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Enjoy these healthy Peanut Butter Banana Muffins as an afternoon treat or a grab-and-go breakfast. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, with plenty of protein and not a lot of added sugar.
When you think of muffins, you may not think of a nutritious breakfast, but these banana peanut butter muffins have protein, fiber, and are low-calorie. They are still sweet thanks to very ripe bananas, a sprinkle of coconut sugar, and chocolate chips, but better for you than a typical muffin. What’s not to love?!
If you like peanut butter and banana recipes, you will love my low-calorie banana oat muffins and sugar-free coconut flour banana bread!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free: These peanut butter banana oat muffins use gluten-free oats and dairy-free milk. They are perfect for a variety of dietary needs.
- Only 10 Ingredients: This muffin recipe is fairly simple, and you can find most of the ingredients in your pantry or refrigerator without a trip to the grocery store.
- Low Calorie and Healthier Than Regular Muffins: These banana and peanut butter muffins rely on overripe bananas as the main sweetener, which lowers the calories. They also have added protein from the peanut butter and an egg white.
Ingredients
- Very Ripe Bananas: Your bananas should be almost black for this recipe. Extremely ripe bananas are sweeter which eliminates the need for much additional sugar. They are also softer and easier to mix into the batter.
- Egg White: This helps bind the ingredients together and helps them rise.If you wanted to use a whole egg you would use 1/2 of a whole egg, but that will alter the nutritional information.
- Chocolate Chips: Add a little extra chocolate flavor with some chocolate chips. Just be sure they don’t contain dairy if you want this recipe to remain dairy-free. Love chocolate and peanut butter? Try these healthy peanut butter chocolate blondies and peanut butter granola bars recipe next!
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Make Them Peanut Free: If you want to make this peanut butter banana muffin recipe peanut-free, you can use a creamy almond or cashew butter instead!
- Try Different Mix Ins: Make these muffins with raisins, dried cranberries, shredded coconut, or caramel chips instead of chocolate chips. Change the mix-ins seasonally, or just depending on your mood.
- Vanilla Extract: This recipe calls for almond extract, but you can substitute it for vanilla extract instead.
How to Make Peanut Butter Muffins
These banana and peanut butter muffins have protein, less sugar, and less calories than regular muffins, which makes them a better breakfast option. Preheat your oven to 350° F and prep your muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray and muffin liners.
Step 1: Prepare the Wet Ingredients. Add the egg white and very ripe bananas to a large mixing bowl and mix until incorporated.
Step 2: Add the Peanut Butter. Mix in the almond extract, almond milk, coconut sugar, and peanut butter.
Step 3: Mix In the Dry Ingredients. Add the oats, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
Step 4: Add Chocolate Chips. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 5: Transfer to a Muffin Tin. Transfer the batter to the prepared muffin tin. Fill each space in the tin about ¾ of the way.
Step 6: Bake the Muffins. Let the muffins bake at 350°F for about 15-18 minutes. Enjoy with Greek yogurt scrambled eggs, or a red pepper frittata for a protein-packed breakfast.
Expert Tips
- Don’t Overcombine the Oats: If you overmix the batter for these muffins, they won’t rise properly. Instead, they will be dense, flat, and have an unappetizing texture.
- Use a Smooth Peanut Butter: Smooth, creamy peanut butter is best for this recipe because it will mix into the batter more easily. If your peanut butter is thick or hard try heating it up in the microwave for a few seconds until you can easily pour it into the muffin batter.
- Storing Leftovers: Keep the muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. You can also freeze them for up to 30 days. Be sure to thaw frozen muffins for 24 hours in the refrigerator before enjoying.
Serving Suggestions
These healthy peanut butter muffins are the perfect addition to a balanced breakfast to help start your day. They also make a great snack in the afternoon! The sugar and protein will help put a little pep in your step to get you through the rest of the day. Plus, the chocolate chips make them perfect for when you just want a sweet treat.
- If you’re eating breakfast on the go most mornings, pair these muffins with egg white bites so you’re fueling your body on your way out the door.
- Of course, muffins and smoothies are a perfect pairing. Enjoy them with a healthy, high-protein smoothie for breakfast or as fuel for the day after a workout.
- Crumble these muffins into a healthy banana pudding for a sweet treat in the afternoon.
