Best Healthy Banana Muffins - Easy One Bowl Recipe (2024)

Home » Breakfast » Healthy Banana Muffins Recipe

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe

Updated on Mar 29, 2023

It doesn’t get much better than these Healthy Banana Muffins! They’re light, fluffy and naturally sweetened. They take just minutes to make and are perfect for quick breakfasts and snacks.

Meet my favorite banana muffin! These healthy banana muffins are so easy to make and so good… so much so that I’ve made a batch almost every week for the past two months. If you love banana muffins, then you have to give these a try!

A few years ago, before I had kids who loved to snack, I would always have an abundance of over-ripe bananas on my counter. I could never quite keep up with those bananas, and too often some of them would go to waste. Now I have the opposite problem: the bananas can’t keep up with how often I want to make banana muffins, healthy banana bread and my favorite strawberry banana smoothie!

Most weeks, I buy at least two bunches of bananas. And we never have trouble using them up. We eat them plain for breakfasts and snacks. We add them to smoothies. And practically every week I use a few bananas to make a batch of banana muffins. Most often I make these banana cinnamon muffins or my other favorite, apple banana muffins. Try all my muffin recipes.

How to Make Healthy Banana Muffins

You won’t believe how simple these muffins are to mix up in one bowl. The first step is to whisk together the wet ingredients. Then you sprinkle on some cinnamon, baking soda and salt. You’ll want to whisk those in really well, because you don’t want any clumps of baking soda left in the batter.

Next, you gently stir in white whole wheat flour, until it is just combined. Try not to over-mix in the flour or your muffins could end up tough or dense.

Spoon the batter into your muffin tin. I like to use my large scoop to make the job quick and easy. You can also make mini muffins in a mini muffin pan. I’ve included the baking time for both regular size muffins and mini muffins in the recipe card below.

I like to add a sprinkle of cinnamon to the top of each muffin before baking for extra cinnamon flavor.

You can serve the muffins warm from the oven, after they cool for about 5 minutes in the pan. After the muffins cool completely, I like to store them in a zip-top baggie in my freezer. That way, they’re always ready when we need a quick breakfast or snack.

Best Banana Muffins Recipe

These banana muffins are fluffy and naturally sweet.
They’re refined sugar free. You can use either honey or pure maple syrup in this recipe.
They’re 100% whole wheat, yet still light in texture when made with white whole wheat flour.
Make regular size muffins or mini muffins in a mini muffin pan.
The banana muffins freeze really well. I like to make a double batch to stock my freezer!
You can mix up the batter in just minutes, in one bowl for easy clean up.

5 from 74 ratings

Healthy Banana Muffins

Servings: 12 muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

It doesn’t get much better than these Healthy Banana Muffins! They’re fluffy, naturally sweetened, and they take just minutes to make!

Print Recipe Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
▢ 1/3 cup honey, or pure maple syrup
▢ 1 cup mashed ripe banana, about 3 medium
▢ ¼ cup milk, whichever kind you prefer
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 2 eggs
▢ 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
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 barely combined. Be careful to not over-mix.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 2/3 full. I like to use a large scoop.
Optional: Sprinkle tops of muffins with cinnamon.
Bake for 15-17 minutes 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.
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 the microwave when ready to eat.

Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 144kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 201mg, Potassium: 108mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 175IU, Vitamin C: 1.7mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 0.6mg

Nutrition information is an estimate.

Cuisine: American

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.

This site contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Kristine's Kitchen!

Bread Recipes Breakfast Freezer Friendly Recipe Videos Snacks

posted by Kristine Rosenblatt on Feb 27, 2020 (last updated Mar 29, 2023)

214 comments Leave a comment »

Save time. Eat well.

Subscribe and receive FREE family meal plans, right to your inbox, plus exclusive subscriber-only content!

