These healthy blueberry banana muffins are better than ever! They’re wonderfully wholesome and soft, and are quick and easy to make without a mixer. Every bite is filled with juicy blueberries and sweet banana flavor, and you can use nondairy milk to keep the muffins dairy free.
I originally published this recipe in 2013 and have since added new photos and made a few small updates to the recipe, so the muffins are more moist and flavorful. These changes are reflected in the printable recipe below; see recipe Notes for old version.
When it comes to muffins, do you have a favorite flavor? There are so many different varieties out there, from egg muffins to chocolate muffins, that it’s pretty much impossible to choose. It’s part of the reason I developed this muffin recipe as a base batter for infinite flavors! But if banana muffins and blueberry muffins are both in your Top 5, let me tell you…
Why You’ll Love These Healthy Blueberry Banana Muffins
- Quick and easy—no mixer required
- Wholesome and satisfying
- A kid-friendly baking recipe
- Packed with plump, juicy blueberries
- A glorious combination of banana muffins and blueberry muffins
- Dairy-free recipe if using nondairy milk
- Nut-free recipe, so perfectly acceptable for school lunchboxes!
One reader, Nicki, commented: “These yummy muffins are excellent! They are not too sweet, full of flavor, and soft and moist… just perfect! ★★★★★“
Big, sugary dessert-like muffins are a wonderful treat (looking at you, pumpkin crumb cake muffins!) but a healthier muffin that’s also easy to make and fabulously delicious is the type I choose on a weekly basis. Today’s recipe is a favorite kid-friendly baking recipe (easy to mix & quick to bake), and they freeze wonderfully.
On the same note, whenever a reader asks me for kid-friendly recipes that are also on the healthier end of the baked goods spectrum, I always suggest muffins. Muffins are quick, manageable, portable, acceptable for breakfast and snack time, and usually require very little clean-up.
These blueberry banana muffins fit the bill. They’re just sweet enough so kids gobble them up, but are made with better-for-you ingredients like whole wheat flour, coconut oil, and bananas.
Key Ingredients You Need & Why:
- Flour: I suggest using white-whole wheat flour or a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour (I usually use a cup of each). If you use ALL whole wheat flour, expect a denser texture.
- Mashed Banana: Banana naturally sweetens the muffins. Just like when you’re making banana bread, it’s best to use super brown, speckled bananas—the riper, the better. You can use frozen and thawed bananas, too. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking for some tips.
- Brown Sugar: The taste and texture benefits from a little brown sugar. If you want to skip all refined sugars, you can substitute coconut sugar.
- Honey or Pure Maple Syrup: Honey or maple syrup finishes up the job of sweetening these muffins, and adds some moisture as well.
- Coconut Oil: Instead of butter or vegetable oil, use melted coconut oil. You can always rely on oil to keep your baked goods moist, especially when they’re made with drying ingredients like whole wheat flour.
- Egg: The egg acts as a binder for the ingredients, and also helps keep the muffins soft.
- Milk: You can use any kind of milk, dairy or nondairy, you have on hand. I usually use almond or oat milk to make these muffins.
- Blueberries: Can’t have blueberry banana muffins without blueberries! You can use either fresh or frozen berries here. If using frozen, do not thaw.
You also need these baking basics: baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract.
Don’t like banana? Try these blueberry oatmeal muffins instead.
Today’s muffin batter comes together in just minutes with simple kitchen tools: a couple mixing bowls, a whisk, a spatula, and a muffin pan. (If you need a recommendation, this muffin pan and this muffin pan have both held up well with very regular use.)
Expect a thick batter. As with ALL muffin recipes, do not over-mix it! Only mix the batter until the wet and dry ingredients are *just combined* and no more flour pockets remain. Over-mixing your batter will activate the gluten in the flour and overdevelop it, deflating the air bubbles in the process. This results in a tough, hard, dense muffin—not soft and fluffy like you are aiming for.
