Banana Protein Muffins
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These Banana Protein Muffins are the perfect nutritious breakfast! With 6g of protein per muffin, they’re delicious + easy to make!
This post was originally shared in 2015, but has since been updated.
If you want to eat more protein, these healthy banana protein muffins are for you!
This is one of the first healthy recipes I EVER came up with, and to this day – it’s one of my favorites (and yours too.. these have over 350 5 Star Reviews!)
These high protein muffins are made with real food ingredients, are low in sugar, and naturally gluten free!
Liz’s Tips for the Best Protein Muffins
- Don’t substitute coconut flour or almond flour for the flour! – you’ll be left with a mushy mess! I promise, it won’t work. Check out our substitutions below if there’s something you need to swap
- Use Whey Protein Powder: Whey protein powder works best in this recipe. Egg protein powder and beef protein have mixed results in this recipe, this whey protein powder works the best!
- Use Ripe Bananas. Your bananas should be brown and spotty. As bananas ripen they get sweeter and softer, making them perfect for baking! However, as long as your bananas aren’t green, you can make this recipe. Yellow bananas will work just fine. I recommend microwaving them for about 20-30 seconds so they are easier to mash!
Ingredients
It will also be helpful to have a nonstick muffin tin + silicone muffin liners – these are a must for your muffins not sticking!
Substitutions and Additions
Bananas – You can sub pumpkin, unsweetened applesauce, or cooked, mashed sweet potatoes for the bananas with a 1:1 ratio. We also have Pumpkin Protein Muffins, Healthy Pumpkin Muffins, and Sweet Potato Muffins recipes!
Honey – You can sub maple syrup with honey. I have not tried making this recipe without a sweetener and would not recommend it.
Oil – You can use extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil or melted butter in place of coconut oil.
Oat Flour – Oat flour is easy to make! Follow this tutorial for How To Make Oat Flour. You can use certified gluten free oats or certified gluten free oat flour. You can substitute oat flour with whole wheat flour. Coconut flour and almond flour can’t be substituted for oat flour.
Protein Powder – Whey protein will generally work better for baking compared to vegan alternatives. You can also use vegan protein powder to make these protein muffins. I would not use unflavored protein powder in this recipe.
More protein – You can increase the recipe to have 1 cup of protein powder in it. The muffins will be more dense + have a stronger protein taste. If you increase the amount of protein used, add 1/3 cup milk so the batter isn’t too thick. You can also skip the protein powder and make these Healthy Banana Muffins instead!
Dairy Free – Use a vegan protein powder and dairy free chocolate chips.
To make vegan- replace 1 egg white with 1 flax egg. Sub honey with maple syrup, use vegan protein powder.
To make lower fat- I haven’t tried it but others have recommended substituting applesauce for oil with a 1:1 ratio if you’re looking to make these muffins lower fat.
Additions:
- Blueberries: If you love bananas and blueberries, try our Banana Blueberry Muffins, or check out our Blueberry Protein Muffins
- Chocolate Chips: These muffins are great with or without chocolate chips. Feel free to substitute based on your preference.
- Apples: You may also like our Apple Protein Muffins.
How to make Protein Muffins
Making these protein muffins is seriously so simple. Anyone can do it!
- In a large bowl, mash bananas. Stir in egg, honey, and coconut oil until combined. Add in dry ingredients. Stir until combined.
- Pour batter into cups, filling 3/4 of the way. Do not overfill!
- Bake muffins at 350° for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Can I make this Muffin Recipe into protein bread? I have not tried making this into a loaf of bread but I think it might work. I would grease an 8×4 or 9×5 loaf pan well and add the batter. If you try it, let me know! If you want other banana bread recipes try these: Healthy Banana Bread, Zucchini Banana Bread Recipe.
Expert Tips
Don’t substitute coconut flour or almond flour – you’ll be left with a mushy mess! I promise, it won’t work.
Use Whey Protein Powder: Whey protein powder works best in this recipe. Egg protein powder and beef protein have mixed results in this recipe, whey protein powder works the best!
Storage
Storing: It’s best to store these muffins in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Keeping them in the refrigerator helps to maintain freshness. They will last for 3 days when stored on the counter and up to a week when stored in the refrigerator.
You can freeze these muffins. They freeze super well, so double the batch and freeze the extras! I like to store them in a ziploc freezer bag, or large container.
To defrost the muffins you can take them out of the freezer and put them in the refrigerator the night before you want to eat them, or you can pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds until they are warm directly from the freezer.
Protein Muffins FAQ
Yes, you can add protein powder to a muffin mix, but it might not turn out well. Protein powder can make baked goods very dense or dry, so don’t add more than 1/4 cup of protein powder to your muffin mix.
No, you can’t use protein powder instead of flour. Flour and protein powder are very different and will give you a very different result. If you are replacing flour with protein powder, you may need to add extra fat/moisture to whatever you are making. They can’t be substituted 1:1.
Whey protein powder works the best in this recipe! I don’t recommend using egg white protein powder or beef protein isolate. Some vegan protein powders work ok in this recipe, but whey works the best!
