These Healthy Banana Muffins are sweetened with banana and are made in just one bowl! They’re great for an easy meal-prep breakfast or afternoon snack that won’t make your kids crazy.
I’ve made about a million batches of this Healthy Banana Muffin Recipe lately, and I never get sick of it. I played around with the recipe a bit, adding coconut sugar and maple syrup, but in the end, I decided that it was sweet enough for me with just the sweetness of the banana, with no sugar added.
My toddler has a bit of a sugar addiction, so I’m always trying to come up with muffin recipes he’ll enjoy that aren’t loaded with sugar. Needless to say, he gobbled these Healthy Banana Muffins right up. They’re the perfect kid-friendly muffins for toddlers.
Why Your Body Will Love These Healthy Banana Muffins
Healthy is such a relative term, and I always feel a bit nervous using it to describe a recipe because what’s healthy to me might not be considered healthy by someone else. Here are a few reasons I’m calling these Banana Muffins “healthy.”
- They’re made with a mixture of white and whole wheat flour, but you could also use all whole wheat if you’d like to make them even healthier.
- There is absolutely no added sugar besides the bananas! I used three extra-large or four regular-sized bananas, and I truly feel like it gave these muffins all the sweetness they needed. If you like yours a bit sweeter, you can always add 1/4 cup of honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar.
- I don’t believe eggs are unhealthy, but I did make these muffins vegan by adding a flax egg (1 Tablespoon ground flax mixed with water). Flax adds good omega-3 fats and fiber and helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
- I used coconut oil instead of vegetable-based oil. You can read more about why coconut oil is healthier than vegetable oil here.
- I usually make these plain, but there are so many ways to jazz them up if you get bored of just bananas!
No-Sugar-Added Banana Muffin Recipe Ingredients
- Banana – I used three extra large bananas (or four regular-sized) that I mashed well.
- Egg – This recipe calls for one egg if you like regular eggs. If you’re making this recipe vegan, use one heaping Tablespoon of ground flax mixed with three Tablespoons water and let it sit for two minutes.
- Oil – I use melted coconut oil in this recipe. I find the coconut taste of unrefined coconut oil gives the muffins a great taste, but if you want to avoid the coconut taste, use refined oil.
- Vanilla extract – It’s optional but so good!
- Milk – Almond milk or a non-dairy milk of your choice.
- Flour – I used 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour, but you can use just one type of flour if desired.
- Baking soda
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
How To Make These One-Bowl Healthy Banana Muffins
I’m the queen of dirtying every dish in the kitchen when cooking a simple recipe, so I decided to make these easy banana muffins into a one-bowl recipe, which worked great!
- Start by preheating the oven and preparing your muffin tin. You can use paper or silicone liners or simply grease your muffin tin well.
- Add the bananas to a large bowl and mash with a fork. You want the bananas to be well mashed so that you have a banana-flavored muffin rather than a muffin with banana chunks in it. This is another reason it is important to use very ripe bananas that are easy to mash.
- Next, add vegan egg substitute, coconut oil, almond milk, vanilla, and almond extracts. Mix everything together well.
- Then, add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and mix well. If you’re adding any additions, like chocolate chips or nuts, add them in and gently fold them into the muffin batter.
- I like to use a 1/4 cup scoop to scoop my muffin batter into the muffin tin because it ensures all the muffins are the same size and is less messy than spooning the batter in. Put the muffins in the oven and bake until firm to the touch and cooked through.
- I like to let my muffins sit until completely cooled so they’re easy for the kids to eat and firm up a bit more when they cool fully.
Optional Flavor Add-ins
I usually make these plain, but there are so many ways to jazz them up if you get bored of just bananas!
- Chocolate chips
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Peanut butter/almond butter
- Grated zucchini
- Chopped nuts
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use a real egg instead of the flax “egg”? Yes, you can use an egg instead of the flax “egg.”
- Can I add some sweetener if I want? If you like your muffins a little sweeter, feel free to add 1/4 cup honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar.
- How ripe do the bananas need to be? The riper your bananas are, the sweeter the muffins will be.
- What kind of coconut oil should I use? If you don’t want any coconut taste in your muffins, be sure to use refined coconut oil. I personally like to use unrefined coconut oil for this recipe because I love how the flavor goes with the bananas!
- Can I substitute anything for the oil? Applesauce can be substituted for the coconut oil if you like.
- What kind of flour should I use? I used half all-purpose and half whole wheat flour for this recipe, but you can use one or the other entirely if you like.
- Can I use gluten-free flour? I have not tested this recipe using an alternative gluten-free flour, but I’m guessing that a gluten-free all-purpose flour (with xantham gum) would work great.
Have a question that I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below, and I will get back to you ASAP!
Check Out Exactly How I Make These Healthy Banana Muffins Below
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Healthy Banana Muffins (One Bowl)
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Healthy Banana Muffins are sweetened with only banana and are made in just one bowl! Perfect for kids!
Ingredients
- 3 extra large bananas or 4 regular sized, mashed
- 1 regular egg or 1 flax egg (1 heaping tablespoon ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons water, let sit for 2 minutes)
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional but so good!