« Previous Post Perfect Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

Next Post » Instant Pot Chicken and Mushrooms

214 comments on “Healthy Banana Muffins Recipe”

Kim — February 1, 2022 @ 8:11 pm Reply
Super good and nice it’s pretty healthy! Good texture, too! Thank you!!!
Mary — March 25, 2022 @ 5:01 am Reply
Didn’t find the mixture was quite enough for 12 muffins, I only managed to fill 10 cases and even then they didn’t rise to full capacity. Maybe UK muffin cases are different size.
Shelby — April 10, 2022 @ 1:15 pm Reply
See Also
This Amazing Asparagus Side Dish Recipe Will Make Your Dinner Complete Copycat Starbucks Egg Bites (EASY Instant Pot Egg Bites Recipe)Long John Silver's Fish Batter Recipe (+ Secret Ingredient)Sesame Garlic Ramen Noodles Recipe
This was delicious! I had no butter so I used equal amounts applesauce as well. The muffins were super soft and had a good flavor. I had enough for thirteen muffins, so I fried the leftover batter up as a pancake. Super good!
- Kristine Rosenblatt — April 10, 2022 @ 3:26 pm Reply
  I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing how to applesauce substitute worked. 🙂
- Maryse Beeney — February 24, 2023 @ 10:59 am Reply
  I came to the comments to see if anyone had subbed applesauce for butter. Glad it turned out ok. Trying it now
Marny — April 15, 2022 @ 12:19 pm Reply
These are delicious! So nice to know I’m eating relatively healthily while still enjoying muffins! I added a half cup of chopped pecans, & might try adding in some dried fruit next time. Thank you so much!
Lizzy — April 21, 2022 @ 7:48 am Reply
I tried these muffins when I was looking for a healthy, sweet snack. I substituted the white flower with wheat and they were delicious!!! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!! The muffins were moist, sweet, and nutritional 🙂
Brenda — April 30, 2022 @ 12:14 pm Reply
These muffins were so easy to make and a big favorite with the whole family. The second batch I made I added raisins, they were also a big hit…..thank you for the recipe! ?
- Olivia — September 8, 2023 @ 11:10 am Reply
  Awesome recipe! Super quick to whip up this morning for breakfast and use up my overripe bananas. I used a cup of white flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat. They rose really nicely and had a great texture. My husband and my 1 year old both LOVED them! I’ll definitely be making a double batch to stock my freezer next time!
Fanny — May 30, 2022 @ 8:09 am Reply
They are so easy to make and taste delicious. My two kids (6 and 3 years old) loved them.
I added a few chocolate chips on top for extra sweetness…
- Sandraley mendez — January 31, 2023 @ 11:29 am Reply
  Can you add Raisins?
  - Kristine Rosenblatt — February 1, 2023 @ 9:22 am
    Yes, raisins might be good in this recipe.
Mary C — June 6, 2022 @ 6:02 am Reply
These muffins are delicious quick and healthy. Thanks
Sheri — June 19, 2022 @ 6:49 am Reply
Can I use regular white flour?
- Kristine Rosenblatt — June 19, 2022 @ 2:18 pm Reply
  Yes, that will work fine. Enjoy the muffins!
Silvia — August 25, 2022 @ 8:55 am Reply
These muffins were great and I loved how quickly they came together. I don’t like cinnamon so my only change to the recipe was to not add any cinnamon and I didn’t think they missed anything. I will definitely make them again!
Kate — August 27, 2022 @ 11:59 am Reply
I like to use freshly milled whole wheat flour instead of store bought whole wheat as it is more nutritious and less processed.
Kayla — August 31, 2022 @ 5:27 am Reply
These are great! I wanted a healthier banana bread option so my 10 month old could enjoy with us, used 2 tbsp of maple syrup instead of 1/3 cup and kept everything else the same- they’re perfect! Thank you for a lovely and easy recipe!
Sherry — September 1, 2022 @ 6:00 pm Reply
These muffins are delicious! My husband loves them and I love just using one bowl! Looking forward to trying your apple banana muffins! ?
Sonya — October 12, 2022 @ 8:23 am Reply
