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These Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Muffins are naturally sweetened with maple syrup, and packed full of healthy ingredients you can feel good about. They make a perfect after workout snack, make ahead breakfast or a snack for kids and toddlers!
Now that my one year old has entered the picky eating phase, I am constantly looking for ways to sneak healthy foods into his diet. I started making my baby these Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Muffins a few months ago and he loves them! And I will admit, I have a hard time resisting them too. I have been known to eat one of these healthy muffins as a post workout snack more than once!
A healthy muffin recipe
I wanted to make a nutrition packed banana muffin for my toddler, but I also wanted it to taste good! I reduced the sugar as much as possible with these Peanut Butter Banana Muffins. There is 1/4 cup of maple syrup in these muffins, which equals 1 teaspoon of maple syrup per muffin. I also decided to use full fat plain greek yogurt and milk in these. Since I am primarily feeding these banana muffins to my young toddler I tried to pack as many healthy calories in there as possible. You can use lowfat or fat free dairy if you prefer.
Normally when cooking baby led weaning recipes I try to leave out the salt, but with these the tiny 1/4 teaspoon makes a huge difference taste wise. If you are making these Peanut Butter Banana Muffins for a baby under 12 months, you might want to leave the salt out. But since adults can eat these muffins too, I decided to use the small amount of salt to make them taste better.
What makes this Peanut Butter Banana Muffin Healthy?
I made these whole wheat muffins using white whole wheat flour. White whole wheat flour has the same nutritional content as whole wheat flour but is milder tasting and paler in color. So this muffin still has the nutritional benefits of whole wheat, but the taste may be preferable to something made with regular whole wheat flour especially for kids.
Because these banana muffins have peanut butter, they are higher in protein.
These muffins have no processed sugar and only 1/4 cup of maple syrup. I have made these without any maple syrup but they don’t taste great without it. As written, this recipe only has 1 teaspoon of maple syrup per muffin.
How many calories does a Peanut Butter Banana Muffin have?
These Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Muffins have 187 calories, 6 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein, 25 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber per muffin.
Are these muffins freezer friendly?
Yes! Peanut Butter Banana Muffins freeze wonderfully. I love that I can make these muffins ahead of time, then individually wrap and freeze them. They also make great healthy snacks or breakfasts on the go for adults!
More toddler and baby meal ideas
Sweet Potato Kale and Black Bean Patties
Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 ripe large bananas mashed
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup whole milk Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F degrees. Line a 12-count muffin pan with muffin liners or spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the mashed bananas, maple syrup, yogurt, egg, milk, peanut butter and vanilla together until smooth..
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix the batter or you will have tough muffins.
- Evenly distribute the batter between the muffin cups. (I use an ice cream scoop for easy portioning). Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F degrees. Keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for another 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
I’ve made these a bazillion times! Usually in double batches and I freeze them so I can send them for breakfast with my daughter to daycare. I was wondering…can this be made into a loaf? I was assuming the amount of baking time would change, but wasn’t sure about any other needed adjustments.
Hi Kelly – I think a few people have made it into a loaf. I believe the baking time will change a bit, it may take longer to fully bake in the center. I haven’t tested it so I can’t give you a foolproof recipe but I would try it at 375 for 45-60 minutes. Just keep an eye on it to make sure the outside isn’t burning before the inside is fully baked. I’m so glad you love the muffins!
I made them gluten and dairy free and added sugar free chocolate chips. Took longer to bake but are delicious!
Hello Anna, did you just substitute a dairy free yogurt and milk? Or omit thr yogurt entirely? I was hoping to make a dairy free version as well.
Hi Mary – I have made these dairy free recently and what I do is replace the yogurt with dairy free milk and then add a teaspoon of vinegar.
Hi! Do you have any recommendations to make these without the egg (kiddo has an egg allergy) thanks!
Hi – I have made them with a flax egg. I found them slightly more dry, but the recipe still works.
You can sub in applesauce for eggs. I believe I read online that a 1/4 cup (approx. 65g) is equal to one egg. Good luck.
Can I use regular whole wheat flour?
Hi, yes that works!
Just made these for the first time. I thought they were ok. I could not taste the peanut butter and barely tasted banana so I think I would want to add more. I also thought the flavor was a bit bland, I was tasting more of the flour mixture then the other ingredients. I know this is a healthy version but I actually thought I forgot an ingredient because the flavor was just not there. I would add something else to add a hint of sweetness to the recipe. They baked perfectly.
Hi, you can use another 1/4 cup of maple syrup or brown sugar if you prefer them sweeter.
These were absolutely amazing. I did make a few substitutions. I used almond butter instead of peanut butter, almond flour instead of whole wheat flour, almond milk instead of whole milk, honey instead of maple syrup, and vanilla almond yogurt instead of Greek yogurt. Best muffins EVER.
I’m so happy you loved them!
This sounds great, did you use the same measurenents?
Same measurements ☺️
I Didn’t have maple syrup at home but had honey so I substituted equal amount. They turned out delicious.
