These chocolate chip banana protein muffins are the ultimate meal prep snack. They’re healthy, sweetened with just honey, made with almond flour and ready in under 30 minutes.
I’ve been on a bit of a protein powder kick lately. I love adding it to smoothies of course, but lately I’ve been loving it in pancakes and now these banana protein muffins.
These muffins are the perfect recipe to have on hand for quick snacks, whether after school, post-workout or when the late night chocolate cravings hit.
Protein powder is great for baking because it can help turn a very non-nutritious recipe into a very nutritious one! As far as which one is best, I like pea protein, but if you are not dairy free, whey is great too!
They’re naturally gluten free, dairy free, oil free and ready to eat in about 30 minutes. Try my protein cookie dough, healthy chocolate chip cookies or protein overnight oats next!
Key Ingredients & substitutions
Banana puree. This is one of the key ingredients that add moisture to these banana protein muffins and help naturally sweeten them.
Be sure to use very ripe and spotty bananas and puree them instead of mash them. This is key for the texture!
Almond & oat flour. We’re using half almond flour and half oat flour, but you are welcome to use all of one or the other if you prefer. The texture is best with half of each, but it will work with all of one. Same with my gluten free chocolate muffins!
Honey. Honey will help add some sweetness to the muffins without tons of added sugar. I have not tested these with maple syrup, but I imagine that would work as well.
Protein powder. I use a vanilla pea protein for this recipe, which I recommend. You can use other kinds of protein such as whey, but I recommend sticking with vanilla for the best flavor. You want to make sure it has stevia or some kind of sweetener for the best flavor.
We’ll be using 1/2 cup of protein powder, which adds just the right amount of nutrition, but not so much that the texture is negatively impacted.
Eggs. The eggs help bind all of the ingredients together, add moisture and add some extra protein!
How to make banana protein muffins
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin tin with 10 liners and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients.
Whisk in the dry ingredients, aside from the chocolate or nuts if using. Fold in the nuts or chocolate chips.
Scoop into the prepared tray, filling each liner about 3/4 of the way up. Bake for 18-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving.
Can you bake with protein powder?
Yes! I love adding protein powder into pancakes, baked protien oats, muffins, protein donuts, cookies and even chocolate cake. I don’t recommend adding it into a traditional recipe, it’s important to follow a recipe that already calls for protein powder for best results.
Protein powder sort of acts like flour in baked goods, it will absorb excess moisture and add structure. When used in the right amount, it will keep the recipe nice and fluffy and flavorful.
How to store and freeze
To store: Once prepared, these banana protein muffins will keep at room temperature for 3-5 days. I like to store them in a container or a ziplock bag to keep them moist.
To freeze: I have not tried freezing them, but I do think that would work well! Be sure to let them cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 1 month.
To reheat: If frozen, let the muffins defrost in the fridge, then reheat until warm through the center at 300. If they were simply in the fridge or at room temp, just pop in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up!
Can I make them vegan?
I have not tested these without the eggs, and to be honest, I don’t think the texture would turn out very well.
If you do choose to make them vegan, my suggestion would be to use two flax eggs or add in an additional 1/2 cup of banana puree.
They won’t rise as much as they do with eggs or be quite as fluffy, but the flavor will still be delicious.
Try these next!
- Matcha Muffins
- Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins
- Zucchini Muffins
- Sweet Potato Muffins
- Gluten Free Banana Bread Cookies
- Carrot Cake Muffins
- Protein Brownies
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
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Banana Protein Muffins
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Wet
- 1 cup banana puree
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry
- ½ cup blanched almond flour
- ½ cup oat flour
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder see notes
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips or chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a muffin tin with 10 liners and set aside. It helps to *also* spray the liners with oil as the protein powder can cause the batter to stick after baking.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients.
- Whisk in the dry ingredients, aside from the chocolate or nuts if using.
- Fold in the nuts or chocolate chips.
