Whole Wheat Banana Muffins-the perfect recipe for using up your brown bananas!
I usually eat a banana every day, but I haven’t been able to stomach them lately. I watched the bunch of bananas on our kitchen counter turn from yellow to brown. Josh asked if he could throw them away, but I told him I was going to bake something. He looked at me like I was crazy since I haven’t baked in over a month. This pregnancy has killed my baking mojo. I told him it was time to get back into the swing of things.
I’ve been surviving on mostly carbs so I immediately thought about baking a loaf of banana bread. I didn’t want to wait an hour for it to bake so I made Whole Wheat Banana Muffins instead.
I wasn’t sure how long I would last in the kitchen so I created a super easy banana muffin recipe. I didn’t even use my mixer!
I wanted the banana muffins to be on the healthier side, so I used white whole wheat flour, coconut oil, and Greek yogurt.
The recipe also has four mashed bananas. The bananas keep the muffins super moist and full of banana flavor! I added turbinado sugar on top of the muffins before baking them because I like the sugary crunch. It is always a nice touch!
I went back to bed while these muffins baked. I was worried the smell would bother me, but the smell creeped into my room and had me craving banana muffins like crazy! I am glad the muffins only took about 20 minutes to bake. I wanted one…NEEDED one ASAP!
The Whole Wheat Banana Muffins hit the spot! I loved every bite…and Caleb loved them too. They may not win any beauty awards, but boy are they tasty!
I put some in the freezer for later, but I am already getting into my stash. These healthy banana muffins are perfect for breakfast or snack time. I love them as a midnight snack. I’ve been waking up hungry in the middle of the night and these muffins have been a lifesaver! I am going to have to make another batch. I guess we better go buy some more bananas!
If you like these banana muffins, you might like:
- Best Banana Bread
- Chocolate Banana Bread
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread
- Vegan Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Vegan Banana Blueberry Muffins
- Whole Wheat Strawberry Banana Muffins
Whole Wheat Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups white whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 large ripe bananas about 1 ¾ cup mashed
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted and cooled
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Turbinado sugar for sprinkling on muffins before baking, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Peel the bananas and mash with a fork. Place the mashed bananas in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar, coconut oil, egg, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Fill muffin liners three-quarters full. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar, if desired. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Store, covered, at room temperature.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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These look yummy. Can I substitute all purpose flour if that’s all I have and if so, would the amounts be the same? I also don’t have turbinado sugar. Is there another suitable substitute?
I also wanted to say congratulations on the baby. I really hope you feel better soon.
Thanks !
Those are the most perfectly domed little muffin tops my eyes ever did peep! I love banana bread so this muffin version is perrrrrfect-o-rama!
My husband always asks if he can throw away the brown bananas. Hello? No!
And I never use my mixer for muffins. Muffins are meant to be quick and easy, I think. 🙂 I’m glad to hear you were able to get back into the kitchen.
These look great! I love that you used Greek yogurt and coconut oil for a healthy kick, too!
Maria,
I frequently move my browning bananas into the freezer–in the peel–so that I can use them whenever I’m ready to bake muffins.
It’s always funny to me how perfectly ripe and ready to eat bananas are sold as “reduced”, when not-quite-ready to eat bananas are higher priced.
Your muffins look so pretty–and I’m glad you and the baby liked them!
These sound great! Such a fabulous, simple, way to begin the day!
I love banana baked goods! Yours look beautiful!! Happy Friday!!
What a great way to start the day! I love the whole wheat flour and coconut oil in them. Glad to hear that you are starting to feel a little better. 🙂
Oh these look amazing!
I think these muffins are pretty and delicious looking. So funny how pregnancy takes over out tastebuds and sense of smell. When I was pregnant with my second, I couldn’t even open the refrigerator without gagging for the first three months – so weird! Hang in there 🙂
I definitely just made these. Holy.cow. So good!!! Now to figure out a way to resist eating them all…
I LOVE moist and flavorful muffins. These sound perfect 🙂
BANANA!! I love banana! No matter its a loaf or tart or what! The muffins look delicious and healthy too 😀
I made a passion fruit yogurt cupcake recently and they are also a healthy alternative to regular cupcake! Check it out!
http://andresthehomebaker.blogspot.hk/
You poor thing Maria! I’m glad you could get the muffins down, cause I think they look delicious!
