High Protein Banana Bread Muffins (oil free)
Perfect recipe for your overripe bananas!
I can’t be the only one who doesn’t get through my bananas in time. If you have bananas laying around that are getting a bit spotty and brown, this is the perfect recipe!
These muffins are packed with healthy protein, they are gluten free, oil free and filled with healthy brain fuel (walnuts are great for that). I love making these at the beginning of the week & putting one in my husbands work lunch every day, or adding one muffin into my yogurt bowls in the morning for breakfast.
If you are a person that enjoys baked goods from coffee shops, try this recipe as a healthier alternative and pair it with your morning coffee for a little protein boost!
Let’s talk about the ingredients:
Banana: the riper the better. Never ever in my household have I thrown away a ripe banana. I always either make something like this OR freeze them. Listen up, the more spotty the banana, the sweeter they are. So don’t be afraid of those really black bananas, they are the juiciest!
Egg: an egg is an egg, easy peasy! Most people have that on hand, plus it’s extra protein! I have not tried this recipe with an egg replacement, but if you’re the experimenter type, feel free to try it! If you’re looking for a replacement, it will be 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons warm water, set aside for 10 minutes, then add in place of the egg! Report back!
Brown sugar: This can be any granulated sugar. Coconut sugar, white sugar, brown sugar etc. If you are not a fan of sweetness, you can also lower the sugar content (1/2 cup). You can always taste the batter to see how it tastes before it goes into the oven!
Applesauce: This is my secret ingredient. This is our swap for oil! It adds sweetness and fiber without adding any added oil. Any flavor will do.
Oat flour: Never buy store bought oat flour again when you learn how to make oat flour at home. It’s so much cheaper and so much easier. So buy oatmeal at the store (make sure its certified gluten free if necessary). I also always make sure my oatmeal is organic, because they can be highly sprayed with pesticides. Now take the exact measurements of oatmeal you need, pop it into a blender and blend for 30 seconds. That’s it! Oat flour just like that! Trust me, its the cheapest flour!
Protein powder: This is an important ingredient because it adds the protein to the dish! You have to be careful about what you add. If you add one that you don’t like the flavor of, it will taste just like it. That’s why I went with a neutral unflavored protein powder. I always have Nuzest Clean Lean Protein in unflavored in my pantry. It is perfect for baked goods like this because it had ZERO added sugar, totally clean and just 1 ingredient: Pea protein. I even have a discount code for you. Use the code JAZZ when you purchase & you can always be stocked up when you make this recipe. If that’s not an option to you, you can also go for a vanilla or chocolate flavored protein powder. Just remember, if it’s sweetened you will most likely need to lower your sweetness with the brown sugar. The last thing we want is a muffin that is too sweet.
Order Nuzest Clean Lean Protein Here (use code Jazz for a discount)
Cinnamon & Ground Ginger: These are my favorite spices to pair with banana. The cinnamon gives it a warm flavor and the ginger is also very soothing.
Walnuts: Walnuts are incredible for your brain. They are packed with healthy fats! I love to toast mine before adding them to the muffins. An alternative is any other nut you have on hand, almonds, pecans, or even chocolate chips if you’re feeling really spicy! That would be delicious!
Questions?
If you have any questions about the recipe, leave them in the comments below. Likewise, if you try the recipe and have feedback, please leave it below. Make sure you tag me on social media @JazzLeaf_ on Instagram and @jazz_leaf on TikTok. I can’t wait for you to try this!
High Protein Banana Bread Muffins (oil free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed banana (about 3 large bananas)
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 3/4 cup oat flour (use gluten free if necessary)
- 1/2 cup protein powder (I used an unflavored, no sugar one)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- While the oven is preheating, add your walnuts onto a baking sheet and throw them in the oven for about 10 minutes to toast up. This will add SO much flavor into your banana bread muffins. After 10 minutes, remove them from the oven and let them sit on the counter until you’re ready to add them in.
- In a large bowl, peel and add your ripe bananas. Mash them with the back of a fork until relatively smooth.
- To the same bowl, add your egg, brown sugar and applesauce! Mix to combine with that same fork.
- In a separate bowl, add oat flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger. You can even put this through a sieve if you want it to be nice and smooth. I usually do that with all of the ingredients besides the oat flour since I make that myself.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix a few times with a wooden spoon until combined, try not to overman the batter.
- Sprinkle in the toasted walnuts and fold the batter.
- Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners, spray with a little oil (just so it doesn’t stick).
- Use an ice cream scooper to get even scoops into the muffin tins, careful not to fill them up all the way. I usually go with 3/4 cup full.
- Bake the muffins at 350F for about 20-22 minutes. Every oven is different so you just want to make sure you check them at 20 minutes.
- Put a toothpick into the center of the muffin closest to you (closest to the oven door). If it comes out clean, it’s good to pull out! Let them cool for 10-15 minutes.
Notes
Storage/Serving Instructions:
- I like to store mine in a jar in the fridge for maximum freshness! They will last for about 5 days in the fridge.
- You can also freeze them for 2 months! If you do freeze them, just freeze on a sheet pan in a single layer until they are frozen. Then transfer into a plastic bag (this will just help them from not sticking together).
- These are delicious warmed up for 1 minute in the air fryer or 15 seconds in the microwave.
- Enjoy them as an on the go breakfast, an easy snack or even dessert!
- Add peanut butter on top!