- Scoop into the prepared tray, filling each liner about 3/4 of the way up.
- Bake for 18-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving.
Ella says
This is the best protein recipe I have tried in a long time!
I used legion whey protein and sugar free maple syrup, turned out perfect. Did not get chewy/dry like other recipes when subbing with whey.
Claire Cary says
Thank you, Ella! So glad you enjoyed it.
Nicole says
Our whole house loves these! I find I have to add a splash of water to the batter but otherwise I follow the recipe exactly and it’s so delicious! We’ve used chocolate protein powder and it’s equally delicious. Thank you for sharing this! For mini muffins – cook 16-18 minutes, I think.
Jennifer Olson says
My family loves this recipe, thank you so much! This is my 3rd time making it. Yummmm
Claire Cary says
Love it! Thanks, Jennifer!
Dianne Dolyniuk says
Excellent! This is one of the best protein banana muffins I’ve tried.
The only thing I substituted was agave syrup for the honey. Otherwise followed exactly.
I used Gold Standard Pro Pow
Baked for 22 min in convection oven
Used 1/2 choc chips 1/2 walnuts
YUMMY
Claire Cary says
YUM! Thanks, Dianne!
Lisa says
Been making these muffins for a year now. It’s what started my baking hobby!! Love them!!
I notice sometimes when I use 3 bananas the fork comes out clean but just gooey. The top and bottom of the muffin are fully cooked and baked for 24 minutes. Any other recs so they’re not gooey but moist instead?
Claire Cary says
Are you pureeing or mashing the banana? What protein powder did you use? You can try baking for just a bit longer. Banana muffins tend to be a bit softer than other kind of muffins, but you can also try baking for just a few extra minutes.
Amanda says
This is a solid recipe. I used 1/8 cup oat brown and minused 1/8 cup from almond flour. This is for added fiber. I only had Hershey chocolate bars from Halloween to I chopped up some of those and sprinkles on top. I wish I had the Walnuts. I’ll def be making these more.
Claire Cary says
Sounds great! Thank you, Amanda!
Sabrina says
Like many women, I need to add more protein to my diet so I decided to try these as a breakfast treat. They are AMAZING! I used unflavored/unsweetened pea protein from Whole Foods and doubled the sweetener (I used 1/2 cup of Agave). I also did half walnut and mini chocolate chips. I only cooked them for 18 minutes so they were a little underdone but they were super moist and delicious. Thank you!
Claire Cary says
Love it! So glad you found something you enjoy!
Joy says
Teenager approved! I made these 3 times already…for my teenage son for breakfast f0r the week but then his friends ate all of them so I made a 2nd batch. Then decided to make a pumpkin version for my daughter who doesn’t like bananas(used canned pumpkin in place of the banana puree)& those were also good. Thank you!
Claire Cary says
Love to hear that!! Thanks, Joy!
Marina says
Can you substitute the almond flour for another kind of flour without throwing the protein content way off?
Claire Cary says
You can try oat flour!
S says
Great recipe! Made it with regular flour, a tad bit extra honey, half teaspoon of banana extract, a table spoon of vanilla and about a teaspoon of coconut oil. Also my protein powder wasn’t very sweet so I added a pinch of brown sugar on top of each muffin. Will definitely make again! Thanks
Claire Cary says
Sounds perfect, thank you!
Pam Smith says
These are so freaking good. Satisfies my sweet tooth, while still reaching my health goals. Thank you for sharing this. I used 3 bananas, truvani vanilla protein powder and enjoy life mini semi sweet chocolate chips.
Claire Cary says
Love it! Thank you, Pam!
Kristine says
Such a great recipe! Did not have Oat or almond flour (slowly eliminating gluten). Instead of chocolate chips, I added a tsp of special dark chocolate powder with chocolate protein powder & doubled the vanilla extract. I also used maple syrup instead of honey. Definitely recommend spraying the paper liners. Found my new sweet-tooth snack! Thank you!