I Love Banana muffins but my favorite mistake was to leave out the sugar in my go – to recipe and have never made it with sugar because they were simply delightful! I used black ugly ripe bananas so the sugar from those was sufficient. I will try your recipe without the sugar first!! They are beautiful healthy looking muffins!
Made these this morning right after you posted them. YUM!! I added a few pecans for crunch. Had to freeze half before we ate them all in one day.
Hope you start feeling normal again soon.
I love banana muffins and these ones look perfect! Hope you’re feeling better soon!
Perfect way to use up those ripe bananas!!
Perfect timing! I have 4 brown bananas sitting on my counter! Can’t wait to make these!
These sound really good but I’ll have to swap out the wheat and yogurt for something healthier since our family can’t eat wheat or yogurt!
I always seem to end up with a brown banana or two and I’m definitely making these! I hope you are start to feel better soon!
What a great idea to take breakfast on the go! There are always bananas ready for some type of treat!
One of the best uses for brown bananas if you ask me! These look delicious!
Love these muffins and that bit of crunch in the topping!
These muffins look very yummy! I almost wish my bananas will begin going brown to use in breads & muffins! 😉
Love the use of coconut oil for the fat! Bananas trending of late, yes?
Yummy!
These look great! I’m glad you’re back to baking! Speaking of which, I linked your amazing collection of cookies to my recent post about how to make heart shaped cookies without cookie cutters.
http://theminiaturemoose.com/heart-shaped-cookie-dough-log/
Banana muffins are in the air lately. I just made some myself yesterday. As you said perfect to have around for breakfast or any time of the day.
I think it is funny that you couldn’t stomach bananas, but craved the banana muffins. I am guessing it was a texture issue rather than a flavor or smell issue. I am not feeling great myself, so that is what stood out to me. These do sound great though, and I love that they are a healthy version.
Has anyone figured out how many calories would be in one muffin??
Just saw this recipe on pinterest and stopped everything to use up my 4 left over bananas. They will be out of the oven in 10 minutes and smell amazing!! Thanks so much–back to Pinterest!
These muffins are just perfect. They look delicious and perfect healthy snack.
These are in my oven right now and I’m so excited to try them I used half white flour & half whole wheat as I didn’t have white whole wheat flour. Thanks for posting this recipe!!!! Perfect for Sunday afternoon baking!
Those look delicious! I know you are going for healthy, but I find that sprinkling a little brown sugar on top before you bake them makes them taste absolutely luxurious 😉
Many thanks to “Eliya”, for leaving a comment that’s actually helpful!
At first I thought “a whole cup of brown sugar? That’s a tablespoon per muffin! Horrors!” But then I remembered that I’m the person who thinks that a box of Thin Mints is two servings, because why else would they put them in those convenient plastic sleeves? And since I’ve made about 17 batches of your Malted Milk ball cookies since I discovered the recipe, anything else I make is going to be spa cuisine by comparison anyway, so I’m definitely going to make these and see if I can get my fructose-guzzling family to try them.
Also, I wanted to add to Kirsten’s comment about freezing bananas that I used to freeze them in the peel just as she does (it’s really easy to squeeze them out of the peel after thawing), but the bananas tend to get really brown that way, and I ended up with excess liquid when they thawed. Now I peel them first and stick them in Ziploc bags. They stay a nice, normal color this way, with the added bonus that I can pop them into the blender in their still-frozen state when I make smoothies.
I absolutely LOVE the blog, Maria — I haven’t made anything from it that isn’t a cookie (the Biscoff oatmeal cookies are my absolute favorite!) but everything looks amazing, so thank you for your contribution to my ever-expanding hips! 😛
I think this snowy day calls for muffins! I think I have all of the ingredients on hand!! Can’t wait to taste them 🙂
I should tell you that this was the 30th recipe that I have made from your blog. I never turned to any blogs, only magazine and this is been fantastic. Last night I made 3 recipes….the Qinoua ..the Kale salad and these muffins. I loved them all. Thanks
Thank you for your comment. I am so glad you are enjoying our recipes!