I made these for my family yesterday morning and everyone loved it! My family had eaten all of them by the time I went for seconds! I’m going to make them again today or tomorrow, and was wondering if I made a double batch if I could freeze some of the batter? These are definitely a new family favorite. Thank you!
- Kristine Rosenblatt — October 12, 2022 @ 9:21 am Reply
  Hi Sonya,
  I’m so glad your family enjoyed these! The baked muffins freeze well, but I don’t recommend freezing the batter.
Ren — October 27, 2022 @ 6:41 am Reply
Will I be able to use this recipe to make banana bread or can I only use it to make muffins? The muffins look super yummy and am excited to bake this!
- Kristine Rosenblatt — October 27, 2022 @ 7:30 am Reply
  Hi Ren,
  Try my healthy banana bread recipe if you want to make banana bread instead of muffins.
Hailey — December 2, 2022 @ 9:35 am Reply
Yummy! I made 20 muffins but probably cause o didn’t fill up all the way. So delicious. Should I store these in the fridge or countertop?
- Kristine Rosenblatt — December 3, 2022 @ 3:56 pm Reply
  You can store them on the counter for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for about 5 days. They also freeze well!
Barb — December 6, 2022 @ 3:36 pm Reply
Great muffins
Lisa Prestidge — December 18, 2022 @ 8:15 am Reply
What is kcal?? Is it the same as calories one to one??? If not how many calories per muffin???
- Kristine Rosenblatt — December 18, 2022 @ 3:15 pm Reply
  What we refer to as Calories are technically kcal. So the estimated kcal in this recipe is the number of Calories per muffin.
  See Also
  Ree's Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe Is All You Need
Kate — January 4, 2023 @ 1:28 pm Reply
This muffins are actually delicious!!
I substituted 4 T of butter to 3 T olive oil, and they tasted delicious and of course healthier:)
Thanks for the recpie
K B — January 20, 2023 @ 11:41 am Reply
Can you stub GF flour to make it allergen friendly?
- Kristine Rosenblatt — January 20, 2023 @ 4:47 pm Reply
  While I haven’t tried it myself, I think you could use a gluten free 1:1 baking flour.
A — February 1, 2023 @ 12:41 pm Reply
I made a double batch of these today
and they turned out great. I found that the cook time was more like 17-18 minutes. One thing to point out: based on the level of ripeness and size of the bananas, the cook time and yield will vary slightly. I just set my timer to go off two minutes earlier than the recipe. I checked and added two minutes. Then two more. Then perfect!
Victoria Hetland — February 20, 2023 @ 12:21 pm Reply
I love this recipe because it is easy it only takes about twenty five minutes and they taste great.This recipe also has no sugar!it also gives you options so if you don’t h ave one of the ingredients you can use a different ingredient and it will still taste great.
Karen — March 4, 2023 @ 7:48 pm Reply
I have a major complaint about these muffins. I can’t stop eating them!!! I haven’t been this pleased with a recipe in a long time — they’re absolutely delicious and were so quick and easy to make. By the way, I found myself with only one egg in the house, so I used a 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt instead, and they came out perfect. I can’t say enough about them — thank you!
- Kristine Rosenblatt — March 6, 2023 @ 5:49 am Reply
  Hi Karen,
  You had me worried there for a minute! 😉 Thanks for sharing about the Greek yogurt sub. I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins!
Full Life Cooking — March 13, 2023 @ 12:32 pm Reply
Do you think this is a recipe/ has any one added protein powder to this recipe? If so, did you change anything? Any recommendations on flavor?
Judy — March 16, 2023 @ 10:37 am Reply
Muffins are sooooo moist and delicious! Will make again and again.
Meagan — March 18, 2023 @ 6:11 pm Reply
I doubled the recipe and made jumbo muffins. Absolutely delicious
Mary — March 19, 2023 @ 10:44 am Reply
I made these instead of traditional muffins that have sugar, I used the honey, which I would rather from the farm, adding cinnamon is a great idea. Love cinnamon took longer to cook in my new oven about 25 minutes great recipe!
Bonnie — April 24, 2023 @ 8:43 am Reply
Can I use oat bran instead of whole wheat flour?
