These healthy banana muffins are moist, fluffy, and flavorful! Made with whole wheat flour and maple syrup, they're a delicious breakfast or snack.
I’ve been making this banana muffin recipe on repeat lately! Adapted from my healthy banana bread, it’s made with whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. But even though these muffins are healthy, they’re super moist, fluffy, and full of sweet banana flavor. Kids and adults (well, at least Ollie, Jack, and me) can’t get enough of them.
I love these healthy banana muffins for breakfast or as a snack. We’ve been going through them pretty quickly in our house (I’ve made them 3 times this month already!), but if you have more restraint than we do, they’re great for meal prep. Bake them on the weekend and store them at room temperature for a couple of days, or freeze them for months. You’ll love being able to grab them on busy weekday mornings.
This recipe is easy to make with basic equipment and simple ingredients. If you have ripe bananas on hand, let’s get baking!
Healthy Banana Muffins Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this healthy banana muffin recipe:
- Ripe bananas, of course! Like my banana bread, these muffins are packed with banana. The recipe uses 2 cups mashed, about 4 large bananas. If you’re a little short, you can top off the measurement with whole milk Greek yogurt to keep the muffins moist.
- All-purpose flour and whole wheat flour – I like using a mix of these two flours in healthy baked goods. You get some of the benefits of whole grains (more fiber, more protein), without the muffins coming out dry or dense.
- Baking soda and eggs – They help the muffins puff up as they bake. The eggs add protein too.
- Pure maple syrup – It sweetens the muffins naturally.
- Melted coconut oil – For moisture and richness. A neutral oil like vegetable oil, or even olive oil, would work here too.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract – For warm, spiced depth of flavor.
- Walnuts – For crunch.
- Whole rolled oats – For sprinkling on top of the muffins. They become lightly crisp and toasty in the oven!
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Banana Muffins
This banana muffin recipe is easy to make in about 30 minutes! Here’s how it goes:
Start by making the batter. Mix together the dry ingredients in one mixing bowl and the wet ingredients in another.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the walnuts.
Evenly divide the batter into a 12-cup muffin pan that’s lined with muffin liners or lightly oiled. Sprinkle with the oats.
Bake at 350°F until the tops spring back to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely (or devouring them warm!).
Recipe Tips
- The riper the bananas, the better. Brown, spotty bananas will give these muffins the sweetest banana flavor.
- Spoon and level your flour. One of the most common baking mistakes I see people make is accidentally using too much flour. Because flour can easily become compacted, this happens when you scoop it up directly with your measuring cup. To measure accurately, fluff up the flour in its canister or bag, then gently spoon it into your measuring cup and level the top with a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Stirring the batter too much will start to develop the gluten in the flour, making the muffins chewy and dense. For the best fluffy texture, mix the dry and wet ingredients until just combined.
Recipe Variations
- Change up the mix-ins. Replace the walnuts with another type of nuts, like pecans, or swap them out for dried fruit like raisins. Of course, chocolate chips would be great too!
- Make vegan banana bread muffins. These muffins are naturally dairy-free. For a vegan option, see my vegan banana muffins recipe.
- Turn them into quick bread. See my healthy banana bread recipe!
How to Store and Freeze
These healthy banana muffins keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To freeze: These muffins freeze well. Allow them to cool to room temperature before sealing them in an airtight container or bag and storing them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To thaw: Let frozen muffins sit on the counter for about an hour to thaw, or defrost one in about 30 seconds in the microwave!
More Muffin Recipes to Try
If you love these healthy banana muffins, try one of these muffin recipes next:
- Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Blueberry Muffins
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Or any of these 11 Healthy Muffin Recipes!
Healthy Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed very ripe banana, about 4 large
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup melted coconut oil, plus more for the pan
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons whole rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line it with muffin liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, maple syrup, coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole wheat flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix. Fold in the walnuts.
- Evenly divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, adding about a heaping ⅓ cup to each one. Top with the oats.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops spring back to the touch. A toothpick inserted should come out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
i’ve been looking at a lot of your recipes, but i can’t find the nutrition facts for any of them. do you have that anywhere? do you have them for thanksgiving these muffins?
