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Updated on Feb 29, 2024
These Healthy Banana Muffins are soft, fluffy and naturally sweetened with ripe bananas and honey. They’re perfect for breakfast or a snack.
Looking for more ways to use up ripe bananas? You’ll love this Healthy Banana Bread and Strawberry Banana Smoothie!
The Best Healthy Banana Muffins
These healthy banana muffins are my all-time favorite muffin recipe! I’ve been baking a batch of these muffins multiple times a month for years, and they are always devoured in record time. My kids love them in their lunchboxes, and I like to enjoy one for a mid-morning snack with a cup of tea. I hope you’ll love these banana muffins as much as we do!
Why I Love This Recipe
- So Delicious. Spiced with cinnamon, the muffins have lots of sweet banana flavor and they bake up soft and fluffy.
- Wholesome Ingredients. I love that this recipe uses whole wheat flour and honey or pure maple syrup instead of refined sugars.
- Regular Size or Mini Muffins. Make regular size muffins or mini muffins in a mini muffin pan. The mini muffins are perfect for lunchboxes.
- They Freeze Wonderfully. I like to make a double batch to stock my freezer.
- One Bowl Recipe. This recipe is incredibly easy! It takes just a few minutes to mix up the batter in one bowl.
- Great Way to Use Ripe Bananas. If you’re like me, you often have a few over-ripe bananas sitting on your kitchen counter. This recipe is my favorite way to use them up!
Muffins are sooooo moist and delicious! Will make again and again.
Judy
Tip: Use Very Ripe Bananas
The secret to making the best banana muffins is to use extra-ripe bananas, ones that have lots of brown spots on the peels. Very ripe bananas will be nice and soft and extra sweet, perfect for baking. If you don’t have time to bake with your ripe bananas right away, you can freeze them. When you’re ready to bake, thaw the bananas on your kitchen counter, drain off excess moisture and use them in your recipe.
Healthy Banana Muffins Recipe Ingredients
- Butter: You can’t beat the flavor that real butter brings to baked goods. In this recipe, we’re using just 4 tablespoons of butter.
- Honey or Pure Maple Syrup: To sweeten the muffins.
- Ripe Bananas: The riper, the better!
- Milk: I use whole milk. Use whatever type you prefer: lowfat milk or nondairy milk such as almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk or oat milk.
- Vanilla Extract: For added flavor.
- Eggs: Two large eggs provide structure and help the muffins to rise.
- Cinnamon: For warm spice.
- Baking Soda: To help the muffins rise as they bake.
- Salt: The salt enhances all of the flavors.
- Whole Wheat Flour: I like to use white whole wheat flour because it has a more mild wheat flavor, but regular whole wheat works well too. You can also use all-purpose flour if that’s what you have on hand.
Find the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
How to Make Banana Muffins
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, honey or maple syrup, mashed banana, milk and vanilla. Then whisk in the eggs.
- Add the dry ingredients. Sprinkle the cinnamon, baking soda and salt over the wet ingredients. Whisk until very well combined. You don’t want any clumps of baking soda left in the batter. Finally, add the flour and mix it in with a rubber spatula until just combined, being careful to not over-mix. Overmixing can lead to dense, tough muffins.
- Scoop the batter into the pan. I use a nonstick muffin pan and lightly spray it with coconut oil spray before adding the muffin batter to the pan. You can sprinkle the tops of the muffins with a little ground cinnamon for more cinnamon flavor, if desired.
- Bake the muffins at 350 degrees F. Regular sized muffins will take about 15-17 minutes to bake, and mini muffins will take 10-12 minutes.
- Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling. The muffins are delicious served warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Variations
- Add nuts: Mix up to 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans into the muffin batter.
- Add chocolate chips: Add 1/2 cup of regular or mini chocolate chips to the batter.
- Add blueberries: Add 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries.
- Swap applesauce for the butter: Readers have substituted applesauce for the butter with good success.
- Gluten-free: Readers have successfully substituted a 1:1 gluten free flour blend for the wheat flour.
- Egg-free: I’ve made this recipe with flax eggs instead of regular eggs and it works well. Instead of the 2 large eggs, stir together 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal and 5 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes before adding to the wet ingredients.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: Once cool, store muffins in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, overnight in the refrigerator, or using the defrost setting of a microwave. You can put frozen muffins in lunchboxes and they will thaw by lunchtime.
More Banana Muffin Recipes
- Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Blueberry Banana Muffins
- Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
- Apple Banana Muffins
- Blender Banana Muffins
Looking for even more healthy muffin recipes? Try Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Chocolate Chip Muffins or Pumpkin Muffins next.
5 from 80 ratings
Healthy Banana Muffins
Servings: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
These Healthy Banana Muffins are soft, fluffy, full of banana flavor and spiced with cinnamon. This easy one bowl recipe is quick to make and can be used to make regular sized or mini muffins. The muffins freeze wonderfully, too!
Print Recipe Leave a Review Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup honey, or pure maple syrup
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana, about 3 medium
- ¼ cup milk, whichever kind you prefer (dairy, almond, etc.)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling muffin tops if desired
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour, or regular whole wheat flour
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners. (I use a nonstick muffin pan and lightly spray it with coconut oil spray.)
Place the butter in a large bowl and melt in the microwave. Add the honey or maple syrup, mashed banana, milk and vanilla to the bowl. Whisk to combine. Whisk in the eggs.
Sprinkle the cinnamon, baking soda and salt over the wet ingredients. Whisk until well combined. Add the flour to the bowl and stir with a large spoon or spatula until just combined. Be careful to not over-mix.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each well about 2/3 full.
Optional: Sprinkle tops of muffins with cinnamon.
Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. (Mini muffins will take about 10-12 minutes to bake.)
Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Recipe makes 12 regular sized muffins or 36 mini muffins.
- To Store: Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Muffins freeze well. Cool completely and then store in an airtight zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Thaw individual muffins at room temperature, overnight in the refrigerator, or in a microwave using the defrost setting.
- Recipe Variations:
- Add nuts:Mix up to 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans into the muffin batter.
- Add chocolate chips: Add 1/2 cup of regular or mini chocolate chips to the batter.
- Add blueberries:Add 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries.
- Swap applesauce for the butter: Readers have tried this with good success.
- Gluten-free:Readers have successfully substituted a 1:1 gluten free flour blend for the wheat flour.
- Egg-free: I’ve made this recipe with flax eggs instead of regular eggs and it works well. Instead of the 2 large eggs, stir together 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal and 5 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes before adding to the wet ingredients.
Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 144kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Sodium: 202mg, Potassium: 109mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 177IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.
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