- Kristine Rosenblatt — April 24, 2023 @ 9:15 am Reply
  I haven’t tried this recipe with oat bran so can’t advise. If you decide to try it, let me know how the muffins turn out. 🙂
Glenn — April 26, 2023 @ 3:12 pm Reply
Can you use coconut oil instead of butter?
- Kristine Rosenblatt — April 27, 2023 @ 5:46 am Reply
  Yes, you can. Enjoy!
Linda — May 18, 2023 @ 7:29 am Reply
Love these!
Love that they’re so easy to make.
Love that they’re not too sweet.
Made an even dozen using two large bananas.
A keeper for sure.
Claire Whittington — May 21, 2023 @ 6:14 pm Reply
These muffins are great and a wonderful snack for my toddler. I used paper liners and baked mine at 350 for 17 mins. All my muffins stuck to the liners. Is there a way to prevent them from sticking?
- Kristine Rosenblatt — May 23, 2023 @ 11:57 pm Reply
  I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! Instead of using paper liners, I use a nonstick muffin pan (I love USA pans) or spray a muffin pan with cooking spray. If you want to use a liner, parchment paper liners are best for nonstick.
Kate — May 24, 2023 @ 4:46 am Reply
So GOOD! Thank you!! Thaey came out perfectly the first go 😊
Dale Sawyer — May 27, 2023 @ 6:30 am Reply
Super easy delicious muffins! I only had regular flour, was out of vanilla extract so just put a little extra honey and they were amazing!
Melissa — May 29, 2023 @ 11:21 am Reply
These were really good and not dry. I thought the cinnamon would be overpowering but it wasn’t at all & these were perfectly sweetened . I didn’t have whole wheat white, so I used 1.25 C white & 1/4c ground flax seed & they came out perfect. I will have these on my family’s muffin rotation. Thanks for sharing these!
Vicky Kalavritinos — June 3, 2023 @ 12:20 pm Reply
Super soft and yummy. Husband and 6 year old son loved them as well.
Denea — June 4, 2023 @ 1:29 pm Reply
For those with egg allergies- I totally goofed and forgot to put in the eggs and they still turned out great! I also doubled the cinnamon because I love cinnamon and have no regrets 🙂 Definitely going to make these again and put in the eggs (haha!)
Mel — June 8, 2023 @ 4:48 am Reply
These are delicious 😋
Although I took them to the next level accidentally but using one cup of flour and half a cup of almond meal as I had run out of flour… best mistake I ever made!
Megan Caroline — June 14, 2023 @ 11:03 am Reply
These are easy to make but have very little flavor unfortunately.
- Kristine Rosenblatt — June 16, 2023 @ 4:37 pm Reply
  I’m sorry that was your experience. These will be the sweetest and most flavorful if you use very ripe bananas. Also double check that you added the salt – I’ve made the mistake of forgetting it in baking recipes before and it causes the baked goods to turn out flavorless. I’m confident in this recipe, since it’s one I’ve made dozens of times for my own family.
Ms Lisa — June 19, 2023 @ 5:16 pm Reply
Just made this recipe with the help
Of one of my daycare boys. Sooo delicious! It was easy and the children loved them. Will make again soon in my solar cooker to keep from turning oven on.🥵
Ms Lisa — June 19, 2023 @ 5:19 pm Reply
I forgot to mention that I used date syrup as the sweetener and carob chips. So delicious! I plan to experiment with different kinds of baking flour.
Kate — June 20, 2023 @ 6:18 am Reply
My kids just gobbled these up. Nice to have a change and use honey instead of sugar.
Maria Strampic — June 21, 2023 @ 3:12 pm Reply
What a beautiful banana muffins, easy to make and very tasty 😋
Amanda — June 24, 2023 @ 3:45 pm Reply
These turned out great! I made 24 mini muffins and had a small amount left for a couple of big muffins. My kiddos loved them! I will make them again for sure! Thanks for sharing!
Abbie — July 18, 2023 @ 12:22 pm Reply
I have tried countless recipes for ‘healthy muffins’ and these are by far the best! They taste just as yummy as regular banana muffins, I found mine didn’t go as golden on top as regular ones, but that’s just for aesthetic appeal. I added dark chocolate chips to mine and they were amazing! Highly recommend x
•person• — July 19, 2023 @ 2:18 pm Reply
