One Saturday during my sophomore year of high school, my dad dropped me off at a friend’s house during the late morning. She lived three cities away, and because of the distance and our busy schedules — her with tennis and pole vaulting, me with band — we only hung out a few times during the school year.
That particular day, we headed out for a walk almost as soon as I arrived. With an extensive park and trails area near her house, we were gone for nearly two hours, spending all that time exercising and laughing and catching up… And smiling at the multitude of dogs on leashes excitedly pulling their owners behind them!
We started to feel a bit hungry by the time we returned, so we decided to bake muffins with some of the fresh fruit in her mom’s kitchen. My friend pulled out a recipe from her favorite cookbook, and we carefully measured and mixed together the ingredients before popping the pan in the oven.
When the timer rang, we giddily pulled out our muffin tray, and we barely waited two minutes before helping ourselves. We plopped right down in the center of the kitchen floor, each with a piping hot muffin in our hands, trying not to burn our fingers or tongues as we took our first sweet, buttery bite.
Within a few minutes, we each reached for a second… Then a third… And just like that, half the tray had disappeared. Those muffins were much too tempting and good!
Since then, I’ve realized one of the simplest ways for me to reduce that temptation is to bake just a half dozen muffins — like with this small batch healthy banana muffins recipe! It yields muffins that are soft, moist, and bursting with naturally sweet fruit flavor.
Even better? These healthy banana muffins are also quick and really easy to make. You probably have everything you need to bake a batch!
KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY SMALL BATCH BANANA MUFFINS
Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make this small batch recipe for healthy banana muffins! I’m hoping you already have common baking staples like vanilla and salt, so we’ll mainly cover the more interesting ingredients.
Flour. I opted for white whole wheat flour to make these healthy banana muffins. I know it sounds a bit confusing, but it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and whole wheat flour!
White whole wheat flour has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour, like extra fiber and micronutrients. The only difference? Here in the US, regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat, whereas white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a softer type of white wheat (hence the name!). This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, which is perfect for these healthy banana muffins!
Hint: It’s similar to red and green grapes. Slightly different flavor, noticeably different appearance, but similar health benefits!
Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy banana muffins gluten-free, then see the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve included how to do so there!
Leavening agents. You’ll use both baking powder and baking soda in this recipe. This combination gives your healthy banana muffins the best soft and tender texture and also helps them rise nice and tall, just like bakery-style muffins!
Unsalted butter or coconut oil. Unlike traditional recipes that depend on lots of oil or butter for a moist texture, you’ll only use a mere ½ teaspoon in these. That really helps keep your healthy banana muffins low calorie and low fat!
However, they’re still beautifully soft and tender, thanks to two other ingredients. Can you guess what those are?
Bananas. If you picked “bananas” as one of them, you’d be right! Make sure your banana is really spotty and ripe. See those bananas? That’s the minimum amount of brown spots I recommend. More is even better. I prefer baking with bananas that are almost entirely pure brown or black — and there are three key reasons behind why!
Ripe bananas (and borderline overripe — the kind I prefer!) have a stronger flavor and more natural sweetness compared to their pure yellow or lightly speckled cousins. They also add more moisture to the batter, so your healthy banana muffins will turn out softer.
Sweeter, moister, more flavorful… It’s definitely a winning combination!
Greek yogurt. Did you guess this as the second ingredient? If you’ve browsed through my recipes before, then you already know how much I love using Greek yogurt! In this batter, it adds the same moisture as extra oil or butter but for a fraction of the calories. It also gives your healthy banana muffins a protein boost!
Sweetener. If you use a really ripe and almost entirely black or brown banana (remember how those contain more natural sweetness?), you’ll only need to add a tiny bit of sweetener to the batter. I chose pure maple syrup. It’s the kind that comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this), and it includes just one ingredient… Maple syrup!
Tip: Avoid pancake syrup and sugar-free maple syrup. These contain other ingredients, which changes the way they behave in baking recipes. This is particularly true of sugar-free maple syrup! It’s typically water-based, and that can make your muffins collapse while cooling and turn out denser.
Milk. Nearly any type will work, so feel free to use whatever you currently have in your fridge. I use nonfat milk and unsweetened vanilla almond milk the most.
Tip: If you use non-dairy milk, then it’s easy to make these healthy banana muffins dairy-free and vegan. See the Notes section of the recipe for my vegan-friendly alternatives for the Greek yogurt!
No eggs? That’s right — these healthy banana muffins are egg-free! The bananas replace the eggs.
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY BANANA MUFFINS
Gathered your ingredients? Then let’s quickly cover how to make the best healthy banana muffins! Like I promised earlier, this recipe is easy and rather quick to make. I also have some tips to ensure your muffins turn out deliciously soft and flavorful!
Prepare the muffin pan. This is the half-sized one I own. It’s so handy for small batch recipes like this! I also love how it bakes muffins (and cupcakes!) more evenly than traditional metal pans. The muffins’ sides don’t brown nearly as much with this pan, so they turn out light and moist, almost exactly like the muffins’ tops!
