Banana Protein Muffins
These Banana Protein Muffins are easy, healthy and delicious! They are a great grab and go breakfast option, filling afternoon snack, or even healthy dessert. These gluten free and dairy free protein muffins are soft, fluffy and so yummy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These banana protein muffins are super easy to make.
- They taste like chocolate chip banana bread.
- Bake it into this Protein Banana Bread!
- These protein banana muffins are packed with healthy protein. Each muffin has 11 grams of protein.
- The mashed bananas add sweetness, moisture and the best texture. Try these Mini Banana Muffins as well!
- This recipe is Paleo, gluten free, and dairy free. It is also refined sugar free.
- Unlike most muffins, these are not loaded with sugars and carbs.
- Check out this Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bread which I based this recipe off of.
- For another high protein recipe, check out these Vegan Protein Cookies.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Ripe bananas add natural sweetness and the perfect moist texture to these protein muffins. About 2 large or 3 small bananas yield the 1 cup this recipe calls for. I do not recommend substituting for the bananas.
Eggs are vital to these muffins. In addition to adding protein, they help these muffins rise. Moreover, the eggs yield a light and fluffy texture. Do not use a Vegan substitute.
Creamy nut butter adds a great flavor and even more protein. Use a nut butter that is made with only nuts and salt. Almond butter, cashew butter or peanut butter all work great. For a nut free option, sunflower butter is a great alternative.
A little vanilla extract adds a nice flavor.
Some coconut sugar provides a touch of sweetness. These muffins are not overwhelmingly sweet. If desired, brown sugar can be substituted.
Almond flour is a great baking flour with high protein. It is suitable for both a low carb and Paleo lifestyle. Almond flour is a great flour to use for protein muffins.
Vanilla protein powder adds a ton of protein. I suggest using vanilla so it doesn’t alter the overall taste of these banana protein muffins. Chocolate protein powder can be used, but the taste and look of these muffins will be different. I love Nuzest vanilla which is gluten free and Vegan.
Baking soda helps these muffins rise while baking.
Dark chocolate chips add a nice chocolaty flavor! Use your favorite type of chocolate chips, or omit entirely for a clean eating muffin.
If you love chocolate chip muffins but do not have bananas, check out these Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Muffins!
Taste & Texture
These high protein banana muffins taste like chocolate chip banana bread. The most prominent flavors are banana, chocolate chips, and nut butter. The protein powder I used was only slightly detectable.
These protein powder banana muffins are soft, light and fluffy. They are not dense or dry.
Protein Powder
The overall look and taste of these muffins is dependent upon the protein powder used.
I recommend using a vanilla (or unflavored) protein powder to not overwhelm the flavor of these muffins.
I used a vanilla protein powder that is Paleo, Vegan, plant based and gluten free. It is my go to Paleo protein powder!
What Makes these Muffins Healthy?
Unlike most muffins, these are not loaded with extra sugars. They are naturally sweetened with ripe bananas and coconut sugar.
These banana chocolate chip protein muffins have several types of protein. They contain both animal based protein and plant based protein. Eggs, nut butter, and protein powder all add protein.
For an even healthier muffin, omit coconut sugar and chocolate chips. They will be much less sweet.
How to Make
Step 1
First, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heavily spray a muffin pan with nonstick spray.
Step 2
In a mixing bowl, add mashed bananas, eggs, creamy nut butter and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
Step 3
Then, add in almond flour, vanilla protein powder and baking soda. Stir to combine.
Step 4
Fold in dark chocolate chips.
Step 5
Scoop batter into muffin cavities, filling almost to the top.
Step 6
Bake 13 to 14 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Step 7
Finally, remove from oven. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before carefully removing muffins from pan.
Expert Tips & Tricks
Heavily spray muffin pan to prevent sticking.
Use ripe bananas for best results. They mash easily and provide natural sweetness.
Use nut butter made with only nuts and salt. Thick nut butters made with sugars, oils or preservatives will yield a denser muffin.
Bake until muffins are just done inside. Test doneness with an inserted toothpick. Do not over bake!
How to Serve & Store
Serve banana muffins once they are cool enough to handle. I love them with a smear of homemade peanut butter!
Store muffins covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Alternatively, store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
These muffins freeze well!
For another healthy treat, try this Protein Cake in a Mug.
Nutrition Benefits
These protein banana muffins have several different forms of protein.
The eggs are a great source of protein. They contain all essential amino acids. In addition, eggs are high in vitamin B12, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K.
