Banana Coconut Muffins
These naturally sweetened banana coconut muffins are for coconut lovers. I bet you can't tell they're made with 100% whole wheat flour!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
Coconut lovers, this double-coconut banana muffin recipe is for you! I’m confident you’ll fall in love with the sweet, bright flavors and contrasting textures in these little treats.
These muffins taste familiar and comforting, given their fluffy, banana-infused insides. They’re also fun and tropical, thanks to the shredded coconut you’ll find on the inside and on the muffin tops. A little lemon zest brings all the flavors together.
Like my healthy banana muffins, these muffins are also made with whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened (this time, with honey).
These muffins are based on a different recipe, though, and yield smaller muffins that are perfect for satisfying your afternoon sweet tooth. You could also serve them for a grab-and-go breakfast this Memorial Day weekend.
Curious about how this recipe came to be? I can’t remember how I originally found Deb’s Double Coconut Muffins, but I was completely taken by her coconut-topped beauties.
In the original recipe, Deb gives a long list of suggested substitutions, including swapping mashed banana for the yogurt. I was out of my staple Greek yogurt so I reached into my freezer for the bag of ripe, frozen banana chunks to defrost.
This was a serendipitous substitution because the banana adds the sweetness that unsweetened coconut flakes lack. In my second batch, I traded 1/4 cup honey for the 1/3 cup sugar, and found that the dry coconut soaks up the extra moisture in the honey.
I’m three batches deep in this recipe and I can say with certainty that these muffins are best with banana, sweetened with honey and topped with a heavy sprinkle of coconut and some glittering raw sugar.
With my substitutions, if you try yogurt instead of mashed banana, your muffins won’t be sweet enough to delight.
Please let me know how your muffins turn out in the comments! I hope they’re a big hit.
Craving more banana goodness? Here are a few more of my favorite banana recipes:
- Healthy Banana Bread and Healthy Banana Muffins
- Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes and Banana Oat Pancakes
- Favorite Banana Cake
- Vegan Banana Nut Scones
- Banana Almond Smoothie
Banana Coconut Muffins
These naturally sweetened banana coconut muffins are a real treat. I bet you can’t tell they’re made with 100% whole wheat flour! Recipe yields 1 dozen muffins.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour or white/regular whole wheat flour
- ½ cup white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest (the zest from about about ½ medium lemon)
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana (from about 3 bananas)
- ½ cup virgin coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 large egg, preferably at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, divided
- 1 tablespoon turbinado (raw) sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If necessary, grease all 12 cups of your muffin tin with butter or muffin liners (my pan is non-stick and didn’t require any grease).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Stir in ½ cup of the shredded coconut.
- In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, coconut oil, honey, egg and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups (a scant ¼ cup batter each), then sprinkle the muffin tops with the remaining ¼ cup shredded coconut. Sprinkle the tops with the raw sugar.
- Bake for about 17 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer muffins to a cooling rack and let them cool.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Double Coconut Muffins.
Make it vegan: All you’ll need to do is replace the egg with a flax egg. I haven’t tried this substitution myself, but it should work.
Make it gluten free: Based on similar recipes, Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose blend should work well.
Freeze it: The muffins freeze well!
Serving suggestions: I like these muffins served warm for breakfast with a side of Greek yogurt, or with a little dollop of tart lemon curd for a sweet afternoon snack.
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.
I made these this morning for my husband to take on the road. I definitely kept a couple back for me. Amazing! (I added some chocolate chips which added a bit more sweetness)
You can’t go wrong with chocolate. Thank you, for the star review!
The lemon zest in this recipe is really stellar! Only thing is that they are still very gooey in the middle after 20min. I put them back in the oven and now It’s been about an hour…still waiting for the inside to be done. :/
Hmm… that shouldn’t be the case. Ovens can vary. Did you use metal muffin tin?
Wow these muffins are incredible! I made them yesterday with a bit more coconut because I love the coconut flavor and turned out amazing. I added some poppy seeds and chia seeds, perfect! Thanks for your recipes!
