Banana protein muffins are higher in protein and lower in calories and saturated fat compared to typical store-bought muffins. These good for you breakfast muffins don’t sacrifice flavor for health though, and are still light and fluffy.
I love these muffins for multiple reasons!
They are really easy to bake, are ready in under 30 minutes. You’ll find these fluffy muffins are just as good, but more nutritious than most store-bought or coffee shop muffins. With a few grams of added protein, a decent amount of fiber, and low in saturated fat, all around they have great nutrient value without sacrificing taste or texture.
And they are the perfect compliment to other protein rich breakfast foods like egg white bites, a high fiber protein smoothie, or a nice bowl of Greek yogurt.
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Ingredients to make banana & protein muffins
- 3 ripe bananas – they need to be easy to smash and have dark brown spots on them. Ripe bananas will also add the most sweetness.
- ⅓ cup whole milk Greek yogurt – this adds a small extra dose of protein, but most importantly, it helps keep the oil content low. This reduces calories and saturated fat.
- 3 tablespoon olive oil – I love the richness from olive oil in baked goods, but also feel free to use canola oil, which is great in baked goods.
- ⅓ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup maple syrup – feel free to use all brown sugar or all maple syrup for your sweetener, but I do like the mix of the two different types.
- 1 egg – it doesn’t really matter if it’s room temperature or not, these muffins aren’t fussy!
- ¾ cup each whole wheat and all purpose flour – I have recipe tested baked goods multiple times using just whole wheat flour, but I always prefer them with a mix of the two. Using both results in a great fluffiness and moisture while adding just a few more grams of fiber and protein. Using just whole wheat flour always results in a drier muffin or bread, unless you take extra steps, like overnight batter soaking, to soften the wheat.
- 1 teaspoon each baking soda and vanilla – the baking soda mixes with the dry ingredients and the vanilla with the wet.
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 serving protein powder – I recommend either a plain protein powder or vanilla flavored. And feel free to double the protein servings to add a few extra grams of protein; it won’t affect texture.
How to make banana protein muffins
Add the “wet” ingredients
Begin by mashing the ripe bananas in a large mixing bowl. Then add the egg, olive oil, brown sugar and maple syrup, Greek yogurt and vanilla. Stir till all ingredients are mixed together really well.
Mix the dry then add to the wet
In a medium size bowl, add both types of flour, the salt, baking soda and protein powder. Stir with a fork till well combined, then add the dry flour mixture to the wet banana mixture and GENTLY stir till all ingredients incorporated. Make sure not to overmix the batter though; it’s okay if there are still some small lumps.
Add Batter
To a standard muffin tin, either oil the cups or line with paper liners, and fill almost to the top, about 2 tablespoons worth of batter. If desired, sprinkle each muffin with a little bit of cinnamon and sugar, or nuts of choices. I did a mix of the two.
Bake
In a preheated 350 degree f oven, bake for 15-16 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick and if it comes out mostly clean (it’s okay for there to be a slight bit of batter on the toothpick), they are done baking. It’s important not to bake until the toothpick comes out completely clean, as they may become dry and over-baked. After a couple of minutes, remove from the tin and place on a cooling rack.
Fluffy Muffin Tip!
Quick bread batters like this can be deceptive when it comes to testing for doneness. We tend to want to bake them till the batter is completely solid in the middle, but by then they are usually over-baked and will become dry and dense.
The muffins should be perfect when the toothpick is still slightly moist (the batter shouldn’t still be very runny and goopy). Remove from the oven, and the residual heat will help set the batter so they turn out nicely baked through but don’t dry out.
Protein options
These muffins clock in at 5 grams of protein as is, but can easily be bumped up to 8 grams by adding another serving of protein powder.
It’s important to note that this banana protein muffin should not be considered your single protein source for the meal! This is just to get a few bonus grams in while enjoying a tasty muffin that is low in calories and saturated fat.
tips and tricks for fluffy banana muffins
Follow a couple of these easy steps to avoid dry, dense muffins, and instead achieve happy, fluffy banana muffins.
- Don’t Overmix! Stirring the batter vigorously until all little bumps have disappeared will lead to tough, dense muffins. Overmixing causes excessive gluten development and can also break down air bubbles that are trapped in the batter. These air bubbles are essential for leavening and creating a light, fluffy texture.
- Don’t Overbake! As I said above, baking until the toothpick comes out clean will also lead to drier muffins. The banana protein muffins will continue to firm up due to the residual heat even after they’re pulled from the oven.
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FAQ’s
Achieving a *very* high in protein muffin often feels like a fools errand! Get the protein content too high via adding lots of protein powder or only using whole wheat flour too often yields a dense, chalky tasting baked good. Instead, I prefer to bump up the protein by just a few grams, and maintain the delicious taste and texture.
I love this tip from Real Simple: For quick banana ripening, place whole, unpeeled bananas on a sheet pan and baking them at 300°F for 1 hour.
more breakfasts with high protein
In need of delicious tasting breakfast recipes that will help you get your protein grams in? Give these unique and easy recipes a try!
- Egg White Bites with Spinach and Red Peppers
- Egg White Oatmeal ready in under 5 minutes!
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowls
- Egg-free Sausage Breakfast Skillet
Equipment
- 1 Muffin Tin
Ingredients
- 3 Bananas ripe-overly ripe
- 1 Egg large
- 3 tablespoon Olive oil
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt preferably full fat
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar light
- ¼ cup Maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ¾ cup Whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup All purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 serving Protein powder plain or vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners or oil the pan well. Set aside
- In a large bowl, add the bananas and mash them with a fork till bananas are in very small pieces and slightly liquidy.3 Bananas
- Add the egg, olive oil, Greek yogurt, brown sugar and maple syrup and vanilla, and mix all ingredients together with a spatula till well combined.1 Egg, 3 tablespoon Olive oil, ⅓ cup Greek yogurt, ⅓ cup Brown sugar, ¼ cup Maple syrup, 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- In a medium bowl, add both types of flour, the baking soda, cinnamon and salt, and protein powder. Whisk together till well combined.¾ cup Whole wheat flour, ¾ cup All purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 serving Protein powder
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and very gently stir with the spatula till well combined, MAKING SURE not to overmix! It's okay if some very small lumps remain.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoon of batter into each muffin tin till about ¾ full. If desired, sprinkle with a small amount of cinnamon sugar, about 1-2 teaspoons.
- Bake for 15-16 minutes, until a toothpick comes out almost entirely clean, but okay if still slightly wet. The muffins will continue to warm and bake for a few minutes once removed from the oven. If you bake till the toothpick comes out completely clean, they may become dry.
- Remove from the oven and let cook for 3-5 minutes, then remove muffins to a cooling rack. Enjoy once cooled!
- Store on the counter in a lidded container for 1-2 days, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
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