Trying to eat more protein?
If you’re trying to eat more protein, check out our High Protein Dinners Ebook! It has 24 easy recipes you can make in under an hour with 25g+ protein per serving!
Here are some of our other favorite protein packed recipes:
Protein Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed banana approx 2 large bananas
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil melted+ cooled
- ¾ cup oat flour gluten free if necessary
- ½ cup vanilla whey protein powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a lined or greased muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, mash bananas until smooth. Stir in egg, honey, and coconut oil until combined. (You can also use a stand mixer with your whisk attachment)
- Add in oat flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger. Stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chips if using.
- Pour the muffin batter into muffin cups, filling 3/4 of the way. Do not overfill!
- Bake the muffins for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the muffin.
- Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tin.
I make these as meal prep for breakfast! I add about 1/4 cup Greek yogurt & use butter instead of coconut oil as I don’t care for coconut oil. I also add dark chocolate chips and some walnuts for texture! I love to pop them in the microwave for about 20 seconds before heading out the door in the mornings. Delicious!
That sounds like a great substitute! I’m going to try that! Glad you like them 🙂
So I made these with cassava flour and replaced the honey with date paste to make them whole30 compliant. They of course are delicious, but me center is sunken slightly. Any ideas as to why?
Hi Barbara – You can’t substitute cassava for oat flour 1:1. Unfortunately cassava flour is very finicky and absorbs a lot of liquid. I rarely ever use it in recipes. I also don’t know how switching date paste for honey affects the batter as this is something I haven’t ever tried. I’m not sure what protein powder you used that would be Whole30 compliant, so I also think that could’ve contributed to it! Just an FYI, recreating foods go against Whole30’s guidelines – you might want to check out this article!
I just made these last night and they are SO delicious! Just like others have said, they are perfectly moist and so easy to make! I did have to cook them a little longer than suggested to have them fully set, but everyone’s oven is different so that was no problem at all! I also used regular flour because that is what I happened to have on hand, but I’m so excited to try oat flour next time.
Glad you liked them! Sometimes the baking time can vary by a few minutes depending on the flour or protein powder – but I’m glad they worked for you!
You can actually make your own oat flour cheaper than buying it!
Just buy the old fashioned oats (or rolled oats) and place them in a blender, pulse for 15 second intervals till you get the consistency of flour.
Yes – check out this post for How to make oat flour
I made these today and they were delicious! The flavor and texture were absolutely perfect. I especially like how you can customize them too. Definitely a keeper!
I’m so glad you liked the, Erin! Thanks for giving them a try 🙂
These are so delicious that its hard to believe they are good for you! Amazing recipe! Very moist & super fast on the go breakfast!
So glad you liked them, Marie!
Could you repost or send me the Healthy Banana Protein recipe that had multiple flours? I had bought flax, almond flour, whey etc for this recipe and loved the way the muffins turned out. After the recipe was changed I tried to bake the original recipe from memory, but I can’t get it right.
Hi Anna – I changed the recipe to have less ingredients, be lower in calories, and higher in protein while still tasting the same (if not better!). I wanted it to be easier for people to make and for them to be able to try it without things they might not on hand have like almond flour. I don’t have the original recipe anymore, but you don’t need those extra ingredients. Try the recipe as is! As for the whey protein.. you can use that just like you did in the past!
Love these SO much! Pretty sure bananas Should be a required ingredient for any recipe! 😊
Thanks, Liz!!
So glad you like them, Stacey!
Easy and delicious! Toddler approved and easy on the budget!
So glad you like them, Jenn! Makes me happy to hear your toddler enjoyed them too 🙂
These have become a staple for me and my boyfriend! We double the protein powder and it’s the perfect way to start our day. I look forward to eating these every morning, they’re absolutely delicious! Xo
I’m so glad you like them, Rachel! They’re one of my favorites for breakfast too!
I made these last night and subbed 3 bananas (mine were pretty small), whole wheat flour instead of oat, and ghee instead of coconut oil…these are the best protein muffins I have made! Most “made from scratch” protein packed baked goods are dense and too “protein powder tasting”. These were light and fluffy and so delish! These will definitely be in my regular food prep rotation.
I’m so glad you liked them, Sara! This makes me so happy to hear!
Honestly the best protein banana muffins I’ve ever made. The flavor combo is perfect and it’s so moist but with no butter? Win!! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Glad you liked them, Sara!! They are super moist/yummy!
Oh dear God these are so good. I’m not a baker at all but damn these could fool anyone into thinking I can bake. So good so easy!!!!
So glad you liked them, Candy!! They’re one of my favorite muffins!
Was there a previous version that included almond meal? I made the recipe before and now I think I’m losing my mind!
Hi Kristee – Yes, I actually just tweaked the recipe to make them without the almond/flaxseed meal. I found that it wasn’t necessary and a lot of people don’t have that in their pantry so I wanted to make sure they could make it! I promise they’re just as delicious without it 🙂
These muffins are amazing! I love that they are sweetened with honey-we buy our honey local by the gallon! My protein powder happens to be chocolate so that but a little twist on the already delicious recipe! My kids love them too, so I will definetly be making these often as a healthy grab-and-go snack!
