Protein Banana Muffins

I never thought I’d share a muffin recipe with protein powder, because I honestly didn’t believe I could make one that tastes delicious. (And I refuse to share recipes that taste like diet food.) But I guess never say never, because here we are with an actually, delicious protein banana muffin.

These muffins taste like banana bread, only they use unsweetened protein powder instead of flour. They’re adapted from my flourless peanut butter banana muffins, but this version turns out even fluffier!

As written, these pack 9 grams of protein per muffin, without tasting like protein powder. While you could probably increase the protein powder even more, my kids will happily eat them this way, so I’m not going to mess with a good thing.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review

“Perfection! Doubled the recipe and filled muffin tins 3/4 full instead of to the top and was so pleased it made 2.5 dozen regular muffins AND 2 dozen mini muffins. Perfect for ski weekend snacks!” – Steph

Protein Muffin Recipe Ingredients

• Unsweetened Protein Powder. I always have this plant-based protein powder in my pantry. It does NOT taste delicious on its own, but you can’t taste it in the final muffins. I don’t think whey protein will work the same, but unflavored collagen might be an option, if you prefer.
• Peanut Butter. This acts as the flour and oil in the recipe. (Really!) Use an all-natural nut butter that you have to stir when you first open the jar for the best flavor. I like to use salted peanut butter for the flavor boost.
• Eggs. These hold the muffins together and make them fluffy, so don’t use an egg substitute here. I have other egg-free muffins, if needed.
• Honey. This natural sweetener makes these muffins taste better and contributes to the texture. You can likely use maple syrup, if you need to, though.
• Bananas. Use ripe bananas with lots of brown spots on their skin for the sweetest flavor.
• Baking Powder. This helps the muffins rise much higher than baking soda will. Don’t confuse the two!

How to Make Banana Protein Muffins

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin pan with 12 parchment paper liners. (These muffins will want to stick to the muffin liners, so parchment paper makes life easier.)

In a large bowl, mash 3 large ripe bananas with a fork until relatively smooth. Then add in the eggs, peanut butter, protein powder, honey, baking powder, vanilla, and salt.

Note: You can swap the baking powder for a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. If you don’t keep honey or maple syrup on hand, you can use a 1/4 cup of brown sugar instead.

Step 2:

Stir well until the batter looks smooth. There should be no visible lumps of protein powder in the mix. Even though the batter is thick, I find using a whisk to mix it helpful. You can also use an electric hand mixer.

Fold in a 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips, fresh blueberries, shredded coconut, or chopped walnuts if you like. (The added texture is recommended.)

Step 3:

Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes or until the muffin tops feel firm to the touch.

Test them with a toothpick in the center to ensure there’s no wet batter in the middle. Let these cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Serving Tips

Serve protein banana muffins at room temperature for the best flavor. You can also warm these up in the microwave for 20 seconds if you prefer a warm option after they have fully cooled.

Storage Tip: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or toss them into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. (Thaw overnight before serving again.)

Protein Banana Muffins (Gluten-Free!)

4.75 from 8 votes

If you're hoping to make a high-protein muffin that actually tastes delicious, these Protein Banana Muffins are for you. They're made with peanut butter and unsweetened protein powder, instead of flour, yet they have a remarkably fluffy texture! (And they don't taste like protein powder at all.)

prep10 mins cook25 mins total35 mins

Servings:12

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 3 bananas
• ¾ cup peanut butter (see notes)
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup unsweetened protein powder
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners. These muffins tend to stick to the muffin liners because there's no oil in the batter, so I don't recommend simply greasing the pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, mash the 3 bananas with a fork until they look like puree. Then add in the peanut butter, eggs, protein powder, honey, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Stir well, breaking up any lumps you see in the batter. (Using a whisk helps with this, even though the batter is thick!)
• Fold in the chocolate chips, if using, then divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. This batter should fill the muffin cups up nearly to the top. Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes or until the tops of the muffins feel firm to the touch.
• Let the muffins cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then they are ready to enjoy. Because these muffins are so moist, I recommend storing leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 12 muffins without the optional chocolate chips. This information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients from a database, so it’s just an estimate and not a guarantee.

Peanut Butter Note: I tested this recipe with salted peanut butter. (The all-natural kind that needs to be stirred when opened.) If you use unsalted peanut butter, you might want to add an extra pinch of salt to the batter. I’m not sure how processed peanut butter, like Jiff or Skippy, would work in a recipe like this one, so experiment at your own risk.

Protein Powder Note: I tested this recipe with Garden of Life Unsweetened Plant Based Protein powder. It does not taste good on its own, but you don’t notice it in these muffins. Feel free to experiment with other brands and flavors.

High-Protein Note: Recipes that are 20% protein or higher on my website fall into the high-protein category. You can calculate this by multiplying the grams of protein by 4 and dividing that answer by the total number of calories per serving. (In this case, it’s 9 x 4 = 36; 36 ÷ 180 = .20 or 20%.)

Nutrition

Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 180mg | Potassium: 287mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 84IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg

Author: Megan Gilmore

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: protein banana muffins

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If you try these Banana Protein Muffins, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like them.