Recipe FAQs
You can store bananas in a brown bag to speed up the browning process. Place 3 small bananas in a brown paper bag and roll the top shut. Place the bag on the counter for a day or two until they are ripe enough.
I would not recommend using sunflower butter. It turns green when combined with baking powder, which makes it look rather unappealing.
In theory, you could use a flax or chia egg to make a vegan version of these muffins, but I haven’t personally tested this substitution.
More Healthy Muffin Recipes
If you tried this Healthy Banana Peanut Butter Muffins recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 small Bananas, very ripe, black is best
- 1 Egg White
- ⅓ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk, or milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon Almond Extract, or vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Peanut Butter, unsalted and creamy
- ⅓ cup Coconut Sugar, or sugar of choice
- 2 ½ cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats, or regular rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ cup Mini Chocolate Chips, or dairy free chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare a muffin tin by spraying it with cooking spray or using muffin liners. I recommend spraying the muffin liners with a bit of cooking spray if using to prevent sticking.
- Using a standing mixer or using a hand mixer, add the egg white and bananas and blend together until banana is mashed very well and incorporated into the egg about 3-4 minutes. Then add almond extract, milk, sugar and peanut butter and blend until combined.
- Next add the oats, cocoa powder, baking power and salt to the bowl and mix to combine. Do not over mix. Finally fold in chocolate chips into the batter by hand.
- Transfer to your muffin tin filling the batter about ¾ of the way full.
- Bake 15-18 minutes until a toothpick can be removed clean. These will be thick muffins so check before removing from the oven.
- Once they are done, remove from the oven, cool in the pan 5 minutes at room temperature then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with a touch of cinnamon then enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Don’t over mix the batter for these muffins, or they will turn out dense, flat, and have an unappetizing texture.
- Smooth, creamy peanut butter mixes into the batter more easily. Heat thick or hard peanut butter in the microwave for a few seconds until you can easily pour it into the muffin batter.
- Try putting your bananas in a paper bag for a day or 2 to help speed up the ripening process.
- Keep muffins in the refrigerator in a storage container up to 7 days or freeze up to 30 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I hate to say that life has made me more a pessimist but always trying to be better. I anticipate the worst & hope for the nest. 🙂
Me too especially with all the stuff that happened to me last year.
Honestly, I think it’s about time things started looking up for you. I know you’ve dealt with a lot this past year, so I think things are finally balancing out for you 🙂 More like what goes down, eventually has to go right back up?
And lately you’ve been speaking to my soul with these peanut butter and chocolate recipes. I have so much baking to catch up on!
I am definitely skeptical whenever things start to go well because of how much bad stuff happened to me all at one time last year, but I sure hope you’re right about things looking up!
Banana, peanut butter, and chocolate…I’m pretty sure that is THE perfect combination! These look awesome. Thanks for sharing 🙂
You can never go wrong with that combo, right?
Banana, peanut butter, and chocolate… just a few of my favorite things!! yum!
They’re kind of my loves too. 🙂
Megan, I see a lot of your recipes have bananas. I have an allergy to bananas – what sorts of things could I use in place of them? Thanks… Great blog by the way….
Hi Tracy, avocado, nut butter, regular butter or oil are substitutes for bananas. I don’t test substitutions in my recipes so I cannot attest they will all work as the original though.
These look good! I will have to do some baking.
I try to be as optimistic as possible, and I do have a bright view on life, but traffic and parking are the worries I cannot control.
Ugh…traffic is the worst. I hope you like the muffins!
Holy yum! It just takes 1.5 hour drive if I want to steel some of these from you right?????
Haha! I don’t have any, but I’m sure I could whip some up in the time it would take for you to get here.
I love that you made them in a brownie pan instead of a muffin pan because the edges get more crispy! Good thinking 🙂
Thanks! I need to use it more. I keep forgetting about it.
Sometimes? you just have to believe that the world evens out–you’ve been through plenty of shit. It is your turn 😀
I hope you’re right!
When I worried about things as a kid, my mom had me do the “worst case scenario” thing which somewhat worked. I think the pessimism is just anxiety because I experience it that way. Although I’m logical enough to think that when things are down, they HAVE to go up soon enough! Love the square muffin/mini loaf pan by the way!
Thanks! I keep forgetting I have it and need to start using it more. Maybe it will make me more optimistic!