- 1 cup almond milk, or non-dairy milk of choice
- 2 cups flour, I used 1 cup all purpose and 1 cup whole wheat
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Add the bananas to a large bowl and mash with a fork. Next, add the flax egg, coconut oil, almond milk, vanilla extract and almond extract. Whisk until combined.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until everything is mixed together and batter is formed.
- Use a 1/4 cup scoop to scoop the batter into a greased 12 cup muffin tin and bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean or muffins feel firm to the touch, 25-30 minutes. Leave the muffins in the muffin tin for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Muffins can be frozen in a freezer friendly airtight container for up to 6 months.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Breakfast, Snack
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Hi, I made these for my husband who is trying to avoid sugar! instead of almond milk I used cashew milk. Used one egg and 2 cups flour. My muffins did not turn out muffin like at all. The muffins didn’t rise at all even thought I put then for 30min. Wonder where I went wrong! Ps. I bake all the time!
They don’t rise to be super big like bakery style muffins, but they should rise a little bit. Your baking soda wasn’t expired, was it? Or did you possibly over mix them?
If I wanted to make using oat flour would I use the same measurements or would I have to change something? I would be using applesauce and flax egg as I am WFPB no SOS. Thank you.
I’ve never made them with oat flour before so I can’t say for sure but I would start out using the same measurements and then add more if the batter doesn’t look right.
I’m confused! The mixture was far too watery and my muffins did not work!? I added 250 ml of milk, which Google told me was the same as 1 cup.
Does the batter have to be barely mixed, like regular muffins, or is it OK to over-mix a bit?
Thanks!
I think it’s fine to over mix a bit, I never really pay attention to how much I’m mixing and they always turn out 🙂
I made these this morning–adding walnuts.
As I was mixing I realized Ii did not have almond milk so used water. Perfect.
I have a similar recipe using oatmeal instead of flour. It calls for raisins, margarine, vanilla.
Your recipe is even better.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!!
These are excellent! The only change I made was I used all white spelt flour, added about 1/4 cup hemp seeds and a few mini chocolate chips to the top. They rose up beautifully and are moist, light and fluffy! Obviously with no added sugar they are just a touch sweet, which we love in our family. Great, guilt free snack/breakfast for the toddler! Will definitely make many more times 🙂
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them!!
Made these muffins, absolutely fantastic. My family loved them, this will definitely become a family favourite!
That’s so nice to hear!!
My son is 14months and refuses to eat veggies. I added grated carrots and zucchini to this recipe and he devoured them! Thanks for the recipe!
That’s awesome!!!
When I have overripe bananas I put them in the freezer. This morning I made this recipe from 4 frozen bananas. I used applesauce instead of coconut oil, added 1/2 c chopped walnuts, 1 c blueberries and 1/3 c sugar so my husband will eat them. I had enough for 18 muffins and they turned out fantastic! Will definitely save and make again. Thank you!
I’m so glad you liked them!! I add some sugar in every now and then too 🙂
Yummy and simple recipe. Thank you. Can wait to see what else you post.
Thanks so much!!
So very good. Used spelt flour and had hot and buttered. Thank you!!
Yum!!
I’m making tomorrow for friend who is diabetic so I”m glad to omit the sugar. Thank you for you detailed explanation of the ingredients or how to substitute. Thank you.
I hope she likes them!!
If I don’t have coconut oil, what can I use instead? Will canola oil work?
Thanks!
Yes, that would work!
I just made these and wow are they ever good!! They are both simple to make and extremely tasty. I followed the recipe exactly, besides the fact that I used 2 cups of spelt flour, rather than the mix of whole wheat and white. They turned out super moist and fluffy, if you were wanting to know. I served mine warm with a chopped up banana, natural smooth peanut butter and a dollop of homemade grape jam!!
The only thing that I find I’d like to be informed about after reading this blog/recipe is the nutritional facts. Would you be able to provide those to me?
Thanks again for this awesome recipe!!
I’m so glad you hear that you enjoyed them!! I will work on getting the nutrition facts up asap!
Can coconut flour be used instead of the flour mentioned in this recipe? If so, do I need to change anything to accommodate the texture of the coconut flour?
I’ve never made it with coconut flour myself but I do know that coconut flour is very absorbent so you would probably have to add more liquid to the recipe
Any idea what carbohydrates might be? I forgot to add the milk and recipe still was great!
I will work on getting that info added asap!
Hi Izzy,
About to make these muffins this afternoon, is it possible to leave out the salt since it’s such a small amount?
Yes, you can leave the salt out!
is there any nutritional info available for these? 🙂 they’re delicious!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I don’t currently have it, but am working on getting it for all my recipes soon!
Love this recipe! Just letting you know that when I went to print the recipe, it linked me to a virus! Nothing happened, I’m just letting you know that your link might be weird.
Oh no!! Thank you for letting me know! And glad you like the recipe 🙂
I made this but instead of milk i used applesauce, yummy, but the texture is just so wrong, not muffin like at all. What did I do wrong? I definitely did not overmix and was very careful when combining. Any advise please?
I’m guessing it’s probably because you subbed applesauce for milk. There probably wasn’t enough liquid to make them muffin like.