I made this this weekend and my kids love them. I did have a handful left over to put in the freezer. What is the best way to reheat or unthaw them quickly? The kids just walked in the door and want them now for their afternoon snack! Thanks for such a great recipe!!
I pop them in the microwave for about 15 seconds! Easy peasy! I am glad they are a hit!
Thank you!! BTW.. I baked up the Black Bean and Quinoa Enchiladas last night and my family loved them as well. Thanks for the yummy recipes!
Just found these lovely muffins as I was searching for a whole wheat banana bread recipe. Have a bit of extra ww flour I need to use up.
Also, SO totally with you on bananas, baking & being preg. I am a regular cook/baker, but when I was preg with baby girl I didn’t cook/bake for almost the whole 9mo. No desire and the energy it took, ugh! And I also love bananas, but once preg, I could not even eat them. They didn’t sound good, and if I tried to eat one, the texture got me. We even got ~30lb of free bananas, and husband had to peel and freeze them all, as I couldn’t even stand to be near them.
So, possibly baby girl this time? 😉
I made these today. They are wonderful. I ate one in three bites. I’m sharing with my neighbors so I don’t eat all of them myself. Guess I will share with the kids too 🙂
I love that sugary topping as well!
I just made these beauties. These are fantastic and guilt free! They were a huge hit in my family. Thanks for the great recipe and keep them coming!
I have to add my praise to this recipe. The muffins are incredible. I cut the recipe in half using 3 small bananas and one whole egg and came out with 11 muffins. They are perfect with a slight crunch on the top. Thanks for a great Saturday morning breakfast!
What could I substitute for yogurt? Sour cream? Just trying to use what I have on hand (in third trimester and home with a 2 1/2 year old, going out is a lot of work, haha!).
Yes, you can use sour cream.
BEST banana muffins ever! My entire family (3 kids+husband) loved it, and so did I. My children also helped with the preparation. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
I made these this morning and they are delicious! Really good muffins. I bet throwing in some nuts would add a nice crunch. Thank you for the recipe!
I’ve made these twice now and they are the most banana-y flavorful muffin I’ve ever made! I posted pictures of the finished product on my facebook page and linked your website. I think there’s gonna be A LOT of banana muffins made by my circle of friends in the very near future!!!!
MY FIRST EVER WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR MUFFINS YAY!!!
Ohkay so I have been looking for a good whole wheat banana muffin recipe today as I was craving some but i didn’t want to use all purpose flour because, well, its not good to always keep eating them! AND lemme tell you, I am eating these muffins right now and nobody can ever tell that these are made up of poor whole wheat flour!! 😀
I also cut down the sugar in half and added half a cup of honey!
these are so spongy and soft and have risen really well! oh my gosh I didnt have any idea that these will rise! from now on, no all purpose flour in my banana muffins! I swear!
here are the few alterations I made-
I used 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar (i cant find brown sugar where i live 🙁 ) and 1/2 cup of honey instead of 1 cup of sugar, NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL!
i used 5 medium-small bananas and used slightly less flour than 2 cups (about 1 3/4 cups)
these are super delicious!! thanks a ton for this recipe!!
lots of love! 🙂
Yum! I needed a quick recipe to use up my aging bananas and these were easy enough to try right away. Thanks for providing me with my new “go-to” banana muffin recipe!!
For those wondering about substitutions, 2/3 cup brown sugar was sweet enough for me. Especially with the raw sugar on top. 🙂 I also used a container of strawberry greek yogurt because we had it on hand, and I added chocolate chips to the second half of the batter for my husband and kids. I got 18 muffins.
What can be used rather than the yogurt?
Sour cream is another option.
I have made these muffins a few times!! my new go to banana recipe, I did use blueberry Greek yogurt .. and ohh soo good.. if you make them mini their too addicitng
made these tasty muffins with spelt flour and 1/2 a cup of oats. added cardamon and a little coconut on top! so tasty! thanks for the recipe!
