These banana protein muffins are EASY to make, fluffy, and so tasty. They are the perfect protein packed breakfast or snack for busy mornings with a whopping 8 grams of protein per muffin! Paleo gluten free, and kid approved.
Last week I was obsessing over my Paleo Chocolate Banana Bread recipe, and now I’m loving these light and fluffy protein muffins. I had a few ripe and spotty brown bananas that were about to go bad, so I figured it was the perfect time to make some protein powder muffins.
If you love banana bread, then this is a recipe for YOU. These muffins are made with almond flour, ripe bananas, protein powder, and almond butter for a healthy, but bakery style muffin. I wanted the flavor, texture and size similar to a muffin that you’d drool over at the bakery, but without all the processed sugar and flour.
soft, moist, and fluffy….with a crisp crackly muffin top ✔
Why This Recipe Is So Good:
Each muffin is packed with 8 grams of protein!
They’re made with grain free almond flour, but still fluffy, and moist.
These healthy banana protein muffins are made with whole food ingredients, so you can eat them guilt free. AND there is only one bowl required.
They’re super easy to make ahead, freeze, or meal prep.
They are naturally sweetened with bananas, so no refined sugar.
These healthy muffins are grain free, dairy free, gluten free, and Paleo.
For the ingredients you’ll need some pantry staples (honey, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, almond butter, and protein powder), as well as some fresh produce (bananas, and eggs).
How To Make:
The prep for this muffin recipe is just a quick and easy 5 minutes!
No mixer or blender needed. Mash the bananas with a fork in a large bowl. I mashed mine until there were no large chunks, but there were still small chunks. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and honey (optional).
Add the dry ingredients. Stir in the almond flour, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, and protein powder. It’s important not to over mix the batter here. This will leave the muffins tasting cakey instead of moist and fluffy.
Fold in the almond butter with a baking spatula and divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups, filling 3/4 of the way. (There should be an even ratio of dry to wet ingredients. If you find your muffin batter to be too dry, add in a tablespoon or two of almond milk.)
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown. Insert a toothpick or fork and the batter should come out clean.
What Kind Of Protein Powder Should I Use?
These high protein banana muffins use 2 scoops or (1/2 cup packed) of protein powder.
When looking for a clean protein powder you want one that’s made without artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose), gums (guar gum, xanthan gum), fillers, gluten, additives, dyes, and other random ingredients you can’t pronounce. The healthiest protein powders are those with minimal ingredients.
There are many different types of protein powders, and you have to figure out which proteins (animal-based, or plant based) work best for your body. I don’t tolerate dairy well (hence why a lot of my recipes are Paleo), so I stick with collagen protein, or paleo protein powder.
PaleoPro Protein Powder – I love this protein powder. I’ve tried both the chocolate and vanilla. It has clean ingredients and is so tasty! It’s gluten free, dairy free, whey free, soy free, and with no added hormones.
Further Food Collagen – This collagen is unflavored, however they do have a chocolate and vanilla flavor. It’s sourced from the highest quality grass-fed, pasture-raised hydrolyzed bovine hide collagen. Non-GMO, Antibiotic-Free, Hormone-Free, Sugar-Free, Kosher-Certified, Paleo & Keto.
Organifi Vanilla Protein – a plant based protein powder that’s dairy free, gluten free, keto friendly, soy free, organic, and 100% vegan
Protein Muffin Variations:
Instead of mashed banana you can use unsweetened apple sauce or mashed baked sweet potato.
Use any nut butter (peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, cashew butter) to replace the almond butter.
The honey is optional, because the bananas got you covered for this one, and provide all the sweetness you need. However, if you want to replace the honey use maple syrup, or coconut sugar will work as well.
To make Vegan you can use flax eggs, however I have not tested this out. Let me know how it goes!
Use a chocolate or vanilla protein powder. I recommend sticking with collagen protein powder, or protein powder (without whey).
Almond flour unfortunately does not have a great substitute.
If you want to use all-purpose flour it is a (1:1 substitution). Keep in mind that I have not tested this, so the quantity and baking time may vary. Almond flour typically requires more egg, so you may have to reduce the egg content if using all-purpose flour.
Oat flour is another option here. Use the 1:1 substitution rule, and let me know how it goes!
Whole wheat flour. Almond flour is heavier than wheat flour so you will have to adjust the quantities.
Tapioca flour and coconut flour. Use 1 cup of each in place of 2 cups of almond flour.
Feel free to add in some chocolate chips, dried fruit, or nuts to the muffins for some extra flavor.
These banana protein muffins are EASY to make, fluffy, and so tasty. They are the perfect protein packed breakfast or snack for busy mornings with a whopping 8 grams of protein per muffin! Paleo gluten free, and kid approved.
1/3 cup natural almond butteror natural nut butter of choice (runny kind works best)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease muffin tin with oil or insert muffin liners into 12-cup muffin pan. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas until there are no large chunks left. Then add eggs, honey, and vanilla, and whisk until well combined.
Stir in the almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and protein powder using a baking spatula. Be careful not to over mix the batter.
Divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups filling 3/4 of the way. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes.
Storing – store in an air tight container in the fridge for you to 1 week, or at room temperature on the counter for up to 5 days.
Reheating – Warm the muffins in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and keep warming at 30 second intervals until it is warmed to your liking. To reheat in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the muffins on a baking sheet and reheat for 15-20 minutes.
Freezing – Let the banana muffins cool before adding them to a zip lock bag, Stasher bag, or freezer safe container. (If you plan to store them, do not frost the muffins with almond butter). Defrost the muffins the night before on the counter before you plan to eat them.
Category:Breakfast
Method:Oven
Cuisine:American
Keywords: Protein Muffins, protein muffin recipe, protein powder muffins, almond flour banana muffins
Hi, I’m Abbey! Food blogger, health coach, and personal trainer. I’m just a girl who loves food, and loves to show others how good healthy eating can taste! Here you’ll find easy real food recipes as well as healthy lifestyle and fitness content. I’d love to get to know you!
These are so yummy it’s hard to eat only one. I used collagen peptides which I’m not sure is the same or different than collagen protein but they came out perfect. Very excited to try different combinations the next time I make them. Thank you so much for the recipe 😊
Have you tried baking these in “brownie/cake” form as opposed to muffins? I would like to pour everything in one pan, bake, and cut into servings for grab and go. It would save time and I don’t like have a cup cake tin – any advice?
Can I leave the protein powder out? I don’t have any.
Hi Karin,
I think it should be fine, however I have not tested them without. Let me know how they turn out!
These are so yummy it’s hard to eat only one. I used collagen peptides which I’m not sure is the same or different than collagen protein but they came out perfect. Very excited to try different combinations the next time I make them. Thank you so much for the recipe 😊
★★★★★
So glad they turned out well with collagen! Thank you so much for the comment Alisa 🙂
Have you tried baking these in “brownie/cake” form as opposed to muffins? I would like to pour everything in one pan, bake, and cut into servings for grab and go. It would save time and I don’t like have a cup cake tin – any advice?