These healthy banana muffins with granola are a wonderful way to enjoy a sweet treat, without the guilt! Whether you’re craving a late-night snack or looking to savor something with your morning coffee, these muffins are the perfect pick. In addition to being the most delicious healthy muffins you’ve ever had, this recipe is also easy and foolproof.
I have a huge sweet tooth so I am always looking for ways to indulge my sugary cravings while still living a healthy lifestyle. It is not always easy to create a healthy recipe that also satisfies my naughty cravings. For those who enjoy making delicious cuisine on the lighter side or if you simply just love baking, these healthy banana muffins with granola will surely become a staple in your kitchen!
What Makes These Muffins Healthy
There is an almost overwhelming amount of options when it comes to flour. You might find yourself feeling indecisive between almond flour, gluten free flour, or whole wheat flour. For this banana muffin recipe, I used whole wheat flour, which contains vitamins such as B-1, B-3, and B-5. While whole wheat flour is made up of the same amount of calories as the commonly used white flour, it is significantly high in fiber.
Another health benefit comes from swapping traditional cows milk with almond milk. Almond milk contains both fewer calories and fat than whole milk. Many are also not aware that regular milk has a very high sugar content by as much as 13g of sugar per serving. When cooking with almond milk, I recommend using a variety that is sugar free.
The Best Granola Options
Choosing the “healthiest” granola might seem like a simple task, but many brands are actually loaded with sugar and unhealthy additives. Granola is a great source of fiber, protein, and healthy fats, so it is important that you look for ones that are low in sugar in order to reap these health benefits. Here are some of my favorite healthy granola options, they all can be found on Amazon and each will add a unique flavor to your muffins!
- Bob’s Red Mill Homestyle Maple Sea Salt Granola, 11oz
- Wildway Keto, Vegan Banana Nut Granola | Certified Gluten Free Granola Breakfast Cereal, Low Carb Snack | Paleo, Grain Free, Non GMO, No Added Sugar | 8oz
- Granola, Bear Naked Fit V’Nilla Almond, Vegan & Kosher12oz
How to Make Healthy Banana Muffins with Granola
First, preheat your oven to 350F and prepare a 12 muffin tin with liners for each muffin. You will need a medium and large bowl to mix the dry and wet ingredients separately. In the medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients and stir to combine. Next, beat your eggs in the large bowl. Once this is done, add almond milk to the beaten eggs.
Now, you will mash both bananas and add them to the egg and milk mixture along with the softened butter. Stir the large bowl’s ingredients until it resembles a smooth batter. Then, gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient mixture and whisk until both are fully combined.
How can I use overripe bananas?
As bananas ripen their starches gradually turn into sugar, which creates a more natural alternative to regular sugar. Darker bananas also indicate more flavor which results in tastier baked goods like our healthy banana muffins. Overripe bananas are also easier to mash and incorporate into your recipes.
Slowly spoon the batter into the 12 muffin liners until about 3/4 of each liner is filled. To add an extra element of sweetness, you can sprinkle brown sugar on top before baking. I also recommend adding an optional sprinkle of cinnamon after the muffins are done baking to give them a visually pleasing decor.
Finally, place your healthy banana and granola muffins into the oven for 20-22 minutes. Another way to check if the muffins are done is by inserting a toothpick into a muffin until it comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for about 5 minutes in the muffin pan, and then transfer them to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Fun Ingredients to Add
If you’re feeling a bit indulgent, here are some tasty ideas for adding a little something unique to your healthy banana muffins recipe.
- Nuts – For those of you who enjoy an occasional crunch in your baked goods, you might consider adding 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds into the muffin mixture.
- Chocolate – Like I said before, I adore all things sweet, so occasionally I like to add chocolate chips to the mix (1/2 cup chocolate chips is the perfect amount)! You can even add sugar-free chocolate chips to keep this recipe low sugar and diabetic friendly.
Storage Tips
These muffins are so good we doubt they will last very long so you can leave them in an airtight container at room temperature and they will stay fresh for up to 3 days. You can also store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, to preserve the muffins can an entire week.
I typically make my banana and granola muffins for guests or family and enjoy them best when they are fresh out of the oven. However, another great way to eat them is by slicing a muffin in half, popping it in the toaster oven for a few minutes, and spreading a bit of butter over the halves while they are still warm.
Healthy Banana Muffins with Granola
EQUIPMENT
- 12 muffin tin
- muffin liners
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- masher
- wire rack
Ingredients
- 2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 ¼ cup granola
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large bananas ripe
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup almond milk
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a 12 muffin tin with 12 muffin liners. Mix all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
- Beat eggs in large bowl. Then add almond milk and stir to combine.
- Mash bananas and add them to the eggs and milk with the softened butter. Stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Whisk until combined.
- Spoon the batter into muffin liners, fill ¾ of the liners. Sprinkle some brown sugar on the top before baking (optional). Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Notes
- Muffins stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- The best way to eat these muffins (other than freshly made) is to reheat them, open them in halves and spread some butter over them when still warm.
- Whole wheat flour is the same as wholemeal flour, which is used in the UK.
Sondra Barker