Claire Cary says
Love it! Thanks, Kristine!
Emma Story says
Delicious! How many calories/ protein is this? Thank you!
Claire Cary says
Nutrition info is at the bottom of the recipe card!
Kirsten says
Delicious! Very moist. I used all almond flour and it worked great. I’ll definitely make again.
Claire Cary says
So glad you loved them!
Tyanna says
Did you sub the almond flour 1:1?
Katrin says
These were very good. I didn’t add any sweetener as the protein powder I use is already sweetened. I found them to be a bit dry though. How much oil, ghee, or butter do you think I should add to make them more moist?
Claire Cary says
If you’re cutting out the honey, I’d definitely add something to replace that moisture. You can try just 2-3 tablespoons of melted butter or oil. All protein powders are different, so some will absorb wet ingredients more than others and can cause a more dry texture.
S says
I use coconut oil for all my baking. You don’t need much usually about a teaspoon will do. I use it in banana nut bread, brownies cake you name it. I haven’t made this recipe yet, but I’m fixing to give it a try. Will leave a review.
Sarah says
roughly how many bananas are needed for the banana puree? excited to try this out!
Claire Cary says
About 3 medium bananas!
Adaira says
These are some of the best muffins I’ve ever made, and they’re super easy to make. However, they stick to the muffin wrappers really well, making them a bit more challenging to eat.
Claire Cary says
Thank you, Adaira! So happy you love them. I’d recommend spraying the liners with a bit of oil to prevent sticking!
Leanne says
I’ve been looking for ways to add extra protein into my diet and this recipe is definitely a keeper.
I had all the ingredients but no muffin tin, so I made it into a slice instead. So good! 👍
Rebekah says
Can I freeze these muffins for later? We’re going camping and I’d love to make some ahead of time.
Claire Cary says
Yes! Just let them cool completely and freeze in an air tight container.
Sue G. says
I made these today for my 13yr old son who’s been looking to increase protein in his diet. I used all oat flour because I have a nut allergy in the house. They were great!! Nice consistency and my son loved them! Thanks for an easy delicious recipe!
Laura says
Just tried these and they are so flavorful and delicious! I didn’t have oat flour so I doubled the almond flour and it worked out fine. They are slightly bit sweet to me, however, I think next time I will just not add as much honey. Other than that, amazing recipe! Thank you!
Claire Cary says
Amazing! You can definitely reduce the honey if you prefer them less sweet. So glad you enjoyed these!
Sandra says
So good! I have a nut allergy and a sensitivity to stevia so I actually did oat flour / bread flour.
I used unflavored protein powder so I added 2TBS of coconut sugar.
Added dye free sprinkles for the kiddos!
They turned out great!
Claire Cary says
So glad you made it work for you!
Angela says
Made these and the entire family loves them! My texture was more of a bread pudding than a muffin so not sure if I did something wrong. Still very good!
G says
Hi, this recipe looks amazing! I have not tried it yet though because I was wondering, would it ruin the recipe if I left out the protein powder? Thank you!
Claire Cary says
This recipe was designed to be made with protein powder so I wouldn’t leave it out!
Torie says
This is by far the best protein muffin recipe I’ve ever used, they actually taste good and aren’t grainy. Great for a quick breakfast/ snack and they’re also perfect if you have a sweet tooth but don’t want to totally go off the rails. I did half walnuts and half chocolate chips, best of both worlds and tasted great. I suggest cooking on the lowest time first and adding a few minutes at the end if need be so they don’t dry out.
Claire Cary says
Thank you so much, Torie! So glad you enjoyed these 🙂
Megan says
Omg I love this recipe so much I’ve made it a handful of times now. This last time the batter for some reason was a bit dry and decided to improvise and make them into cookies as an experiment. Let me tell you they came out sooooooo good. It’s unbelievable.
Claire Cary says
Love that idea!! I’ll have to try that!
