You are gonna love this recipe for whole wheat banana muffins with applesauce because they are not only delicious but healthy too! In these maple syrup-sweetened muffins, you are getting multiple servings of whole foods (including eggs, bananas, and apples).
Muffins are such iconic snack food, my son always asks for them! If you are a fan of all the muffins also I recommend trying these beautiful healthy orange muffins with honey. What a perfect snack to enjoy straight out of the oven, eat for a quick breakfast, take along for a road trip, or bring on your next hike!
These muffins are:
- Easy to make, they are a great homemade from scratch muffin recipe!
- Dairy Free, there is no milk or butter in these muffins (which also makes them more affordable).
- Oil-free! Oil can be high in calories and fat and low in nutrition, these muffins contain no oil.
- A good source of whole foods (bananas, apples, whole wheat) which is a good source of nutrition and fiber for your body.
- Sweetened with a smaller amount of maple syrup. As applesauce and bananas are already sweet we need less maple syrup to make these sweet.
- Healthy! This is a great snack option for kids, toddlers, and adults too!
- Packable, great for on-the-go activities, and easy to eat one-handed.
Jump to:
Ingredients
This recipe was designed to use more whole ingredients that would be beneficial in powering the body! You need 10 ingredients to make this recipe, most of which are common in many kitchens.
- Whole Wheat Flour: Any whole wheat flour will work. I like to use red fife flour as it is commonly in my house and it has increased nutrition and fiber.
- Cinnamon: This gives the muffins a great flavor!
- Baking soda and Baking powder: They are needed for the texture and rise of the muffins.
- Sea salt: This gives a flavor boost to the muffins. I like to use celtic sea salt in all my food as it is good quality and loaded with minerals.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: You can use store bought or homemade for this recipe. Look for unsweetened if you are buying it from the store. If your applesauce contains cinnamon you can reduce the cinnamon in the recipe to 1 ½ teaspoon (instead of 2 tsp).
- Eggs: In baking, eggs contribute to the texture, rise, and moisture.
- Banana: You will need two bananas for this recipe. You want one cup of chopped banana to make these moist muffins! If you have a little less than that add some applesauce until you get 1 cup of fruit.
- Maple Syrup: This recipe uses maple to sweeten these muffins. You could also try the recipe with honey. Remember all sweeteners are going to raise your blood sugar levels, so when eating sweetened foods it's not necessarily about which sweetener is best as opposed to how much we are consuming and how good is the quality.
- Vanilla: This enhances the flavor!
See recipe card for quantities.
If you are looking to use up some ripe bananas, let me recommend my favorite cookie recipe healthy brownie cookies. These are another super tasty baked good (and you wouldn't guess there is banana in them!).
Instructions
This recipe is an easy recipe even if you have never made muffins before. It follows similar steps to all classic muffin recipes, mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the wet ingredients together well and then stir everything together only a couple of times until just combined. Let me show you in the photos below!
First whisk together the whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. You want to make sure it is evenly combined so you don't get a salty bite!
In a blender container place the applesauce, eggs, banana, maple syrup, and vanilla. (Alternatively can do this step by just mashing the bananas by hand and mixing well, I find the blender makes it a better consistency though). Blend together for 10 seconds on low until everything is blended together well into a smooth liquid.
Pour the wet ingredients from the blender container into the bowl with the flour mix.
Using a spatula stir everything together in big gentle folds only until everything is combined and no flour pockets remain. There may be a few flour streaks left.
Fill a 12-count muffin tin. Using a ⅓ cup measure that is filled generously, fill each muffin cup all the way to the top. Top each muffin with a slice of banana if desired.
Bake at 350 F for 15-18 minutes, they are done when a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean (not with wet batter).
Hint: Grease the muffin pan (if you aren't using paper liners) or if you are using silicone liners grease those instead! Or you can use paper liners.
Top tip
Don't overmix the muffins: Only stir the flour mix and the wet ingredients gently with a big fold motion using a spatula. Overmixed muffins will not rise as much or be as fluffy. There may be a few flour streaks left, that is alright as long as there is no pockets of flour.
Double this recipe
To make 24 (instead of 12) whole wheat banana muffins with applesauce simply double all the ingredients. If you have a convection oven use that function at 350 degrees Fahrenheit they may be done closer to 15 minutes. If you do not have a convection oven, either bake the muffins one pan at a time, or together but halfway through a baking switch which racks they are baking on and turn the pans around to bake evenly.
This is a great recipe to make in a large batch and keep in your freezer for later in the week or the next three months.
Optional Add In's and Variations
These muffins are super tasty without any add-ins, but they are next-level tasty with your favorite nut, dried fruit, or chocolate! All you need to do is add one of these options to the muffins when you are folding the dry and wet ingredients together.
- Chocolate Chips: oh we all know chocolate chips and bananas are an awesome combo! Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the batter.
- Raisins or Dried Cranberries: add ½ cup and it compliments the cinnamon so well!
- Chopped walnuts: these are tasty in the muffins or sprinkle them on top!
FAQ
Yes! They are filled with nutrient dense whole foods such as apples, bananas, eggs, and whole wheat flour. They have a lower sugar content and are sweetened with maple syrup. They are a good source of potassium and protein. These muffins contain no oil and no dairy making them lower in calories and fat.
Staying Fresh, Storage, and Freezing
I find these muffins are best when warm! Eat them right out of the oven or warm them up before eating. Alternatively freezing the muffins and taking them out as needed gives them the best fresh taste if you want to prep them in advance.
Store the muffins in an airtight container. Eat within the next few days if kept at room temperature, or within a week if kept in the fridge. If frozen, eat within 3 months.
Like this recipe for Whole Wheat Banana Muffins with Applesauce? Let me know down below the recipe! And give this recipe a star rating. I love hearing from you, and it would totally make my day.
Whole Wheat Banana Muffins with Applesauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour I used red fife flour
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon use 1 ½ teaspoon if there is cinnamon in your applesauce
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup chopped banana about 2 bananas see note below*
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 banana sliced (optional, for on top)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 12-count muffin tray by greasing it or use muffin liners (if using silicone liners grease them so the muffins don't stick).
- Whisk together the whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt.
- In a blender container place the applesauce, eggs, banana, maple syrup, and vanilla. (Alternatively can do this step by just mashing the bananas by hand and mixing everything together well, I find the blender makes it a better consistency though). Blend together for 10 seconds on low until everything is blended into a smooth liquid.
- Pour the wet ingredients from the blender container into the bowl with the flour mix(**if using add-in's, add now, see notes below). Using a spatula stir everything together in big gentle folds only until everything is combine and no flour pockets remain. There may be a few flour streaks left (this is okay as you do not want to over-mix the muffins as they will not rise or be as fluffy).
- Using a ⅓ cup measure that is filled generously with batter, fill each muffin liner all the way to the top. Top with a slice of banana if desired. Bake (at 350 F) for 15-18 minutes, they are done when a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean (not with wet batter on the toothpick).
- Let the muffins cool in the tray for 5 minutes before placing them on a cooling rack. Enjoy the muffins warm or let them continue cooling. Eat within the next few days if kept at room temperature, or within a week if kept in the fridge. If frozen, eat within 3 months.
Alex
Just made these for breakfast and they are so easy to make and tasty. Thank you!
danikavanderpyl
Awesome to hear Alex!
Amanda
So good, I did chocolate chips and pecans for add-ins, loved them! My boys really love them too!
danikavanderpyl
Yum love those add ins. Great to hear your kiddos enjoyed them too.