Easy Healthy Banana Protein Muffins (Delicious!)
These popular, healthy, delicious banana protein muffins taste like classic banana bread your mom made. However, they’re low in added sugar, PACKED with protein, easy to make, and a kid-requested favorite!
I remember my Grandma making banana nut bread when I was a kid. She would make it often and give it to my sister and me as a snack.
Oh, it was so good. And the memories I have of it are filled with love. And yumminess.
I set out to take her original recipe and make it guilt-free. And it’s SO GOOD!
If you love irresistible and healthy muffin recipes as much as we do, be sure to check out some of our other favorites: Zucchini muffins, Strawberry muffins, or no-fail Pumpkin muffins!
Turning Classic Banana Bread Into Healthy Banana Protein Muffins
I love banana nut bread (probably because of my Grandma). But, I wanted to create a healthier version with less sugar and more protein. This protein banana muffin recipe is healthy enough to give to my kids for snacks.
And tasty enough for dessert, too!
I love making our favorite quick bread into muffins because bite-size bread is:
- Cuter
- Easier to portion out
- Less messy to give to the kids
- Easier to freeze and thaw
How To Make Banana Protein Muffins
This high-protein version makes me feel good about giving these protein banana muffins to my kids for a healthy breakfast, lunch, dessert, or even as a healthy snack.
Ingredients Needed
Here are the key players in these filling and delicious healthy muffins! This list of healthy ingredients is short and delivers a nutritional punch!
- White whole wheat flour – whole wheat flour provides more protein and fiber than all-purpose flour.
- Sugar & brown sugar – there is a little sugar added to this recipe to give it that classic banana bread flavor, but it’s reduced from classic banana bread.
- Superfood protein powder (vanilla flavor) – vanilla protein powder adds a boost of protein, and I recommend this type of protein powder because it’s a plant-based protein and tastes amazing.
- Ground flax seeds – add fiber and a terrific nutty flavor.
- Greek yogurt (plain) – adds protein and moisture to the recipe
- Overripe mashed bananas – add sweetness, moisture, and flavor.
- Milk (or rice milk) – adds moisture, great flavor, and even more protein. I’ve tried it using rice milk and it worked well. Almond milk could also be terrific (but I haven’t personally tried it)
- Vanilla extract – a flavor enhancer.
- Chopped walnuts (optional) – these are optional, but I usually leave them out.
NOTE: You can grab the full recipe and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post!
Healthy Banana Protein Muffins With Yogurt Instructions
Follow these step-by-step directions to make your own muffins. They’re so simple and satisfy that sweet tooth!
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a regular muffin pan (or a mini muffin pan!) with cooking spray (or add muffin liners to your muffin tin).
Step 2
Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Step 3
Combine wet ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, including walnuts (if adding them).
Step 4
Add wet ingredient mixture to dry ingredient mixture.
Step 5
Bake for 8 minutes, then turn muffin pans 180 degrees. Bake another 7 minutes (12-15 minutes total). Check muffins.
If they’re done, remove them from the oven. If they aren’t done, check them again in 2 minute increments to ensure they don’t burn.
Protein Banana Muffins Variation Ideas
Here are some variation ideas for these easy muffins to try.
- Peanut Butter Protein Banana Muffins – If you want to add a delicious nutty flavor, you could add 1/4 cup of peanut butter (or almond butter).
- Chocolate Chip Banana Protein Muffins – Do you crave a little chocolate? Add 1/3-1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips to make chocolate chip banana muffins!
- Blueberry Banana Protein Muffins – Add some superfood antioxidants to this recipe by adding blueberries (1/2 cup should be plenty)! A combination of a blueberry muffin and a banana muffin? YUM!
- Nutty High Protein Banana Muffins – If you love texture and crunch, try adding some chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds for an extra protein boost.
- Banana Pumpkin Protein Muffins – In the fall, add about a 1/3-1/2 cup of pumpkin puree for a seasonal favorite with a fluffy texture.
- Chocolate Protein Banana Muffins – If you want a chocolatey version, try using chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla protein powder.
- Banana Oat Protein Muffins – Use oat flour instead of wheat flour OR add about 1/3 cup of quick oats to your muffin batter before baking.