So glad you loved it!
I tried the sub’s mentioned in the comment section – almond flour, coconut milk for yogurt, and almond milk and they came out flat and would barley cook through and turned out mushy. What did I do wrong? My house smells amazing though.
Hi Janine – I haven’t tried any of those substitutes, but I am guessing the almond flour was the culprit. It tends to behave differently than regular flour and will make baked goods heavier and more dense. As you mentioned, some readers have made changes to the recipe, but I’m not sure if anyone changed all of those ingredients. When making changes to baking recipes, there is always a risk of throwing things off since baking is a bit of a science. I would try again using a regular flour. I used a white wheat flour here, but all purpose or regular whole wheat will work also.
I’d like to avoid honey. What changes should I make with the rest of the ingredients? Maybe add one more banana?
Hi Victoria – the recipe actually calls for maple syrup. You could also use brown sugar. I have made it without any sweetener and found the muffins very bland. I am not sure if adding another banana would work, it might make the muffins too wet.
I like making muffins for the grand boys that are not very sweet and these were perfect. I made these twice and they were delicious. Thanks for the great recipe.
So glad you loved them!
What is that peanut butter spread that you have on the muffins in the photo? Is it just peanut butter, or something else?
It’s just peanut butter. It is my homemade peanut butter recipe: https://www.staging.foxandbriar.com/best-easiest-homemade-peanut-butter/
I made these and shared w/ my parents. They really liked them! I substituted unsweetened vanilla almond milk and I don’t think that had any affect on the taste of the muffins. I might add more peanut butter next time, and these are also begging for chocolate chips if you want to splurge. Great recipe!
I’m so glad you loved them! They would be great with chocolate chips 🙂
Haven’t tried yet but I was going to use Almond Flour. Will that work?
Hi Carmen – I haven’t tried it so I can’t be sure! Let us know how it works!
I used almond flour and it worked well! I also substituted coconut milk for yogurt and almond butter for peanut butter. These are super moist and so yummy! I think almond butter has a more subtle flavor, so you won’t taste it as much as you would peanut butter. If you want to taste it more you might have to alter the recipe slightly.
Hi Robin – I’m so glad to hear that, thanks for sharing your substitutions so other people know it works! I agree about the almond butter, I sometimes make them with almond butter and it is more subtle.
I just made these muffins for the first time and they are delicious! I used fat free milk and regular all purpose flour because the muffins were a last-minute decision and that’s what I had on hand. I would like to try making them again with the white whole wheat flour. I’ll stick with the fat free milk because it worked. The muffins are light and fluffy and moist without being dense. My picky 5-year old loved them. I’m happy that they have some protein in them for her and not a bunch of sugar. Oh, and I used almond butter (peanut allergy) I place of the PB. Thanks so much for this recipe. It’s a keeper!
So glad you loved them Lori!
I made these this morning with my one- and three-year-old in mind, and I couldn’t stop eating them! A lot of healthier muffin recipes I have tried have been okay, but left me with a very dense, chewier type muffin… I missed the light and fluffy texture of my much less healthy white flour muffins! But these… I was so surprised at how light and fluffy they turned out! My new favorite healthy muffin recipe… so good that I don’t miss the unhealthy versions! Thank you so much for giving me a wonderful healthy muffin to add to my recipe collection! Oh, and I also subbed sour cream for yogurt because that’s all I had on hand, and it turned out excellent!
Yay! So happy to hear you loved them!
These sound delicious! Do you have to use whole milk? I typically only have 1% on hand.
Hi Alison – I have only used whole milk, but I think 1% would be just fine.
Very yummy! Even my 2 year old likes them. They turned out great, even though I forgot to add the milk to them. I had it out with the ingredients and everything and still forgot it.
But they still turned out perfect! Light and fluffy. Perfect snack.
I’m so happy you loved them!!
Hi what could I substitute for Greek yogurt
Any kind of yogurt would probably work, although flavored/sweetened will change the flavor of the muffins. You could also use sour cream.
I substitute with soy milk and soy yogurt every time I make these due to some lactose intolerance and both my husband and I love them!
It probably makes the muffin a little sweeter since both soy milk and yogurt are noticeably sweeter than regular milk and Greek yogurt. But they’re delicious this way!
Yay! Thanks for letting us know!
These are delish just took out of oven and my husband already ate one and loved it. They are soft and flaky and taste like a peanut butter and Mbabane sandwich . Followed the recipe but added some mini chocolate chips which added a bit more sweetness.
I’m so happy you loved them Bonnie!
I tripled the recipe (because I had 6 bananas to get rid of) and it turned out great! Thank you so much for sharing!!! Thanks for tip to not over combine ingredients m. I have a habit to over-stir.
Wonderful, so glad you loved it Mariah!
hi! i want to try out these muffins but i only have whole wheat flour – could i use that instead of white whole wheat and would it be the same amount?
Hi Nina – Yes, that will work!