Maple-Sweetened Banana Muffins
These whole wheat, maple-sweetened banana muffins are the best! So fluffy and moist, I bet no one can guess they're healthy muffins. Easy to make, too.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
Meet the banana muffins of my dreams. They’re fluffy, whole grain, naturally sweetened, totally delicious banana muffins. They’re also about as healthy as muffins can be. The recipe calls for basic ingredients and you can mix them all together in one bowl. Too much to be true? Nope.
These muffins are a derivative of my super popular banana bread and pumpkin muffin recipes. If you love these, you certainly don’t miss the blueberry muffins in my cookbook.
Muffins aside, can I tell you what else is exciting? I got a new camera! Can you tell? Bueller? Bueller? Well, that’s ok. I can, and I’m thrilled about it. I bought my old camera during my last year of college and it was the best investment I ever made. Eight years and 88,000 (that’s eighty-eight thousand) photographs later, it was time to upgrade.
My new camera and I are still getting acquainted. I haven’t found the best settings or figured out all the fancy-pants features just yet (anyone want video?). We’ll get there. Photographing these banana muffins was a learning experience. A very tasty learning experience.
The Best Banana Muffins
Here are a few reasons to love this banana muffin recipe (which happens to be more nutritionally redeeming than most):
- These muffins are easy to make with basic ingredients. Only one bowl required!
- They’re made with 100% whole grains, yet they’re fluffy and delicious. No one will know the difference.
- They’re also naturally sweetened with maple syrup or honey, rather than loaded with refined sugar. The maple syrup (or honey) offers a touch of extra flavor, which I love.
- A touch of cinnamon offers some warming spice flavor. These muffins will make your house smell amazing!
- These muffins freeze well, too. Just defrost individual muffins in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, or until gently warmed through. You don’t want to overdo it.
Please let me know how your muffins turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you, and hope these banana muffins are your new favorite.
Craving more wholesome banana treats? Don’t miss my banana oat pancakes, vegan banana scones, healthy banana bread and banana cake with cream cheese frosting.
Watch How to Make Banana Muffins
Maple-Sweetened Banana Muffins
These whole wheat, maple-sweetened banana muffins are so fluffy and moist, I bet no one can guess they’re healthy muffins. They’re easy to make, too, with basic ingredients and only one mixing bowl! Feel free to add mix-ins of your choice, like chocolate chips or toasted nuts. Recipe yields 12 muffins.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil*
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 eggs, preferably at room temperature
- 1 cup packed mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
- ¼ cup milk of choice or water (I used almond milk)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling on top
- 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- ⅓ cup old-fashioned oats (optional), plus more for sprinkling on top
- 1 teaspoon turbinado (raw) sugar or other granulated sugar, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius). If necessary, grease all 12 cups of your muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray (my pan is non-stick and didn’t require any grease).
- In a large bowl, beat the coconut oil and maple syrup together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well. Mix in the mashed bananas and milk, followed by the baking soda, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon.
- Add the flour and oats to the bowl and mix with a large spoon, just until combined. If you’d like to add any additional mix-ins**, like nuts, chocolate or dried fruit, fold them in now.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with a small amount of oats (about 1 tablespoon in total), followed by a light sprinkling of sugar (about 1 teaspoon in total). Bake muffins for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
- Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan. These muffins will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They keep well in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months (just defrost individual muffins as needed).
Notes
Recipe adapted from my healthy pumpkin muffins.
*Oil options: I love coconut oil here. I used unrefined coconut oil and can hardly taste it in the final product. Olive oil might lend an herbal note to the muffins, if you’re into that (although, I tested with California Olive Ranch’s “Everyday” variety and couldn’t even taste it). Vegetable oil has a neutral flavor but the average vegetable/canola oil is highly processed, so I recommend using cold-pressed sunflower oil or grapeseed oil if possible.
**Change it up: You could really go crazy with add-ins here. Fold in up to ¾ cup chocolate chips, chopped dried cranberries or crystallized ginger and/or chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts. With add-ins, your muffins might require the full 25 minutes in the oven. Another idea? You could top your muffins with my maple glaze from my pumpkin scones recipe to make them more decadent.