- Gluten-Free Protein Banana Muffins – Substitute gluten-free flour for the wheat flour. I’ve had good luck with Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur brands!
Fluffy Banana Protein Muffins FAQs
You’ve got questions about these delicious muffins…I’ve got answers!
Yes! Overripe bananas are yellow with brown spots. They are great for making banana bread because they are moister, softer, sweeter, and have more banana flavor.
However, if you are itching to make this recipe but your bananas don’t have those telltale brown spots yet, stick your yellow bananas into the microwave for roughly 20 seconds to make them easier to mash.
I put our healthy protein muffins in a resealable plastic bag (or airtight container) and then put that in the fridge. These muffins will last up to 7 days in the fridge and make the perfect snack for busy afternoons!
Note: I don’t recommend storing them at room temperature because they’ll get moldy FAST.
Yes! In fact, if you don’t plan to eat them within about 2-3 days, I highly recommend freezing these healthy banana protein muffins.
They freeze (and thaw) really well! Since I have 3 kids, I tend to package them in batches of 3, put them in a freezer bag, and thaw them out one batch at a time when I plan to use them.
Yes! When using recipes that call for up to 1 cup of sugar, you can substitute an equal amount of honey, pure maple syrup, or even agave nectar in place of the sugar.
Since this banana bread protein muffin recipe calls for 1/4 cup of sugar, you can substitute an equal amount of honey (1/4 cup) instead.
Note: these natural sweeteners have a different flavor than granulated cane sugar does. If you think your muffins are too sweet (or not sweet enough) when you use these natural sweeteners, feel free to adjust the amount to your liking.
What Makes Greek Yogurt Protein Banana Muffins Healthy
I took my grandma’s recipe and made a few tweaks to it to make these muffins healthier but still incredibly yummy.
They’re low in added sugar
With only 1/2 cup of sugar for the entire recipe, these muffins get a lot of their sweet flavor from the natural sugars in the overripe bananas. You can totally cut the sugar down even more, if you prefer!
Added protein punch
Muffins are usually loaded in sugar and carbs and have little to no protein in them. This recipe has Greek yogurt and superfood protein powder in it which makes these muffins moist and filling!
I Love the Vanilla Superfood Protein Powder from Amazing Grass, and we also love using vanilla Orgain Organic Superfood Vegan Protein Powder!
Here are some key benefits of plant-based protein powder:
- 20g+ grams of protein from plant sources.
- Additional servings of fruits & veggies in each serving.
- USDA Organic, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Grain-Free.
Whole wheat flour
While you can definitely use regular white flour, I highly recommend using white whole wheat flour. It will add more nutritional value while not impacting the flavor of the muffins.
If you want to make these tasty muffins gluten-free, you could use almond flour or coconut flour.
Contain healthy fats
Instead of butter, I used olive oil in this recipe (but you could use coconut oil if you prefer). You can also add the optional walnuts to give these muffins even more healthy fats!
Try Making Banana Protein Muffins when you (or your kid) want a sweet treat – your kids will BEG for them!
More sweet treats with a healthy twist
If you love these Protein Banana Muffins, you’ll LOVE these other healthy recipes too!
- Chocolate Chip Cake
- No-Bake Berry Cheesecake Parfait
- Best Darn Healthy Apple Crisp Ever
- Slow Cooker Peach Crisp
Grab these kid-favorite recipes and save time in the kitchen too!
Pin for Later!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 18 muffins | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 15-20 minutes | 5 minutes |
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These popular, healthy, delicious, protein-packed banana muffins taste like classic banana bread, but are low in added sugar and way more filling!
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- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 scoop Superfood protein powder (approximately 2 Tbsp)
- 3 Tbsp ground flax seeds
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (plain)
- 1 egg
- 4 small overripe bananas (or 3 medium), mashed
- 1/4 cup milk (or rice milk)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray (or add muffin liners to) your muffin pans.
- Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine wet ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, including walnuts (if adding them).
- Add wet ingredient mixture to dry ingredient mixture.
- Bake for 8 minutes, then turn muffin pans 180 degrees. Bake another 7 minutes. Check muffins. If done, remove from oven. If not done, check in 2 minute increments to ensure they don't burn.
- If you prefer loaves of bread instead of muffins, fill a bread pan about 3/4 full and bake longer (probably around 30 minutes)