These came out amazing!! I used organic white flour instead of whole wheat (it’s what I had on hand) and coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and they are SO moist and delicious! I shared the recipe on Facebook with friends. 🙂 I’ll be going back to this recipe again and again!
My kids would love these for their lunch boxes but the school is nut free which means I cant use coconut oil. Any other suggestions for an alternative (preferably healthy)?
You can use canola oil or vegetable oil.
I have made these twice. It is a very nice ‘healthy muffin’ recipe – getting away from AP flour and butter. Today I made with what I had on hand – 1 cup Barley flour, 2/3 cup Oat flour, 1/3 cup whole wheat- and buttermilk instead of yogurt. I was a little worried about them being too hardcore, so I added about 75g of baking chocolate chopped up. The family is raving and the plate is rapidly dwindling… What about a substitution for the sugar? Wondering if it would work as nicely with honey or maple syrup?
Hi! What can I use as a nondairy alternative instead of yogurt or sour cream? Thanks!
I made these today and they are wonderful! Thanks for another awesome recipe.
Just made these today. They were delicious! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe
I only have 3 bananas – more like a heaping cupful than 1-3/4 cups. I have everything else and want to throw in blueberries too. I wonder if I can do it with fewer bananas??? Anybody??
It should be fine! Blueberries would be a great addition! Enjoy!
Just made these!!! Yummy! I modified according to what I had on hand, and they are still perfectly perfect! I only had 3 ripe bananas, but luckily, I randomly had 1 overripe mango in my fridge. It was so ripe, I just mooshed it up with the 3 bananas. Easy peasy. Also subbed Splenda in for all the brown sugar, as it was all I had on hand. The third change was that I used regular whole wheat flour (not white wheat). Still, even with the subs, they came out beautifully (the mango added a nice tropical touch as well). I usually like to do recipes as written, but these looked so good and healthy, I just had to make them right away. Thank you for sharing this recipe, and for all your hard work. Your blog has been one of my favorites for years (I started reading it in 2011)!
I used to eat bananas all the time, but when I was pregnant with my second child, something about their texture made me gag. He’s 3 in a couple weeks and I still can’t eat bananas by themselves. I love their flavour, and can eat them sliced up in cereal, in banana bread, muffins, etc., just not on their own. Pregnancy does strange things!!!
Do you think whole milk regular yogurt would work. I don’t have greek right now. Love this healthy version!
Just made these for a healthy treat on a chilly day and they are amazing! I used regular whole wheat flour and they turned out great. Also made a little topping with oats, pecans and sugar…delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
I made these muffins this morning. Yum!!! This recipe is a winner. These are one of the best banana muffins I’ve ever had. I added unsalted sunflower seeds for some crunch. Thank you for sharing!
Glad you liked the muffins!
THANK you for putting these on your year-end list! I had all the ingredients (except yogurt – subbed sour cream) and made them with my daughters. My batch made 12 muffins, and a full tray of mini-muffins. We all loved them! The mini-muffins cooked perfectly in 18 minutes.
Do you have the calorie and nutritional information? I have to keep track and these look to good not to try!
I just made a version of these – only had 2 bananas, so substituted the rest with 2 overripe mangos. Also substituted the coconut oil for rice brain oil. Added in some desiccated coconut, too. Success! Such a great base recipe Maria, thanks 🙂
Made these this morning, fully intended to freeze them to help with returning to work after maternity leave next week… already ate two, not sure they will make it to the freezer! Thanks for a great recipe 🙂
Hi. This will be my first time experimenting with coconut oil. Does the 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil come from 1/4 cup of the solid?
Yes. I measure it solid and the melt it.
What kind of coconut oil do you use? Refined or unrefined? Thanks!
I’ve used both and both work well!
These are super yummy. I made some banana muffins last week with a different recipe and I was disappointed. These are so good, I’ll be hiding these from my husband.