Serving suggestions: These muffins are great on their own, with a pat of butter, or spread with almond butter. They would also be fantastic with homemade pecan butter or coconut butter.
Make it egg free: Substitute flax eggs for the regular eggs.
Make it vegan: Substitute flax eggs for regular eggs, use dairy-free milk like almond milk and use maple syrup instead of honey.
Make it gluten free: Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose blend works well instead of the whole wheat flour.
Make it nut free: Use a nut-free milk.
Make it oat free: Simply omit the oats.
Make it lower in fat: I would argue that this bread contains a healthy amount of fat, but you can replace the oil with applesauce if you’re following a low-fat diet.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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I absolutely adore this recipe, takes a little while to make but well worth the effort! I make these muffins regularly for my family I now have to double the mixture, they disappear so fast they love them! they are so moorish it’s hard to stop yourself from eating the lot! Also amazing warm with maple butter (butter mixed with maple syrup) Thank You so much for introducing these to our lives! Don’t take my word for it though try them for yourself, I guarantee you will not be disappointed! Highly recommended
Thank you for the rave review, Natasha! I appreciate it.
Can you use quick oats in place of old fashioned oats?
Made these yesterday, used a tsp of baking powder in addition to lighten them a little, whole wheat (extra course) flour from Ireland (can’t think of brand now, not white though as it’s the flour I use for soda bread), and honey! They were absolutely fantastic! My partner loved them, they are a perfect sweetness, the lack of sugar makes them so satisfyingly sweet rather than sickly sweet like shop bought muffins and the extra course flour gave them a real gritty rough texture, but still light and cake like! Absolutely brilliant easy recipe thanks so much!! Will definitely be making again as a healthy way to use up old bananas! A winner in our house
Thanks for sharing, Allison!
These are delicious. I made them with chopped dates instead of sugar alternatives (maple and honey) and mixed spice rather than cinnamon to compliment the dates. It would be very very easy to eat them all in one indulgent sitting! Super easy and effortlessly satisfying to bake. Thank you, this recipe has gone straight to the favourites list.
Yes, they are so good it’s hard to stop! I appreciate your review!
I loved this recipe! My husband and son gobbled them up so quickly. Easy to make and i even had enough to make 8 mini muffins too! I’ll definately be looking at your other recipes. Thank you!
That’s great! Thanks for your review, Louise.
I just tried this recipe out and I absolutely love it! I’kk definitely be making these again !!
That’s great, Sarah!
Looks great! Could I use spelt or brown rice flour in this recipe?
I would suggest a gluten free mix if you need to make these gluten free.
Love this recipe!! So easy and a hit with the whole family (including my fussy 2 year old)
I’m happy you loved them, Emma!
After reading all the comments, I doubled the recipe first time as I was pretty confident they would be a winner. My kids absolutely loved them (as did I!) I used about ⅓ oat flour and wheat flour + the oats. I only sprinkled oats on top, no sugar and I used honey and olive oil. They will definitely become a staple in this house. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing, Olivia! I’m glad you found the comments helpful.
These were fantastic! I used all purpose flour since I was out of whole wheat, and used maple syrup. Turned out wonderful and I really enjoyed the extra chew from the oats. My 2 year old also gives them 5 stars. I will definitely be making them again!
That’s great, Elisabeth!
Incredibly good! Even my husband, who dislikes anything with bananas, liked it, which is saying something!My toddler is also a picky eater and she gobbled up 2 of them with a smile on her face (eating more than 1 of anything is unheard of for her). Thanks for the great recipe :)
Made these with my kids today! Double batch to freeze some for when baby #3 comes! Used honey and olive oil. Delicious!
I had a project today to find a healthy banana muffin recipe and use all 12 (!) frozen bananas that were piling up in the freezer. I tried 3 different recipes and this one was hands down the best!
I really like these healthy muffins! I used no sugar added applesauce instead of oil, and they were delicious. I had olive oil but I thought I would try a fun and light substitution. Perfect to take to work for breakfast. Thanks!
These came out delicious! I was looking for something healthy and quick for the kids on their way to school. We substituted steel cut oats that I ran through the food processor for a few seconds and added raisins and some chocolate chips. They loved them!
