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 am so happy I found this recipe! I started baking more when my son was a toddler and this is a such a great recipe, nice and clean and healthy ingredients! He is 7 now and it’s still his favorite! I always make mini muffins and cook them at 325 for 17 minutes and they come out perfect every time! Teachers love them, kids love them, I love them. They are always a hit Thank you again Kate!
I’m happy you found it too, Lindsey! Thank you for taking the time to review.
This is my go-to banana muffin recipe and I make them often for the lunch box. Not only are they simple to make, but they seem to be very forgiving if you’re ingred aren’t perfectly measured. I have made the following modifications for our family and they still taste great and are lovely and moist.
Replace maple syrup with coconut sugar (cheaper).
Replace with gluten free flour.
Add cocoa nibs.
Melted butter instead of coconut oil. Gives a really lovely rich buttery flavour and doesn’t resolidify like coconut oil does when I’ve not had a chance to bring the other wet ingred to room temperature.
I use a potato mashing stick thing to mash my bananas and find that this creates the perfect amount of lumpy but not too big banana that mixes through the batter and makes them nicely moist.
I made these for the first time today and they are delicious! The recipe made 12 good size muffins. They will be my favorite breakfast muffin ❤️
That’s great to hear, Gloria!
First time making these and they are delicious! Added mini chocolate chips. It made 12 good sized muffins. These will definitely become my go to breakfast muffins❤️
Lovely muffin! I used olive oil and 100% maple syrup, regular whole wheat flour and unsweetened coconut milk ( tetra pack not caned)the optional oats and added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Very light and fluffy.
Many thanks for a solid recipe
You’re welcome, Gayle.
Im planning to make these today! Do I need to add oats. In case I skip it, do I need to make any changes in the recipe. Thanks for your reply
Hi Amy, this recipe is best as written. You don’t need to add them as they are option. No changes necessary.
I am a huge fan of your recipes, have been making your banana bread for years. Can I do an equal swap for flour with einkorn or spelt flour?
I do know spelt flour works in my banana bread. I haven’t tried it with these. Let me know if you do and what you think!
I used 3/4cup of almond flour and 1 cup flour and it made it like a banana nut muffin! So good!
These turned out well! I did add a few tablespoons of ground flax seed and sprinkled cinnamon on top as well. My 2 year loved them!
I love to hear that, Justus!
Love this recipe. I’ve tried so many and this one is the best. I used 4 bananas, the maple syrup and olive oil. They turned out so moist! I even had a little extra batter to make mini muffins. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Dezaree!
How many calories per muffin?
Hi Bernice, the nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe.
I have been using this recipe for years and am forever altering it, adding flax, hemp seeds, protein etc. These muffins ALWAYS turn out delicious. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad batch of these, no matter what I’ve done!
I love to hear that, Courtney! I appreciate your review.
My first attempt was an epic fail! I think 3 bananas was way too much so the mixture was runny and they came out wet and soggy. I then read the comments and realised that I should use less bananas and the second attempt worked! I did use alot less honey. Less than half the amount on the recipe because I don’t like overly sweet stuff. They came out amazing! Delicious and healthy. I will keep making these regularly :)
I made mini banana muffins using this recipe with my 3 and 5 year old, and we all love it! It was a very easy and quick recipe and I appreciate that the ingredients are healthy. We will definitely make this again! It’s a perfect school snack!
Next we are going to make the mini loaves (6 to a pan). Any suggestion as to how long we should have those in the oven?
Hi! I would suggest with half the time and adjust as needed. Let me know what you think!
Stellar. Used Bobs Red Mills egg replacer and my own GF flour mix – threw in a few choc chips – my husband has not stopped talking about how much he loves them.
To quote Mary Berry—scrummy! How much brown sugar could I use instead of maple syrup (don’t want to plow through it and I can’t give my 7 m/o honey)? Thanks!
Hi! Could you substitute oat flour for the wheat flour in this recipe?
Hi Shelby! Yes, see more in my How to Make Oat Flour post on how to do it.
these are so seriously so good, i added chopped walnuts and dark chocolate
Thank you for sharing, Kendall!
Where did you put the milk (almond milk)?
See step 2. I hope you enjoy them!
These muffins get the award for most baked at my house! Kids and husband love them AND they taste just as good with only 2 TBSP of maple syrup!
My son and I made these today and they are simply delicious. We added a few blueberries.
Thank you for the lovely recipe.
Thank you, Linda!
Very yummy. I added a large handful of flaked coconut and 1/4 cup orange zest as I had these ingredients on hand. Skipped the sugar topping.
Thank you for keeping things healthy.
My husband and I just love this muffins! We feel so good about eating them due to the whole wheat flour and no refined sugar. They are light and fluffy and freeze really well too!
Thank you so much for the recipe!
You’re welcome, JoAnne!
Just perfect
I made these for the first time last week, and I think I made a mistake. They didn’t rise much and they turned out very dense. I think my mistake was that I added all the wet ingredients, then the baking soda. Then I got busy with something else, so about 20 minutes went by before I added the flour and put the batter into the muffin tin. Could that delay (with baking soda in with the wet ingredients too long before baking) have caused them to rise less in the oven?
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. The delay could have caused it or if you over mixed the batter.
can dark rye flour be used in banana oatmeal muffins
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure.
I made these to send for school snack & I’m so happy I used the double recipe because they are going like hotcakes! I love how healthy they are and the easy recipe. Thank you
I’ve made these muffins a million times over the years. They’ve become a staple in our family. Such a great recipe. Thank you!
