These whole wheat banana walnut muffins are easy, wholesome, and satisfying. They’re just as moist and flavorful as classic banana muffins, but they’re made with whole wheat flour, pure maple syrup, coconut oil, and whole oats.
I originally published this recipe in 2018 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips. I have also made a few improvements to the recipe which are reflected in the printable recipe below.
I have made these muffins dozens of times since I first published the recipe many years ago. I began adjusting the leaveners so the muffins rise a little taller, taste a little fluffier, and no longer have a chemical aftertaste from excess baking soda. I also slightly increased the milk so the muffins don’t taste as dense. I know you’ll love the muffins even more now!
One reader, Brittany, commented: “Such a great recipe! My husband couldn’t even tell these weren’t made with butter or sugar like a traditional banana bread recipe we usually use. They are so tasty and healthy! Win-win! ★★★★★”
Another reader, Jane, commented: “This is a go-to recipe for me. Great for those times (every time) I end up with brown bananas on the counter. Easy. Healthy. Delicious. Wonderful… ★★★★★”
Why You’ll Love These Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Muffins
- Wholesome, healthy, and satisfying
- 100% whole wheat
- Moist and delicious
- Not overly sweet so the banana flavor shines
- Oats add a delicious whole grain and chewy texture
- Flavored with cinnamon
- No refined sugar
- Dairy free if using a dairy free milk
Big sugar-filled muffins are great (looking at you, double chocolate muffins!) but a healthy muffin that’s also an easy and delicious muffin is wonderfully useful. Just like my healthy blueberry banana muffins and whole wheat banana bread, today’s muffins are moist, hearty, and flavorful. They’re also kid-friendly. In fact, whenever a reader asks me for kid-friendly recipes that are also a little healthy, I always suggest muffins. Muffins are quick, manageable, portable, acceptable for breakfast and snack time, and usually require very little clean-up. Today’s whole wheat banana walnut muffins are no exception!
Simple and healthful ingredients can produce delicious-tasting baked goods if we use them right. I used my morning glory muffins as the starting point for this whole wheat banana muffins recipe. I added some oats and mashed banana, as well as a few other small changes.
If you love chocolate you’ll also appreciate my healthier chocolate banana muffins. Peanut butter aficionado? Try my peanut butter banana muffins (also made with whole wheat flour). Or if you’re not into banana, you’ll love these similar applesauce muffins or healthy apple muffins instead.
Overview: Ingredients in Whole Wheat Banana Muffins
Here’s a run-down of the ingredients you need and why they’re important:
- Whole Wheat Flour: We use 2 cups of whole wheat flour as the base of these muffins. You can switch out with all-purpose or white whole wheat flour if needed. I have not tested this recipe with any gluten free flour alternatives.
- Oats: Oats are an add-in and leave a wonderful texture. I wouldn’t compare these to blueberry oatmeal muffins, though. In that recipe, oats are more like the base of the recipe as opposed to a small add-in.
- Cinnamon, Salt, & Vanilla Extract: All add flavor.
- Baking Powder + Soda: Help the muffins rise.
- Bananas: Use 1 and 1/3 cups of mashed banana, which is about 3 medium or 2 large size bananas. If you’re ever looking for an easy way to mash bananas, just use your mixer. It’s what I do whenever I make regular banana bread. Peel and break up the bananas, place in a large bowl, then use your mixer to blend them. You could also use a blender. If your bananas are soft enough, you could easily mash them with a fork.
- Eggs: Eggs add structure and help bind everything together.
- Oil: Oil replaces butter and adds moisture. I love using melted coconut oil like we do in bran muffins, but vegetable oil works if that’s all you have.
- Pure Maple Syrup: Maple syrup replaces refined sugar in this muffin recipe and pairs wonderfully with the sweet bananas! You can use honey instead of the maple syrup, but the flavor will be different.
- Milk: I typically use unsweetened vanilla almond milk in this recipe. The whole wheat banana muffins will be dairy free if you use dairy free milk.
- Nuts: Use any kind of chopped nuts in this recipe or leave them plain. I usually use chopped walnuts, but we also love them with chocolate chips if we’re craving a sweeter treat. Speaking of, if you love chocolate chips in your banana muffins, try banana chocolate chip streusel muffins or raspberry chocolate chip banana muffins next!
