When the bananas on my counter start stepping up their freckle game and go from edible to super freaking sweet, I make banana bread. It’s just how things go around here.
That is, until the loaf pan up and runs away on me, and the chocolate chips begged to be eaten the week prior, and WHERE THE EFF DID THE WALNUTS GO!?
All issues aside, I had bananas. I had pecans. I had a muffin pan. Why on earth am I being so dramatic?
Banana Nut Muffins with Pecan Streusel

Banana Nut Muffins with Pecan Streusel
Step up your breakfast game with Banana Nut Muffins topped with a buttery pecan streusel.
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 overripe bananas (approx. 1 cup mashed)
- 1.5 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- STREUSEL TOPPING
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pecans (crushed then chopped)
- 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1-2 TBSP cold unsalted butter, chopped
Instructions
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Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
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First make your streusel: add cold chopped butter to the dry ingredients and mash with your fingers until every bit of flour and sugar is buttery and crumbly.
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Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, combine streusal ingredients minus the butter and set aside.
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In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork and add brown sugar, melted butter, apple sauce, vanilla, and eggs and whisk them all together.
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Next slowly add in the flour/baking soda/salt mixture and whisk until just incorporated.
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Fold in the pecans and pour into a 12-cup muffin tin lightly spritzed with coconut or olive oil, filling each up just a smidge over halfway.
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Top each muffin with a few yummy crumbles of streusel and bake.
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Once you place the muffin tin in the oven, immediately turn oven from 400F to 375F. I use this trick to give the muffins a little extra oompah aka height.
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Bake for 18-20 minutes. If you overstuff the muffin cups and wind up with 8-10 muffins instead of 12, expect to add at least 5 minutes of extra cook time. It'll vary oven to oven so a toothpick test (inserting one into the center to check if it comes out clean) will be your best friend here.
Recipe Notes
Feel free to sneak in that second teaspoon of buttah for extra buttery streusel. Oh and while you're at it just double the streusel and double the fun!
Nutrition Facts below are estimated using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed and enjoy!
Keri Simpson
I don’t have any applesauce, what do you recommend replacing it with?
Jenn
Hi Keri! The applesauce is there to replace some of the butter, so you can simply increase the amount of butter (melted and cooled) or add oil in it’s place. I’ve also heard of people adding yogurt or sour cream in place of applesauce in recipes. Since I haven’t had the chance to try any of these swaps yet, I can’t for certain vouch for them without testing. Hope this helps! xoxo
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These look fabulous Jenn!
Ashley @ nothymetowaste.org
I just made these, and they were awesome! Thanks for posting! 🙂
Jenn @ Peas and Crayons
Thanks Ashley! So glad you liked them! <3
Meghan McCarthy
I’m totally double the streusel and the fun. These look delicious.
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan
yum – that streusel toppin – those tall muffins – oomph-lala!
Janelle Myers
Best. Movie. Ever. Sometimes I throw quotes from it into normal conversation without verifying that everyone there also has it memorized… yeah.
Marnie @ SuperSmartMama
I’ve got some bananas with lots of freckles on them… I think it’s time!
Julie
Yes, yes, yes!! Perfect thing to do with dewoozicated bananas! Plus, pecans>walnuts, but that’s just me. Also, BIG mistake in giving them away. You freeze those babies, and pop them out, and warm it up in the microwave when no one who can tell on you is there and scarf them down. Now, I’m a-wishing I had one for breakfast.
Rachel Rinderknecht
These look amazing!
Jenn @ Peas and Crayons
Yessss! Do it! Be naughty and double the streusel =)
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I do the same thing with overly ripe bananas! Your version looks super awesome. Yum!
AneleatSuccessAlongtheWeigh
Oh. My. Goodness. I am SOOO making these…like…NOW.
jillian
mmmmm yes! this looks so good! xo jillian – cornflake dreams
Stephanie The Magpie
Have you found your loaf tin yet? These look so dreamy, my bananas are *almost* ready for some baking action. Muffins make it easier to give some away and save some for yourself without it being obvious 😉
Arman @ thebigmansworld
I saw the streusel on instagram and salivated and now…yep. Repeat.
Is it criminal that I once made a crumble where there was like 1 apple and 50 serves of streusel topping? Nope.
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