Excellent! Used my “magic” buttermilk (it’s full fat “you get the cream too” buttermilk). Will definitely make these again. You’re right, you’d never guess these are healthy.
Love this recipe as it’s tasty and healthy! Pack these for my daughter’s school lunch as she doesn’t enjoy sandwiches or many cold foods and school hot lunches are so questionable. Very adaptable and quite the hit!
A quick note regarding health as so many people using this recipe are probably concerned with it – non-stick cooking pans in many cases are such because they’re coated in PFAS/PFOA forever chemicals. We’ve removed all nonstick pans and bakeware from our home. I’ve found some lovely porcelain cups to replace my muffin tins. With a quick rub of butter they’re amazingly nonstick – “Sweese Porcelain Baking Cups.”
Great recipe! These muffins were easy to make and tasted so good. I made this GF/DF using Oatsome flour blend, almond milk, and avocado oil, and threw in some chopped walnuts instead of oats. I did have to add more flour as the batter was quite watery so keep that in mind. They came out soft, fluffy and delicious like a traditional banana bread muffin would. I also used the extra batter to make a mini loaf. 10/10 recipe for sure.
Thank you for your review, Katie!
Ahhhh! These muffins are so satisfying! Thank you so much for the recipe! I am trying to reduce (or eliminate) sugar after my husband had a stroke and is on a strict diet to improve his health. When I have tried to make muffins with honey before they always seemed to get gooey and gummy. I have bookmarked your page and will be returning! I made these with coconut milk and peanut oil.
Thank you for sharing, Dinah!
I made these last night for the upcoming week and they were so good. I used regular whole wheat flour and the oats, and 2% milk. The only thing I really changed was I upped the spices and added nutmeg, and I also filled my muffin cups more because I like a more domed top. Mine took exactly 22 mins to bake through.
I look forward to trying the other variations with pumpkin, etc.
These are incredible! So moist and fluffy. My two year old son loves these. They are also delicious with dark chocolate.
Made these as yummy mini loaves. Instead of oats I used a combination of flax and bran. Super moist.
Thank you for sharing, Deb!
I make this recipe all the time! Yummy & decently guilt free. Great snacks or quick breakfast to have around!
Great to hear, Megan!
These were absolutely delish and so moist! Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Sally!
Thanks for the recipe.
You mention that the recipe contains “whole grains”. While 100% whole wheat flour is made from the whole grain, the grain itself has been processed into a powder so it no longer whole. Sprouted grain would in fact be an example of a whole intact grain product (ie. Ekekiel 4:9 bread). Flour has a much higher Glycemic load than a sprouted grain ie. the body converts it to glucose faster. When the grain is ground into flour, it destroys the non-soluble fibre that slows the release of glucose and helps protect our gut lining. Unfortunately, many products claim to be “whole grain” when the grain is ground to dust by processing.
Baked goods including those with less refined sugar are best eaten sparingly (ie. once a week). Currently, we’re consuming roughly 10x as much sugar as we did 100 yrs ago largely due to a diet dominated by ultra-processed foods loaded with sugar and increased refined carbohydrate consumption. The western diet has led to a global rise in obesity, and Type 2 diabetes across every demographic and culture with rising rates of chronic diseases (heart disease, cancer, kidney & liver disease, Altzheimers & dementia, etc.) See Why We Get Sick by Dr. Benjamin Bikman.
Thank you again for the recipe. It sounds delicious. Glad to hear the muffins freeze well.
Made these as said in recipe, without oats and with chocolate chips. Entire family is obsessed!! Delicious!!!
Great to hear, Elizabeth!
Won’t make these again. They didn’t taste like bana at all. I made them to take to work where everything disappears quickly. Two days later, I brought all but three back home. They were very easy to make, but a waste of ingredients.
Thank you for sharing, Sharon!
My family loves these muffins! I can’t wait to try other great recipes.
Great to hear, Melanie!
So easy to make and so delicious, perfectly moist and such an amazing flavour! Thanks for the recipe.
It would be nice if you had the nutritional information for the recipes.
Hi Irene, the nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe. You will need to click to expand.
Could I make these as mini muffins? I have a mini silicone muffin tin and am not sure how long they would need to cook for?
Hi Erin, you will cook the for half the time. Be sure to keep an eye on them.
Yummy! Had all the ingredients already which is even better. My only issue is they did not get as tall/risen as the pictures even though I put the correct amount of baking soda. But they still came out light and moist so I will try to perfect them next time.
Great to hear, Meghan!
Hi! I’m making these for my daughters bday this weekend. Can i use paper liners instead of greasing the pan? Thank you so much|
I made these yesterday.. added blueberries and applesauce…. Oh goodness amazing!
Thank you for your review, Jo!
LOVE these muffins! My husband and I have one every day for our mid morning snack.They freeze beautifully. I do add an extra banana for flavor and texture. Added one day because I had an extra and never went back. Delish!! Thanks for the great recipes :)
You’re welcome, Erika! I appreciate your review.
Made these muffins using Vegan option today but added in extra spice….Ginger, Nutmeg and Cardamom. I added in crushed Walnuts and Unsweetened Coconut Flakes. Baked for 30 minutes. Excellent recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Just wondering if I could add in frozen blueberries to this recipe? Thanks!
I would recommend my Healthy Blueberry Muffins.