425f) for 8 minutes then reduce the temperature to 175c (350f) without opening the oven and bake for a further 7-8 minutes
12. remove muffins from oven and check with a toothpick that it comes out clean (i.e without any wet batter) if mixture is wet cook for a further 1-2 minutes
13. cool muffins on a cake rack until cold
14. serve and enjoy!

Notes

• to make homemade buttermilk simply add together 1/4 cup milk with either a teaspoon of vinegar or a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and allow it to sit for 5 minutes or so. You will see the curds and whey separate - (small lumps and watery looking milk) and it's ready to use.
• toast pecan nuts by spreading across a baking tray and drying in a moderate over 180 c / 360 f for 5 - 7 minutes just until they have started to lightly colour and the flavour is more dominant. Allow to cool and roughly chop.

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 271Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 44mgSodium 260mgCarbohydrates 40gFiber 2gSugar 32gProtein 3g

Nutritional information provided here is only intended as a guide.