Healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins

How to make healthy banana blueberry muffins that actually taste good! We add whole grains, ripe bananas and reduce the sugar. Most importantly though, they taste great! 

Healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins

More like this: If you are looking for a vegan muffin recipe, take a look at our easy vegan blueberry muffins!

Making muffins a little healthier

These healthier muffins are a spin off of our Easy Banana Muffins. You absolutely love them — check out the reviews! When we set off to create a better-for-you muffin recipe, we knew that this original recipe was where we should start. We also have a healthier banana bread recipe, if you are interested.

Muffins and quick bread recipes are among our favorite things to play around with. They are so adaptable. This time, we took our popular banana muffins recipe and added whole grains, reduced sugar and reduced the fat.

Healthier muffins with blueberries and banana

Since the banana naturally adds sweetness and moisture, you can hardly tell that these muffins have been made healthier. Banana is a workhorse in healthier baking recipes! We recently shared a new recipe with you for Guilt-Free Banana Bread. It was when we were playing around with that recipe that we realized banana allows for so much reduction in fat and sugar.

Stirring in the blueberries to the muffin batter

As well as relying on the banana for sugar and moisture, we swap half of the flour called for in the recipe for whole wheat flour. You could use 100% whole wheat, but keep in mind that the loaf will taste nuttier (not necessarily a bad thing) and will be a bit more dense. White whole wheat flour is also a great option. We actually use a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour for these whole wheat pancakes, they are so light and fluffy!

We also reduce sugar and fat. Sugar is reduced from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup — that’s almost three whole tablespoons! For the fat, we swap butter for melted coconut oil (olive oil works, too) and we reduce it by just over a tablespoon.

Blueberry muffins that are ready to bake

The muffins bake up to be moist, tender and delicious. They also smell incredible! For another easy recipe, try our lemon blueberry muffins!

Healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins

  • PREP
  • COOK
  • TOTAL

These healthier blueberry muffins are a spin off from our popular muffins recipe. We add whole grains, ripe bananas and reduce the sugar. These banana blueberry muffins are lower in calories and sugar, but still taste great! Feel free to swap the blueberries for other fruit. Diced apples, peaches, raspberries, strawberries or blackberries are all excellent.

Makes 12 muffins

You Will Need

4 tablespoons melted and cooled coconut oil or olive oil

3/4 cups (95 grams) all-purpose flour

3/4 cups (95 grams) whole wheat flour

1/3 cup (65 grams) sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 large ripe bananas, mashed with a fork (about 1 cup)

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 3 tablespoons water or milk, as needed

6 ounces blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw), about 1 cup

Directions

    1Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

    2Whisk the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the melted coconut oil, mashed banana, egg, and vanilla until blended. Add the banana mixture to the bowl with dry ingredients then use a fork to combine. (Only mix until combined, try not to beat the batter too much. This will make the baked muffins dense). If the batter seems too thick or dry, stir in a tablespoon or two of water or milk. Fold in the blueberries.

    3Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

  • Store the muffins at room temperature up to 2 days, in the refrigerator up to 5 days, or in the freezer up to 3 months.
  • Gluten-free muffins: Use you favorite store-bought gluten-free flour blend. We are partial to Bob’s Red Mill.
  • Vegan / egg-free banana blueberry muffins: Replace the egg with flax eggs. To make a flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal (ground raw flaxseed) with 3 tablespoons water. Set it aside for 15 minutes in the refrigerator, and then use to replace the egg in the recipe.
  • Use 100% whole wheat flour: Replace the all-purpose flour with an equal amount of whole wheat flour or use white whole wheat flour. If the batter seems too thick, thin it out with a tablespoon or so of water or milk.
  • Using less oil: 1/4 cup of oil seemed just right for lowering the fat, while keeping the muffins nice and moist. To reduce the fat even more, you can try replacing some or all of the oil with applesauce. We have not tried this*
  • Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA Supertracker recipe calculator to calculate approximate values.

If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste

Nutrition Per Serving Calories 148 / Protein 3 g / Carbohydrate 24 g / Dietary Fiber 2 g / Total Sugars 10 g / Total Fat 5 g / Saturated Fat 4 g / Cholesterol 16 mg
AUTHOR:  Adam and Joanne Gallagher
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57 comments… Leave a Review
  • Gwendolyn February 12, 2023, 8:01 am

    I only use apple sauce instead of oil. You can’t tell the difference, it’s always delicious.

    Reply
  • Helen November 23, 2022, 5:13 pm

    They are delicious and so moist! I used a little less coconut oil and substituted honey for sugar.

    Reply
  • Carmen March 7, 2022, 5:03 pm

    These muffins are so very delicious, moist and light. Nice to eat them, knowing they are healthy. Easy recipe, too!

    Reply
  • CS February 14, 2022, 1:00 am

    I just made these and they are really light even though I used whole wheat pastry flour and stone ground whole wheat flour. I also added chopped walnuts and they turned out delicious! My husband loves them, so I’ll be making these again. Thanks for a great, healthy alternative!

    Reply
  • Linda January 31, 2022, 11:36 am

    Good morning, Thank you for this wonderful healthy blueberry muffin recipe. These are the only muffins I make. The are delicious and sooo easy. My family loves them. I always make the muffins for family and friends when they come to visit. Thanks again. 🙂

    Reply

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