Let’s not forget those blueberries. Add a heaping cup (more like a cup and a quarter) of fresh or frozen blueberries to the batter. If you’re using frozen blueberries, don’t let them thaw, or else you will have some muddy-purple muffins that look a bit less appealing! Fold them in gently with a spatula, so they’re evenly distributed in the batter.
I love sprinkling the tops of the muffins with a little coarse sugar before baking, a finishing touch I always add when making these healthy apple muffins, too.
3 Helpful Tips
- Expect a semi-thick batter. Thick batter helps ensure the muffins lift UP rather than spread OUT.
- Add an optional coarse sugar topping. You can use coconut sugar, something like Sugar in the Raw, or sparkling coarse sugar (usually sold as sprinkles). Or don’t add anything at all, the muffins are plenty delicious without a topping!
- Bake at an initially high oven temperature. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes in a very hot oven. Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, lower the oven temperature. This initial high oven temperature quickly lifts up the muffin top. Once the temperature is lowered, the centers of the muffins bake. I do this in all my muffin recipes.
Are These Blueberry Banana Muffins Healthy?
I’d say these are a healthy-ish muffin. Like my flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies, they are made with some healthier alternatives to traditional baking ingredients, but still include sugar. When it comes to labeling recipes as healthy, use the best judgment for YOU.
I Have Plenty of Healthier Muffin Recipes:
- Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
- Morning Glory Muffins
- Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Muffins
- Applesauce Muffins
- Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Blueberry Almond Power Muffins (GF)
- Healthy Bran Muffins
Healthy Blueberry Banana Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These are soft and moist blueberry banana muffins made with a few healthier ingredients like whole wheat flour, mashed bananas, coconut oil instead of butter, and a little honey. See Notes for freezing instructions and how to make mini muffins.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour, or a mix of both (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (230g) mashed banana (about 3 medium or 2 large ripe bananas)
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 1/4 cup (85g) honey or pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (56g) coconut oil, melted (or vegetable oil/avocado oil)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup (160ml) milk (dairy or nondairy), at room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 cups (175g) fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)
- optional: 1 Tablespoon coarse sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. (If you need a recommendation, this muffin pan and this muffin pan have both held up well with very regular use.) Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Once mashed, whisk in the brown sugar, honey/maple syrup, coconut oil, egg, vanilla, and milk until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until everything is just combined. Fold in the blueberries. Expect a semi-thick batter. Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups, filling them all the way to the top.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C); then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce heat to 350°F (177°C) and continue baking for another 15–18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20–23 minutes, give or take. (For mini or jumbo muffins, see Notes for baking instructions.)
- Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, and then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
- Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: For longer storage, freeze the muffins in a freezer-friendly container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm up in the microwave if desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan (like this one or this one) | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Why the initial high oven temperature? Like I recommend for most muffin recipes, bake the muffins for 5 minutes at a very hot temperature. Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, switch to a lower temperature for the remaining bake time. This initial high temperature will quickly lift the muffin tops so they’re extra high, then the centers will bake during the lower temperature bake time. This trick makes beautiful bakery-style muffins every time.
- Milk: You can use any milk, dairy or nondairy.
- For a jumbo muffin pan: 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F for 22–25 minutes for a total of 27–30 minutes. Makes about 6. For mini muffins: 350°F (whole time) for 12–14 minutes. Makes about 36–40.
- Loaf Pan: I haven’t personally tested it this recipe as a loaf, but the volume of batter is enough for a 9×5-inch loaf pan. I’m unsure of the best bake time, but you can follow this zucchini bread recipe as a guide.
- Updated in 2023: I made a couple small updates to the recipe, so the muffins are more moist and flavorful. To make the old version, leave out the baking powder, vanilla, and coconut oil. Add 1/4 cup (60g) Greek yogurt and another 1/2 cup (about 63g) of flour.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 195
- Sugar: 17.7 g
- Sodium: 171.4 mg
- Fat: 5.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 35.3 g
- Protein: 3.6 g
- Cholesterol: 15.5 mg
I never leave comments but I have used a lot of the recipes you posted and they are all excellent. The notes section is especially helpful.