The protein powder adds a ton of protein! The particular brand I used is plant based. This vanilla protein powder contains 9 essential amino acids and contains high quality pea protein.
Nut butters contain heart healthy ingredients. In addition, nut butters are great for managing blood sugar levels. They are low in carbs, contain no added sugars, and have a moderate amount of protein.
Almond flour contains high levels of vitamin E and antioxidants. Additionally, almond flour contains manganese and magnesium. It is far less processed than traditional wheat flour. Almond flour is suitable for those who eat Paleo, Keto, low carb, grain free and gluten free diets.
Variations & Add Ins
Here are some ideas to add to the muffin batter before baking.
Mini chocolate chips
Dried cranberries
Chopped walnuts
Chopped pecans
Peanut butter chocolate chips
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Try these Pumpkin Protein Muffins!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, make this Protein Banana Bread. I based these muffins off this Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, so that’s another great option!
Sure!
Yes, these muffins can be frozen and then thawed.
For a lower calorie option, omit chocolate chips. Look for a lower calorie protein powder.
You May Also Like
If you make this protein banana muffins recipe, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along!
Get the Recipe: Banana Protein Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed bananas, about 2 large bananas
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup creamy nut butter, almond, cashew or peanut
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder, see note
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- First, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heavily spray a muffin pan with nonstick spray.
- In a mixing bowl, add mashed bananas, eggs, creamy nut butter and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
- Then, add in coconut sugar, almond flour, protein powder and baking soda. Stir to combine.
- Fold in dark chocolate chips.
- Scoop batter into muffin cavities. Fill each one almost to the top.
- Bake for 13 to 14 minutes or until toothpick inserted into muffins comes out clean.
- Finally, remove from oven. Allow muffins to cool for 10 minutes in pan before carefully removing from pan.
Notes
- Use ripe bananas for best results.
- Use a creamy nut butter that is made with only nuts and salt. Any added sugars, oils or preservatives will alter the texture.
- Any vanilla protein powder will work. I used Nuzest Vanilla which is both Vegan and gluten free. Chocolate protein powder would work too, but would change the flavor and look of these muffins.
- Bake muffins until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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60 Comments on “Banana Protein Muffins”
I really loved this recipe, very moist and flavorful, I was looking for a banana muffin and found you on TikTok, glad I did
Hi Nath! I am so glad you enjoyed these muffins. Glad my TikTok paid off! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Delicious! Such an easy and quick recipe, too. I added chopped walnuts and substituted maple syrup instead of coconut sugar bc that’s all I had. Thank you!
Hi Rachael! Thank you for making these muffins and leaving a review. I love the idea of adding in walnuts. Yum!
These are so delicious. My son was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and I’m looking for lower carb options that are delicious and not “weird” (in his words). These are so good! We made 44 mini-muffins and figured they were about 5.6 grams of carbs per mini muffins.
Hi Sarah! I am thrilled to hear that. Thank you so much for making my muffins and taking the time to write a nice review. I really appreciate it!
Any changes I should make for high elevation?
Hi Sophie! Unfortunately I have not baked at high elevation before. Please let me know if you make any changes!
Made them, very good! I was wondering is this nutrition fact serving size is? Is it a normal sized muffin or for the smaller muffin pan?
Hi Alyssa! So happy you enjoyed them. The serving size is for a normal sized muffin pan, but these are smaller than your typical bakery style muffins. It makes 12 muffins, so the serving size is 1/12 of the batter. Hope this helps!
I used flaxseed egg and oat flour instead of protein powder. Turned out so well. Great recipe for a healthy lunchbox option for my kids.
Those substitutions sound delicious! Thank you for letting me know what worked well for you. Enjoy!
Second time making these!!! So freaking good!! I didn’t have the almond flour last time so I just made without and still turned out yummy!
I am so happy that you love these muffins! Did you add more protein powder in place of the almond flour?
What would be a possible replacement for the almond flour?
You could either do almond meal (very finely ground up almonds), or regular flour, gluten free 1 to 1 flour or more protein powder. If using flour or protein powder, I suggest starting with only 1/2 cup and seeing how that looks. Regular flour and protein powder are more thick and absorbent than almond flour, so you would probably end up needing less of it. Hope this helps!
Exceeded my expectations!! Next time I’ll use monkfruit to make it sugar free and add walnuts
Hi Kavita! Awesome! I am so glad to hear that. The walnuts sound like a great idea. Enjoy!
These muffins are delicious! Thanks for the recipe!