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5 from 20 votes
Home By Course Breakfast Muffins & Breads

Banana Nut Protein Muffins with Pecan Crumble

These Banana Nut Protein Muffins are the furthest thing from a protein muffin! They're insanely fluffy, perfectly sweetened and with the most utterly resistible crunchy pecan crumble! They’re packed with healthy whole grains and fiber plus 6g of protein per muffin!) Great for meal prep or weekend breakfast, and will make your house smell delicious!

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By: Lauren published: Aug. 27, 2021 updated: Aug. 09, 2024 12 Comments

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Banana nut protein muffins with pecan crumble on a tray.
Contents hide
About This Recipe
Why You’ll Love These Banana Nut Protein Muffins
Ingredients and Substitutions
how to make
FAQ: Banana Nut Protein Muffins
More Muffin Recipes You Might Enjoy
Banana Nut Protein Muffins with Pecan Crumble
MyFitnessPal Entry
Did You Make This?

About This Recipe

These Banana Nut Protein Muffins are absolutely drool worthy and melt-in-your-mouth good! They seriously taste like a muffin from a bakery. Definitely not a protein muffin. And they’ll make your kitchen smell incredible. I am obsessed with them!

Both the banana muffins and the pecan crumble are packed with tons of flavor dimension—just the right amount of sweet banana, cinnamon spice, and crunchy pecans—and they have the most moist texture.

I’m telling you guys, you gotta make these muffins. Even my brother went back for seconds (and thirds!) and he’s even harder to please than a 2 year old. I’m not joking here 😂

If you like these muffins you might also like these blueberry greek yogurt muffins, peanut butter banana muffins or double chocolate protein muffins!

Banana Nut Protein Muffins with Pecan Crumble cut in half and spread with butter on a plate.

Why You’ll Love These Banana Nut Protein Muffins

  • Naturally sweet and moist thanks to overripe bananas.
  • Seriously INSANELY delicious. Does not taste healthy for a second.
  • Simple, healthy, pantry-staple ingredients 
  •  Easy to make and perfect for meal prep!
  • THE SUGARY PECAN CRUMBLE!!!
  • Great grab and go breakfast or snack option.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Ingredients for Banana Nut Protein Muffins.

Muffin ingredients

  • Oat flour – I used oat flour for these muffins. If you don’t have oat flour, you can always blend old fashioned or quick oats in a food processor until a flour consistency is achieved (though I do think these muffins taste best with packaged/store-bought oat flour since the flour is a lot fine). White whole wheat flour or all-purpose (GF if needed) work too.
  • Protein powder – We’ll use just a little bit! Using too much change the muffin texture. I used PEScience vanilla (code laurenfitfoodie to save) not all protein powders bake the same so ideally use one you know bakes well. You can also just replace with more flour.
  • Baking essentials – baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pure vanilla extract.
  • Cornstarch – added to make these muffins fluffier, but you could omit if you needed.
  • Bananas – The riper the banana, the sweeter these muffins will be!
  • Applesauce – I used unsweetened applesauce. You could also just replace with more banana or oil.
  • Egg
  • Oil – I used canola oil, but you can use olive oil, melted coconut oil, or any other oil you have on hand. Or butter.
  • Maple syrup – we’ll use maple syrup to sweeten these banana muffins. You could also use agave, honey, or sugar-free pancake syrup.
  • Nuts! I used chopped pecans in these muffins as well as in the pecan crumble. Walnuts or almonds would be amazing, too!

Crumble ingredients

  • All-purpose flour – or gluten-free all-purpose if needed. Regular flour makes it taste most like the real deal but you can sub for more oat flour!
  • Butter – cold butter! Keep in fridge until ready to use. Do not use light spreadable butter as a replacement.
  • Brown sugar – dark brown sugar, light brown sugar, coconut sugar, or any brown sugar replacement brand like, Truvia, Swerve or golden monk fruit sweetener.
  • chopped pecans – or walnuts, any nut you like!

how to make

The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!

Mashed bananas in a mixing bowl.

1. Add the bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork (I like leaving a few small clumps).

Wet ingredients in a mixing bowl.

2. Then add the egg, oil, applesauce, syrup, and vanilla and mix until well combined.

Dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

3. Add the flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cornstarch, and pecans (if using).

Dry and wet ingredients combined in a mixing bowl.

4. Mix in the dry ingredients until they are fully incorporated. Do not over-mix!

Batter poured into a muffin pan with liners.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan (use liners or spray with cooking spray).

Banana nut protein muffins topped with pecan crumble in a muffin pan before being baked.

6. Combine the butter and brown sugar with a fork. Add the flour and pecans and mix until crumbly and mostly combined. Sprinkle the muffins evenly with the pecan crumble.

Banana nut protein muffin on a small plate.

7. Bake muffins for 5 minutes at 425 F….then with muffins staying in the oven, reduce heat to 350 F. Bake muffins here for 13-15 minutes more.