If you plan on dolloping the batter right into the muffin pan, then coat it with cooking spray first. If you’d like to use cupcake liners, whether paper or foil ones, drop those in and then coat them with cooking spray.
Yes — spray the liners! Low fat batters like this one tend to stick to liners like superglue. Coating them with cooking spray helps the liners peel away much more easily. I use this trick whenever I’m baking batches of healthy muffins or healthy cupcakes!
Measure correctly. I know I may sound like a broken record at this point, but… It’s extremely important to measure the flour and banana correctly.
For the flour, use this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Do NOT scoop it directly from the container with your measuring cups! This can result in adding 1 ½ times as much flour, and that will throw off the ratio of wet and dry ingredients. Your muffins would turn out dry, crumbly, and bland… Rather than soft, moist, fruity, and sweet. It’s worth taking those few extra moments to measure properly!
For the banana, measure it by tablespoons or grams, NOT by number of bananas. Not all “medium” bananas are the exact same size! If yours is a bit smaller, there won’t be as much moisture in the batter, so your muffins would turn out dry. They’d also taste blander and less sweet. Conversely, if your banana is on the larger side, it’d add too much moisture, so your muffins wouldn’t bake properly, might collapse while cooling, and could turn out denser. Yet if you use tablespoons or grams, you’ll be rewarded with the best healthy banana muffins!
Mix by hand. Put away your hand-held mixer and stand mixer! Those tend to overmix low fat batters like this one. Overmixing can lead to tough, gummy, dense, or rubbery textures. Not good!
Instead, use a whisk where explicitly instructed, and use a fork for everything else. That’s right — a fork! The empty spaces between its tines let the ingredients pass through and mix more efficiently (compared to the wide flat surfaces of spatulas and spoons), and that helps guard against overmixing. Just remember to stir gently!
Bake. It’s time! Slide your pan into the oven, and set a timer. Your healthy banana muffins are done baking when the tops feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean or with some crumbs attached.
FAQS ABOUT HEALTHY SMALL BATCH BANANA MUFFINS
Are these healthy banana muffins vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, low fat, low calorie, or clean eating?
Yes — to everything! As written, these banana muffins are naturally egg-free, clean eating, low fat, and low calorie (compared to more traditional recipes!). I’ve also included easy swaps and substitutions to make them gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan in the Notes section of the recipe.
Can I substitute a different flour?
Absolutely! Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, and all-purpose flour all work really well.
I don’t have plain nonfat Greek yogurt. What can I use instead?
If you have another type of Greek yogurt (ie vanilla-flavored or something with a higher fat content), that would be the best alternative! Other types of yogurt, including non-Greek or non-dairy (ie soy- or almond-based) also work really well.
If you’d prefer, you can substitute more mashed banana, but your muffins will turn out slightly denser. Just something to keep in mind!
Can I use a different sweetener?
Yup! Honey and agave are the two best alternatives.
What about a different type of milk?
You sure can! Almost any kind will work, so feel free to substitute whatever you already have in your fridge.
My muffins weren’t as sweet as I wanted them to be. How can I make them sweeter?
There are two main ways! First, make sure you’re using a really ripe and spotty banana. I like waiting until it’s almost purely brown or black. Those borderline overripe bananas contain more natural sweetness, so your muffins will taste sweeter and more flavorful.
Second, you can substitute additional sweetener for an equal amount of milk. (For example, add one extra tablespoon of pure maple syrup, and reduce the milk by one tablespoon to compensate.)
Can I double the recipe?
You bet! If you have enough bananas to make a double batch, you can easily bake a full dozen.
What’s the best way to store these healthy banana muffins? And how long will they last?
Store these muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should last at least four days, if not longer. They freeze and thaw quite nicely too!
Enjoy your freshly baked muffins! ♡ And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy banana muffins!
Healthy Small Batch Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120g) white whole wheat flour or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ tsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp (100g) mashed banana (about 1 medium – and see Notes!)
- 2 tbsp (30g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp (15mL) pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60mL) nonfat milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat 6 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. (If using liners, then line 6 muffins cups with liners and coat them with cooking spray.)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter or coconut oil and vanilla. Stir in the mashed banana. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the maple syrup. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.)
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 20-22 minutes or until the tops feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with some crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Notes
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Muffins
♡ Healthy Small Batch Lemon Blueberry Muffins
♡ Healthy Small Batch Maple Peach Muffins
♡ Healthy Small Batch Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
♡ Healthy Small Batch Fudgy Brownies
♡ Healthy Small Batch Apple Crisp
♡ Healthy Small Batch Blueberry Crumble Bars
♡ Healthy Small Batch Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy banana recipes and healthy muffin recipes!
Hi Amy, these look delicious! Thanks for the tip to use a silicone pan. Do you have to put a cookie sheet under it or do you put it straight on the oven rack?
My pleasure Manike! I don’t put a cookie sheet underneath my silicone muffin pan. I just put it directly on the oven rack! I’ve noticed that if I put a baking sheet underneath, the muffins’ bottoms turn darker brown, like when baked in a traditional metal muffin pan, and the 6-cup silicone muffin pan isn’t so floppy that it needs a cookie sheet underneath to stabilize it. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try these muffins!