Optional Toppings
For some flair, top the muffins with oats and/or a sprinkle of coconut sugar. Both are optional, but I think you’ll enjoy the extra caramelized crunch from the coconut sugar on top. Instead of oats and coconut sugar, add some sprinkles on top of each before baking. Boom! A healthy muffin that seems *almost* like a sprinkle cupcake!
Print
Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These whole wheat banana walnut muffins are easy, wholesome, and satisfying. They’re made with whole wheat flour, pure maple syrup, coconut oil, and whole oats.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260g) whole wheat flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (43g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/3 cups (306g) mashed banana (about 3 medium or 2 large ripe bananas)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup (70g) coconut oil, melted (or vegetable oil or melted butter)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) pure maple syrup*
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk (any kind)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped nuts (any kind—I use 120g walnuts)
- optional: 3 Tablespoons oats and/or coconut sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use cupcake liners.
- Whisk the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, mash the bananas. Then whisk in the eggs, oil, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stir a few times, then add the nuts. Fold everything together gently just until combined and no flour pockets remain.
- Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top. Top with oats and a light sprinkle of coconut sugar, if desired. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 15-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20-21 minutes, give or take. (For mini muffins, bake 11-13 minutes at 350°F (177°C) the whole time.) Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to continue cooling.
- Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days, then transfer to the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: For longer storage, freeze muffins for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm up in the microwave if desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Muffin Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) *optional | Cooling Rack
- Oats: This recipe uses whole rolled oats, but you can use the same amount of quick oats if needed. You can also skip the oats if desired, but I recommend adding a little more flour to help soak up some liquid, such as 3 Tablespoons (about 24g).
- Maple Syrup: You can use honey for the maple syrup, but the flavor will be different.
- Initial High Temperature: The hot burst of air will spring up the top of the muffin quickly, then the inside of the muffin can bake for the remainder of the time. This helps the muffins rise nice and tall.
- Nutrition Information: Using VeryWellFit calculator and calculated using coconut oil, skim milk, and walnuts, these muffins come out to 190 calories, 8.5g fat, 25g carbs, 2g fiber, 5g sugar, and 4g protein each.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Excellent recipe and the muffins are moist & lovely. Love the domed tops–a little like having a “muffin top”. Next batch I may reduce the maple syrup to 1/6 cup (although they were perfect with 1/3 cup) and enjoy them with a slice of mature cheese for breakfast.. Yum!!
Made these for the first time today. I weighed the dry ingredients and bananas, used regular liquid measure for the wet and they came out beautifully. A bit denser because of the whole wheat but came out nice and moist with the perfect amount of sweetness. Definitely a keeper.
Can you sub for all purpose flower?
Hi Suzy, absolutely — same amount.
I tried out the recipe and it turned out perfect.
The fact that it’s healthy too, made me love it more.
Hi Sally! I absolutely love your recipes. I tried this one last weekend and the Healthier Chocolate Banana Muffins. I found the Healthier Chocolate Banana Muffins to be much more moist. How can I make these muffins moister? Thanks!
Hi Gianna, we’re so glad you enjoyed the muffins! Were these whole wheat banana muffins over baked by chance? That can contribute to a drier muffin. Be sure to also spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to measure your flour—over measuring the flour can cause the muffins to dry out, too. Hope this helps for your next batch!
Followed recipe except used 1/3c Coaches Oats (Costco), avo oil instead of coconut, and added 1/3c mini semisweet chips. Baked in countertop Ninja oven at 450 (highest it went) for ~6 mins, then 350 for 15 (should have checked a few mins sooner). Good rise, texture and flavor. Recipe seems flexible in terms of additions. Will make again.
Loved these. However, all the batter would not fit in the muffin cups. I filled them level with the top. Had enough left over for a couple more muffins. Is this normal?
Hi Nancy, the yield can slightly vary by baker and your particular pan, so not to worry! Did you use more add-ins by chance? We’re glad you enjoyed the muffins!
Perfect snack before soccer weekend for kids. Hearty low fat and whole wheat!!
Very dry!
I would use half the flour content or no oats next time and double the syrup.
Very good taste yummy
My new favourite recipe.
Even tried it with olive oil.
And it was delicious.
Muffin was extremely dry and unsweet/ bland. It stuck to the muffin liner.
Hi Heather, if the muffins seemed too dry and also stuck to the liners, it sounds like they could have been overbaked. And how did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure the flour isn’t overmeasured, which can dry out the muffins as well. Easy fixes for next time if you wish to try the recipe again. Thanks for giving it a go!