Banana Nut Protein Muffins with Pecan Crumble cut in half and spread with butter on a plate.

8. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with cream cheese, if desired, and enjoy!

Banana nut protein muffin on a plate.

FAQ: Banana Nut Protein Muffins

Can I leave out the protein powder?

I promise, these do not taste like protein muffins at all. But if you still want to leave out, just replace with the same amount of oat flour (or all-purpose, gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose or whole wheat flour) so that a similar balance of wet and dry ingredients is achieved.

How do I make my muffins light and fluffy?

Don’t beat the batter. Just mix well. This is why I recommend using a whisk to combine the ingredients and not a hand mixer. Over-mixing will create dry muffins. Allowing the batter to sit for 10 minutes before baking also creates a fluffier texture. The extra time allows the ingredients to come together more effectively.

How to store banana nut protein muffins?

Store leftover banana muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Or freeze (in a large baggie with all the air removed) for up to 4 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight or by leaving on the counter for 10-20 minutes.

More Muffin Recipes You Might Enjoy

Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins on a cooling rack.

Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins (Little Bites Copycat)

Lemon poppyseed protein muffins on a plate.

Lemon Poppy Seed Protein Muffins (low carb)

Overhead shot of someone holding a double chocolate protein muffin topped with chocolate chips.

Double Chocolate Protein Muffins (100 Calories, 6 Ingredients)

Honey Whole Wheat Blueberry Greek Yogurt Muffins (one bowl)

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!

Banana nut protein muffins with pecan crumble on a tray.
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5 from 20 votes

Banana Nut Protein Muffins with Pecan Crumble

? Dairy-Free ? Gluten-Free ? High Protein ? Low Carb ? Macro-friendly ? Vegetarian
These Banana Nut Protein Muffins are the furthest thing from a protein muffin! They're insanely fluffy, perfectly sweetened and with the most utterly resistible crunchy pecan crumble! They’re packed with healthy whole grains and fiber plus 6g of protein per muffin!) Great for meal prep or weekend breakfast, and will make your house smell delicious!
Yield: 12
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 20 minutes mins
Total: 30 minutes mins
Calories: 132kcal
Protein: 5.8g
Fat: 4.3g
Carbs: 17.5g

Ingredients

  • 3 medium bananas (310g) mashed ~1.25 cup
  • 1/3 cup applesauce (80g)
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (60g)
  • 2 tsp oil of choice
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup oat flour (120g)
  • 1/3 cup vanilla protein powder (45g) or extra oat flour
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch optional
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp chopped pecans optional

Pecan Crumble:

  • 1.5 Tbsp cold butter (21g)
  • 3 Tbsp brown sugar (36g)
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30g) GF if needed
  • 2 Tbsp chopped pecans (16g)

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes. Scroll for macros and MyFitnessPal code.

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare a muffin pan with cooking spray or muffin liners.
  • Add the bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork (I like leaving a few small clumps). Then add the applesauce, syrup, oil, egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.
  • Add the flour, protein powder, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pecans (if using).
  • Mix in the dry ingredients until they're incorporated (without over-mixing)
  • In a separate bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar with a fork. Add the flour and pecans and mix until crumbly and mostly combined.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle the muffins evenly with the pecan crumble.
  • Bake muffins for 5 minutes at 425 F, then with muffins staying in the oven, reduce heat to 350 F. Bake muffins here for 13-15 minutes more.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with cream cheese, if desired, and enjoy!

Equipment

  • Muffin pan

Notes

To store: store leftover banana muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Or freeze (in a large baggie with all the air removed) for up to 4 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight or by leaving on the counter for 10-20 minutes.
Oat flour – I used oat flour for these muffins. If you don’t have oat flour, you can always blend old fashioned or quick oats in a food processor until a flour consistency is achieved (though I do think these muffins taste best with packaged/store-bought oat flour since the flour is a lot fine). White whole wheat flour or all-purpose (GF if needed) work too.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1 muffin (65g), Calories: 132kcal (7%), Carbohydrates: 17.5g (6%), Protein: 5.8g (12%), Fat: 4.3g (7%), Saturated Fat: 1.2g (8%), Fiber: 1.9g (8%), Sugar: 6g (7%)

Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.

MyFitnessPal Entry

LFF Banana Nut Protein Muffins with Pecan Crumble

© Author: Lauren

Banana nut protein muffins with pecan crumble on a tray.

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Lauren

Lauren lives with her husband, Simon and two dogs, Finley and Cookie, in the Carolina’s. She has college degrees in Nursing and Exercise Science, is a NASM certified trainer and spent many years as a macro coach before transitioning to full time blogging. She loves staying active, being creative and recreating her favorite comfort food dishes into healthier, lightened up versions. Desserts are her speciality!

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Hey There!

I’m Lauren, a food lover sharing healthy, macro-friendly recipes that taste good and you can feel good about eating. Here you’ll find everything from breakfasts to easy dinners to lightened up desserts because desserts are absolutely mandatory around here!

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