Soft and delicious, this recipe for healthy banana muffins is easy, fast and can be made in just one bowl! My healthy banana muffins with yogurt and wholemeal flour are refined sugar and butter free, naturally sweetened instead with ripe bananas and honey. They make an ideal lunchbox snack, sweet treat or portable breakfast on the go.
Banana bread is a favourite snack in our home. But for a quick, convenient and portable version, banana muffins are a faster option that taste just as good!
With a little one who is starting new foods (and her three older brothers who are ALWAYS hungry!), healthy banana muffins for kids are a great freezer staple to keep on hand. My littlest baby loves sweet foods, so I’m always coming up with new toddler finger food recipes that she will love, that aren’t loaded with sugar.
These healthy banana muffins are perfect for kids and are so easy to make. From start to finish, they can be ready in just 20 minutes- and they taste so good, you won’t even be able to tell that they are made with healthier ingredients!
They are freezer friendly too, which makes them perfect for grab-and-go school lunches or a portable snack.
Banana muffin ingredients;
These easy, healthy banana muffins are butter and refined sugar free, made with ripe, spotty bananas, in just one bowl. And I bet that you will already have most of the ingredients in your pantry, ready to make them!
- Bananas. For baking, soft, spotty and brown bananas are best! The spottier the banana, the sweeter the flavour and softer the muffin.
- Greek yoghurt. Yogurt helps to keep the muffins moist, fluffy and light.
- Eggs. I use two eggs in my muffins. If you need to avoid eggs, you can make these healthy banana muffins with applesauce instead. Simply replace each egg with ¼ cup of applesauce.
- Honey. You can also use maple syrup, rice malt syrup or coconut sugar, or omit the extra sweetener entirely.
- Vanilla.
- Olive oil.
- Flour. Use wholewheat or white flour, depending on preference. Both options taste great!
- Baking powder.
To make the muffins, simply;
- Place all of the wet ingredients into a bowl and stir.
- Add the dry ingredients (flour and baking powder) and stir to combine.
- Spoon the batter into prepared muffin trays and bake until cooked through.
If you have the time, these healthy muffins are a fun recipe to cook with kids! Kids can mash bananas, add measured ingredients into a bowl, stir the mixture and help to add the batter into muffin trays.
How to make banana muffins moist
The perfect, fluffy muffins require the right ratio of wet to dry ingredients. Adding yoghurt to muffins instead of milk improves a muffin’s texture and makes them extra soft. The addition of honey and olive oil in this recipe also provides lots of moisture and flavour. And using over-ripe bananas also makes these muffins super soft.
How to store banana muffins
Store these healthy muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep this way for up to 4-5 days.
Or, freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. This is my favourite way to store them, because they make a super convenient grab and go snack for any time! They are ideal for popping into lunchboxes, an afternoon snack or for an easy breakfast. They can be thrown into lunchboxes in seconds and thaw by snack time! To freeze, separate layers with a little baking paper.
Additional flavours
These muffins taste great as they are, but this batter is also customisable, to add your own personal twist! This banana batter is perfect with the following add-ins;
- Cinnamon or nutmeg for a little extra spice and flavour. Add ¼ teaspoon of either, or both.
- Chocolate chips… chocolate, need I say more?!
- Finely chopped apple pieces.
- Berries. Fresh or frozen blueberries are incredible in these muffins.
- Chopped strawberries.
- Dried fruit. Add a cup of chopped, dried fruit of your choice.
For other healthy lunchbox snacks, try these recipes!
- Veggie packed nuggets
- Healthy chocolate nut free bliss balls
- Choc zucchini muffins
- Healthier banana bread
For more lunchbox inspiration, check out these recipes. For tips on time saving and bulk baking school lunches, see this post here.
To save time and money on healthy school (and work!) snacks, find this recipe and 49 others in my 50 Healthy School Snacks E-BOOK which contains a bonus Guide to Making 2 Minute Lunches.
Healthy Banana Muffins (Easy)
Ingredients
- 3 small bananas Mashed. Or 2 large. Spotty and brown is best!
- ½ cup honey or use maple syrup or rice malt syrup. You can also leave the extra sweetener out to reduce the sugar content.
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup Greek yoghurt unsweetened
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 cups plain flour white or wholemeal (wholewheat)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 175 C° (350 F) and grease or line a 12 hole muffin tray (or mini muffin trays if you prefer).
- In a mixing bowl, stir the mashed bananas together with the wet ingredients; eggs, oil, honey, yoghurt and vanilla bean paste.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared muffin trays and bake for 10-15 minutes for mini muffins, 15-20 minutes for regular muffins, or until cooked through.
- Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to three days, or freeze until required. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Linda says
This recipe is perfect, no sugar, no butter or milk. When you are stuck with overripe bananas and don’t want to make MORE Banana bread, so easy to make, Thankyou , this is my go to recipe , from now on .
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Linda! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and let me know how you enjoyed this recipe. I’m so glad you like them! I agree, they are a perfect, healthy way to transform brown and spotty bananas. Andrea 🙂