These are good, healthy muffins. They are not like the sweet, fluffy muffins you can buy. They are filling and a little dense. I highly recommend putting in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Great recipe! I add dark chocolate chips
Hello,
My muffins turned out so lovely and moist, got a lot of good reviews! Have made two batches and planning on my third this weekend
– YUM!
Thank you,
Harriet
This is an excellent recipe! I’ve been looking for whole food lunchbox ideas for my grandsons (and one is very picky). I had all the ingredients and decided to give it a try. They were delicious and the picky one ate the whole thing. They popped out of the muffin tin very easily, they were tall and puffy, cooked all the way through and very soft and moist.
I’m glad you found this one! Thanks for sharing, Donna.
These are really good. I cut the maple syrup in half and used only 1/4 cup. They taste great. Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Sarah!
super quick easy and yummy. I used 100 percent whole wheat flour, and honey instead of maple syrup and they were stellar. definitely will make these again!!!
these muffins were super yummy! will definitely make them again
Delicious! I doubled the recipe to freeze for my daughter’s school snacks! Thank you for all the different suggestions. What kind of non stick muffin pans do you use?
Josee
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loved the banana muffin recipe- yummy! I modified alittle:
used maple syrup instead of sugar, add a smidge of espresso powder and some shredded coconut and Did not use the oats.
I followed the recipe and used olive oil and honey, added some walnuts to the mix. They turned out awesome, tastes like banana bread – bit dense, rather than a soft fluffy muffin. Will definitely make them again.
Anyone know how many calories are in one of these Muffins?
Thank-you for this recipe. Just made my first and clearly first of many as 2 of 12 muffins are already gone. With fussy eaters the maple syrup is a nice touch of sweetness. I opted for Brown Sugar instead of regular sugar and removed the oat part. (Again fussy kids) and sprinkled a little extra brown sugar on top.
Very grateful!
These are the best banana muffins I’ve ever made, and I have made so many variations! I love that they’re healthy, but give the satisfaction of something sweet. I didn’t have enough coconut oil so I used half coconut oil half greek yogurt, and I also added in chopped walnuts. So so good
I can’t wait to try these. Has anybody made them using paper muffin cups?
Yes I did. Muffin cups work.
I love this recipe. Just right amount of sweetness. I used whole wheat pastry flour and added dark chocolate chips. Theyre my new favorite! And my kids too! We esp love it with greek yogurt or almond butter. Thanks for this.
I LOVE this recipe. I make for my kids and myself all the time. Just wondering how many calories are in it.
Hi Deema! The nutritional information is below the notes of the recipe. Click to expand and make sure you allow cookies in your browser.
I had great success with this recipe. They were moist yet firm. I added my own touch of cereal clusters and raisins. Delicious!!
These were delish! I halved the recipe because I had only one banana, used a mix of white and whole wheat flours, and added toasted walnuts. Gentle banana flavor, just the right amount of sweetness, moist but not dense—cake-like. And they cook up quickly!
I made these yesterday and they were delicious! Light, fluffy, and super easy to make. I added a few chocolate chips so my boyfriend would eat them too! I reheated them this morning with a little butter! Yum! I will definitely be making these again
The muffins turned out great and were deliscious. Your recipes are perfect, as if they were written exactly for my taste!
I subbed Agave syrup instead of the maple syrup (because I had more of it on hand). I used under half cup and it made the muffins really sweet! Fantastic recipe.
Maple-Sweetened Banana Muffins – I’ve recently been diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer and have radically changed my diet! These healthy banana muffins were AMAZING! I used Bob’s Red Mill Almond and Tapioca Flour instead of wheat flour and I added organic frozen cranberries. super moist and delicious! Ill be making the Pumpkin Muffins next and will make the same modifications.
Thank you!!!
I’m so sorry to hear that, but I’m so happy you are finding something that’s helpful for you during this time. I appreciate your review, Christine and good luck!
If I am using almond flour instead of whole wheat, is it 1:1?
Unfortunately, I don’t have good luck using almond flour as a 1:1 replacement. If you are needing gluten-free, I recommend using a GF flour blend.
