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 woke up and looked at one sad over ripe banana and found this recipe to throw together. I cut in half and have 5 big ol muffins made from stuff I always have on hand.. thanks!!!
Sad banana turned happy muffin! :)
I’ve made many banana breads in the past but they were always so heavy and stodgy! This reciepe has truly enlightened me! My muffins turned out gorgous and light, i added in pumpkin seeds and some coconut to the mixture and it worked wonderfully!
Thank you so much for this reciepe!
Yum to *all* of this, Lucy!
These were easy and so tasty. Great way to use up the spotty bananas. My boys gobbled up the whole dozen in one day! I am lucky I got one. Thanks for sharing!
Ha! Glad the boys enjoyed them, and that you got a taste, too :)
Hi Kate! Thanks for another great recipe! Made these yesterday and they were AMAZING. Note…Subbed Trader Joe’s almond flour for the whole wheat flour, halved the amount of honey and added in chocolate chips.
Sounds super good, Melissa!
I used a hazelnut/meal flour and they came out a little flat and very moist/uncooked. Any ideas for me?
Hi Sylvia, sorry to hear that. Generally speaking, nut flours aren’t interchangeable with all-purpose or whole-wheat flours. You might find this resource helpful.
Can you add cocoa powder to this recipe? If yes – how much would you recommend?
Made these once before and they were a big hit with the whole family!!
Hmm, I think so, but I haven’t tried. I’m not sure how much to suggest, maybe 1/3 cup?
Turned out so well – definitely making these again!
:)
I’ve made these about 3 times now (just about to make another batch) and they have always turned out really well. They are delicious and you would never know they are refined sugar free and healthy. My kids love them too! This is definitely on my ‘go to recipe’ list.
Thanks, Sophie!
My kids loved your banana muffin recipe! They were delicious, moist, easy to throw together in the morning before school. We put a few chocolate chips on top.
These are a great breakfast. Love that the kids enjoy, too!
Tried it with almond meal instead of flour and found that the recipe needed much moe meal than the flour.
But tastes great
Thanks for the tip, Michael!
This recipe was such a home run! I was craving sweets late at night and I had a ton of overripe bananas on my kitchen counter dying to be used. So I stumbled upon this recipe on google and got to work. Followed directions as stated, except I added a dollop of Nutella to half the batch because why not? And they were soOoo delicious! They are also hubby-approved, we both had two each! I love that this recipe is somewhat healthier than other recipes that call for a ton of butter and sugar. What a gem! Will be using this recipe again, thank you!
Sounds so good, Frances! Happy this is something you’ll do again, friend :)
This are so tasty and easy to make!
Awesome!
I left this recipe for the husband to make and they are amazeballs. Yup, I said it. Thank you, thank you. Xo
Filing these under “amazeballs.” Thanks, Shari!
Just made these muffins, did a little less local honey, added in 1/3 cup of flax seeds too! Kids didn’t notice and good for you! I omitted the oats and sugar on top (but I intended to use coconut sugar, just decided not too). Also did some with pecans on top. Yielded 9 large muffins and 12 minis. My baking time was less. The minis were 12 minutes and the larger were 20. My 4 year old triplets devoured all of their minis within the first 10 minutes! :) I will definitely make these again!
Triplets sound like a handful!! Happy they gobbled these up :)
I made my own flour by grinding oatmeal and coconut flakes in my coffee grinder. Then I added Bakewell Cream to the recipe (about 1-1.5 tsp) to act as a rising agent with the baking soda because I like higher fluffier muffins. Then I added xanthan gum so they would stick together. Not sure if the gum was necessary but the muffins did rise beautifully and they hold together quite well! Delicious too :)
Great, Caroline! Your version sounds like it turned out great :)
Where do I get whole wheat flour in Australia??
Sorry, Emily, I wish I knew. I think it’s available over there, based on comments I’ve received from other Australians.
These are YUM YUM YUM can I has another one please??? Filling the tins 2/3’s I made 15x muffin weighing at 68-69 grams without measuring how much over a cup the 3x banana was. . Going to make again soon because I wasn’t supposed to eat as many as I did LOL Thank You Kate <3 Oh n' your pictures are easier to see than the writing on this page.