Hi Sarah, I’m sorry, I don’t calculate nutrition information.
Loving this recipe and its flexibility. When my blueberries begin to look a bit wilted, I use them. When I have strawberries going soft, I dice them up and toss in. But my normal ingredient in chopped pecans. We just love pecans. I also “pretty” mine up by sprinkling a few on top of the muffins before baking… with a smiley face design for my 11 year old niece 😉
awww, I’m so happy you’ve been loving these with so many variations!
Perfectly spiced. My young kids ate them right up. I doubled the recipe and used whole wheat flour with 1 cup almond flour and they came out great. Will definitely make these again, thank you!
Great recipe! I doubled it and used half wheat and half white flour and avocado oil. I loved how they are just the right amount of sweetness, not too sugary. Thank you!
what is the nutritional profile for these?
Did you mean 2 tbsp ground flax? I thought the ratio for flax eggs is 1 tbsp ground flax to 3 tbsp water
Hi Anna, no the ratio written is correct for this specific recipe.
Hi! Can I use oat flour instead?
Hi Alaisa, no, I’m sorry, it’s not usually a 1:1 swap and it’ll affect the rise of these muffins.
Hi ,
Would you care to let me know how many calories are in one muffin?
Best,
I’m sorry, I don’t calculate nutritional info.
I am always looking for healthy recipe swaps for some of my favorites, banana muffins being one of them. I have made these a few times now & they are always a hit. You do not have to be vegan to enjoy these. They are filled with flavor & the are so simple to quickly mix up. Highly recommend!!
These muffins are my go to. I always buy extra bananas so that I have an excuse to make them! They never last long in my house. I’ve made them with chocolate chips, blueberries, mixed berries, topped with crushed walnuts. Every version of them is amazing!
Hi Hilary, I’m so glad you’ve loved them so much! I’m drooling over your topping suggestions 🙂
hi! is one serving size 2 muffins??
one serving size is 1 muffin (unless you want to eat 2 :)), the recipe makes 12
Why did my muffins sink?
Hi Laila, did you change any of the ingredients in the recipe? Did you use the same type of flour? If so, it’s possible that they could have baked a little longer. If they’re under-baked, they could sink out of the oven. That, or I’d check the freshness of your baking powder. In vegan baking, it’s important that the baking powder isn’t too old.
Unbeknownst to me, the mashed bananas managed to escape my mind and did not make it into the batter! However, the banana-less muffins were quite good. 🙂
These turned out great! I halved the recipe and it made 9 muffins. I tried with and without chocolate chips.. without for my 10 month old, and with for my husband and I! Yum. Love everything you do, thank you!
I had some really ripe bananas and remembered seeing this post so made these muffins this morning (with the chocolate chips because that just sounded yum). These may be my favorite muffins I’ve ever made. My husband and I both devoured two each and are having to hold ourselves back from finishing them off! And I went on an online search immediately to find more whole wheat pastry flour (pretty difficult at the moment) because I need to make these again soon they are that good. I did run out of whole wheat pastry flour and had to use about 1/2 cup oat flour with these. It also reminded me to go to Amazon and review the cookbook. I usually don’t review things on Amazon but the cookbooks are all I use anymore along with this site and I’ve lost track of the number of times that I’ve tried a recipe and it has ended up being my favorite version I’ve made. I felt like I needed to show my support!
aww, thanks Amy! You’re so thoughtful! Thanks for reviewing the cookbook, I’m so happy to hear that you’ve been enjoying all of the recipes so much. xoxo
I have made so many different banana muffin recipes and this is by FAR the best recipe. Perfect texture and I might eat all 12 within the next hour. I used eggs and half white/half wheat flour. Thank you!
Hello, is it possible to use Rye flour instead of Whole Wheat flour? Thanks!
Hi Debbie, I haven’t tried it, so I’m not sure.
These muffins were moist and delicious. My favorite banana muffin recipe!
I’m so glad you loved them!
These were absolutely amazing! Soft full of banana flavor yummy! Thank you!
Hi Christian, I’m so glad you loved them!
Lovely and healthy!
I will first try macha latte and vegan bannana muffin
Thank you.