Healthy Banana Muffins Recipe

While traditional banana muffins may taste delicious as a snack or even as a quick on-the-go breakfast, they may not be the best choice if you’re trying to eat healthily. 

But living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean having to say goodbye to all sweet foods like muffins. It’s about choosing alternatives that still taste great but are better for you — like my healthy banana muffins!

Try: 4 Quick Breakfast On-The-Go Recipes

Jump to: 

• Healthy banana muffins recipe
• Ingredients
• Method
• How to store banana muffins
• Dietary swaps for healthy banana muffins

One of my biggest tips for being healthy is to make your own food as often as you can. Not only do many people find baking really relaxing or therapeutic, but it also gives you control over the ingredients you use!

It’s so much better to bake muffins yourself as you can choose exactly what you put in them, meaning you can stay away from unhealthy ingredients like refined sugars and preservatives!

Healthy banana muffin recipe

Try this healthy muffin recipe as a more nutritious alternative for when you’re craving something sweet. 

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 12 muffins

Dietary preferences: Vegetarian

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 medium-sized ripe bananas, well mashed 
• 125ml milk
• 75g rolled oats 
• 260g wholemeal flour 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 small handful of chopped walnuts (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a 12-cup muffin tray with paper cases.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, maple syrup and vanilla extract together until well-combined. Stir in the mashed bananas and milk.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the rolled oats, wholemeal flour, baking soda, cinnamon and walnuts, if using.
4. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon, until just combined.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cases.
6. Bake the muffins for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean.
7. Leave the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan. Turn out carefully onto a wire rack to cool completely. If you like you can top them with a slice of fresh banana. Enjoy!

How to store your healthy banana muffins

These healthy banana muffins are a great snack to bring along to a brunch or to share with your friends. 

Alternatively, if you meal prep some of your meals, you can bake these at the start of your week and then store them separately in small containers in the freezer. This can help maintain their freshness, as well as help you avoid overeating too many in one sitting (they taste so good you will probably want to!). 

When you are ready to eat them, simply transfer the container to the fridge to defrost the night before. That way, you can take them with you to work the next day as a healthy banana muffin snack for your afternoon!

Dietary swaps for healthy banana muffins recipe

If you struggle to source some of these ingredients where you live, or you don’t eat certain ingredients, try swapping them for some of these healthy alternatives:

• Maple syrup can be replaced with some honey instead.
• Milk can be replaced with any non-dairy milk, such as almond milk.
• Eggs can be replaced with either a half cup of yoghurt or flax seed. If you choose to use flax seed, simply combine 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 2.5 tablespoons of water. Then let it sit for 5 minutes. Substitute in the recipe where the egg is used. 

A healthy balanced diet should include foods you love!

When you’re on a health and fitness journey, it’s so important to enjoy the food you’re eating every day.

Taking a balanced, realistic approach to food is actually the most sustainable way to keep eating healthy in the long-term. For me, that means eating in a Mediterranean style, which includes the occasional sweet treat too! 

If you love muffins, you need to try out my healthy berry muffins recipe too!