Thanks so much, Leo! Glad you enjoyed.
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! I was looking for something healthy to make for my toddler and this was perfect! I did manage to squeeze 12 muffins out of the recipe but I was surprised when it took over 30 minutes for them to bake properly. It could also be because I added some chocolate chips.
~Lynda
Yes, I think that those chocolate chips would add to the density/moisture. Happy you & the kiddo both enjoyed!
Excellent recipe! Mine came out super poofy, which I love. Thank you!
Good! “Super poofy maple-sweetened banana muffins” would have been a better title :)
Oatmeal bannana muffins awesome. Made with organic sprouted spelt flour and half organic white flour. Added walnuts , raisins and cranberries. Delicious!
Dear Kate, On a very snowy day i New England, I just made your whole wheat banana muffins. I used maple syrup and ordinary vegetable oil. I had only two ripe bananas, so I added half an over-ripe mango (yes!). I also added finely chopped walnuts. I couldn’t open the bottle of pure vanilla so added almond essence instead.
They are SPECTACULAR! I am a grand-mother and am always looking for ways to avoid using white flour and white sugar.
Thanks!
Can you use all purpose flour instead of whole wheat if you dont have any?
This recipe is absolutely divine :) I had a whole bunch of overripe bananas so added five instead of three and omitted any other sweetener. They came out plenty sweet for me so I am really pleased!
I also made it with oat flour (home ground) and added 2 tbsp of coconut flour when I felt the mix was still a bit wet.
I also added a few tbsp of dark chocolate chips in the mix. I topped each muffin with a couple of raisins (I love when they get crispy lol) & pumpkin seeds as well as more oat flakes as you suggested.
They came out absolutely divine, especially hot out of the oven with all the melted chocolate haha!
Thanks so much for such a great blog :) Can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Can’t wait to try this out at a ‘cook and eat’ project I am running with a youth organisation. Thank you for your wonderful creativity!
You’re welcome, Beth! I hope the kids have fun with it :)
Good recipe! 3 year old daughter and husband enjoyed it. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Millia! I’m happy the whole family enjoyed it.
Love these! I used EVOO and whole milk with pecans added in. This recipe is a keeper :)
Just made these for my daughter today as she is home from school sick. We loved them!
What a nice sick day :) And what a nice dad! Happy you both enjoyed them.
This is a great recipe, and the pictures are really beautiful. I totally understand the excitement with the new camera. I’m thinking of upgrading soon too. Keep up the great work, you’re pictures and writing are very inspiring to me.
Yes, I adore this camera. It’s been fun to learn and experiment with. :)
So delicious! I only had all-purpose flour and used a 1:1 ratio and they turned out great! Word of warning however, if you are going to put the oats and cinnamon topping, do include the sugar as otherwise the tops are just a mouthful of dry cinnamon and oats..whoops!
Yes, that sugar is important. ;) I hope they still worked for you regardless!
These muffins are so tasty!!! I froze my batch and they taste even better after defrosted as they did on the day I made them. I used cow milk and maple
Nice! I’m glad they keep so well in the freezer. Thanks, Erica.
Loved these! Reduced the sugar a touch, but otherwise no changes. My photography skills need some serious help, but it’s a work in progress: https://morespinachplease.wordpress.com/2017/03/05/easy-whole-grain-banana-muffins/
Thanks for another great recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it, Lisa!
I have made these several times & they are so delicious!
Thanks, Cindi!
I just tried these with blackstrap molasses as the sweetener. They came out great–not super sweet and kinda gingerbready. That would lower the calories and up the nutrients even more.
That molasses sounds delicious, Kate. Thanks for sharing that substitute!
Really good!!! Very moist and taste so delicious!! Next time I will try adding chocolate chips
Yes! And there are so many other mix-in options, too. Feel free to experiment!
Having made these muffins several times now, I have to report how delighted I am with them. I adore that I can make them dairy free. The emulsifying of the melted coconut oil and maple syrup in ingenious. These muffins are impossibly light and fluffy for being so healthy. I use coconut milk and have added chocolate chips, but love them plain, too. We always have bananas hanging around begging to be made into muffins, and these never fail to satisfy both kids and adults. I’m so thrilled I found this fabulous recipe as I’ve been searching for one that is healthy without being dense and dry. Hurrah! Thank you thank you thank you!! Oh, and this makes a full dozen for me, they’re just smaller, which is just as well, as I have small children.
