Meet the banana muffins of my dreams. They’re fluffy, whole grain, naturally sweetened, totally delicious banana muffins. They’re also about as healthy as muffins can be. The recipe calls for basic ingredients and you can mix them all together in one bowl. Too much to be true? Nope.
These muffins are a derivative of my super popular banana bread and pumpkin muffin recipes. If you love these, you certainly don’t miss the blueberry muffins in my cookbook.
Muffins aside, can I tell you what else is exciting? I got a new camera! Can you tell? Bueller? Bueller? Well, that’s ok. I can, and I’m thrilled about it. I bought my old camera during my last year of college and it was the best investment I ever made. Eight years and 88,000 (that’s eighty-eight thousand) photographs later, it was time to upgrade.
My new camera and I are still getting acquainted. I haven’t found the best settings or figured out all the fancy-pants features just yet (anyone want video?). We’ll get there. Photographing these banana muffins was a learning experience. A very tasty learning experience.
The Best Banana Muffins
Here are a few reasons to love this banana muffin recipe (which happens to be more nutritionally redeeming than most):
- These muffins are easy to make with basic ingredients. Only one bowl required!
- They’re made with 100% whole grains, yet they’re fluffy and delicious. No one will know the difference.
- They’re also naturally sweetened with maple syrup or honey, rather than loaded with refined sugar. The maple syrup (or honey) offers a touch of extra flavor, which I love.
- A touch of cinnamon offers some warming spice flavor. These muffins will make your house smell amazing!
- These muffins freeze well, too. Just defrost individual muffins in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, or until gently warmed through. You don’t want to overdo it.
Please let me know how your muffins turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you, and hope these banana muffins are your new favorite.
Craving more wholesome banana treats? Don’t miss my banana oat pancakes, vegan banana scones, healthy banana bread and banana cake with cream cheese frosting.
Watch How to Make Banana Muffins
Maple-Sweetened Banana Muffins
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 11 muffins 1x
- Category: Baked goods
- Method: By hand
- Cuisine: American
These whole wheat, maple-sweetened banana muffins are so fluffy and moist, I bet no one can guess they’re healthy muffins. They’re easy to make, too, with basic ingredients and only one mixing bowl! Feel free to add mix-ins of your choice, like chocolate chips or toasted nuts. Recipe yields 12 muffins.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil*
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 eggs, preferably at room temperature
- 1 cup packed mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
- ¼ cup milk of choice or water (I used almond milk)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling on top
- 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- ⅓ cup old-fashioned oats (optional), plus more for sprinkling on top
- 1 teaspoon turbinado (raw) sugar or other granulated sugar, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius). If necessary, grease all 12 cups of your muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray (my pan is non-stick and didn’t require any grease).
- In a large bowl, beat the coconut oil and maple syrup together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well. Mix in the mashed bananas and milk, followed by the baking soda, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon.
- Add the flour and oats to the bowl and mix with a large spoon, just until combined. If you’d like to add any additional mix-ins**, like nuts, chocolate or dried fruit, fold them in now.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with a small amount of oats (about 1 tablespoon in total), followed by a light sprinkling of sugar (about 1 teaspoon in total). Bake muffins for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
- Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan. These muffins will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They keep well in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months (just defrost individual muffins as needed).
Notes
Recipe adapted from my healthy pumpkin muffins.
*Oil options: I love coconut oil here. I used unrefined coconut oil and can hardly taste it in the final product. Olive oil might lend an herbal note to the muffins, if you’re into that (although, I tested with California Olive Ranch’s “Everyday” variety and couldn’t even taste it). Vegetable oil has a neutral flavor but the average vegetable/canola oil is highly processed, so I recommend using cold-pressed sunflower oil or grapeseed oil if possible.
**Change it up: You could really go crazy with add-ins here. Fold in up to ¾ cup chocolate chips, chopped dried cranberries or crystallized ginger and/or chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts. With add-ins, your muffins might require the full 25 minutes in the oven. Another idea? You could top your muffins with my maple glaze from my pumpkin scones recipe to make them more decadent.
Serving suggestions: These muffins are great on their own, with a pat of butter, or spread with almond butter. They would also be fantastic with homemade pecan butter or coconut butter.
Make it egg free: Substitute flax eggs for the regular eggs.
Make it vegan: Substitute flax eggs for regular eggs, use dairy-free milk like almond milk and use maple syrup instead of honey.
