Three Easy Healthy Banana Muffin Recipes

I love to have healthy banana muffins around for both easy healthy breakfasts and afternoon snacks.

Most of the muffins you find in coffee shops, bakeries and grocery stores are really more like cupcakes – filled with sugar and high in unhealthy fats. Almost any muffin you make at home from scratch will be a better for your health and waistline.

There are lots of easy ways to boost their health even more. You can use wholegrain flour for all or part of the white flour. Use less oil or sugar. This is especially easy with healthy banana muffins. When you use really ripe bananas they provide a lot of natural sweetness so you need less sugar.

Healthy Homemade Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

Here are some of my favorite healthy banana muffin recipes. They are a great healthy way to use up those old overripe bananas staring back at you from the counter.

Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Muffin Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 23 to 28 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins

This healthy banana muffin recipe uses whole wheat pastry flour, ground flax seeds, low-fat plain yogurt and agave nectar. It also calls for sprinkling turbinado sugar, a raw sugar with large crystals on top of the muffins before baking. I’ve had good success substituting, both granulated sugar and raw sugar for the agave syrup and buttermilk for the yogurt.

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
2/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup agave nectar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, for sprinkling on top if desired

Recipe Instructions

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a muffin pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, flax seeds, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

In a second bowl, whisk together the eggs, bananas, yogurt, sugar, oil and vanilla until well blended.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until blended.

Divide the batter equally among the cups of the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar if desired.

Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean, about 23 to 28 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let the muffins cool in their pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes, then remove them from the pan and place them on the wire rack to cool.

Source: Adapted from 750 Best Muffin Recipes from Camilla V. Saulsbury

Healthy Banana & Peanut Butter Streusel Muffins Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 18 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups plus 3 tablespoons whole grain pastry flour
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter melted
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pureed very ripe banana (about 1 large)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 large egg
3/4 cup low fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Coat a standard 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper cupcake liners.

To make the streusel topping, in a small bowl stir together 3 tablespoons of the flour, 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar, butter and honey until you get wet crumbs. Set aside.

To make the muffin batter in a large bowl whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar, banana, applesauce, peanut butter, egg, milk and vanilla until well combined. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture just until blended. Do not over mix or your muffins will be tough.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Crumble the streusel mixture on top of each of the muffin, dividing it evenly.

Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 16 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool.

Source: Adapted from Prevention Best Weight Loss Recipes

Simple Healthy Banana Nut Muffin Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 – 12 muffins

This recipe makes simple banana muffins that turn out heavy moist and dark. If you prefer larger muffins, fill distribute the batter among 8 of the muffin cups and pour 1/4 cup water into the empty cups to prevent them from buckling.

Ingredients

3 medium to large really ripe bananas, mashed
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup raw sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Recipe Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a standard 12 cup muffin pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the mashed bananas and eggs well. Stir in the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Add the walnuts and stir to blend. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake until a muffin inserted in the center comes out with just a few clinging crumbs, about 20 minutes (30 minutes for larger muffins).

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the muffin pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely before wrapping and storing or enjoy warm.