Man, these are so good! Whole wheat, low-refined sugar muffins are notoriously dense and chalky but these defy the odds. They are moist and sweet and baked up beautifully on convection. It is a simple recipe, I had all the ingredients on hand and made the recipe as written, using weighted measurements, except I used lemon juice instead of vanilla (just a preference for banana bread). Will be making these muffins often with the inevitable extra too-ripe bananas.
These muffins have become a go-to, but today as I started mixing things up, I found I was out of milk and eggs. I substituted the eggs with ½ cup of applesauce and thinned some Greek yogurt to replace the milk. Even with the swaps, they turned out phenomenal once again!
This is my favorite muffin recipe, I make these all the time! My kids love them too.
I love this recipe! It’s tasty and it’s easy to make for a quick breakfast.
These are my favorite muffins! I always have all of the ingredients so I can make them whenever. They are easy to make in minutes! Another great recipe!
Nice base recipe. As is, a little bland but I then added blueberries and just a touch of brown sugar to batter to sweeten it to my taste. For crumble topping, I mixed a some brown sugar with oats. Thanks. I definitely will use again.
Just made a batch and it’s awesome!
Yummola! I subbed 1/4 c wheat bran for flour and added 1/3 c applesauce. I also used Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup as my hubby is diabetic. Will make again.
These are so good! I added protein powder and shredded carrots instead of oats, it’s such a healthy treat.
Would this work in a loaf pan?
Hi Lorie, this muffin batter can be baked in a loaf pan, yes. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but we would bake it at 350°F (177°C).
This is a family favorite for us- they make a perfect breakfast on the go or mid-morning snack to send with my kids to elementary school. I usually make a double batch, and have found they freeze perfectly in Ello reusable gallon bags
I just tried these muffins and they were super easy to make and delicious. They were great for breakfast. I will definitely make them again and may try adding blueberries (my husband’s suggestion) or raisins just to add more fruit. They are great to use up any frozen bananas that you have on hand as well.
These turned out great! I used whole milk instead of almond milk but otherwise stuck to the recipe as presented as far as ingredients. I baked mine for 10 minutes at 375 and 9 minutes at 350 and they ended up with nice tops, very most, and not dense at all. I didn’t trust my oven to get from 425 down to 350 before they got torched, I was willing to sacrifice some doming to keep them moist, but they ended up perfect!
Very good!
I prefer to use sugar, so I used 100 grams dark brown sugar and increased the milk to 99 mils. Using jumbo muffin tin, 1 batch made 6. Baked 10 mins at 220C and about 22 mins more at 175 C.
Moist, fluffy, delicious!
I just enjoyed one of these muffins with my coffee! These are a very wholesome snack or breakfast. I followed the recipe exactly except for two things I added 3/4 cups of golden raisins and I baked for a total of 15 minutes – 5 at high heat and 10 at lowered heat. I think all the negative comments come from over baking resulting in dry muffins. Also this is a healthier recipe so it’s not going to be overly sweet. If you’re looking for a sweet muffin this probably isn’t it. I put all my ingredients into a calorie tracker and came up with 280 calories per muffin. I would definitely make these again. They hit that baked goods craving while still having some nutritional value, like 5 grams of fiber!
I haven’t made this but thinking of making it and adding some golden raisins! I have some on hand and it just sounds good. Anyone tried adding dried fruit like that? Can I leave the recipe the same and just add the raisins? Thanks for any guidance
Hi Ana, you can add raisins here! Enjoy
Thanks for your reply. Any thoughts how much would be acceptable. Thinking anywhere from 1/4-1/2 cup.
Hi Ana, 3/4 to 1 cup would be great.
I made these using dried cherries and toasted walnuts, about 3/4 cup each. They were moist and stayed fresh for several days. I froze half of them and they maintained their freshness until the last one was eaten.
I will add this recipe to my
Recipe standby box for sure.
Love this recipe! I added a little flax seed meal and a few mini semi-sweet chocolate chips—and used almond milk. Absolutely delicious!
I always trust Sally’s recipes, and this is no different! The whole wheat makes them more dense than regular muffins, but it does not affect the flavor. Great quick option in the morning to help fill out a breakfast (or afternoon snack!!). I appreciate the lower sugar amount and the bananas help sweeten as well. Will definitely be making many more times!
This is a really wonderful recipe. Easy and delicious. I add 1/4 cup black currants which takes it over the top!