Banana walnut muffins are a type of quick bread, or a bread which does not require a rising period prior to baking, flavored with sweet bananas and crunchy walnuts. They are baked in muffin tins which can vary in size, and tend to be light brown in color and soft and dense in texture. Banana walnut muffins are widely available in stores, and can also be made at home fairly easily. They generally contain bananas, walnuts, flour, baking soda, sugar, butter, and eggs as well as various spices or flavorings.
While they may be muffin-shaped, banana walnut muffins are in fact a type of quick bread. Simply put, quick bread is bread which uses an ingredient other than yeast as a rising agent. Common quick bread rising agents include baking soda, which is found in most banana walnut muffin recipes, and baking powder. When a batter containing one or more of these ingredients is exposed to heat, the ingredients create bubbles that cause it to rise. Unlike breads which contain yeast, then, quick breads do not require a rising period before they are baked.
The only real distinction between banana walnut muffins and banana bread is that the former are baked in a muffin tin, while the latter is made in a bread pan. Banana nut muffins can be mini, regular size, or extra large, depending on the type of muffin tin in which they were baked. They are usually light brown in color, with a ring of darker brown around the outer rim of their tops. While the exact texture of a banana nut muffin can vary depending on the recipe used to make it, most are soft and fairly dense.
In many parts of North America, banana walnuts muffins are among the most widely available muffin varieties. They can be purchased in most supermarkets, and are also frequently available in coffee shops and bakeries. It is also possible to buy banana walnut muffin mix in many supermarkets.
Those who wish to make their own banana walnut muffins can access a very wide choice of recipes by consulting cookbooks or Internet-based baking sites. Most recipes call for ripe bananas, chopped walnuts, flour, baking soda, eggs, butter, and sugar. Many also call for flavorings or spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla. These ingredients are mixed into a batter, which is then distributed into a muffin tin that has been greased or lined with muffin papers. Once cooked, banana nut muffins can be enjoyed for breakfast, dessert, or as a sweet treat at any time of day.