Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 21 Comments

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These Banana Nut Muffins are really all about the taste, but you can't beat a muffin that's also healthier, thanks to whole wheat flour and less sugar.
Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (1)

Over the past (almost) six years of writing this blog, I've learned an important lesson when it comes to recipe development. As much fun as it is to come up with new flavor combinations and crazy original ideas, more often then not, it's the simplest flavors that resonate with you, the readers, and even my family.

Years ago (pre-food blog), I made some banana muffins that my husband and I immediately fell in love with. The texture, the flavor...they had it all. But when I made the muffins again several years later, I was surprised by how sweet they were. My tastebuds had changed, and muffins that resembled cupcakes, rather than healthy snacks, just didn't do it for me anymore.

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (2)

If you visit here often, you already know that I like to lighten things up. It was time to put our old standby banana muffin recipe under the microscope.

First came the flour. I rarely use all-purpose flour anymore, as I've discovered that whole wheat pastry flour (my favorite is the one by Bob's Red Mill) produces a really tender texture, with the benefit of added fiber.

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (3)

The next victim was the sugar, which I slashed by half. That sounds rather drastic but, to me, the muffins have just the right amount of sweetness, veering away from the cloyingly rich taste of many store-bought muffins (or our banana muffins of the past). In previous muffin recipes, such as my Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins, I've used brown sugar. That would certainly work in this recipe, but I decided to try something new this time. I picked up some organic coconut palm sugar at one of the local supermarkets. Coconut palm sugar has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar (that being said, remember that is still sugar, and should be used sparingly in your diet) and can be substituted in a 1:1 ratio for granulated or brown sugars.

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (4)

What if you're not a nut lover? That's okay, just leave them out. No harm, no foul.

The result? These muffins got rave reviews from everyone in my family. In fact, both kids and my husband put one in their lunches for the next day. I'd say that's a good day at the office!

Other whole wheat muffin recipes:

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (5)
Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffins

Printable Recipe

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (6)

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins Recipe

These muffins are really all about the taste, but you can't beat a muffin that's also healthier, thanks to whole wheat flour and less sugar.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breads, Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Vegetarian, Whole Wheat Recipe

Servings: 12 Muffins

Calories: 141kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a muffin tin with cooking spray.

  • In a large bowl, stir together the bananas, coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar), applesauce, egg and vanilla extract.

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

  • Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until combined. Stir in the pecans.

  • Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin cups.

  • Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes.

  • Remove muffins from the pan and allow to cool. Serve.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 4 (Points+), 3 (Old Points)

Nutrition

Serving: 1Muffin | Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 222mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.8mg

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Disclosure: This post contains links to my Amazon affiliate page. Any revenue made from sales through these links helps to support this blog. Thank you!

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (7)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Comment

  1. Hanna

    What ingredients are causing the 27.9 grams of cholesterol as stated in the nutritional information. Is it the egg? I'm assuming it was supposed to be milligrams and not grams? I need a no cholesterol recipe for my mum. What can be substituted for this egg? Is it just the egg causing the cholesterol?

    Also, would it come out good with brown sugar rather than honey? Further, would I be able to use paper cups without the muffins sticking?

    Looking forward to hearing from you.

    Reply

    • Dara

      Yes, that's supposed to read mg. Sorry about that! I haven't tested this recipe with brown sugar, so can't speak to that. However, agave nectar or maple syrup would be good substitutes. I never have much luck with paper cups and usually end up coating them with cooking spray to stop them from sticking.

      For the egg, many people have luck making a vegan flax egg, which is 1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water for one egg. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  2. Rania

    Do you think it will be just as good if I make it into banana bread instead?

    Reply

    • Dara

      I've never tried it as banana bread, but I'd imagine it would be good. Just be sure to increase the baking time. 🙂

      Reply

  3. Caroline Kaufman Nutrition (@sweetfoodie)

    These are my new favorite banana nut muffins. I just sent the recipe to a friend, and I know I'll be sending it along to more! I love that there's only 1/2 cup of sugar and the only sources of fat are from the nuts and one egg, yet they're sweet, rich, and moist from the bananas. Awesome job. Thanks so much 🙂

    Reply

  4. Erin @ Texanerin Baking

    Despite actually reading the post, I hadn't realized you linked to my muffins until now. Embarrassing! Thanks for the link. 🙂

    Reply

  5. Sarah

    These are in my oven right now! I just had a moment of panic thinking I forgot to add butter, but there's not any! My kitchen smells awesome 🙂

    Reply

  6. Liz @ The Lemon Bowl

    We make a similar recipe with walnuts - why don't I ever use pecans?? These look amazing my friend! My boys would devour them!

