Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

These healthy banana muffins are soft, moist, naturally sweetened, and maybe most importantly, super easy to make! With just a few minutes of prep time and in less than 20 minutes, these fluffy muffins will be enjoyed by your entire family!

blue kids plate on a white countertop with colorful muffin liners with soft and moist banana muffins.
4.96 stars (23 ratings)
“Made these muffins today. Really delicious. I like the fact that ifs not too sugary. I used brown sugar instead of maple syrup . It really came out well and also used 1/2 wheat and 1/2 all purpose flour. Thanks again for this lovely recipe” -Oyekunbi
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Healthy Banana Muffins

Are you looking for a muffin recipe that you will be making on repeat for, let’s say, the next 5 years of your life?

Then, I’ve got you!

I have my fourth batch of these muffins in the oven right now because my kids are OBSESSED with them! We have been making them for years, but with school just starting up again, it’s time to get back on our muffin game.

I like to have my kids help make these muffins – my oldest loves to mash the bananas into the biggest mess possible, while my youngest likes to meticulously measure and pour all of the other ingredients. If this doesn’t sum up siblings, than I don’t know what does. I like to direct the entire operation while sipping my coffee. We are all leaning into our strengths, lol!

These healthy banana muffins are naturally sweetened with maple syrup and bananas (of course!) and are super yummy and soft. They are great for babies, toddlers, kids, and even adult-friendly. They come together quickly, which is perfect for busy weekends when you need to meal prep but don’t have ALL DAY. Plus, they’re freezer-friendly and easily adjustable to make gluten—or dairy-free.

We usually add a selection of toppings—chocolate chips, pecans, and sprinkles, to name a few—and I really let my kids control this aspect of the project while I make myself another cup of coffee.

If you are looking for more easy and healthy muffin recipes for kids and toddlers, then be sure to check out these fan-favorite Blueberry Avocado Mini Muffins, Mini Pumpkin Muffins, these delicious Spinach Muffins, or the best ever Applesauce Muffins. You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook, Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.

Banana Muffin Video

Kids hand reaching onto a yellow napkin with banana muffins in colorful wrappers.

Ingredients

Make sure to read the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!

  • Flour: you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat flour, a mixture of 50/50 white and whole wheat flour, or gluten-free one-for-one flour. 
  • Banana: you will need 2-3 very ripe bananas (1 cup) with lots of brown spots.
  • Maple Syrup: a good quality maple syrup to bring out the natural sweetness of bananas. You can also use honey (for babies 1 year and up) or agave nectar.
  • Eggs: use 2 large eggs or substitute 2 flax eggs to make it vegan
  • Oil/Butter: to make the muffins nice and moist. You can use coconut, avocado, vegetable, olive oil, or melted butter.
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Cinnamon
  • Baking Soda
  • Salt

Allergy Tips: to make these muffins gluten-free, you can use any one-for-one gluten-free flour blend. If you are looking for a dairy-free muffin option, you can use any plant-based milk you prefer such as almond, soy, hemp, oat, etc.

Welcome to my Kitchen, let’s get baking!

Silver mixing bowl with flour and baking ingredients against marble countertop.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
Silver mixing bowl, with muffin ingredients on a marble countertop.
In another large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients – mashed banana, eggs, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla extract.
Silver mixing bowl, with muffin batter inside against a marble countertop.
Mix together the wet and dry ingredients until just combined.
Muffin pan with healthy banana muffins ready to go into the oven.
Scoop the batter into a muffin tin.
Muffin pan with cooked banana muffins in them.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until just golden brown.
Serve and enjoy!

Best Way to Mash Bananas

One of the easiest ways to mash bananas is to simply peel and toss the peeled, ripe, bananas into a medium mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher until you reach a desired consistency. If you don’t have a potato masher, the next best option is to mash bananas with a fork.

Baked banana muffins sitting on a marble counter with bananas sitting next to them.