I have an issue with blueberry muffins in general. For this particular recipe I followed through as indicated but substituted 1 egg for flax seeds and 1/4 yogurt (to bind, due to egg allergy). I coated the fresh blueberries before adding them. The muffins rose beautifully in the oven but collapsed whilst out. The top is chewy and a bit hard and the inside is all mushed together. I have checked them at 24 mins in the oven and then left them for 4 for minutes. Plus the extra 5 minutes at raised temp.
Any idea what I can do to rectify? This happens usually with blueberry recipes
Hi Laura! Usually when muffins collapse, they’ve been underbaked, or there’s too much moisture in the batter. We’re unsure how the flax and yogurt substitute would work here, but we do recommend baking for longer. Are you using a toothpick to test for doneness?
Love this recipe, I now refer to it weekly. I use spelt flour to keep things easier to digest for my eldest and I put in a few teaspoons of chia seeds to give her an omega boost which helps her hormones. Tasty, easy to make and adaptable
These Healthy Blueberry Banana muffins were a hit with my guests today. The only thing I did change was not adding the brown sugar. I don’t use sugar at all but occasionally will use honey in baking. I let the fruit usually stand as the sweetener. I also used 2 cups of whole wheat flour as that was all I had. I will be making these again. They rose beautifully and were so moist. Thank you!
i ,m not one to leave comments (my bad) but it behooves me to say this recipe is added to my best list. i like that it has ak the good stuff in it. i can hardly wait wait to bring some yo my daughter and grand daughter
Great tasting recipe but surface seemed moist. I cooked them to fineness using the clean toothpick test. Tasted great but a little hard to wrap in very humid environment. Suggestions?
Hi Annemarie, these are definitely moist muffins, but it sounds like they could use an additional minute or two in the oven. That should help combat some of the moistness, and be sure to let them fully cool before wrapping. So glad you enjoyed them!
Delicious!! I subbed the coconut oil and honey for apple sauce. Love that you always have grams in your instructions!
I would like to try these and leave out the honey/maple syrup. Would they still come out okay? I have twin 11 month old grandchildren and their mom is trying to keep them away from sugar (and they can’t have honey)
Hi Peg, we don’t recommend leaving the maple syrup out completely—the muffins will lose a lot of flavor. You might try these baby apple banana oat muffins instead. (They still have some sugar, but less than these.)
Want to make this but I have Whole wheat PASTRY flour. Will that work? Thanks a bunch, Nancy
Hi Nancy, we haven’t tested that exact substitution, so we’re unsure of the exact results. We recommend following the recipe for best results.
This recipe is delicious! But all of my muffins stuck to the liners… how can I prevent that?
Hi Alyssa, We never have problem using high quality grease proof liners. We like these from Paper Chef if you need a recommendation. Or you can try giving the liners you already have a light spray with non-stick spray. We are glad you enjoy the recipe!
Thank you for this recipe I loved them! Here are a few changes I made based on what I had available in case anyone else is wondering how these ingredients might change things:
-I made them before with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking GF flour and they were great, the high temp to start trick still made them rise up high! I found though the batter was quite thin so I threw in some ground flaxseeds to try and thicken it up. They tasted great, I don’t know if that was necessary though?
-another time I used apple sauce in place of mashed banana- still great
-another time I used 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup oat flour, 1/2 cup almond flour – still great.
All in all, a rather flexible and delicious recipe. Great for kids and adults.
These turned out great. I used white whole wheat flour, half the brown sugar and double the cinnamon. Oat milk. Vegetable oil. Frozen wild blueberries. I used my digital instant-read thermometer to check that they were done; they were so full of blueberries I didn’t trust my toothpick. The bake took 25 minutes total.
Muffins came out bakedhop style due to filling right to top
I sprinkled a few blueberries on top…Great recipe !!
