Description
Banana Protein Muffins are soft, fluffy muffins made with mashed ripe bananas, Greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder, and just the right amount of cinnamon. They bake up tender and moist with a balanced sweetness, making them an easy, high-protein option for breakfast, meal prep, or a healthy snack.
Ingredients
Protein muffins can be finicky. Weighing the bananas, protein powder, and flour will give you the most consistent results.
- 1½ cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 small bananas) – 340 g
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (whole) – 120 g
- ¼ cup neutral oil – 55 g
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar – 67 g
- 2 large eggs, room temperature – 100 g (without shells)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – 5 g
- 1 cup all-purpose flour – 120 g
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder – 60 g (this can vary slightly by brand)
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon – 4 g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder – 8 g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda – 3 g
- ½ teaspoon fine salt – 3 g
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips (optional) – 85 g
Instructions
- Heat the oven and prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray them, or use silicone liners. A silicone muffin pan also works well.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed ripe banana (1½ cups), plain Greek yogurt (½ cup), neutral oil (¼ cup), granulated sugar (⅓ cup), large eggs (2), and vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) until smooth.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour (1 cup), vanilla protein powder (½ cup), cinnamon (1½ teaspoons), baking powder (2 teaspoons), baking soda (½ teaspoon), and fine salt (½ teaspoon) until evenly combined.
- Make the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently just until combined. If using, fold in the mini chocolate chips (½ cup). Do not overmix. The batter should be thick but spoonable. Do not over mix.
- Fill the muffin cups. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake and cool. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes, for a total bake time of 15–20 minutes, until the centers are set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
Protein Powder Matters: This recipe was tested with Clean Simple Eats. vanilla whey protein powder. Whey-based powders bake lighter. Plant-based powders can produce a denser, drier muffin.
Measure Protein Powder Correctly: Spoon and level the protein powder. Do not pack it. Too much will make the muffins dry and heavy.
Use Very Ripe Bananas: Bananas should have deep brown spots. Underripe bananas make the muffins bland and less sweet.
Do Not Over mix: Once the dry ingredients are added, fold just until combined. Over mixing leads to dense muffins.
Batter Texture: The batter should be thick but spoonable. If it looks stiff and dry, your protein powder may be more absorbent than the one tested.
Fill Only Two-Thirds Full: Overfilling reduces dome height and can cause spreading instead of rising.
High-Heat Start Is Intentional: The 425°F start helps create taller domes. Do not skip this step.
Do Not Open the Oven Early: Opening the oven during the first 5 minutes can reduce lift.
Silicone Liners Work Best: Protein muffins tend to stick to paper liners. Silicone liners release cleanly.
Storage Tip: Protein muffins dry out faster than traditional muffins. Store in an airtight container.
Sweetness Expectation: These are not bakery-sweet. They are lightly sweet and designed as a high-protein breakfast option.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 muffins
- Calories: 226
- Sugar: 12.8 g
- Sodium: 248 mg
- Fat: 8.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.7 g
- Protein: 8.6 g
- Cholesterol: 44.2 mg