Thanks so much, Denise! I’m glad you could easily adjust the recipe to fit your needs.
I make this recipe every week so I have something for on-the-go breakfasts and post-work snacks. They’re tasty and not too sweet! I share them with my 10-month-old and he agrees. =D
P.S. In my calorie app, they’re 198 calories each and I get 12 muffins out of a batch.
These muffins are great! I will absolutely make them again. Thanks!
Awesome! You’re welcome, Kathie!
Delicious! I added some dark chocolate chips and they turned out amazing. My muffin cups must be smaller, because this recipe made 18 muffins.
The more, the merrier! So glad you like them, Susan.
Hi, I always find it difficult when it says “3 bananas” as bananas come in so many sizes and everyone’s opinion of large vs. small banana is different! I prefer “1 cup” or “1.5 cups” banana. Please tell me the exact amount of mashed banana? Thank you!
Like you said, Tricia, the exact amount is hard to pin down because size varies. I was aiming for just over a cup of mashed banana. Here’s a good reference, for future questions!
Made these yesterday and I added chocolate chips because why not haha they came out super yummy! They didn’t come out like a typical muffin, a bit more chewy I think because of the banana but I don’t mind it at all, I prefer it to the typical muffin texture. Will definitely be remaking these! So glad to find a recipe that’s great, I’ve tried many other healthy recipes and the muffins come out borderline inedible.
I just made your banana muffins to celebrate our Baha’i New Year breakfast. They were DELICIOUS !! Light, moist, healthy, very lovely banana flavor. As healthy and yummy as they are I’m thinking they’d be a great “dessert “after dinner, so I added chocolate chips to some of the batter (a surprise for tonight!). Thanks very much for a great start to our new year!
Do you have the nutritional information on the maple banana muffins?
Thanks, loved them.
Hi, Connie! Unfortunately, I don’t have nutritional info available for my recipes just yet. I’m looking for a solution, and will update about it once I find one. Thanks!
Just made you banana muffins! with pure grade b maple syrup from Vermont they have a deep flavor. They are wonderful moist and tasty.
Thank you
SuzAnne, CA
I’m so glad, SuzAnne!
Thank you so much for this recipe…made them yesterday and they came out amazing:-)….and its almost over!!!!
Just wondering if anyone tried baking it without maple syrup or honey???
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Aby! I’m not sure if any readers have omitted sweetener entirely… but it’s possible someone here commented about how they used less than what was recommended.
Made these! They were so good! Thanks! Will definitely make again! I added sunflower and flax seeds, and omitted the stuff on top.
Sounds delicious, Kirsten! Those sunflower seeds sound delicious.
Thanks for sharing the recipe! My girls loved them.
Great!
I made these today and loved how they turned out (my kids too!). I am not much of a baker and only had all purpose flour on hand so ended up using half all purpose flour and half oat flour (my blender made it in a pinch) and they were great. I am curious to try them with whole wheat flour next time. I would try all of your recipes if I had the time to cook/bake every day!
Thanks, Ashley! I’m glad the oat flour substitution worked well for you.
This is the first time I’ve seen a recipe that makes 11 muffins. Do you have a pan that fits 11? If not, what do you do with that twelfth space so the pan doesn’t burn?
Hi Miriam, you just might end up with enough batter for 12. I have never had a pan burn when I leave open muffin spots.
Hi.
If I don’t have the wheat flour, only have all purpose and pastry flour that I want to use up, how much of all purpose or pastry flour should I use? Would it be the same amount? Thank you!
Hi, Na. Unfortunately, there isn’t a straightforward conversion for this. Is the pastry flour whole wheat? If not, then the flour has a different structure and behaves differently in the recipe than the whole wheat flour. I’d first try subbing out 1:1 with the pastry flour, and then adjusting as you gauge the texture and how it’s absorbing liquid. Sorry I don’t have a simple answer for this!