This simple recipe for Healthier Banana Muffins is full of banana flavor and quick to throw together. These muffins are packed with ripe bananas and rely on a hefty amount of Greek Yogurt to keep them nice and moist, while cutting back on the saturated fat.
Jump to:
- Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Ingredients in Healthier Banana Muffins
- How to Make Healthy Banana Muffins with Greek Yogurt
- Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Healthier Banana Muffins Frequently Asked Questions
- Storing and Freezing Muffins
- Healthier Banana Muffins Recipe
- More of our Favorite Muffin Recipes
Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
If you’re searching for a simple recipe for Healthier Banana Muffins that still taste amazing, look no further. These healthy banana chocolate chip muffins are packed with ripe bananas and rely on a hefty amount of Greek Yogurt to keep them moist. That way, you can cut back a little (but not completely!) on the butter.
These Greek yogurt banana muffins are good with or without chocolate chips, so make them whichever way your family prefers. When we make them at our house, we make half with and half without. Either way, we promise you will love this recipe.
If you love no-fail muffin recipes, be sure to check out our Berry Muffins. They’re equally amazing and have a crispy sugar crust on top of the muffins that’s to die for. These banana muffins would be amazing along side some of the best brunch recipes.
Ingredients in Healthier Banana Muffins
- Bananas - use the ripest bananas you can find to have the sweetest, most moist result. Brown spots are not only okay, they are good!
- Sugar - this recipe calls for regular white granulated sugar. Using half brown sugar and half white sugar also tastes amazing.
- Eggs - any kind of large whole eggs will work.
- Butter - you want to use unsalted butter for this recipe.
- Vanilla - vanilla extract is best, but imitation will be fine, too.
- Flour - use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Baking Soda - baking soda helps the muffins to rise in the oven and keeps them super soft.
- Salt
- Greek Yogurt - any plain Greek yogurt will do, but make sure it’s a high-quality brand with less water content.
- Mini Chocolate Chips - these are optional, but add delicious little bursts of melty chocolate flavor that our family loves.
How to Make Healthy Banana Muffins with Greek Yogurt
- Mix together the wet ingredients. In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the ripe bananas, sugar, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Using the paddle attachment, mix them together for about a minute to break up any large pieces (you can also use a hand mixer if you want).
- Add the dry ingredients. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and add about half into the bowl with the banana mixture.
- Alternate adding the dry with the Greek Yogurt. Mix for a few seconds, and add the Greek yogurt. Add the rest of your dry ingredients and mix on low, just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix! Small lumps of banana are ok.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. If using, gently fold in the mini chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.
- Bake. Lightly spray muffin pan with nonstick spray (or use paper liners) and fill about ⅔ full. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and serve. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before removing from the baking tins to cool completely. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use very, very, ripe bananas. Overripe and brown mashed bananas have the strongest, sweetest banana flavor. The riper the bananas, the higher the sugar content and the lower the starch. You can also use bananas that you’ve stuck in the freezer, just be sure to thaw them and drain the liquid before using them.
- Fat. You need some sort of fat, and in this case, we use butter because it adds such a great flavor. We add in the Greek yogurt to add even more moisture but lower the saturated fat a touch.
- Don’t overbake. The baking time is just a guideline and you should always test with a toothpick or oven tester. When it comes out clean, your muffins are done.
- Gluten free muffins. If you want to make these gluten free, substitute your favorite gluten free flour instead of all-purpose flour. Voila!
- Even healthier banana muffins. If you want to make your muffins even healthier, try substituting half whole wheat flour. You can also replace some of the cane sugar with honey or pure maple syrup.
Healthier Banana Muffins Frequently Asked Questions
The time we give is just a good estimate, but it all depends on your oven, how accurate the temperature is, if you have convection, and so on.
The best way to know is to test them. Quickly take the pan out of the oven and stick a cake tester or toothpick into the center. When you remove it, if it has batter stuck to it, throw it back in the oven for a few more minutes. If it comes out clean, your muffins are baked.
To make mini banana muffins with Greek yogurt, you can make the batter as directed and fill your mini cupcake tins (with mini cupcake liners if you want). The baking time will be quite a bit less, depending on how “mini” you get, so be sure to check them once they have been in the oven for about 8 minutes.
Yup! You can make the batter and store it sealed in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, or you can transfer to freezer bags and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To use, defrost in the fridge overnight, and then fill your muffin tins and bake as directed.
Storing and Freezing Muffins
- Room temperature: store banana muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh for a few days that way.
- Freezing muffin batter: store muffin batter in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month. To use, thaw in the fridge overnight and then bake as directed the following day.
- Freezing baked muffins: store completely cooled muffins in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you want to serve them, let them defrost overnight at room temperature, then transfer back into muffin cups and rewarm in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through.
Healthier Banana Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Bananas over-ripe, with brown spots
- ¾ cup Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 3 Tablespoons Butter melted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ cup Greek Yogurt plain
- 1 cup Mini Chocolate Chips *optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the ripe bananas, sugar, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Using the paddle attachment, mix them together for about a minute to break up any large pieces (you can also use a hand mixer if you want).
- Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and add about half into the bowl with the banana mixture.
- Mix for a few seconds, and add the Greek yogurt. Add the rest of your dry ingredients and mix on low, just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix! Small lumps of banana are ok.
- If using, gently fold in the mini chocolate chips using a rubber spatula. Lightly spray muffin pan with nonstick spray (or use paper liners) and fill about ⅔ full.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before removing from the baking tins to cool completely. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More of our Favorite Muffin Recipes
- Easy Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Muffins with Cheesecake Swirl
- Applesauce Muffins
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Best Cornbread Muffins
- More Breakfast Recipes
- More Quick Bread Recipes
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Your family will love this simple recipe for Healthier Banana Muffins. They are packed with ripe bananas and Greek yogurt keeping them perfectly moist, full of flavor and low in saturated fat.
Monica
Have you ever made your muffins with einkorn flour - how would I adjust the recipe 🙂
Monica
The Carefree Kitchen
I have some recipe testing this week, einkorn banana muffins. I'll be posting it in the next couple of weeks. Usually, you just need to reduce the amount of liquid by about a third. Thanks for asking! Any other recipes you're looking for with einkorn flour?