These clean eating banana muffins are perfect for school lunches or even work lunches!
It’s back to school season, and the binders and #2 pencils are everywhere.
Going back to school is becoming somewhat of a national holiday in this country. Similar to Christmas in that the kids get new stuff and us parents are left wondering what happened to our paychecks. Back to school ain’t cheap!
And then there’s the lunch dilemma….
Who knew packing a little lunch could be so stressful??!! But inevitably, it gets to the point where you just don’t know what to pack anymore. The kids are bored with the “same ol’, same ol'” and frankly, so are we. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Sometimes, all it takes is a new perspective or a tiny spark of inspiration to get us going again. Sometimes, all it takes is one recipe to get the excitement back into a lunch box.
And while these aren’t something I’d pack for Mini Chef on a daily basis, they sure do kick lunch box boredom to the curb on occasion.
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY THESE CLEAN EATING RECIPES:
CLEAN EATING BANANA MUFFINS RECIPE:
These delicious banana muffins can be made with nuts or without. But note that the smaller you chop the nuts, the better the distribution through all the muffins will be. You can also just use them for garnish if you prefer, but the 1 cup measure is for adding them to the actual batter.
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (affiliate link)
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 large egg whites (or 1 whole egg)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tbsp. oil (I used safflower)
- 1/4 cup milk (any type except coconut milk)
- 1/4 cup apple sauce (unsweetened)
- 2 medium ripe bananas (smooshed with a fork)
- 1 cup walnuts (chopped, optional - plus a few for garnish if you wish)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Note: I used a 12 muffin tin. If you don't have muffin paper, spray the tin with olive oil so the muffins don't stick.
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Mix all ingredients in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Make sure all ingredients get really well blended together.
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Pour the batter into the muffin tin or muffin papers. Fill only half way.
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Sprinkle nuts of your choice over the top and place in oven (Optional).
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Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
Please note that the nutrition data below is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible. Data includes walnuts.
Good for you, Tiffany. I think you will find plenty of people go back to school in their 30s. My great-aunt went to Normal School which was the usual teacher training when she graduated from high school in the 1920s. She had been teaching kindergarten and 1st grade for more than 30 years when the powers that be decided everyone had to have their Bachelors degree and a certain number of credits toward their Masters in order to continue teaching. No grandfathering in, even though she had been teaching longer than some of them had been alive. So in her mid-50s she went back to college and got her degrees.
Next year when our little ones go to preschool I’m planning to go back to school as well. I’ll be 61!
Banana muffins sound wonderful. I’ll try your recipe. We’ve got quite a few bananas in the freezer that got ripe faster than we could eat them.
Jodi – Then there’s always banana ice cream ~wink~.
Hey, these sound great! Just an extra tip – if you put a pan of water at the bottom of the oven while your muffins are cooking, they will have those nice round tops that the ones in the store have.
Adrienne – Wow! Great tip, thanks so much!
It’s so funny that you posted this because I was just thinking of turning your kiwi muffins into tropical ones with banana, kiwi, and mango next week!
They look great!
Brittney – Tropical would be yummy! Just be careful with the moisture from the fruit. If you are using that much fruit, you may need to reduce the liquid ingredients slightly to make up for it. Let me know how they turn out!
Congratulations Tiffany! I’m about the same age, and have been thinking about doing the exact same thing. I got a degree … in finance … worked in that field for a while, and am back to food!
Those muffins look perfect!
Alisa – Thanks! Education is never wasted. You should definitely go back!
OMG I was SO starting school this semester to get some classes underway to become a RD as well! I am one of those that never figured out what I wanted to be either. I am almost 26, but mad that I didn’t figure this out the first time in college. Having majored in Sociology, none of my classes transfer to the new program except the gen ed. It’s going to take me twice as long now..blah! I am excited, but discouraged that I couldn’t start because none of the classes I need are offered at night. I’ll have to quit working to go back. Congratulations though! It’s going to be so rewarding!