Make it gluten free: Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose blend works well instead of the whole wheat flour.
Make it nut free: Use a nut-free milk.
Make it oat free: Simply omit the oats.
Make it lower in fat: I would argue that this bread contains a healthy amount of fat, but you can replace the oil with applesauce if you’re following a low-fat diet.
▸ Nutrition Information
This post contains affiliate links to Amazon, which means I’ll earn a small commission (at no cost to you) if you make a purchase through these links. Thank you for your support!
Carole Perkins
I’ve made these muffins many times before – LOVE THEM :) I use unsweetened applesauce instead of oil and maple syrup.
★★★★★
ryan
nice cock
Reddit
Sir, this is a muffin recipe. I suggest you take your banana elsewhere.
Rebecca
How much applesauce do you use ?
Amy
Hello –
When substituting applesauce for the oil , how much did you use ?
Thank you !
Alexandria Jimenez
I absolutely LOVE making your banana bread recipe with the 2.5c of oat flour. Could I sub in the same amount of oat flour here? Or would that not translate to muffins well? Thank you so much for sharing! I’ve made your bread more times than I can count for the freezer at my home Buddhist monastery, and it’s such a popular alternative to all the highly sugared desserts that are donated! I love subbing in other fruit pulps from the juicer too, today I made two loaves of orange pineapple coconut bread with the same recipe and it turned out great!! Cannot thank you enough!
★★★★★
Kate
Hi! These should work with oat flour. Be sure to follow my How to Make Oat Flour guide on substitutions. Enjoy!
Ryan Gattera
Thankyou Sweetheart!
Come to me tonight.
heh heh
★★★★★
Serra
We simply loved it! Thank you for sharing this healthy and yummy recipe: )
★★★★★
Camila
We just made these! So nice! We will be making again! thank you!
★★★★★
melina
my 1 year old and i loved these!
★★★★★
Kate
I love to hear that, Melina! Thank you for your review.
Chloe Anastasiadis
I make these every week to take to work. Another home run. Thanks Kate!!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome Chloe! Thank you for your review.
Lyndsey Kramka
This is my go to recipe when I have old bananas. I’ll mix in chocolate chips or leave them as-is and they never disappoint.
I made mini muffins today and got a little over 36 muffins. Excited to give them to my 1.5 YO. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
★★★★★
Gloria
How long did you bake the mini muffins?
Kate
Hi Gloria, they should take about half the time. Just keep and eye on them.
Jo Ann
I make these muffins often. I used maple syrup and added walnuts. They are delicious.
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Jo Ann!
Mary
I made these muffins and they are delicious! I like the healthy choices if ingredients.
★★★★★
Anne
Would the flour measurement be the same if I use white flour?
Kate
It should work. Let me know how it turns out!
Rebecca
Love this recipe! Have made it so many times. Going to try the oat flour and try and make it without the maple syrup for my baby. Any suggestions?
Kate
Hi! Be sure to follow my How to Make Oat Flour.
Nisha
These were the best muffins I’ve made to date! Thank you! Huge hit with my 19 month old and my parents!
My mom requested I make it into a birthday ‘cake’ for her. Any advice on turning your recipe into a cake?
Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Aliso
Amazing muffins!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed them, Aliso!
Jessica
Made these but did not add any sugar on top and they are excellent
★★★★★
Mireille Delisle-Oldham
Very nice recipe – I love that it uses 3 bananas! Thanks very much, turned out perfect!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Mireille!
Mireille Delisle-Oldham
UPDATE: makes 11??? (I made 12). Also they took a god extra 10 min to bake????
★★★★
Susie
Hi! There look great! Can I use regular white flour here or does it need to be a whole wheat variety? Thanks!
Kate
It should work too. Let me know what you think, Susie!
Ali
I have made these twice and really enjoy them! I like to add chocolate chips and walnuts. I also slightly reduce the maple syrup. I am grateful for a quick and healthy breakfast option.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Ali!
Maria
This is my go to recipe for my four year old for muffins! How long do we cook them if they are mini muffins?
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Maria! Typically half the time, but keep an eye on them as it can vary.
Carol
Love these, and my granddaughters do too! I used honey, added a handful of mini chocolate chips, and baked them in mini-muffin pans (same temp, 15ish minutes). This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Carol! Thank you for sharing.