Liz says
These banana muffins taste delicious. Great flavor and love the addition of protein to make it a great snack. Thank you!
Claire Cary says
Thank you, Liz! So glad you enjoyed these.
Olivia says
I just made these but swapped the banana for pumpkin, the honey for maple syrup, and added some pumpkin pie spice, and they were delicious! This will definitely be my go-to protein muffin recipe!
Claire Cary says
Yum! Love the pumpkin version!
Kalie says
Absolutely amazing recipe. Normally protein recipes kinda suck, this is a 10/10 ❤️
Claire Cary says
Thank you, Kalie!
kap says
Love these. Today is my second time making them in 2 weeks. I make a double batch and get 18 muffins. I also swapped walnuts for the pecans, and used 1/2 the chocolate chips (mini dark.) I used paper liners with spray. Perfect!
Claire Cary says
Yum, sounds perfect!
Jenny says
Can I use 1 cup of regular organic flour instead of half almond and half oat?
Claire Cary says
I haven’t tried that since all of my recipes are GF, I suggest sticking with the recipe as written!
Michelle says
Delicious!! (Even my traditional-baked goods-loving-teen likes these!!) And I love that there is no additional artificial sweetener other than what is in the protein powder.
Should i store these in the fridge?
Claire Cary says
Fridge will work for up to 5 days, or room temp for about 3 days!
Emerald says
Amazing, thank you!
Christie says
These muffins are absolutely AMAZING! We make these once a week! My boyfriend is obsessed with them and even told me his morning muffin brightens his day! Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe!
Meri Wyn says
Absolutely delicious!!
Great recipe!!
Pat S says
These muffins have an excellent texture and taste, the best I have found!
Claire Cary says
Thank you, Pat!
Nikki says
My kiddos are obsessed with these! I have to put my own stash aside so they don’t steal them haha We sub a flax egg to make them vegan!
Claire Cary says
Haha love that! Thanks Nikki 🙂
Britney says
Can you sub blueberries for chocolate chips?
Claire Cary says
Yes!
Angela says
Omg! Delicious…. I made it with just oat flour ( I had to improvise and just blended instant oats into a “flour”) as we have a severe nut allergy in our home.
One thing I wish I did using paper liners was to spray them as they stuck to the paper….. but the flavour and texture was amazing!
Claire Cary says
Perfect! So glad that worked. That might be because of the protein powder, but definitely try spraying the liners next time!
Nicole says
Absolutely love these muffins. I have made them twice now. Simple to make and delicious! Perfect snack for work.
Claire Cary says
Thanks, Nicole!
McKenna M says
Hello! I haven’t made these yet but I’m definitely going to! Quick question. Do you think I could freeze these?
Claire Cary says
I think that would be fine! Just let them cool completely, then reheat in the oven until warm through the center.
Ri says
I made these today and really enjoyed them. I used two bananas and vital brand vanilla protein powder. I was able to get 12 muffins and they cooked for 18 minutes. Would make again!
Claire Cary says
Amazing, thanks Ri!
Erin says
These look great! Can you use collagen instead of the protein powder?
Claire Cary says
Possibly, but I don’t recommend it since collagen doesn’t absorb wet ingredients the same way protein powder does.
Marcelo Lydia says
Hi, Claire, Greatings from Brazil! It seems really good, but I have one question: should I use one scoop of Whey or one cup? Thanks!
Claire Cary says
You need 1/2 cup of protein powder!
Marcelo Lydia says
Thanks!
Abby says
Is the calorie total including chocolate chips?
Claire Cary says
yes!
Kelsey says
Hi which kind of protein do you use??
Claire Cary says
I used a vanilla pea protein!
Lindsey R says
Wow these are amazing! You really don’t taste the protein powder. Bravo!! I also used 2 bananas and got a dozen out of the recipe.
Jennifer says
Great muffins and great shot of protein pick me up in the middle of the day! Loved these!