Name: Banana Nut Protein Muffins with Pecan Crumble
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1.5 Tbsp butter, cold (21g)- Use dairy-free if needed; 3 Tbsp Swerve brown sugar (36g); 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour (30g); 2 Tbsp chopped pecans (16g); 1 cup oat flour - or other flour of your choice (120g); 1.5 scoops vanilla protein powder (46g); 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp salt; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 Tbsp cornstarch (8g); 3 medium bananas, mashed (310g); 1 large egg; 2 tsp canola oil - or other oil of choice (10g); 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (80g); 1/4 cup sugar-free pancake syrup (60g); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 Tbsp chopped peanuts or walnuts, optional

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These Banana Nut Protein Muffins are naturally sweet and moist, and are topped with the BEST sweet and crunchy pecan crumble! They’re healthy, protein packed, great for meal prep or weekend breakfast, and will make your house smell delicious!

I absolutely insist you try these Banana Nut Protein Muffins with Pecan Crumble. Why? Because they’re melt in your mouth, drool worthy, absolutely amazingly good! They seriously taste like a muffin fresh from a bakery. 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 hearty pecans—and they have the most moist texture. And the crumble. THE CRUMBLE. The crumble is the real star of the show here. Made with the good good stuff 😉 we’re talking REAL butter and sugar here. It really compliments the muffin and brings so much flavor and texture—and a little goes a LONG way.

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 😂

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THESE BANANA NUT PROTEIN MUFFINS

Naturally sweet and moist thanks to ripe bananas.
Seriously INSANELY delicious. Like out of this world good. Do not taste healthy for a second!
Healthy ingredients and protein packed!
SO easy to make and PERFECT for meal prep!
THE SUGARY PECAN CRUMBLE!!!
Great grab and go breakfast or snack option.
They are amazing. Have I said it enough?!?! BEST MUFFINS EVER!

INGREDIENTS

For the Banana Nut Muffins:

Oat flour – I used Anthony’s Oat Flour. I like the oat-ey flavor. But you could also use all-purpose, whole wheat, or 1:1 gluten free flour. If you don’t have oat flour, you can always blend normal quick oats in a blender or food processor until a flour consistency is achieved. I have not experimented with almond or coconut flour. If you try either, let me know how it went in the comments!
Protein powder – I used PEScience Snickerdoodle. A vanilla or peanut butter flavor would also work here. If you want to use another brand, just make sure it is also a whey + casein blend. Not all protein powders respond the same, but this kind bakes amazingly. For all PEScience products, you can use my affiliate code Laurenfitfoodie to save 10% off your purchase.
Baking essentials – Baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pure vanilla extract.
Cornstarch
Bananas – The riper the banana, the sweeter these muffins will be!
Unsweetened applesauce
Egg
Oil – I used canola oil, but you can use olive oil, coconut oil, or any other oil you have on hand.
Sugar-free pancake syrup – Sugar-free pancake syrup keeps the carbs a little lower in these muffins, but feel free to use pure maple syrup or honey.
Nuts! I used chopped pecans in these muffins as well as in the pecan crumble. Walnuts or almonds would be amazing, too!

For the Pecan Crumble:

All-purpose flour – I recommend a white flour here. You can use a gluten-free flour as well.
Unsalted butter – DO NOT use light spreadable butter as a replacement.
Brown sugar – I used Swerve brown sugar. You can use regular light brown sugar, coconut sugar, or any brown sugar replacement brand like Splenda, Truvia, etc.
Pecans – You can use another nut if you’d like.

HOW TO MAKE

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with muffin liners.
In a large mixing bowl, add bananas and mash with a fork. Combine mashed bananas with egg, oil, pancake syrup, and vanilla. Stir vigorously until the mixture is smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Gently fold/stir the dry ingredients in until just combined. Don’t over-mix.
Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each one completely. Top with chopped nuts and gently mix/press them around/down.
Bake muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F. Then, with muffins still in the oven, reduce heat to 350°F and bake muffins for another 13-15 minutes. The high heat will help the muffins rise. The low heat will cook the center of the muffin.
Remove muffins from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Banana Nut Protein Muffins with Pecan Crumble

TIPS FOR BEST BANANA NUT MUFFINS

Ripe bananas: As with any banana recipe, the key is to use very ripe bananas. The riper the banana, the more moist and flavorful it will be and the more natural sweetness it will have. The riper, the better!
Cornstarch: Adding the cornstarch is not a deal breaker in this recipe. It is optional, but it will yield the best results. Cornstarch softens the harsh proteins of flour, making the final baked good more tender.
Bake at a higher temperature FIRST to get your muffins to rise: Start the muffins baking at a high temperature of 425°F. That bit of high heat will help the tops of the muffin rise up. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and cook the center of the muffin. Such a simple trick that makes such a difference in the appearance of these yummy muffins. Besides that, also make sure you are using fresh baking powder opened within the past 3 months.
Protein powder: I say this frequently, but truly not every protein powder bakes the same. I love PEScience because it bakes SO well. But if you use another brand, just make sure that it is also a whey + casein blend and a protein powder you know bakes well.
Don’t over-mix: over-mixing the batter can result in dense texture and prevent the muffins from rising. Mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Do not use light butter for the crumble: I repeat. Do not use light butter for the crumble. Light butter is actually margarine and does not produce the same crumble effect that butter does. Trust me, I have tried. Just stick to good ole fashioned butter for this one.

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Yield: 12