Valarie – I feel your pain. NONE of my previous classes transferred because they were from a quarter system, and now I’m in a semester system. Ugg. But you’re right. It’s worth it in the end! We can commiserate together! lol
These banana muffins were a hit with my family and my neighbours! In fact, the neighbour has requested more! I made a few mini muffins to keep on hand here – they freeze great! It’s amazing how moist they are!
Jill – They’ve never lasted long enough around here to try freezing. But it’s great to know that they freeze well. Thanks!
Made these tonight and they are AMAZING! I substituted applesauce for the oil and mixed about 1/4-1/2 cup of walnut pieces into the batter. I posted it up on my blog as well (with credit of course!). Keep ’em coming!
Jamie
Jamie – That’s great! I’m so happy you enjoyed them! They really were meant for blueberries!
I have to say, I love your blog! I’ve been eyeing this recipe for a while now and was wondering if you have a preference for honey or for agave. I know you say both works, but I was curious if one tastes better than the other in this particular recipe?
Lindsey – I’ve enjoyed them both ways. What it really comes down to is if you enjoy the flavor of honey, then go that route. If not, use the agave. There is some question if agave is truly clean or not. So use raw agave if you can get it and choose to go that route. But it really does come down to flavor preference. Personally, I love them with the honey.
Awesome! Thanks Tiffany, I’m about to put a batch in the oven 🙂
Yum! What did you decide to use?
I used the honey and they came out great! I have to admit, I cheated and added a little bit of brown sugar to the chopped walnuts to make a streusel on top but otherwise, I followed the recipe to a T. My sister who usually scoffs at all the healthy things I make, thought they were amazing and asked me to forward her the recipe! Thanks again 🙂
Linsey – That’s wonderful! Fantastic that your sister even liked them! Enjoy!
Hi Tiffany! I was wondering if any changes needed to be made if I poured the batter into a loaf pan instead of a muffin pan… would that affect the temperature or baking time? Thanks so much!
Kristi – I would make small loaves. It’s a wet batter which means it would need a longer baking time and you’d have to keep an eye on the top so it doesn’t burn. Maybe use some foil as a loose cover. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Tiffany!
Thanks so much for this recipe! These muffins are amazing! I’m so glad I found your website; I love your recipes.
Kamla – Thanks for trying my recipes! I’m so happy you enjoyed them. Those are one of Mini Chef’s favorites too!
These are wonderful 🙂 My 15 month old and I are devouring them as I type lol. First clean eating recipe of yours I have made 🙂 Can’t wait to try more!
Jessica – That’s fabulous!!! Enjoy! 🙂
First off, let me just say that these muffins are great! I’ve made them so many times and I love the recipe just as is. I want to try them with pumpkin, though, so I’ve got 2 questions. 1) Any reason why it wouldn’t work to just sub the banana for canned pumpkin and 2) About how many cups does 2 bananas break down to? I’m thinking about 3/4 to 1 cup of pumpkin would be good, but bananas vary so greatly in size, I just wanted to see what the master chef herself had in mind :). Thanks!
Grace – Hmmm….. good question! I would go with 1 cup to start with. Let me know how they turn out!
I’m looking forward trying these muffins since my son can eat these with his allergies. Through caloriecount.about.com they worked out to be different: http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php?process=resubmit&count=22
Jaime – Ya, that’s why I have the disclaimer at the bottom. I think every calorie counter I’ve plugged my recipes into comes out with different data. I use NutritionData because it has the most complete data. But it’s not always exact. Good for a ballpark # though!
These are amazing Muffins!!! I make them often and are a favorite around here!
Stefanie – Awesome!!! I’m so happy you’re enjoying them!
This is a muffin recipe i can sink my teeth into!