Make this recipe all the time but with half the sugar and still super sweet. This morning I forgot the coconut oil – oops, still delish. Thanks
My family LOVES these muffins…even my picky kids! I reposted them on my website and linked you to it :). I love your recipes and hope to try more! http://wp.me/p6BNYn-4a
I love hear muffins, the best I’ve ever made! Always perfectly moist! I wanted to change it up but keep the same fail proof base Bc I make them every week for my daughter’s breakfast.. Was thinking an apple version and an oatmeal golden raisin version? Could use some help deciding if I need to alter other parts of recipe for these variations?? Thank you so much for my new go-to recipe for muffins!
They are our favorite too! You should try these muffins next: https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/apple-zucchini-muffins/
Our guest blogger Christina made a mini-muffin version. So yummy! Thanks for the great recipe!
Here’s the link: https://wifeywithaknifey.com/2016/02/29/whole-wheat-dark-chocolate-banana-mini-muffins/
Came out exceptional
Thank u
These are my go-to banana muffins! My son and I make them together on a regular basis. His favorite part is mashing the bananas! I use all whole wheat flour and add in 1/4 c flaxseed meal. When we get a wild hair (like this morning), we’ll add in 1/2 c chocolate chips! Thanks for another great recipe!!
So glad you like the muffins!
These are amazing!! I’ve made them for staff, family and friends and they get two thumbs up each time!
Question: at what temperature and for how long would you recommend these in a loaf pan?
These are great! I cut the sugar down to half a cup and everyone loved them, including the kids. I haven’t made them with all the sugar but I don’t think it was missed. Thanks for another great recipe!
This recipe is absolutely perfect. Simple, delicious, and healthy. I felt I might want to add more ingredients like some nut, but they are so flavorful nothing else is needed. Texture, timing, and ingredients are right on. I will definitely make these muffins again. Thank you so much for this wonderful addition to my muffin recipe collection!! Joni
They look so tasty!! But if i dont have greek yogurt can i use milk?? And canola oil instead of coconut oil? I know that would make them less healthy though
I am sure both of those adaptations will work just fine. I hope you like them!
Can I substitute the same amount of vegetable oil for coconut oil? Thanks!
Sure!
LOVED these! Thanks so much for the recipe! They were so soft and fluffy 🙂 Ate a couple and then froze the rest. They kind of stuck to the muffin wrapper though, perhaps spray a little cooking spray in the wrapper next time?
Glad you liked the muffins! The spray might help or try different liners. You can also just spray the pan with no liners.
Could one add protein powder to this recipe?
Sure!
Any idea of nutrition facts on this recipe? I’m mainly looking for calories and # of muffins the recipe should make.
I added dark chocolate chips, chopped pecans & a couple of Tablespoons of Flaxseed.
Baked only 19 mins. OMG THEY WERE DELICIOUS.
Can you use canola oil instead of coconut oil and just plain yogurt.
Yes!
These were a hit at daycare. I disdain out the coconut oil for canola and I added some unhealthy chocolate chips. The ministers whole wheat muffins I have ever made.
These were a hit at daycare. I left out the coconut oil for canola and I added some unhealthy chocolate chips. The moistest whole wheat muffins I have ever made. (Also had to sub regular yogurt for Greek)
Glad the muffins were a hit!
Made these but added 1 cup chocolate chips. They were delicious but really soft. Next time I might reduce the yogurt amount.
Can I use coconut sugar instead of regular sugar?
Yes!
Amazingly Yummy!
Hi, is the banana amount still supposed to be 1 3/4c mashed when doubling this recipe? Looks like maybe that part wasn’t updated maybe. We make these muffins allllll the time! We all love them and they make great breakfasts and snacks. My kids ask me to put mini chocolate chips in them too. I love the turbinado sugar on top — it makes such a subtle delicious difference!
Making them right now for the second time. Delicious muffins!! I threw in a handful of chocolate chips too. Just saw the recipe for Strawberry Banana muffins. Can’t wait to try them too! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Chocolate chips are always a good idea:)
I just tried these for the first time and they are really good. I made them into mini muffins.
These are excellent! I added blueberries and walnuts. Big hit with my daughter and her friends, and for me too!
I am so glad you loved the muffins.