Toppings

Although these healthy banana muffins are completely delicious as is, feel free to experiment and mix in a few toppings. Toddlers and older kids love to help with sprinkling on their own toppings before baking!

  • chopped walnuts
  • chopped pecans
  • chocolate chips
  • white chocolate chips
  • chopped strawberries
  • blueberries

Mini Muffins

You can easily adjust these healthy banana muffins from regular size to mini muffins. Just bake mini muffins at the same temperature but decrease the baking time to 8-10 minutes. Mini muffins are one-third the size of regular muffins, which means that a muffin recipe that yields 12 large muffins will produce 36 mini muffins.

Pink tray with banana muffins lined up in colorful muffin wrappers.

Expert Tips

  • Do No Overmix: I can’t stress this point enough – do not over mix the muffin batter, if you do they won’t rise in the oven and will become dense and hard. The dry ingredients should be just combined with the wet ingredients.
  • Let Cool: let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes before enjoying them and let them cool completely before storing.
  • No Sticking: make sure you generously grease the muffin molds or use muffin liners so that the muffins don’t stick to the pan.
  • Don’t toss those bananas: use up very ripe bananas with brown spots for the perfect amount of sweetness.

Get the recipe: Kid Requested Healthy Banana Muffins (20 minutes)

5 stars (23 ratings)
These healthy banana muffins are soft, naturally sweetened, and maybe most importantly, super easy to make! It takes just a few minutes of prep to make these healthy muffins for toddlers and kids.
Yield: 12 muffins
Prep: 3 minutes
Cook: 18 minutes
Total: 21 minutes
Author: Michele Olivier
Course: Breakfast
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

  • 1 3/4 cup flour, all-purpose, white whole wheat, 50/50 white and whole wheat, or a gluten-free blend
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup mashed bananas from 2-3 very ripe bananas
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup melted butter or oil, avocado oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup toppings (optional)

Instructions 

  • Prep: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray or line a muffin tin.
  • Whisk: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
    Silver mixing bowl with flour and baking ingredients against marble countertop.
  • Stir: In a large bowl, stir together the mashed banana, maple syrup, butter/oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
    Silver mixing bowl, with muffin ingredients on a marble countertop.
  • Combine: pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
    Silver mixing bowl, with muffin batter inside against a marble countertop.
  • Fill Muffin Tin: Scoop the batter into the muffin tin 3/4 of the way full. Add any toppings, if using.
    Muffin pan with healthy banana muffins ready to go into the oven.
  • Bake: Place the muffin tin into the oven, and bake for 18-20 minutes or until just golden brown.
    Muffin pan with cooked banana muffins in them.
  • Eat: Let cool for 5-10 minutes, and serve.
    Kids hand reaching onto a yellow napkin with banana muffins in colorful wrappers.

Notes

Age: 9+ months
Mini or Regular Size: you can make these muffins into mini or regular-size muffins, the only difference is the baking time. For mini muffins, bake for 10-12 minutes, for regular muffins bake for 18-20 minutes. 
Storage: store in an air-tight container on the counter or fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 
Note on Flours: you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat flour, a mixture of 50/50 white and whole wheat flour, or gluten-free one-for-one flour. 
Oil/Butter: to make the muffins nice and moist. You can use coconut, avocado, vegetable, olive, or melted butter.
Banana Muffin Health Benefits
    • Bananas load these muffins up with potassium, B vitamins, vitamin C, and fiber.
    • These muffins use maple syrup instead of sugar, which make them less processed and contain more vitamins and nutrients.
    • Eggs provide fats and choline for brain and cognitive development.
How to Store & Freeze
Once the muffins have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container. They will keep on the counter for up to 4 days and in the fridge for up to a week.
To freeze the muffins, place the mini muffins into a freezer zip-lock baggie or stasher bag and place in the freezer. They will keep for up to 3 months frozen. Thaw frozen mini Banana Muffins overnight in the fridge or by gently warming them in the microwave.

Equipment

Stackable Glass Bowl Set
Measuring Cups

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