I Tried Dolly Parton’s Banana Nut Muffin Mix, and Here’s Why It Should Be on Your Fall Baking Menu
The mix is part of the country music star's expanded partnership with baking giant Duncan Hines.
When you think of Dolly Parton, you might picture voluminous blonde hair, catchy tunes or the Dollywood theme park. The country music icon has made quite the impact throughout her career, from running a successful charity to launching affordable makeup and houseware lines. There’s even a new musical chronicling her life story coming to Broadway! But I think true fans (myself included) also know her for her love for food. From co-authoring a new cookbook with her sister, Rachel Parton George, to a new meal kit line, Dolly knows how to bring Southern comfort food to the home chef. So when you put her and popular baking mix brand Duncan Hines together, you know the results will be sweet.
The Duncan Hines Dolly Parton Collection of cake baking mixes has been a fan-favorite among her culinary ventures for capturing that nostalgic, down-home Southern charm. So in the spirit of fall, I decided to give one popular mix a try: Dolly Partons’ Banana Nut Muffin & Bread Mix. Here’s my honest review of these ready-made treats.
More on the Duncan Hines Dolly Parton baking line
Dolly first partnered with Duncan Hines in 2022 with the launch of Dolly’s Southern Favorites. Drawing inspiration from her favorite Southern recipes, it featured two cake mixes, including coconut and banana, and matching buttercream frostings. Due to its overwhelming success, the collection expanded in early 2023 to include more beloved savory staples such as buttermilk biscuits, sweet cornbread and two decadent brownie mixes.
In January 2024, Dolly Parton and Conagra Brands, Duncan Hines’s parent company, announced a new exclusive partnership for retail food. Since then, new cake and muffin mixes, including Banana Nut, have rolled out in stores, as well as a first foray into breakfast food with a buttermilk pancake mix. Throughout the rest of the year, fans can expect frozen, refrigerated, grocery and snack products inspired by Smoky Mountain cuisine.
What’s inside the Dolly Parton banana nut muffin mix?
@duncanhines You’ll want to get your hands on @Dolly Parton’s new Banana Nut Muffin Cake Mix! Whether you choose to make muffins or banana bread, your mornings will be off to the sweetest start 😌
Dolly’s Banana Nut Muffin & Bread Mix features a blend of banana flavor with real chopped walnuts for a rich, nutty flavor. According to the brand’s website, the mix makes “perfect breakfast muffins or classic banana nut bread for anytime you want to serve up something sweet.” That’s right, you get two recipes, including a recipe for her extra special Chocolate Chip Banana Bread on the box. I kept things simple and baked a batch of muffins, but the bread was tempting. At around $5 a box, it’s a bit pricier than your typical muffin mix — but you’re paying for a touch of Dolly magic.
When you open the box, you get two packages: one for the mix and another for a streusel topping — a nice bakery-grade touch. Both recipes require a few pantry items, including eggs, oil, milk and melted butter. Each box yields 14 servings, though I halved mine and saved the rest for when I had a few more hungry people to feed.
A nutritional breakdown
One serving of Dolly Parton’s Banana Nut Muffin & Bread Mix contains 160 calories, three grams of fat and 16 grams of sugar. On the positive side, the mix has a relatively low fat content and no cholesterol, making it a lighter option compared to richer baked goods. The 200 mg of sodium per serving is moderate, but something to keep an eye on if you’re watching your salt intake. The only downside? That 16 grams of added sugar leans a bit high — about 32 percent of your daily value. But that’s to be expected from a dessert muffin. If you’re trying to reduce sugar intake, I’d whip up this mix on occasion.
My verdict on the Dolly Parton banana nut muffin mix
Now, down to the ‘nutty’-gritty. Overall, baking the muffins was easy and straightforward. However, I felt there were too many added ingredients for convenience’s sake. Using them in both the mix and the streusel topping made me think I could have just baked from scratch. However, the whole process took about 30 minutes from start to finish, so it was worth it. That, and I didn’t need ripe bananas since I wasn’t making the bread.
I decided to top half of my muffins with the streusel topping. After baking, they all came out with an appealing brown crust and nice, risen shape. So, I give first impressions a 10/10. It may have been because I didn’t use liners, but I think that actually improved the texture. But the streusel topping did seem to dry out, so I liked the plain muffins more.
In terms of flavor, I would liken these muffins more to cake than actual muffins. That doesn’t mean they were bad by any means. In fact, they were very fluffy and light. But their crumb didn’t quite match a denser, more textured traditional banana muffin. The sweetness level was good, however the banana flavor definitely tasted artificial compared to using real banana. The walnuts also could have been more plentiful for those who enjoy a more pronounced crunch. Overall, Dolly’s Banana Nut Muffin & Bread Mix is a win if you want to add some magic to your fall baking.
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