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When you look at the recipe for these peanut butter banana muffins, you might think that I forgot to list an ingredient. There’s no flour and no oil in sight. Despite that, these healthy muffins turn out surprisingly light and fluffy.
They’re naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, yet taste downright irresistible.
I originally learned you could make muffins without flour while experimenting with my healthy peanut butter blondies recipe. I wondered what would happen if I added more eggs to the batter, and as it turns out, that creates a muffin-like texture. When you add banana, the muffins become naturally sweet and most moist, almost like a slice of banana bread. (Only you don’t have to wait as long for these to bake!)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“My friend couldn’t believe these didn’t have any flour. She only wanted half of one – until she tasted it. I love how simple these are and so delicious.” – LBE
Peanut Butter Banana Muffin Ingredients
- Bananas. Use ripe bananas with lots of brown spots for the sweetest flavor. If you’re curious, I’ve also used thawed frozen bananas with success. (Though, they don’t look very appealing when they thaw, so be prepared.)
- Peanut Butter. This recipe works best with all-natural peanut butter, which you have to stir well when you first open the jar. It should be runny in texture; if you keep yours in the fridge, let it come to room temperature again before measuring. (Almond butter or cashew butter can be used as a swap, if needed.)
- Eggs. These provide the fluffy structure for the muffins, so I don’t recommend using a flax egg or another egg substitute in this recipe. Try these gluten-free banana muffins if you need an egg-free option.
- Honey. This natural sweetener helps boost the flavor, so these muffins taste like classic banana bread.
- Baking Powder. I originally shared this recipe with baking soda, but over the years I’ve found you get even fluffier results with baking powder. They are not a 1:1 swap, so read the notes if you need to make a substitution.
- Spices. A touch of cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract helps boost the overall flavor, making these taste as if they came from a bakery.
- Chocolate Chips. I like to add some mini chocolate chips to these, to make them more appealing for my kids. You can add any other mix-ins you like, too.
How to Make Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 12-cup muffin tin with parchment paper liners.
In a medium bowl, mash two ripe bananas with a fork. The mixture should become relatively smooth, like fruit puree, with a few lumps.
Step 2:
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To the large bowl with the mashed banana, add the peanut butter, eggs, honey, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt.
Use a whisk or spatula to stir until the batter looks smooth. It’s okay if you still see a few small lumps of banana. Now, fold in any add-ins you like, such as fresh blueberries or chocolate chips. (This is optional for extra flavor.)
Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners, then divide the batter among the 12 cups using a 1/4 cup measure. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips or walnuts on top if you like.
Step 3:
Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes or until the tops puff up and the centers feel firm to a light touch. Test the center of a muffin with a toothpick to ensure it is no longer wet.
Let these healthy peanut butter banana muffins cool in the muffin pan for at least 20 minutes. Then they are ready to enjoy!
Storage Tip
For the best shelf life, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Muffins (No Flour!)
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe bananas , mashed (see notes)
- 1 cup all-natural peanut butter
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Optional Add-Ins:
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup fresh berries
- ½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with 12 parchment paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, mash the two bananas with a fork. Then, add in the peanut butter, eggs, honey, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Mix until the batter looks relatively smooth. Fold in chocolate chips, berries, or dried fruit if you like. (This is optional; they can also be sprinkled on top before baking.)
- Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Using a ¼-cup measure should evenly distribute the batter.
- Bake at 350ºF until the muffins have risen, and feel firm to a light touch in the center of the muffin, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before removing from the pan.
- These muffins can be served at room temperature once they have cooled. Store them in the fridge for the best shelf life. They should last for up to a week in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. Or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Banana Oatmeal Muffins (made with oats in a blender!)
- Banana Buckwheat Muffins
- Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins
- Sweet Potato Muffins
If you try these banana peanut butter muffins, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like them.