Can I substitute coconut flour for all purpose looks good
Hi Joe, we don’t recommend that substitution. Coconut flour has very different baking properties than all-purpose flour and isn’t always a 1:1 swap. If you’re looking for a gluten free alternative, you may have better luck with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend.
These turned out so delicious and I adjusted the recipe to be gluten free and used sour cream in lieu of milk. This will be my blueberry muffin recipe from now on. Thank you
I love your recipes – they are my go to! But for some reason I struggle with muffins…I did this recipe to the T but they sunk in the middle and were not completely cooked through. I had a couple of baking trays in the oven could that have affected the heat circulation? Could my x3 bananas been on the large side adding too much ‘wet’ ingredients? I don’t know
Hi Sarah, that could certainly be the culprit. Were the pans all on the same level? We do not recommend baking on different levels, as it causes uneven heat circulation and baking. It’s also possible your bananas were more than the 1 cup needed. All ovens can be a bit different, so if the muffins sunk and were not finished, it’s certainly okay to extend the baking time by a bit. Thank you for giving these a try!
I love this recipe and I follow it to the letter. Everyone loves it especially my 7yr old son. My only thing would be, it takes a lot longer to cook in my oven. The oven works very well and holds heat spectacularly. Does anyone else have this problem?
It was a bit longer for me too….21 minutes at 350…plus the 5 minutes at 425.
This is a great recipe. I make ‘tall’ muffins which tend to take a bit longer to bake but consistent results. One of the things that I like about the recipe is that it lends itself well to variations and substitutions. Thanks much.
Made these muffins with my granddaughter. So easy to make and sooo delicious!!
I was looking for the skinny blueberry banana muffins that were made with Greek yogurt that used to be on your website. Can’t find it anymore.
Hi Wendy, this is that recipe, but we made a couple small updates to the recipe, so the muffins are more moist and flavorful. See recipe Notes for original version that includes some yogurt.
These were great! I made half according to the recipe and half with chocolate chips. I used a mix of whole wheat and white flour. This will be a repeat.
Holy moist! I used as many of the recommended substitutions listed in the recipe that I had on hand and these turned out amazing. I somehow only got 11 but I think I was overly generous with filling the cups. 😀 Thanks for the recipe! Will make again.
Can I substitute chocolate chips for the blueberries?
Absolutely.
These are great muffins. Made as written, no substitutions and they domed beautifully and were soft and moist. I made mini muffins (24) and six regular sized muffins and baked according to recipe instructions. The whole wheat flour gave them a nice texture and were the perfect vehicle for the hefty amount of blueberries and it is really wonderful to be able to bite into juicy blueberries with every bite. Next time I will probably add more cinnamon (just a personal preference) and some chopped walnuts just to add bulk to this already healthy muffin recipe.
I also loved the fact that I didn’t have to lug out my mixer and add to the clean up.
These are absolutely my new favorite muffins! I actually messed up and completely forgot to add the coconut oil, but I had added extra mashed banana. They were still very moist and delicious!!
This recipe looks great! I can’t eat coconut oil, so plan to sub with melted butter. Hope that will work well. I also wanted to thank you for not having pop-up ads on your mobile website. The pop up ads are SO bad on some blogs that the blog is pretty much unusable. Yours is so much easier to use and I actually look at the scroll-by ads rather than try to close them asap.
This has become my go to muffin recipe! These muffins come together so easily, taste amazing and are a healthyish snack for children of all ages. My husband absolutely loves them.
I made these last night and they were so good. So moist and flavorful. And quick and easy too!
So yummy! I like to make these with spelt flour. Now always keep a stash in my freezer for a healthier sweet snack.
Great recipe and muffins light and fluffy.
Great recipe. I love recipes that give the weight of the fruit to use. Used 2T honey, slightly less sugar. Used 1tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp ginger. Didn’t have milk. Used 1/3 cup water and 1more egg. Worked.