This makes me wish we still lived close to each other so that we could go on 2 hour power walk and talks!! Especially with the beautiful weather that is happening this weekend! I hope the sunshine is treating you well down there!! <3
YES!! We should have a phone call walking date sometime! Or… Just convince the hubby to move down here?? 😉 Either way, miss you like crazy sweet pea!!
I replaced the flour with gluten free quick cooking oats, and added cinnamon and walnuts… the texture of the batter was a bit thick because of the oats, so I decided to form them into cookies instead! They came out pretty good and were a quick and easy recipe!!
That’s such a smart idea to turn the extra thick oat-batter into cookies! I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Riley! 🙂
I am amazed that you don’t need eggs! First time looking at your page and I’m loving all of your recipes! I am looking for something super healthy for my toddler who has a hard time with breakfast and I usually need something on the go for him. So far his favourite breakfast is pancakes made with overnight oats, banana and an egg.
Can I add chocolate chips or blueberries to this recipe?
Can I substitute the flour with the homemade oat flour that you explained how to make in another post? If so, same amount? If not, do you have any other recipes to try the oat flour? I can’t wait to use it!
Thanks so much in advance!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipes, Cristina! I’m so honored that you’d want to make them for your toddler. 🙂 You can definitely add chocolate chips or blueberries to these muffins! You can substitute oat flour, but the muffins will probably turn out slightly denser because oat flour lacks gluten — and gluten is what enables baked goods to rise and hold their shape while cooling. The best way to find specific recipes (like ones that use oat flour!) is to click on the “Recipes” tab at the top of my blog or use the Search Bar (located at the top of my blog, if you’re viewing on a computer, or the bottom of my blog, if you’re viewing on a mobile device). I can’t wait to hear what you think of these muffins if you try them!
Thank you SO much! I tried these muffins with the oat flour and one of your oatmeal cookies recipe since I had 2 perfect bananas for baking … my 2 year old and 4 year old LOVED them! They kept asking more for and even my 4 year old said “it’s delicious” . These recipes are so simple that I could make them with 2 VERY busy kids running and playing around. I doubled it but only used 1 tbsp of maple syrup since the bananas were so sweet.
Next on my list is to make them those chocolate Teddy Grahams and the quinoa crackers to bring them for snacks to the park! Your recipes are changing our lives, I don’t know how I didn’t find you before.
Thank you again!
Oh my goodness, Cristina — that means SO much to me!! My heart is absolutely glowing right now. It means the world to me that your children loved the treats — and that they’d ask for more! WOW! Thank you for taking the time to share that with me! 🙂 I’m so honored that you want to try more of my recipes, too. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the Teddy Grahams and crackers!! ♡
Just made these today and they’re amazing! Can’t belibe how low calorie and guilt free they are, thanks so much ☺️?
I’m so glad you loved these muffins Rebecca! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
LOVE LOVE LOVED THIS RECIPE!!!! These muffins were awesome!! I added in some sugar free dark chocolate chips, and it took my boyfriend all of two seconds to smell them in the oven and come into the kitchen to snag one. Both of us agreed this is a 100% make again recipe. Thank you!!!
I’m so glad you and your boyfriend loved these muffins Shae! That means so much to me that you already think you’ll make this recipe again — that’s the best kind of compliment! Thank you for taking the time to let me know! You made my entire day!! 🙂
I was wondering if I could substitute brown sugar for the maple syrup in the recipe? Thanks!
Yes! If you’d like to substitute brown sugar for the maple syrup, you’ll need 1 tablespoon + an additional 2 teaspoons of milk (any kind will work!) to compensate for the missing liquid volume. I’d love to hear what you think of these muffins if you try making them, Yasmin! 🙂
We are trying to eat healthier and your recipe was just perfect! I doubled the batch and made mini muffins instead. I think that I over mixed the batter a bit but me and my family really enjoyed them anyway, with some powdered sugar! 👍 Thank you for this wonderful recipe and thank you for responding to my comment!😊
It’s my pleasure, Yasmin! Thank YOU for taking the time to let me know — that truly means a lot! 🙂 Did you happen to use a hand-held mixer or stand mixer to make the batter? If so, that would definitely overmix the batter! I highly recommend using a whisk where explicitly instructed and a fork for everything else when making my recipes. (That’s how I make them!) That will yield the best texture every time!
Irresistibly delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins, Harper! Thank you for taking the time to let me know — it means a lot! 🙂
In your descriptive paragraph about the amount of butter you use, the amount you say to use is 1/2 Tbsp. However, in the recipe ingredient list, 1/2 tsp. is called for. I’m quite sure you intend it to be 1/2 Tbsp., but that isn’t the way the recipe is written! A correction is needed.
Thanks for catching that typo, Lynette! All fixed. The recipe is correct — it’s ½ teaspoon! I should’ve double checked my commentary in the blog post about teaspoon vs tablespoon. I was just a bit too excited to publish this recipe and share it with you! 😉 I really hope you enjoy these banana muffins if you end up making them!