Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures the muffins bake evenly and come out perfectly when the time is right.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and packed brown sugar until fully combined. Give it about a minute, and then add the eggs. Next, dump in your mashed bananas and the vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and well blended—no one wants chunks of banana when they bite into that soft muffin.

In another bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg (if you’re using it). This step is important because it evenly distributes the baking soda and salt throughout the flour.

Carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold everything together until it’s almost combined. You want to see some streaks of flour, but be cautious—overmixing can make your muffins tough and chewy, which is far from the goal!

Now for the fun part! Fold in the chopped nuts, ensuring they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter. This adds the perfect crunch to your bursting-with-flavor muffins.

Grease your muffin tin or line it with cupcake liners. I usually prefer the liners because they make cleanup easier and add a nice pop of color!

Carefully divide the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one about two-thirds full. That’s the sweet spot—if you overfill them, you’ll have a messy oven, and who wants that?

Sprinkle a little sugar and your leftover chopped nuts over the top of each muffin. This step is optional, but it imparts a lovely crunch and a bit of sweetness on top.

Pop the muffin tin into your preheated oven and bake for 14 to 17 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with just a few crumbs. Once baked, let the muffins cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.