GFC – Fabulous!!! I’m glad you enjoyed them!
i made these muffins last night and enjoyed my first one this morning… these are fabulous!! and i’m a huge traditional banana bread fan, so i was wondering if i would like the clean version as much. makes me very happy i can enjoy it clean now. i’m also really excited to try them with pumpkin! thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Jessica – Wonderful! I’m so happy you enjoyed them!
These are really good! I didn’t have canola oil so I used EVOO, and only used 1.5tbsp. I also didn’t have whole wheat pastry flour so I used regular whole wheat flour. Used agave, and skim milk and they turned out amazing!
Jeremy – That’s wonderful! I’m so happy you enjoyed them!
I have made these twice (once with banana and once with pumpkin). They are wonderful but both times they stuck to the muffin liners! I tried using different liners the second time and didn’t cook them as long but they still stuck. Any idea what I am doing wrong?
Melissa – They stick a little for me too. You might try spraying an non-stick muffin tin with some oil and cooking without the muffin liners. Hope that helps!
I live your blog and these muffins are to die for! Thanks for all of you great work.
Kllycarier – You’re welcome! I’m glad you’re enjoying them!
I made these today and the boys and hubby loved them! Hubby asked if they were healthy and I said yes. He like them though! I didn’t have whole wheat pastry flour (just ordered some), so I used 1 c. white cake flour and 1 c. whole wheat white. I did add 1/2 c. of mini chocolate chips, which added about 30 calories and just a little more fat. Will definitely be making these again. Thanks!
Stephanie – Great! And you don’t have to use the regular flour at all if you have the white whole wheat. The white whole wheat is a great substitute. Glad you enjoyed them!
Vanessa – Wonderful! I’m happy you enjoyed them!
Donna – Yes, it should work. I’m actually working on a pumpkin muffin recipe. Hope to have it posted soon!
Sherelyn – Wow! How wonderful!! You are doing your father a great service by feeding him well. The body is so much more able to handle illness when it’s properly nourished. Good for you. Keep up the great work!
Have just made these — they’re baking in the oven as I type — and they smell divine! I have a similar recipe from my mother, but it’s definitely not clean eating! Thank you so much for sharing all these awesome recipes, Tiffany! 🙂
Nancy – You’re welcome! I certainly hope you will enjoy them!
Sounds like there wasn’t enough liquid somehow. Hmmm….
Eque – Wonderful!! I’m happy to hear it was a fun family affair!
I made these today and love them! They stuck to the wrapper, so next time, I will just try spraying the tins and putting them right into the tins. I also added 1 tsp vanilla.
Msmarek – Glad you enjoyed them! They are a little sticky. I find that using the foil muffin papers instead of paper seems to help.
I think these would make a great snack, especially when you have a sweet tooth. I really wanna make these but I only have whole wheat flour.. no pasty flour.. is there a big difference? do you think they’ll still turn out yummy?
Basia – The flavor will be the same, but the muffins will be far more dense and “bready”. Try WHITE whole wheat flour. It’s a good middle ground.
Summa – Hahaha!!! Glad you enjoyed them!
Would this recipe work just as well for making a bread?
Caileigh – I’ve never tried, but I don’t see why not. Keep the loaf on the small side and adjust baking time as needed. You may have to loosely cover the top with foil to allow for longer cooking times without burning the top of the bread.
Awesome! Did you have to adjust the baking time at all for the loaf? How big was it? (size of the loaf pan)
I just made this (am eating as I type), and it’s very good! I did have to make a couple changes, however. I didn’t have whole wheat pastry flour, so I just used whole wheat flour. Also, I had four smallish overripe bananas and no applesauce, so I just used all the bananas. Finally, I felt too lazy to scoop it into muffins cups, so I just made a laof. Turned out perfect! Thanks!
That’s awesome!!
I made these last week and can’t stop talking about them to everyone!! I’m IN LOVE! Thank you so much for posting such amazing recipes! DELISH! You have made clean eating so much more fun for me.
