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Last updated February 6, 2023

Banana Protein Muffins (Paleo)

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.

Banana Protein Muffins drizzled with almond butter on wax paper

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 ✔

Banana Protein Muffins drizzled with almond butter in muffin tin pan

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. Don’t be afraid of brown bananas! The riper they are, the sweeter your muffins will taste.
  • These healthy muffins are grain free, dairy free, gluten free, and Paleo.
Protein muffins topped with a slice of banana and drizzled with almond butter on white background

Ingredients

The tools you’ll need for these protein banana muffins include: a 12-cup muffin tin pan, muffin liners (if you prefer), mixing bowl, and a baking spatula.

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).

Baked Banana Protein Muffin with a bite bitten out of it on a white background

How To Make:

The prep for this muffin recipe is just a quick and easy 5 minutes!

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. 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.)
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown. Insert a toothpick or fork and the batter should come out clean.
Smashed banana, whole eggs, honey, and vanilla in glass mixing bowl
Smashed banana, whisked eggs, protein powder, and almond flour in glass bowl
batter with almond butter in glass mixing bowl and baking spatula
batter in glass mixing bowl with baking spatula
Protein Powder Muffins topped with banana slices and almond butter in muffin tin pan

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. However, whey protein is another great option to cook with if you can tolerate dairy.

  • Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel (chocolate coconut)- This is the powder I used for this recipe. It is great to bake with! Here is the vanilla coconut flavor.
  • Paleo 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.
Muffins topped with banana and almond butter on a white background

Protein Muffin Variations:

  • Instead of mashed banana, you can use unsweetened apple sauce or mashed baked sweet potato. Anything with natural sweetness will work!
  • 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).
  • Experiment with adding Greek yogurt for some extra protein. This will add more moisture, so I recommend reducing the amount of banana, or almond butter. Try to keep the consistency the same as the photos.
  • 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 eggs, 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.
    • Gluten-free flour blend is the closest substitute for an all-purpose flour. However, you can’t use the 1:1 substitution rule. If you are using a gluten-free flour blend, I recommend finding a different recipe.
  • Add in some chocolate chips, dried fruit, or nuts to the muffins for some extra flavor.

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Protein muffins topped with a slice of banana and drizzled with almond butter on white background

Banana Protein Muffins


  • Author: Abbey Blackwell
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

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.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 small-medium bananas (about 1 cup mashed)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon honey, optional
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 scoops protein powder (1/2 cup packed)
  • 1/3 cup natural almond butter or natural nut butter of choice (runny kind works best)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease muffin tin with oil or insert muffin liners into 12-cup muffin pan. Set aside.
  2. 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.

    smashed banana, whole eggs, honey, and vanilla in glass mixing bowl

  3. 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.
    smashed banana, whisked eggs, protein powder and almond flour in glass bowl
  4. Add the almond butter and lightly fold it into the batter with a baking spatula.
    banana protein muffin batter with almond butter in glass mixing bowl
  5. Divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups, filling 3/4 of the way. *If you aren’t using baking cups or liners, spray the muffin pan with coconut oil or ghee before adding the batter. 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. banana protein muffins topped with banana slices and almond butter

Notes

  • 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 freezer bag (I love the 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.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 muffin
  • Calories: 196
  • Sugar: 5 g
  • Sodium: 335.4 mg
  • Fat: 8.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 12.1 g
  • Protein: 8.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 47.1 mg

Keywords: Protein Muffins, protein muffin recipe, protein powder muffins, almond flour banana muffins

Twelve Banana Protein Powder Muffins in a muffin tin pan

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  1. Just made these and they were fantastic. I used 2 tbsp of pure honey.
    I wanted a bit more sweetness so I drizzled pure honey on top.
    Also I used whey, brand “myprotein” and it was slightly less in grams for protein at half a cup, so I reduced the almond flour and added another more of the whey protein. I also I topped with more walnuts for additional protein and calories.
    Thanks so much.

  2. These were fantastic! I used cashew butter since that was all I had on hand, as well as just 1/2 tablespoon of all natural maple syrup (instead of the honey). The texture is light and fluffy and perfect sweetness.

  3. Made these today! Wow they are so good. I was looking for something clean with protein that would hold me over from after work until dinner. Froze half and will have half this week

  4. definitely needs some extra sweetener but overall pretty decent! i also added a tbsp of chia seeds for some extra nutrition!!

    1. Here is a whole list of flours you can use as an alternative. Please keep in mind you may need to adjust proportions, as each flour absorbs a different quantity of moisture.

  5. Hey! I wanted to let you know that I tried this recipe with oat flour and it came out great! You were right; I didn’t even need the honey! However, when using oat flour instead of almond flour, you get 10g protein per serving! That was awesome for me to find out since I track macros. Thanks for the recipe!

  6. Hi! I may have missed it, I’m sorry If I have! Do you have the nutritional information, calories per muffin? If not, that’s okay. Thank you.

  7. Delicious! I used date nectar instead of honey, Innosupps vegan french toast protein, and added some sugar free dark chocolate chips and pecans. Thanks for the recipe!

  8. 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?

  9. 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 😊