I love how you chose some additional add-ins and glad it turned out! Thank you, Magali.
Oh man these are by far my family’s favourite! I love love the coconut flavour mixed with banana, mmmm, mmmm, mmmm. I didn’t have the lemon zest or use the additional coconut topping so next time I’m sure they’ll be even better!! I did add approx 3/4 cups chocolate chips cause we all love chocolate Will make this recipe from now on, so super easy and healthy. TY
That’s great these are a favorite for your family, Dana! I appreciate you sharing. Have a great day!
Loved these! Perfect level of sweetness and the coconut on top is delicious. Swapped coconut oil with butter and worked fine.
Great to hear! Thanks, Katie!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I didn’t have any lemon so I added lime zest instead, and then decided to add a bit of lime extract (because I was also out of vanilla!), and once I was fully committed to the lime approach, I decided to add a handful of (pureed in the blender) kale which gave the muffins a gorgeous “lime green” color. (It also meant sneaking some kale into my kids’ diets!) I did reduce slightly the amount of banana so that the banana and kale combined measured one cup. They turned out super yum. My kids will be lucky if I save them any!! Thank you again!
That sounds interesting! But, I’m really glad they turned out for you. :)
Hello! I was curious if I could sub a different sugar for the turbinado? Would coconut sugar work?
Any granulated sugar will work! I like turbinado because it offers a little crunch. Coconut sugar is moist so it may not sprinkle easily but it will work.
When I took the first bite, I thought I didn’t like it and that it wasn’t sweet enough. By the third bite, I loved them. I didn’t sprinkle sugar on before baking, because I’m making them for work and some people are sugar free. The lemon is the ticket! If I made them again I would sprinkle on the sugar and maybe try maple syrup instead of honey. I used all whole wheat flour and the texture came out really well.
I’m glad you ended up loving them, Steph! Thank you for your review.
Just made these as stated (used regular ww flour) except I didn’t add sugar on top. These are absolutely PHENOMENAL! I used ultra ripe bananas which I think makes all the difference in the sweetness. My kids and husband all devoured them. Definite keeper. This may be my new favorite muffin recipe. Thank you! Outstanding!
I’m glad you loved them! Thanks, Rachel for sharing.
Howdy! We have egg allergy, what can I substitute for the egg in this recipe?
Thanks!
All you’ll need to do is replace the egg with a flax egg. I haven’t tried this substitution myself, but it should work.
I love banana and coconut together! These muffins look so delicious and perfect for brunch!
It’s a great combination! Thanks for your review, Natalie!
Could you use coconut flour in this recipe?
Unfortunately, coconut flour doesn’t work well as a 1:1 substitute. Gluten free flour should work.
Looks yummy! For the vegan sub, you would also want to sub another sweetener for honey :)
Thanks for sharing, Lacey!
Hi there! Just curious if you might have a different idea of something to use for the 1Tablespoon of raw sugar, we are avoiding sugar in my house so might need a replacement idea to avoid sprinkling the top of the muffins with raw sugar please…
Thanks Again,
Cheryl
You can skip the sprinkling on the top, if you like.
Questions: 1) If using frozen bananas do you defrost first? 2) I’m out of coconut oil – can I substitute canola or safflower oil?
Yes! You will want to make sure you can mash them. I wouldn’t recommend those oils based on nutritional content, but they should work too. If that is all you have.
I can’t wait to make these!!! I love the coconut topping!
Make sure to let me know how they turn out for you, Deborah!
Could you use oatmeal as a substitute for the flour?
I haven’t tried it with this one. Oat flour doesn’t always work as a 1:1 substitute.
Here I was at home on a gloomy Wednesday, with a measuring cup full of frozen banana coins defrosting on my kitchen island, when this recipe popped into my inbox. It was fate, Kate! The universe clearly wanted me to abandon my plans for blueberry almond banana bread, and I obliged, with a double batch of these delectable muffins! Boy, am I glad I did! These are definitely going to become a staple around our house. YUM!!!