Awesome! Glad I could help!
Hi Tiffany! Just made these this a.m. and MAN are they good! I used white whole wheat flour and 1/2 tbsp cinnamon (we LURVE cinnamon round these parts) and kept the rest exact and came out with a winner =) Thanks so much for all you do. You are helping so many people in a great way. Keep up the wonderful work!! <3
Thanks so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Just made these today and they are delicious! I live in Turkey and couldn’t find whole-wheat pastry flour (used simply whole-wheat flour) and couldn’t find apple sauce (poached some apples and made my own!). These will be my new healthy snack now, for those afternoons when my sweet tooth gets the better of me!
Awesome!! Where there’s a will, there’s a way! Great job!
Is there another oil I could use other than the canola?
Any light flavored oil will work.
Hi! I am new to your blog, very fun! Love it! What happened to your quest towards a registered dietitian?
I figured out pretty quickly that a medical degree is not what I wanted. I’d like to pursue a culinary degree instead, but since we moved, I am no longer close to a school that has a culinary program. So right now, I’m stuck. 🙁
I am so there with you, I am 37 and I went back to school last year, I too had no idea what my true passions were, at 36 I finally knew, therefore I am studying to finish my degree in Health and Wellness, then go on to specialize in nutrition. 🙂 Yummy recipe, I will do that now.
These were awesome!! 🙂
Oh my, I never thought I’d say this, but I’m gonna clean up my act (in the kitchen, at least)! These muffins are AWESOME–and after reading through your site I came up with a few substitutions that I needed to make for them to work with what I have on hand. Thank you so much!
My pleasure! Enjoy!
Can I use coconut oil instead of Canola oil?
I love your website/blog – it’s been so helpful in the beginning stages of eating clean!
Sure can!
I just made these this morning and they are DELISH!! Thank you for a base recipe for muffins. I did have to make a few substitues whole wheat flour instead of pastry flour, coconut oil instead of canola plus in my reg banana bread I use sour cream to add moisture which I used 1/2 cup greek yougurt and came out just perfect. Cant wait to make them again with the WW pastry flour. Yumm and such a comfort food for this snowing day! I can also add they are toddler approved! Now i just waiting for the rest of my household to get up and try them! 🙂
Glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
I substituted WW flour for WW pastry and they came out a bit doughy/ chewy– When making again should I change anything? I also halved the recipe a bit and didn’t use an electric mixer… Thank you!
The switch in flour will do that. Use the pastry flour and it should be fine.
Hi! i love your recipes and tried many of them already, with regards to banana muffins… i live in UK and i can’t find whole wheat pastry flour:( is there any substitute for it?
It’s hard to say because I don’t know what is actually available in the UK. I know it’s often referred to as “whole meal”. We have something here called White Whole Wheat Flour that works. Maybe you can find that? You can use regular whole wheat. Just know that the muffins will be far more dense and bready.
Another amazing muffin recipe.. girl you are making me want to go to whole foods RIGHT NOW and buy everything needed for all your recipes! question though.. I am trying to get more protein into my diet and theres this whole new craze to protein muffins and pancakes and bla bla.. how would i be able to incorporate some protein powder in this recipe? any ideas??
You could just replace a small amount of flour for protein powder. Just watch which flavor you use.
We’ve made these numerous times now, and they are awesome! The only change I’ve made is to sub milled flaxseed for the egg whites (due to egg allergy). Thanks again for another great recipe!
Tracie – My pleasure! Glad they worked for you!
Instead of Safflower oil, could I use Coconut Oil or EVOO instead?
Meagan – Definitely!
I bought 40 lbs of bananas at our local auction this weekend for $5.00 and was in search of as many clean eating banana recipes as I could find! I made this recipe using a third (very large) banana instead of apple sauce, coconut oil instead of safflower oil and completely forgot the honey when I mixed it up. It still turned out well! 🙂
Danielle – Awesome!!! 😀 But wow! 40 pounds!! Slice some up and freeze for ice cream and try my 2 ingredients pancakes. Yum!
these sound amazing. so grateful for your site!!