So quick and easy, minimal mess and absolutely delicious (and they’re sugar free!!) Mine came out a bit dense and more like a thick pancake but it still tasted amazing so we’re fine. Thank you so much!!
Zoe — July 30, 2023 @ 7:52 pm Reply
Can you use self raising flour I don’t have any plain ?
- Kristine Rosenblatt — July 31, 2023 @ 3:56 pm Reply
  Self rising flour contains baking powder so I don’t recommend using it in this recipe since the recipe doesn’t call for baking powder.
Jessica — August 1, 2023 @ 1:01 am Reply
I made these using gluten free flour instead and they still worked out incredible.
Sunalini — August 2, 2023 @ 3:34 am Reply
They came out very nice. My children loved them and they tasted even better the next day – I live in hot humid climate. I got 12 mini muffins and a sort of sheet cake in a loaf tin
Iuliana Raluca Rinjeu — August 6, 2023 @ 1:38 am Reply
I put some oil so it doesn’t stick to the paper tray
Anabel Solorio — August 22, 2023 @ 11:38 am Reply
They came out beautiful. Didn’t have butter so I used apple sauce
Connie Hart — August 25, 2023 @ 9:17 am Reply
Can I substitute gluten free flour for the white whole wheat flour?
- Kristine Rosenblatt — August 27, 2023 @ 2:23 pm Reply
  Try substituting a 1:1 gluten free blend and let me know how it turns out!
Christina — August 31, 2023 @ 5:10 pm Reply
These muffins were delicious! I will be making these again and again. Thank you for the recipe!
Caitlin T — September 8, 2023 @ 8:43 am Reply
I have made this recipe many times and love the texture and flavor. However, there have been a few batches I’ve made that I’ll bite in to them and get a super bitter, metallic taste. Has anyone experienced this? I’m wondering if I’m not mixing in my baking soda enough (although I’ve tried to pay attention to it!). Any thoughts would be appreciated!
- Kristine Rosenblatt — September 9, 2023 @ 6:50 am Reply
  Hi Caitlin,
  So glad you’re enjoying these! I think you’re probably right about the taste being from a clump of baking soda. You can always turn this into a two bowl recipe, where you whisk together the dry ingredients separately and then add them to the wet ingredients to see if that will help. 🙂
SaShoe — September 24, 2023 @ 6:00 am Reply
7000 ft elevation, muffin parchment and I added ½ cup of chocolate chips. I used 1/3 cup to scoop into large size muffin tin. I got 6 med/large muffins. Needed 5 more minutes.
Side bar: I would recommend you put all dry ingredients together because it did not combine all the way. I have chunks of baking powder that are baked in place. I’m going to try that next time!
Can you reduce the pop ups? They are really intense and made it difficult to just get the recipe (on my phone). I kept getting sent to sites when trying to scoot up and down the ingredients and recipe.
Susan — October 7, 2023 @ 4:36 pm Reply
Just made these and they were great. I used milled whole wheat flour & added some chopped walnuts. My only problem is I need to double the batch next time.
Adriel Helms — October 12, 2023 @ 5:59 pm Reply
These are delicious! I used skim milk, egg substitute, and 1cup almond flour + 1/2 cup white flour. I also added a 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. They are so moist but not dense. Just heavenly. They will definitely be a staple at our house
sarah — October 18, 2023 @ 5:23 pm Reply
Can I use oat flour instead of regular flour?
- Kristine Rosenblatt — October 20, 2023 @ 12:11 pm Reply
  Oat flour will not work with the recipe as written. You might try my blueberry oatmeal muffins.
Candice Harrison — November 13, 2023 @ 3:43 pm Reply
This recipe only made 9 muffins
- Kristine Rosenblatt — November 14, 2023 @ 5:46 am Reply
  It sounds like you made your muffins larger. If you have a regular sized muffin tin and divide the batter between the 12 wells, they won’t be filled to the top, but the muffins will rise when baking.
Diana Grady — November 15, 2023 @ 7:47 am Reply
I made these this morning. Substituted the maple syrup for Monk Fruit. (Trying to get off the sugar). OMG these were so good. Will definitely be a go to recipe.