They came out great with a flax egg, though you may want to revise your notes, as truly veganizing this recipe would require substituting another sweetener for the honey… While I prefer to bake vegan, I didn’t have enough maple syrup or agave nectar handy for that, this time, but I’d be willing to bet both would work great.
Thanks, as always, for another winner!
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear they turned out so well.
The original recipe you have posted calls for two different portions of flour… Can you substitute your gluten free suggestion for both? Or do there need to be other changes? Looks so yummy!!!
Yes! Use the gluten free flour to equal the amount of flour need. Let me know how it works for you! It should work well.
Omggg! Those muffins look so damn delicious! I am trying this one tomorrow night for Friday dinner. Can’t wait to taste them!
Sending love & light!
Sammie
I can’t wait for you to try them, Sammie!
Made the recipe today and loved it !!! They are very moist thanks to the banana chunks inside. You can feel the taste of lemon zest and the grated coconut gives a lovely texture. Also the taste of the whole wheat flour is very discreet. And it’s sweet but not too sweet. Conclusion: will definitely make this again!
Hooray! Thanks for making it already and letting me know you loved it, Audrey.
Like your other recipes, these were DELICIOUS!! Thank you for your excellent recipes – it is truly a joy to get your updates!
You’re welcome, Amy!
Ahhhhhh I made banana bread this week so cheers to the banana treat train! These muffins look absolutely superb. Will this recipe work with a flax egg?
All you’ll need to do is replace the egg with a flax egg. I haven’t tried this substitution myself, but it should work.
Amazing as always!
Thank you, Maggie!
Made a vegan version (egg replacement + maple syrup instead of honey) for a party yesterday, and they were amazing! Everyone loved them!
Great to hear, Stefanie!
Wow! I am very pleased. Most muffins available are so full of sugar and who knows what, finding something healthy and delicious is a real treat! Not much going on today, so I made a batch. Interesting though, I only got 11, not 12. Hmmm… mine do look a bit larger :-) I guess I’ll have to live with that, huh?!
Thanks so much for your fine recipes and tasty treats. Being diabetic, I am watching each mouthful and these will be a great evening treat. The best part, I don’t have to share! I guess that’s good? Thanks again C+K
I’m glad you loved them! They are likely slightly bigger, but that’s ok! Thanks for sharing, Mark.
Thank you for the recipe and guidance
You’re welcome!
Hi there … While cruising around your web site, your Banana Coconut Muffins caught my eye. I love bananas in any form and I also love coconut. I always have plenty of both on hand. What ingredients I didn’t have, I hot footed to the store and got. I followed your recipe and the muffins turned out great. My friends who stopped by also loved them. Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you found the recipe and loved it, Nancy! Thanks for your comment.
At the risk of being redundant, another really great recipe from Cookie and Kate. Made the recipe as is and the muffins turned out moist and full of flavor. Going to add a bit of chopped walnuts next time. The lemon was perfect in these. Back here to copy the recipe into my permanent collection. Thanks Cookie and Kate!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you are loving all my recipes.
Hi Kate,
Made these banana coconut muffins today. I don’t know when I’ve had a better muffin. I wish I’d made a double batch. Thank you for this recipe. It’s a keeper!
Thanks for your review, Kerstin!
what would the amounts of regular white flour be for this recipe?
Hi Jaclyn, I don’t typically good with white flour, but it could work with the amounts listed.
This is the best muffin recipe yet. The melding of lemon zest, banana and coconut is so good. I added some chopped dates that I had on hand. Just delicious!!!!
I’m glad you love it, Sherrill!
Just made those, absolutely DELICIOUS so far, my favorite. Thank you Cookie and Kate for the recipes.
You’re welcome, Isabelle!
These were great! I made them for a road trip and they were gobbled up. Not too sweet, nice texture. I made the recipe just as written except substituted sweetened shredded coconut and omitted the sugar to sprinkle on top. The coconut on top got still got a little browned and lovely! I really like your recipes and although I rarely comment online I wanted to compliment you :)
Thank you, JP!
