Banana Nut Protein Muffins with Pecan Crumble

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 132kcal

Author: Lauren

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!

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Equipment

Muffin pan

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 use extra 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)
2 Tbsp chopped pecans (16g)

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!

Notes

To make gluten-free: use gluten-free 1:1 flour like Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur for the crumble and/or the muffins.

To make dairy-free: use dairy-free butter and a plant-based protein powder.

Helpful Tips

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