These healthy banana protein muffins are high in protein and low in sugar and are perfect for breakfast or a healthy snack! Made with protein powder, Greek yogurt and naturally sweetened with banana, these muffins are a great option pre or post workout too. They’re quick and easy to make and perfect for meal prep! {Gluten-free & vegetarian}
Table of Contents
The BEST Protein Muffins!
Whether you’re looking for a great grab-and-go breakfast for busy mornings, or a delicious snack to boost your energy mid afternoon, these banana protein muffins are about to be your new best friend.
Made from scratch with oats, bananas, Greek yogurt and chocolate chips, these nutritious little muffins are not only good for you, but they’re packed with moisture and are super tasty, too. Think banana bread in a much more convenient and portion-controlled muffin form!
They’re a great option to pack into lunchboxes for the whole family and you can whip up a big batch in a pinch to last throughout the week! What’s not to love?!
For more protein-packed recipes, be sure to try my Banana Protein Pancakes, Blueberry Protein Muffins, and Protein Cinnamon Rolls too!
Why We Love These Chocolate Chip Banana Protein Muffins
- Contains 9 grams of protein per serving thanks to the Greek yogurt, eggs, and protein powder
- The combination of the protein and fiber makes these muffins both filling and satisfying
- Dietitian-approved recipe to fit into a healthy lifestyle
- More nutritious than a regular muffin
- Easy high-protein breakfast on-the-go or the perfect snack for mid-day cravings
- Naturally sweetened and low in sugar
- Affordable way to add more protein and fiber to your diet
- Great for meal prep!
- Made with everyday pantry staples & wholesome ingredients
What Readers Are Saying
“These are very good!! I did half vanilla, half pumpkin spice protein powder.” – Molly
“This is the best healthy muffin recipe!!!! I love my muffins. Thank you so much!” – Gatly
“These are delicious! I’ve tried so many kinds of high protein recipes in the past, but these truly taste great!” – Leanne
“Love it! Have made multiple times now with chocolate protein as that’s what I had in the cupboard and loved it! Thank you!” – Lucy
“Delicious muffins! I left the eggs out and replaced with some chia seeds. Added a good amount of cinnamon, too. I am very happy with how easy this recipe was to make with better than expected results.” – Kyra
Ingredient Notes
- Oats: The oats are ground up in a blender to form an oat flour which makes these muffins higher in fibre and lower on the glycemic index. I’ve used both large flake oats and quick oats and they both work well, but quick tends to produce a smoother muffin consistency. Use certified gluten-free oats if you require oats that don’t have any potential cross contamination with gluten.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Added so that the muffins rise when they’re baked and have a light and fluffy texture.
- Protein powder: You can make these banana muffins without the protein powder, but I love to add it to baked goods for an extra boost of protein. The vanilla protein powder adds some extra sweetness too. You can use whey protein powder or vegan protein powder.
- Bananas: Use overripe yellow bananas for this recipe. They are naturally sweeter and will mash easily to form a smoother consistency.
- Yogurt: Use 0% plain Greek yogurt for another boost of protein. The recipe will work with a higher fat percentage yogurt too if that’s what you have on hand.
- Eggs: To bind the ingredients together. You can use chia or flax eggs as well if there are any egg intolerances.
- Chocolate chips: These work great as an add in and help contribute some extra sweetness as well! I like to use dark mini chocolate chips, but you can also use regular-sized chocolate chips.
How to Make Banana Protein Muffins
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray regular sized muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray or line 12 muffin tins with silicone muffin liners.
- Place the oats in the food processor and pulse until the oats are finely ground.
- Add the remaining wet ingredients and dry ingredients to the food processor other than the chocolate chips. Blend until everything is combined and the oats are mostly smooth.
- Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed. You can also transfer the mixture into a large mixing bowl if you have a small food processor. You may wish to reserve a few extra chocolate chips to poke into the top of the muffins.
- Divide batter equally among each muffin cup, and bake muffins for 20-22 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. They should be slightly firm to the touch and lightly golden in some places. Let them cool for several minutes before removing them from the tin.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Expert Tips
- These muffins aren’t overly sweet since they’re naturally sweetened with the bananas and protein powder. If you want a sweeter muffin, you may wish to add a couple tablespoons of honey or maple syrup. Personally, I find them sweet enough with the small bits of chocolate chips in each bite.