This makes me so happy to hear, Diana! I’m totally trying this with chocolate protein powder- that sounds delicious!
I must be losing it, because I see where you’ve listed almond meal in the blog post, but not in the recipe. How much almond meal do I use? I’m sorry if I’ve overlooked it. Thanks in advance.
Hi Ret – Sorry for the typo – I actually just adjusted this recipe to remove the almond meal in it. It wasn’t necessary and I wanted people to be able to make these nut free if they wanted! I just edited that text in the post 🙂 Thanks for calling it out!
Yumm..! Just made these & turned out terrific! The only thing i changed was using Cacao Nibs in place of Chocolate Chips. I made sure i used my verryyy ripe, super brown spotted bananas (if i waited 1 more day, they’d be trash) so it made the muffin naturally sweet. I used Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein Vanilla flavour, turned out great & no weird after taste or gritty / lumpy texture. Maybe next time i will add some vanilla extract to the recipe.
Overall a great recipe! Will definitely make again!
Totally going to try that with the cacao nibs! That sounds delicious, Dian! Glad you liked these muffins 🙂
Great healthy recipe to use up overripe bananas. I made a couple revisions… I cut down the honey to 3 tablespoons. It was still plenty sweet. I also didn’t have any almond meal so I substituted with more flaxseed. Muffins still turned out great and my entire family loved! Will definitely be making this recipe again! Thank you!
So glad you + your family loved them JaNell! This makes me so happy to hear 🙂
We made these today and my kids all ate 2 each. They are super good! Thanks!
I’m so glad + your kids liked them, Erin!! This makes me so happy to hear 🙂
I thought I’d try making these today because I happen to have 2 very ripe bananas and all the ingredients except one, the flaxseed meal. Is there a substitute for it, or can I just leave it out? Also can I substitute maple syrup for the honey?
Thanks!
Hi Joanne – You can sub the maple syrup for honey – that’s noted in the post! As for the flaxseed meal, if you have flax seeds you can grind them to create a meal, or you can sub with almond meal. I haven’t tried it without it, but I think if you were to omit it entirely it would work – I just can’t guarantee it. This Healthy Banana Bread is also a super yummy way to use up ripe bananas!
Oops I just realized that you are using almond meal, and not almond flour. Does it make a difference in this recipe? I have almond flour on hand, but not meal. Thanks!
They’re the same thing!
I don’t see flaxseed meal in the list of ingredients for Healthy Banana Protein Muffins. Am I supposed to add flaxseed meal? Or is the review and the comment for a different recipe??
Thanks,
There is no flaxseed meal in this recipe.
Oat flour has gluten I in it what can I use
Use gluten free oat flour.
Very good. Most protein muffins become too dense and dry – these were moist and delicious!
So glad you liked them, Krista! 🙂
Coconut flour is listed as a substitute for those needing a nut-free recipe. Isn’t Coconut a tree nut? Is there something about the flour(processing?) that is not allergenic to those with tree nut allergies?
Hi Nancy – Coconut is actually technically not a nut, it’s considered a fruit. Most people with a tree nut allergy can eat coconut. Here’s an article with more info.. Everyone’s allergies are different though so be sure to check with whoever is going to be enjoying these muffins!
These turned out moist and delicious ?
So glad you liked them, Lacy!!
Agreed!
Glad you liked them, Jamie!!
Love this recipe! I’ve made it several times since I found it. They are healthy, protein packed, and delicious!! Highly recommend 👍
Thank you so much, Joy!
Mmmmmm…..yum. This looks totally amazing. I’m just starring at the screen looking at how delicious they look.
Thanks, Alka! Hope you give them a try 🙂
This recipe reminds me that I haven’t had banana bread in such a long time! Love that this is a healthier version, and you’re right, so much cuter in muffin form! Can’t wait to give these a try!
The blog is lookin’ mighty gorgeous! I love this new format! Anyways, I also love renovating old recipes and turning them brand new! It’s so much fun!
Thank you SO much, Cassie!! I appreciate your sweet words 🙂
SO delicious. Used almond flour (all i could find) and strawberry protein powder (all i had) and these were too good. Thanks for the recipe! Going to make this often 🙂
I followed the directions exactly as stated and it was not ‘wet’ enough so I had to add some milk.
Then we I was filling the muffin tin, I was surprised to see that it’s noted not not overfill, no more than 3/4 of the way but I barely had enough to fill them halfway. I barely had enough to make 12 muffins.
Any suggestions?
What kind of protein powder did you use? This could impact the batter. Did you make any other substitutions? Something clearly went wrong here. (But you should never overfill muffins, they always rise in a muffin tin!)
I have the same experience! Great recipe, but although following instructions, it was hard to make 12 servings out of this. I used vegan protein powder for reference, but in the past, I’ve used way isolate as well and had the same issue.
I’m sooooo excited to try Vital Protein products. I love that you incorporated this into a yummy banana muffin! Such a great way to start busy mornings 🙂
Their products are AWESOME!! You will love them 🙂