Wow! These are amazing. Light and super flavorful. My children are loving them! Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome, Amber!
These muffins are so good & easy. I veganized them by using a flax egg (1 T ground flax, 2.5 T water) and subbing maple syrup for the honey. I did not sprinkle sugar on top, either. They came out perfectly. I will be making them again!
forgot to rate it!
Thank you for sharing, Lucy!
I made these muffins without the egg. I replaced it with 1 TBS of ground flaxseed dissolved in 3 TBS water. Turned out perfectly.
Wonderful, Susan! Thanks for your review.
Another simple and delicious muffin recipe! Easy to prepare and well received by the entire family!
I’m happy to hear that, Krystal!
These smell wonderful! I just mixed these up this morning and out of the oven cooling now. I can’t wait to bite into one! Semi cool now….so tried one…delicious! Light banana flavor (I used ripe bananas but not overly ripe) , coconutty and tasty! The coconut and sprinkled sugar on top really finish these off well! Not a heavy muffin so I think kids would like these too.
I’m glad you loved them, Janet!
Made these today and they are delish! FYI – If using bananas from the freezer, let them thaw first. Mine hardened my already melted coconut oil so i had to fish out the chunks and melt the oil a second time. Also I paired them with your peach, honey, yoghurt popsicles. I’m a little lazy in the mornings so today I am a star around here! Thanks!
Thank you for sharing, Lori!
Made these last night and added a few blueberries into each as a hidden surprise… I’M IN LOVE!!! They were the perfect treat to crave my sweet tooth and no need to feel guilty with the healthy alternatives (so I count that as even less calories in my book). Thank you so much for posting, I will definitely be making these again!
I love the surprise! Thank you for sharing, Nichole!
I loved the muffin recipe although I did have to change it a little because I didn’t have milk or granola so i used sour cream and oatmeal. I also added some cinnamon. My husband said those were the best muffins he’s had. Loved the topping.
That’s a win! Thanks for sharing, Lori!
Loved this! I had some blueberries that were getting old so added those in.. AMAZING! My husband said they were the best he’s ever had and wanted them for his bday (9 months away!)
Oh my goodness! These are delicious!
Hi, I was wondering, could I use this recipe to make a bread instead of muffins? Could you give me an idea of how long i would need to bake it for in a 9×13 inch pan? Thanks!
Hi Auj! I would recommend my banana bread: https://sooka.info/healthy-banana-bread-recipe/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Okay thank you!
Hey ,
Can’t wait to make this recipe!
I make your banana muffins and bread very often . My 2.5 year son really enjoys it at home and lunch box!
Is this recipe calling for fresh coconut or dried ? If fresh , is thickly shredded okay ?
Love your healthy Baking recipes
Many thanks !
Oh my gosh, these are so good! I didn’t have coconut oil so used vegetable oil nor did I have honey and used maple syrup but they
still came out fantastic. I also added walnuts. I have left over
cranberries and might try that instead for your blueberry muffins. Great recipe Kate, thank you.
Thanks for sharing, Genevieve!
I’m so excited to eat one of these tomorrow for breakfast. This is the banana muffin makeover I needed. Moist and the perfect amount of sweetness. The coconut oil adds a great flavor and the smell is heavenly for a coconut lover.
Hello, Is it normal that there is no coconut except the oilin this receipe? I was expecting some grated coconut? regards Kate
Hi Kate! Yes, there is ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, divided. It’s the second to last ingredient. :)
I just made these, and they are amazing! I haven’t gotten to the farmers market, so I was out of lemons, unfortunately, so I substituted grated orange zest instead! Success! I will make with lemon next time, and see which one we prefer. I doubled the recipe this time, but after seeing families reaction I may have to triple next time so I can freeze a couple batches for quick breakfast or snacks. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
I’m glad you liked it with your substitution!