- Use overripe bananas (the brown spotty kind) for best results since the muffins are primarily sweetened with the banana. Overripe bananas tend to be sweeter and contribute a better flavor.
- I typically use whey protein powder for these muffins. You can also sub in a vanilla vegan protein powder if preferred.
- If making these muffins for babies, leave out the protein powder (and chocolate chips if you’re limiting added sugar). If you do leave out the protein powder, increase the amount of oats to 2.5 cups instead of 2 cups to prevent the muffins from being too moist and undercooked.
How to Store
Once you’ve baked your banana protein muffins, let them cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to an airtight container. They will keep well at room temperature for 2-3 days, and up to 5-6 days in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
What is the best type of protein powder to use?
I like to use a vanilla flavoured protein powder to contribute some additional sweetness and flavour to the muffins. I typically use a whey vanilla protein powder for these muffins, but a vegan based one will work too.
For most children under the age of 16, it is not necessary for them to have protein powder, as they should be getting enough from their regular meals. If you feel that your child could use additional protein, speak with your doctor or a Registered Dietitian to discuss if protein powder is a good option to supplement their needs. They can tell you how much and what kind of protein is most appropriate for your child.
If you’re making these muffins for babies and younger children, I recommend leaving out the protein powder. If serving them to older children, you can skip the protein powder or keep it in. At the end of the day, the protein powder is divided among 12 muffins, so it’s not enough to amount to any significant negative impact unless your child is consuming a lot of extra protein from other sources.
Once again, speak with your health practitioner if you’re unsure. For more information on children and protein recommendations, check out this article.
If you choose to leave out the protein powder, add 2.5 cups of oats instead of 2 cups to ensure the muffin batter has the right consistency.
Optional Add-Ins
The amazing thing about these high protein muffins is that you can easily switch up the flavors and add-ins.
Try adding in any of the following:
- Blueberries
- Dried cranberries
- Raisins
- Hemp hearts
- White chocolate chips
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- Sliced almonds
- Cinnamon
- Coconut flakes
Serving Suggestions
Serve these oatmeal banana protein muffins as a healthy breakfast, snack or sweet treat warmed up or at room temperature. You can serve them up by themselves or spread with some peanut butter or almond butter for some extra healthy fats.
They’re also delicious served along with a smoothie like this Strawberry Banana Smoothie Without Yogurt or Simple Green Smoothie, or with a glass of milk or milk alternative like almond milk.
Recipe Variations
- Replace the banana: Not a fan of banana? Try using pumpkin, sweet potato or extra apple sauce instead of the banana.
- Try a different flavor protein powder: Rather than vanilla, you can also experiment with chocolate protein powder or any other flavor you might have on hand.
- More protein: If you add more protein powder, you may need to add some extra liquid such as milk to thin out the muffin batter slightly.
- To make vegan: Sub in chia or flax egg for the eggs. Use a plant-based protein powder. Sub in a dairy-free yogurt for the Greek yogurt. Use vegan chocolate chips.
More Protein-Packed Recipes
- 3-Ingredient Protein Waffles
- Chocolate Banana Protein Pancakes
- High Protein French Toast
- Kodiak Protein Waffles
- Greek Yogurt Banana Muffins
- Blueberry Kodiak Cakes Muffins
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Healthy Banana Protein Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups oats (can use quick or rolled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
- 1 cup mashed banana (about 2 very large overripe bananas)
- 1 cup plain 0% Greek yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup mini dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray regular sized muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or line 12 muffin tins with silicone liners.
- Place the oats in the food processor and pulse until the oats are finely ground.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor other than the chocolate chips. Blend until everything is combined and the oats are mostly smooth.
- Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed. You may wish to reserve a few chocolate chips to poke into the top of each muffin.
- Divide batter equally among the muffin cups, and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. They should be slightly firm to the touch and lightly golden in some places. Let the muffins cool completely before removing them from the tin.