Sorry to keep coming back to reply, but I think these muffins deserve it. Since the kids demolished the first batch, i finally got some almond butter and made your original recipe (first time I used sunbutter). Can I just say the almond butter version is flat out amazing!!. I have no idea what the difference is between the two, perhaps more oil in the Sunbutter?, but whatever it is, it is a very noticeable change. The first were good, but these were incredible.
I’m so thankful to have found your website and your recipes are out of this world!!
These are great, I halved the recipe since it’s just me here and used applesauce instead of bananas (i didn’t have any), then added chopped apples:) So good! I also left out the honey and just sprinkled sucanut on the tops. I can’t wait to try the banana version!
Just made these with sunbutter. Unfortunately I learned tonight there is a chemical reaction which takes place between sunflower seeds and baking soda, and it turns the resulting product green after being baked!
Next time I will try them with almond butter, I just wanted to use up what I had.
As far as I know, the green baked goods are still safe to eat! I actually intentionally use sunflower seed butter for baking around St. Patty’s Day for GREEN colored treats! 🙂
Sooo, after sitting in the fridge overnight, the green color somewhat dissipated…its much less vibrant the next day. The kids loved them, and I’m sure my mom will too (with only 10 net carbs per muffin without chocolate chips, they will be a nice addition to her diabetic regime). Still going to make them again with almond butter, they really are tasty (and hopefully the next ones come out more visually appealing 🙂
Sorry to keep coming back to reply, but I think these muffins deserve it. Since the kids demolished the first batch, i finally got some almond butter and made your original recipe (first time I used sunbutter). Can I just say the almond butter version is flat out amazing!!. I have no idea what the difference is between the two, perhaps more oil in the Sunbutter?, but whatever it is, it is a very noticeable change. The first were good, but these were incredible.
I’m so thankful to have found your website and your recipes are out of this world!!
I had to post a thank you for such a great recipe. These were the first flour less muffins I have made and so I was a bit nervous when they did not rise like traditional muffins. They were a big hit with by bf and I feel good serving him such a healthy muffin. Thank you very much!
I have made these several times and they get better and better everytime! Added cranberries this time and OMG…delish! thanks for all of your delicious clean recipes!!!
how many calories does this have? sugar content? I am diabetic is this good for me?
Oh my goodness-I just made a batch of these and that are fabulous!!! I was wondering if the freeze well? I have a bunch of bananas to use up and want to make a big batch of these and through them in the freezer.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I can’t remember if I froze this particular recipe, but most of my grain-free treats freeze and thaw pretty well!
Have just discovered your website and am alrady hooked. Made these muffins today and they’re a big hit with everyone.
Wow these are amazing and delicious, I can’t believe something could come out so good without ANY flour. I’ve been gluten free for two years and have been experimenting with all types of flour and nothing comes out “great”. Your recipes are a life saver for my sweet tooth. And these muffins are sooooo good and fluffy and yummy. Thanks!!
WOW- I just had to comment on how great these muffins are. Just finished letting them cool for 10 minutes after 18 minutes in the oven, they turned out so fluffy yet LIGHT (unlike regular muffins which tend to be dense). The texture and flavors are wonderful with the peanut butter being very prominent (which I love). I used organic chunky unsalted peanut butter and maple syrup instead of honey (allergies) but I used a little less than 1/4 cup of maple syrup and added 1 Tbsp. of brown sugar for the sweetening (although looking back I really don’t think this was a necessary step). I added 1/4 cup of Enjoy chocolate chips (small kind) and I only used 1/4 tsp of himalayan salt. They are wonderful-
Very fluffy, nice crunch to them, and not to sweet.
I have to say though, if I didn’t make these with the chocolate chips, I might’ve thought the flavor was kind of “missing” something, so I definitely recommend experimenting with “add-ins”. Otherwise, for a more simple muffin I’d love to remake these adding 1/2 tsp of pumpkin spice and enjoy them with some quality grass-fed butter.
*I strongly recommend using parchment paper muffin liners if you have access to them- they peel off of the muffins completely so you’re not losing any muffin to the paper. I got mine at my local health food store.
Thank you so much for this recipe. These are fantastic!