    Reply

  7. Lauren @ Healthy Delicious

    I agree- classic flavors are classic for a reason! I love these muffins though. Whole wheat pastry flour is really an amazing thing. 🙂

    Reply

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Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (2024)

FAQs

How many calories are in a whole wheat banana muffin? ›

Calories in Whole Wheat Banana Muffin
Calories230.2
Total Fat7.9 g
Saturated Fat4.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat0.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat0.4 g
8 more rows

Why is my banana muffin hard? ›

Avoid overmixing your wet ingredients with the flour mixture as this will result in more dry, dense muffins instead of muffins with a moist crumb. Follow the other tips above for using overripe bananas for the best guarantee of moist muffins!

What temperature to cook muffins? ›

Standard Size Muffins or Mini Muffins: For standard size muffins baked in a 12-count muffin pan, reduce baking time to about 20 total minutes: 5 initial minutes at 425°F and 15 minutes at 350°F. Yields 14-15 standard size muffins. For about 40 mini muffins, bake for 11-13 minutes at 350°F the entire time.

What should the internal temperature of banana bread be? ›

Bake your banana bread until it registers an internal temperature of 200 to 205°F. Use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center. This is the best and easiest way to ensure your bread is perfectly cooked through but not overdone.

How many carbs are in a whole wheat muffin? ›

One whole wheat English muffin contains the following nutrients ( 1 ): Calories: 134. Carbs: 27 grams. Fat: 1 gram.

How many calories are in a jumbo banana nut muffin? ›

Hy-vee Muffins Jumbo Banana Nut (1 muffin) contains 49g total carbs, 48g net carbs, 23g fat, 5g protein, and 420 calories.

How do you keep muffins moist and fluffy? ›

The Best Way to Store Muffins
  1. STEP ONE: Let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack.
  2. STEP TWO: Line an airtight storage container with paper towels.
  3. STEP THREE: Place muffins in the container, on top of the paper towels.
  4. STEP FOUR: Place an additional paper towel layer on top of the muffins.

How do you make muffins softer? ›

By chilling the batter, the starch in the flour is able to absorb more moisture, resulting in a more tender muffin. It also thickens the batter without drying it out, which helps encourage beautiful tall muffin tops without a crumbly or cakey texture.

How to doctor up banana muffin mix? ›

Pecans, walnuts, and almonds can add a crunchy texture to moist muffins. Gently fold in 1/2 cup of your favorite chopped nuts into your muffin batter. Or try adding a scoop of peanut butter or peanut butter powder to the batter. If the mix gets a little too thick, just add a splash of water to even out the consistency.

Should I bake muffins at 350 or 375? ›

Ideal Muffin Cooking Temperature

That being said, the standard oven temperature for baking desserts like quick breads and muffins is commonly set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Setting your oven to this temperature will almost always produce a well-cooked muffin recipe.

Are muffins better with oil or butter? ›

It is possible to replace oil with butter in a muffin recipe as generally most muffin recipes are quite forgiving and you may find that butter gives a better flavour.

Can you leave freshly baked banana bread out overnight? ›

If you're planning to eat your banana bread within three to four days, it can be left out at room temperature. To keep it fresh, place a paper towel in the bottom of an airtight container. Place the loaf of banana bread on top, add another paper towel, and put the lid on the container.

How many bananas are in 2 cups? ›

3 bananas: 2 cups chopped | 1-1/2 cups mashed. 4 bananas: 2-2/3 cups chopped | 2 cups mashed.

How many calories are in a banana muffin? ›

Muffins, banana (1 medium - approx 2 3/4" to 3" diameter) contains 53.5g total carbs, 51.4g net carbs, 12.4g fat, 6.6g protein, and 348 calories.

How many calories in a 1 2 whole wheat English muffin? ›

There are 65 calories in a 1/2 Whole Wheat English Muffin. * The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet.

How many calories does whole wheat blueberry muffins have? ›

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
183Calories
7gFat
29gCarbs
3gProtein

How many calories in a Martha White banana nut muffin? ›

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving
Calories290
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g11%
Saturated Fat 1.5g1.5%
18 more rows

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