Amber – Thanks! 🙂
made these this morning, subbed the oil for applesauce and didnt use as much honey because we were almost out. I also added blueberries, they were great!
laceybre – Awesome! 🙂
Hi,
Love your site! Just wondering what you would recommend having with a muffin to create a breakfast meal? Am starting a planned week of clean eating to see how I go and am doing lots of research!
Thanks.
Deanne – Depends on what you like, but it’s best to get some protein in there with those carbs. So maybe a hardboiled egg or piece of chicken. Even a protein drink. Just something to give some balance to the meal.
What’s the difference between whole wheat pastry flour and whole wheat flour. I’ve been researching clean eating and the recipes differ with these two ingredients. Thanks
Lora – Here’s an explanation: https://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-flour/
I made these last night! They are delicious! I didn’t have pastry or white flour so I used half whole wheat flour and half spelt flour and added in 6oz greek yogurt and they turned out wonderfully.They were not too cakey and have a great flavor to them. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Nicole – My pleasure!
Can u pls help – I am allergic to apples and agave nectar which alt of clean eating recipes call for – can u suggest any substitutes – clean eating is new to me.
Fiona – Agave isn’t clean. I removed it from all my earlier recipes. Use honey instead. For apple sauce, can you just puree another fruit? Mashed bananas work well in baking or sometimes I see apricot sauce in the stores. You could try something like that providing the ingredients are clean.
Would almond flour work? I also have whole grain oat flour.
Carrie – Sadly no because this recipe is dependent on the gluten in the wheat flour. I mean you could certainly try it, but I think you’d probably end up with a big mess.
Can I use oat flour instead?
Natalie – No, sorry. This needs gluten.
hi! would I be able to use maple syrup instead of honey? have read that maple syrup is sweeter than honey, will it affect the moisture of the batter if I cut down on the syrup? Thanks!
Kathleen – In my experience, it’s actually the other way around. Particularly in baking. Honey is sweeter. You could probably cut down a bit, but I wouldn’t cut down too much. Hope that helps.
My boyfriend and I love these! Thank you Tiffany 🙂
Lauren B – My pleasure! 🙂
I’m making these right now and I added cholocate chips to them. We will see how they turn out.
Jessica – Let me know how you like them. 🙂
Tiffany, I was not able to find safflower oil, is there a substitution I could use? Thank you!!
Julie – Any light flavored oil will work.
Thanks Tiffany. I am new to this, I just wanted to make sure so I didn’t mess up! 🙂
Julie – You’ll do fine! 🙂 We all make little mistakes. There is a big learning curve. Just be willing to blow off the mistakes and move on.
I was finally able to make these since I found the pastry flour, took forever! 🙂 Loved them, about to make some more. Could I do blueberries instead of banana if I wanted to try that?
Julie – Sure! But you may need to add a little extra apple sauce to make up for the loss of moisture from the bananas. Let me know how they turn out!
Hi Tiffany,
Could I use Oat Flour (ground oatmeal) instead of the whole wheat pastry flour? Really want to try these 🙂 Thanks!
Mandy – Sorry, no. This recipe needs the gluten in wheat.
Oh no!!! the kiwi muffin recipe won’t come up for me. My husband and I loovvve these… Can you use the banana muffin recipe and just switch out the fruit??
Thanks.
Anna – I’m not sure what happened, but I got it all fixed. Here you go: https://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-kiwi-muffins/
can you do these without the apple sauce?
Mada – You’d have to replace it with oil. They need the moisture.
Hi, I was wondering if I can’t find unsweetened apple sauce anywhere, is there a substitution/any way to make it myself?
Thank you!
Rita – Sure! You can make it in a slow cooker or on the stove top. https://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-apple-sauce/