Lisa
Fantastic recipe. I was able play with it a little and use gluten free flour, and added some flax meal, walnuts, raisins, and grated carrots. I only had about 1/4 cup of maple syrup and it actually turned out perfect because of the carrots and banana. Thank you for “getting it” and making a recipe with just enough sweet and fat to make it delicious but still nutritious. Will keep this recipe handy!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Lisa!
Gwenyth
Lovely muffins. I added a couple dark chocolate carob morsels on top instead of oatmeal. This recipe made me a dozen medium muffins us a 1/2 dozen minis for a mid- morning power snack.
★★★★★
Shari
All I have on hand is almond flour. Would this be a good substitute for WW flour?
Kate
I would suggest Gluten-Free Banana Bread (Made with Almond Flour)
Denise
Sorry to be a menace … has anyone tried substituting 30g of the flour with whey protein powder … sorry !!
★★★★★
Jenny
Love these- I had a tried and true banana muffin recipe that was passed down from my mom but used veg oil and sugar…. I really wanted a healthier option of sugar and fat that still tasted amazing. These passed the test with my three kids! Thank you Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Jenny! Thank you for your review.
Natalie
You guys must have very big measuring cups or very small bananas! LOL
I used 2 bananas and it was still nearer to 3 cups, but I could leave out half the honey because they were so sweet. Added a few teaspoons of psyllium too. (Made it as is the first time … also yummy)
Very adaptable recipe and very scrummy!
Hhhmm… forgot star rating!
★★★★★
Natalie
I’m hoping this comment might be moderated and deleted before it posts, but – just so that you’re aware – there’s another comment on this post that should be deleted.
★★★★★
Christi Lange
Hi and thank you for this delicious recipe! I used 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce instead of the eggs, as well as quick oats, whole wheat flour, and oat milk – and cooked for about 5 minutes longer. They turned out amazing! I think next time I’ll also sub applesauce for the oil and maple syrup like Carole suggested. Thanks!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Christi! I appreciate your review.
Erin
Yummy! I used flax eggs to make them vegan, 1/3 c applesauce instead of oil, whole wheat flour, water, added mini vegan chocolate chips.
★★★★★
Maria
Love this recipe! Make it often and always amazing! Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Maria! Thank you for your review.
Melissa
Very delicious! I’ve made them many times, thanks for the recipe! I always use 3/4 tsp baking soda because 1tsp leaves them with a baking soda taste (in my experience- even when using fresh baking soda). And I reduce maple syrup to 1/3.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Melissa! I appreciate your review.
Hailey
My husband rarely likes the “healthier” muffins or baking things I make. However tonight he said, these are a make again recipe! Super delicious and easy to make, we warmed them and had them with a spoon of ice cream for dessert!
★★★★★
Hopkintonrunner
I made these with a cup of rhubarb added last. They were great!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing!
Michelle S.
Just made these and followed the ingredients exactly, only thing I changed was to increase the temperature to 425 for the first 5 minutes. This gives it a little extra rise and they are beautiful. I will definitely be making these again!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your review, Michelle!
Beth
I made these without the oats and sugar and used olive oil since I didn’t have any coconut oil on hand. They taste great and it’s so quick and easy to make. This will be my go-to recipe from now.
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Beth!
Tammy
I really loved these muffins but more importantly, my grandson whom we have adopted love them. I downloaded an app called YUKA and you scan the code on foods. I have been shocked by how much crap is in everything. These are so healthy, natural and delicious! I have officially followed you and subscribed. Thank you so much.
★★★★★
Rebecca
Can i add some chocolate powder to it? If so i guess will have to take out equal amount of flour? Thx!!
Kate
You could try it, but I haven’t tried it myself. I believe others have and enjoyed the results. You can search the comments to see what others recommend.
Audrey
Delicious! Added walnuts, dried cranberries, and a little bit of chocolate chips! I will make these again for sure! Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Audrey!
Joanne
This recipe turned out perfect, even with a little extra banana.I have never had muffins turn out like this.The timing was perfect, they were light and not crumbly.I also tried the cranberry and the chocolate, they turned out exactly the same.Thank you, my husband loves them…me to.
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Joanne!
Shannon
★★★★★
Shannon
These moist and fluffy muffins have a perfect amount of banana flavor. We loved how the oat and raw sugar topping gave just a hint of crunch.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your review, Shannon!