Yummy! My whole family loves the muffins. My 1year old Grandson gobbles them down. I put mini dark chocolate chips in mine just to be bad.
These turned out really good! I had to omit the oats since I didn’t have any but I added walnuts and chocolate chips and they were perfect. They are super moist and fluffy. (I did add a little baking powder) kinda remind me of banana pancakes, which is a good thing :)
Thank you for sharing, Kira!
Really simple and quick to make. Tasted great. I did find the white whole wheat flour – King Arthur Brand. I used plain vegetable oil.
These have become my go-to muffins! They are moist and delicious, and I can feel good about feeding them to my sons (2 & 9 months old). They LOVE them!
Wonderful, Megan! Thanks for sharing.
Great recipe, very easy to follow, but most importantly extremely delicious.
Thank you
Obsessed with this recipe and wanted to try making mini muffins. Any idea how long I would bake??
Typically you cut the time in half and keep an eye on them.
I swapped 1/4 cup wholemeal flour for 1/4 cocoa powder.
Small change, big flavour. The family loved the muffins
My grand daughter and I made these today. Fantastic! We used coconut oil and honey. Isla chose to add Sunflower kernels 2 Tbsps and I topped some with pecans. delucious.
Awesome recipe! Honestly it’s the best healthful muffin recipe I’ve found that doesn’t use hard-to-acquire ingredients. I made this with my preschooler to take to school for snack time. We added a few sprinkles before putting it in the oven since she just had her birthday.
I used light tasting olive oil and instead of white whole wheat flour, I used 1 cup whole wheat and 2/3 cup white.
We will be using this as our go-to muffin recipe.
The only thing I’ll change is the amount of baking soda, it was so much that I could taste it.
Thank you for sharing! The baking soda here should be aluminum free and fresh. You shouldn’t take it then as those two things can make a big impact. Did you use just one teaspoon?
Have made these twice and loved them! Also not difficult to make with young kids so we have made it a family activity. Hard to believe they have no refined sugar. I use Almond milk and flax instead of eggs and make them vegan. They are delicious.
Thank you for sharing, Kate!
Long overdue, but I just have to share that I have made these more times than I can count! I used to just make them for myself and my husband, and now my 2.5 year old enjoys as well. Thank you thank you for this recipe! So easy and always delicious. (I usually add chocolate ;) )
Thank you for commenting, Samantha!
These muffins are amazing! I make them often. I regularly add blueberries and they turn out great. My boyfriend and I love them for a quick breakfast – reheat in the microwave and eat in the car on the way to work!
I tried these and they turned out well. I replaced oats with some more whole wheat flour and added some walnuts and cashews.
Thanks for the yummy recipe… Best way to eat overripe bananas!
Hey, there. I’m just wondering why your oven temp is so low? Usually for proper rise and browning, you’d need 350-375. I’m also looking to speed up the bake time. Have you tested it at higher temperatures? Thanks!
I’ve made these at least 5 times so far! My husband, who usually forgets to eat until dinner time scarfs one down before work and usually brings one with him! This last time I substituted half of the banana for pumpkin puree and increased the cinnamon by maybe 1/8 tsp. I like eating one with peanut butter for breakfast. Perfect breakfast or snack any time of year!
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Arielle.
So delicious!! I made a few adjustments and used salted 1/3C butter instead of oil. I combined1/4C light brown sugar and 1/4C maple syrup. 1C+1/4C of ripened bananas (3 large) and I used 1C+3/4C whole wheat pastry flour. They’re so light and scrumptious!
Just made these to use up overripe bananas and for a healthy breakfast. I doubled the recipe as I made big muffins. I used honey, olive oil and AP flour. I followed the recipe and they are amazing!! There isn’t one thing dry about them. Texture is perfect, they aren’t dry and they pop with flavor. I think next time I am going to add blueberries or some raisins. I am also going to try to make this recipe into a zucchini muffin but have to tweak the moisture ratios since zucchini has so much more liquid than banana and also the sweetener. Maybe some raisins for sweetness and fiber. Definitely a keeper and that is saying something because I am a foodie and recipe snob
Hi Cindy! I do have a zucchini muffin and a blueberry muffin recipe you should check out!