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About This Recipe
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 😂
Need more healthy and delicious muffins? Try my infamous Light and Fluffy Skinny Blueberry Muffins! You also can’t go wrong with my Low Carb Lemon Poppyseed Muffins or my Double Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins!
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.
For the Banana Nut Muffins:
- 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. Oat flour works best for these muffins! But all-purpose or white whole wheat flour will work for these muffins too.
- Protein powder – We’ll use just a little bit! Using too much change the muffin texture. I used PEScience Vanilla. You can also just replace with more flour.
- 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.
- 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!
For the Pecan Cumble:
- 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 – You can use regular dark brown sugar, light brown sugar, coconut sugar, or any brown sugar replacement brand like, Truvia, Swerve or golden monk fruit sweetener.
- Pecans – You can use another nut if you’d 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!
1. Add the bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork (I like leaving a few small clumps).
2. Then add the egg, oil, applesauce, syrup, and vanilla and mix until well combined.
3. Add the flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cornstarch, and pecans (if using).
4. Mix in the dry ingredients until they are fully incorporated. Do not over-mix!
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan (use liners or spray with cooking spray).
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.
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.
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!
For the 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 you know it 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: Light butter is actually margarine and does not produce the same crumble effect that butter does. Just stick to good ole fashioned butter for this one.
Can I leave out the protein powder?
I promise, these do not taste like protein muffins at all. But if you still wish to leave out, I would replace with the same amount of flour (use all-purpose, gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose, oat, 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.
What’s the best way to use ripe bananas?
If you still have ripe bananas to use try my Skinny Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, my Banana Oatmeal Pancakes or my Gooey Chunky Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars!
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
Ingredients
- 3 bananas (310g) mashed ~1.25 cup
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 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 omit and use extra flour
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch optional
- 1 tsp EACH: baking powder & cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp chopped peanuts or walnuts optional
Pecan Crumble:
- 1.5 Tbsp unsalted butter (21g) cold
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar (36g)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30g)
- 2 Tbsp chopped pecans (16g)
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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 are incorporated. Do not over-mix!
- 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
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition Information
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.