If you love banana bread, you will love these whole-wheat banana bread muffins. They're perfect for a nutritious breakfast or snack, ideal for meal prep, and a great way to utilize overripe bananas!
As usual, I have put my dietitian's healthy-ish touch on this recipe by utilizing whole wheat flour to increase the fiber content. I've also reduced the sugar as much as possible without compromising on taste.
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This whole wheat banana bread muffin recipe is the perfect balance of flavor, convenience, and nutrition.
This recipe was inspired by my high-protein tortilla egg cup recipe as another grab-n-go option for when I'm running out the door. I reach for this muffin recipe when I'm craving something sweet, and I often pair it with a Greek yogurt pot to boost the protein content.
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👩🏫 Why this recipe is dietitian-approved
- Utilises overripe bananas, reducing food waste. Food waste is a huge pet peeve of mine and is a huge issue globally.
- Whole wheat flour provides more flavor and more fiber. As 80% of Irish adults don't eat enough fiber (similar figures worldwide), any efforts to increase this are welcome!
- This recipe is perfect for meal prep. The muffins will keep well in an airtight container for several days and freeze well.
- These muffins are lower in sugar than many traditional banana bread muffin recipes.
🥘 Tips for choosing ingredients
**The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.**
Dry Ingredients:
- Whole wheat flour. The whole wheat flour I used was very fine, which allowed me to pass it through a sieve. I find this very useful for introducing more air into baked goods, producing a lighter and more fluffy final product.
- Light brown sugar - This helps give the muffins a nice caramel color.
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Dark chocolate chips—I love dark chocolate, so the darker the better, but feel free to change this depending on your preference.
Wet Ingredients:
- Olive oil. I used light/virgin olive oil because it has a more neutral taste, which is good for baking. You could also use vegetable or coconut oil.
- Overripe bananas. Just like banana bread, banana muffins are a great way to use up the spotty and brown bananas on your kitchen counter. Ripe bananas are easier to mash and incorporate into the batter, plus they add a sweeter and more distinct banana-y flavor.
- Eggs
- Milk of choice - I used low fat cows milk
- Vanilla extract, for flavor. A little vanilla enhances the flavor of the banana muffins.
📜 Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease your muffin tin. Combine all the dry ingredients together in one bowl. Sieve the baking powder and flour to introduce air to the mixture.
- Step 2: Combine all the wet ingredients together. Use an electric hand mixer if you have one, as this will ensure all lumps are removed and the bananas are well combined.
- Step 3: Combine the wet and dry ingredients and fill your muffin tin to the top with the mixture. Add a few more chocolate chips to the top of each muffin before placing them in the oven.
- Step 4: Place in the preheated oven at 425°F (220°C) for 5 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until the muffins pass the toothpick test. Allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire tray.
The toothpick test: You simply insert a wooden toothpick into the center of one of the muffins. If the toothpick comes out clean, the muffins are done.
🥄 Substitutions
To make it gluten-free, Try swapping the whole wheat flour for buckwheat flour, which is naturally gluten-free and also very nutritious with ample fiber and protein. However, I have not tested this swap, so please let me know if you do and how it goes.
To make it dairy-free - Use non-dairy chocolate chips and milk, such as soy milk, almond milk, or oat milk. I recommend soy milk for the highest protein choice and choosing a fortified option.
To make it vegan, follow the dairy-free swaps and substitute the eggs for a flax egg. If you try this, please let me know how it goes.
What is a flax egg? Essentially, it's just flax seed and water mixed together which creates a gel-like consistency to help bind ingredients similar to a real egg. Mix together one tablespoon of ground flaxseed with three tablespoons of water in a small bowl and set aside for about 10 minutes.
To make nut-free: This recipe is naturally nut-free (if you haven't added any nuts!). However, I recommend checking that all your ingredients and toppings are nut-free.
🔧 Equipment
- Electric hand mixer. This is not necessary, but if you have one, it makes combining the wet ingredients much easier.
- Silicone Muffin Pan in a regular size with 12 cavities (some may call this a cupcake pan). I recently purchased a silicone pan and it makes removing the muffins much easier.
📦 Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. As this recipe contains bananas, I don't recommend leaving this recipe out on the countertop. You can freeze fully cooled muffins in a zip-top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 3 months. Warm from frozen in the microwave in 15-second increments or thaw at room temperature or in the fridge.
💭 Top tips for making this recipe
If your bananas are still green or not quite ripe, you can ripen them quickly by placing them on a foil-lined baking sheet and warming them in a 300ºF oven for 15 to 25 minutes. However, the bananas will be more watery, so it’s important to add the bananas to a strainer and let them drain off the excess water.
Initial High Oven Temperature: The hot burst of air will spring up the top of the muffin quickly, and then the inside of the muffin can bake for the remainder of the time. This helps the muffins rise nice and tall.
Don’t overmix. The more you mix and work the muffin batter, the more gluten will form. This, in turn, gives you dense muffins. Do yourself a favor and only mix the batter until the ingredients just barely come together to achieve the perfect fluffy and tender crumb.
Fill the tins to the top. Most muffin recipes will have you fill the muffin tins to only ⅔ or ¾ full. Not this one, though. If you want big, bountiful muffin tops, you gotta fill the tins right to the top.
Grease your muffin tins. In my muffin tests, I’ve found that muffins baked with muffin liners are a bit soggy and have ridged edges, so I almost always prefer to use a naked muffin tin. However, it’s important to generously grease the muffin tins with nonstick spray or cooking oil.
If you skip the muffin liners, as I do, make sure to cover every inch of the muffin cavities with spray oil and leave any residual oil or spray on the top of the pan—that prevents the muffin top from sticking to the pan, too.
Don’t open the oven door. Do not, under any circumstances, open the oven door when the muffins are baking (especially in the beginning and including when you change the temperature!). Even just a few seconds will reduce the temperature and rob you of peak fluffiness.
Let the muffins cool (but not for too long). Allow them to cool for 20 minutes before removing them from the muffin tin. If they’re a bit stuck, use a small spatula or butter knife to loosen them. Just don’t let the muffins sit in the tin for too long, or else they can get soggy bottoms.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
I LOVE these warm, either from the oven or heated in the microwave, with a side of cold Greek yogurt (extra protein bonus++). They are particularly yummy when you also add a smear of nut butter and a strong cup of coffee! Now, you also have a much more balanced meal or snack!
❓ FAQ
You’ll want to make sure that your bananas are very ripe with brown spots to ensure the best banana flavor and natural sweetness. This also enables us to use less added sugar in these, so they should look very brown!
📖 The Recipe
Whole Wheat Banana Bread Muffins
Equipment
- Silicone Muffin Pan Regular size, 12-cup (some may call this a cupcake pan)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 300 g whole wheat flour sieved if possible
- 90 g light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 130 g dark chocolate chips & extra for adding to the top
Wet Ingredients:
- 3 large bananas mashed
- 3 large leggs
- 250 mls milk of choice I used low fat cows milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon olive oil light or virgin
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C)
- Prepare your muffin pan. If possible, I recommend a silicone, non-stick muffin pan. Instead of using muffin liners, spray your tin with cooking oil.
- Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix them together. If you can, sieve the whole wheat flour and baking soda (this introduces air-making for bouncier muffins).
- In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. If you have an electric hand whisk, use it. If not, make sure everything is mashed well with minimal lumps.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients until smooth. Avoid over-mixing.
- Transfer the batter to the muffin tin. Fill each one to the top and add a few more chocolate chips on top of each muffin.
- Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 5 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C) AND BAKE FOR A FURTHER 15-20 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Notes
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