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 just made these muffins and they turned out amazing!! They are super moist and you can’t even tell that they are healthy! Thank you for such an amazing recipe :)
So yummy, I forgot it’s healthy too. I used honey since I was out of maple syrup. And added chocolate chips, which makes it kinda healthy. It’s light, moist and not too sweet. Big hit with the hubby! Definitely going to add this to my go to muffins recipes. Thank you!
Made these muffins loved the smell in my house. Taste and texture eonderful
My husband cleaned up a few items when the beautiful muffins finished.
I just made these to use up some bananas andto try making flax eggs with the flax meal I bought yesterday for another recipe. My husband couldn’t believe it when I told him they were dairy-free, sugar-free, egg-free, and made with all whole-wheat flour. These little gems are a keeper, and I feel good about sending them to work with my husband for a quick and easy morning pick-me-up! Great recipe – thank you!
Great healthy muffin recipe! I used organic rice malt syrup in place of the maple syrup/honey which I feel makes them even healthier. I found them a bit dry when cold however much better when reheated. Will definitely make again!
These were delicious!! So healthy, we used golden syrup instead of maple and added about 3/4 cup of cranberries and walnuts and it was fantastic! Will definitely be making these again. Thank you Kate
Just made these with spelt flour, oat milk and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts – delicious!
Another amazing recipe. Sure can’t go wrong trying your yummy healthy creations. My 9 year old and 16 months old love them just as much. Thank you
They are delicious with chocolate chips and walnuts. I used gluten free flour and honey. Great recipe Cookie and Kate.
I made them today and they were amazing. I used haney and grated carrot and cranberries and the zeat of one lemon. I added an extra egg to compensate for this. They were lifht and fluffy. Hubbie loved them too.
Love this recipe! I was always looking for something to do with bananas before they go bad. My search is over! Can’t wait to try honey, but I have some fresh maple syrup from Massachusetts Berkshire Mountains to use up! Yum! Thank you!
My first time using your blog…with astonishing results. Banana muffins? Perfect. Fluffy, not too sweet. Needs no changes. Many thanks for perfection. Cricket.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Cricket! I’m excited you came to the blog and loved the recipe.
I made them this morning and you were spot on. The house smelled amazing, and I could hardly wait till they were finished. I love this recipe. Its so easy, and they were delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.
You’re welcome Elise! Thank you for taking time to review.
Ok… DGM. (Dang Good Muffin)
I want them with more oats. how much more can I add or how much flour do I need to take out. Tks
Thanks Kate, I’ve just made a couple of batches of rocks (I’m not the best baker lol) but these are foolproof and delicious!
Great recipe! Easy, healthy, moist and tasty! I added dark chocolate bits and blueberries too! I’ve also come back to make them again!
I don’t usually leave reviews but these are amazing and I can’t wait to make more. I substituted the oil with unsweetened apple sauce to decrease the calories, and they came out perfect. I highly recommend to anyone trying to eat healthier who is not so great at baking: easy, healthy, and delicious all in one!
Just made these and will double recipe next time- my four year old said they were so good he “might eat it all in a day.” Yum!
Can we use Whole Wheat Pastry Flour instead of Whole Wheat White Flour for these muffins ?
Hi Shilpa! Yes, that will work.
Hello Kate, hope you are well. I just baked these muffins. I just used olive oil instead of coconut oil. They are delicious. My son gives them a ten rating. Thanks for the recipe. I will be checking out some more of your recipes.
Just a tip for anyone trying the recipe, use table salt or skip the salt altogether.
I used the salt you grind that comes out fairly thick (not sure of the name, hope my description makes sense) and it didn’t mix in or dissolve properly. Some bites are delicious and others taste of bitter salt and make me gag!
I’d definitely make them again because they were moist and tasty for the most part, but I think I’d just skip the salt completely just in case, not sure it’s totally necessary in this recipe.
It’s pot luck if I get a strong taste of salt, the one I picked this morning was horribly bitter, I didn’t use more than a quarter teaspoon for the mixture as directed but it’s come through very potently.
So that’s my tip! Hopefully it stops someone else wasting ingredients on a bad batch. Otherwise I’m sure they will be great, it’s still a lovely recipe. I’ve saved the recipe for future use with a note to use no salt.
I decided to experiment trying applesauce instead of oil and I loved these! I was pleasantly surprised. Thanks for a great recipe!
Delicious, thank you. A great sugar free alternative! Enjoyed mine with pecans in the mix
What a great way to use overripe bananas. I made these and can’t believe how delicious they are. Love these as a breakfast muffin especially. I added chopped walnuts which gives a nice little crunch and texture, they freeze really well too. Will definitely make these again.
I love this recipe and use it all the time. How can I turn this into a banana bread recipe instead of muffins? Would everything still the same? What would be the cooking time?
Hi Jeannine! I would recommend my banana bread recipe. I hope you love it!
Love these! Made them with Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour but same amount listed in the recipe and added chopped walnuts. They came out amazing! Light and fluffy with wonderful flavor. Will make these again and again thank you!
Thank you for reporting back, Grace! I’m glad it was a great turnout for you.
My favourite banana muffin recipe of all time! You must try it if you haven’t! I’ve done this recipe many times and everyone loves it! I’ve tried it with eggs and I’ve also tried it with Aquafaba as a substitute for eggs to make it vegan, which works super well. I also tried it with walnuts and it tastes super good.
Thank you for sharing, Marinane!
These. Were. Bomb.
I feel great that it’s all good ingredients, no refined sugar in the mix, and i love the mix of whole wheat flour and oats. This is going to be a go-to muffin forever! I’m always looking for ways to use up those bananas just sitting on the counter. I made 2 batches, added chopped pecans to both (highly recommend) and chocolate chips to the second batch. Honestly, they are perfect without them – but the chocolate chips will be good for those who crave that extra sweetness!
Can you use oat flour instead of the flour listed?
Hi! Check out my oat flour recommendations.
Love this recipe! I’ve been using it for years and it is so forgiving. Have added dates, blueberries and the world to it. Thanks heaps
You’re welcome, Jou! I’m happy it worked with your add-ins.
Awesome muffins, our favorite, never disappointed!!! Do you think you can make some healthy chocolate muffins??
Hi Laura! I’m glad you love them. I will add it to my request list, but try adding some chocolate chips in these. Several readers have like that result.
As always another great recipe from you! I used applesauce and just a bit of olive oil to cut back on the fat as per your suggestion. I added 1/4 cup organic cocoa powder and a few tablespoons of ground chia seeds. Wonderful muffin that’s not too sweet and great for toddler breakfast on the go!
I’m glad you love it, Alice! Thank you for your review.
Perfect recipe! So delicious!
Made them tonight with a bunch of different add-ins (dried cranberries, walnuts and chocolate chips) and they turned out great. The color isn’t as golden brown as in the photos here but they’re still very moist and delicious
I made this recipe with dark chocolate chips and it is really good!!! The bread is soft and mosit even if it is made of whole wheat which has higher content of protein = more gluten.
Thanks for the recipe!! 5stars rating!!!
I’m gluten and dairy free (not by choice so I have to be careful). I made this recipe with half Bob Red Mill’s 1:1 Baking Flour, half Bob Red Mill’s Almond flour. I added a cup of pecans (crushed them myself so pieces range from powder to big pieces). I used coconut oil in mix.
I made a topping of oats, coconut oil and a little brown sugar.
I filled the muffin tins almost full (I had too much batter). They are huge muffins but are moist and delicious!!! Thank you for this recipe!!
So delicious!! We liked them better than the muffins we make using Martha Stewart ABA Emeril Legasses’ banaba bread recipes!
Plus this is vegan which I love because my little nephew is vegan.
So delicious!! We liked them better than the muffins we make using Martha Stewart ABA Emeril Legasses’ banana bread recipes
Can I use almond flour if so how much should
I use?
Hi! I don’t typically recommend almond flour as a 1:1 replacement as other ingredients would need to change if it would work. Oat flour could work!
Made the banana muffins with added walnuts
DELICIOUS !!!
So so GOOD! chocolate chips and walnuts are great too!!!! Followed the instructions and they came out very thick and satisfying
This is an excellent recipe. It’s the second time I’ve made them and both times they’ve turned out perfectly! My family and I love them! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Wow, amazing recipe. It looks so delicious. Looking forward to make this for my kids.
My family loved these. I’ve been asked to make them again. I didn’t have enough syrup so I use 1/4 cup maple syrup and raw honey. Thank you so much.
Thank you for sharing! I appreciate your review.
I made this recipe out of necessity to use 2 large ripen bananas. I had all ingredients except whole wheat flour so I added 1c almond and 1/3c coconut flour instead. I also added pecans and fresh apple to the mix. Oh my! This is my new fav banana muffin mix forever!!!!
My go-to banana muffin recipe! Thx!
Love the recipe, I would be making thise more often. I used oat flour, Cashew Milk, Coconut oil, added Flax seeds and Cacao nibs.
These were so good! I made with quinoa flour instead of whole wheat flour and it turned out great!