Video
Notes
- My favorite protein powder to use is Good Protein powder. It’s so delicious and comes in lots of different flavors. My favorite flavors to use in these muffins are Vanilla, Salted Caramel and Cookies and Cream! Use the discount code ELYSIAC30 for 30% off your first order!
- These muffins aren’t overly sweet since they’re naturally sweetened with the bananas and protein powder. If you want a sweeter muffin, you may wish to add a couple tablespoons of honey or pure maple syrup. I find them sweet enough with the small bits of chocolate chips in each bite.
- Use overripe bananas (the brown spotty kind) for best results since the muffins are primarily sweetened with the banana. Overripe bananas tend to be sweeter and contribute a better flavour.
- I have the best results using silicone muffin liners when making these muffins. Paper liners don’t tend to work well since the muffins are fairly moist and tend to stick to the paper.
- If making these muffins for babies, leave out the protein powder (and chocolate chips if you’re limiting added sugar).
- If you do leave out the protein powder, increase the amount of oats to 2.5 cups instead of 2 cups to prevent the muffins from being too moist.
- If you prefer to make this recipe into a loaf, check out this recipe for Banana Protein Bread!
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in February 2023 and the photos and text were updated in January 2025.
I like the recipe and flavor a lot, but this is my second time trying these and they are just a little dense for my liking. Any tips on how to modify the texture?
I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor! One thing you could try is to use some almond flour in place of some of the oats. Maybe half and half? I haven’t personally tried it, so I’m not 100% sure how it would turn out, but it may be something to experiment with. Keep me posted on how it goes if you try it out!
These are delicious and I don’t even notice the protein powder. So so good and a welcome high protein treat! Thanks!
So happy you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for the kind review!
sooooo good. I doubled the recipe and baked as a sheet cake for 40 min… could have cooked longer but so good. Didn’t find it needs all the chocolate chips. I sprinkled the top and didn’t mix any in. Found it to be sweet enough
Love how you baked the batter as a sheet cake! And you can definitely add the chocolate chips to taste. Thanks for sharing your modifications!
Hello, would plain yogurt work in replace of Greek yogurt?
I think it would work out okay, but the protein content will be lower. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Such a cool recipe! I’ve been looking for a good protein muffin to make that also uses Greek yogurt, so I am definitely gonna try this. Also– do you think there is a way I can make something very similar but instead a corn muffin variation? Replace oats with corn meal, no banana… what do you think? Might add honey and milk.
So glad you’re a fan of the recipe! Hmmm I have a couple of similar recipes that you might want to check out. They don’t have the protein powder but they do have the corn meal, Greek yogurt and honey. Check these out!
For cornbread: https://www.hauteandhealthyliving.com/cornbread-without-buttermilk/
For cornbread muffins: https://healthykidsrecipes.com/mini-cornbread-muffins/
I only had banana pudding flavored Greek yogurt and chocolate protein. Stilll tasted heavenly! THANK YOU!
Oh yum! That sounds amazing!! Thanks so much for sharing this delicious combo :)
I enjoyed the recipie but the nutrient information is unclear. are those the nutrients per 1 muffin?
Sorry it was unclear! Yes, the nutritional information is for one muffin. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I baked this recipe tonight and my 11 year old son loved it! I followed the recipe to a T and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing :)
Yay!! So glad it was a winner with your son! Thanks so much for returning to leave a comment and rating :)
These are great ! I was making a banana bread for my in laws and really craved some for myself . This healthy version kept me on track and satisfied my banana bread craving! Thank you of coming up with this fabulous recipe!
Aw my pleasure! I’m so happy you enjoyed the muffins! Thanks so much for the kind feedback! It’s always appreciated :)
Really enjoyed the these protein muffins however I found them very dense despite rising well. I used normal self raising flour as I don’t have a food processor, vanilla vegan protein powder and relatively unripe bananas. Which of these adaptations do you think may have cause this as I would like to try the recipe again sometime.
So sorry for the delay! Your comment somehow got pushed down. Honestly, it could be a combination of those factors. I definitely recommend very ripe bananas for this recipe for the best flavor and texture. It could have been the flour too since self raising flour is not the same as oat flour. I typically use vegan protein powder in these muffins and don’t find that it causes an issue with texture, so I think it would primarily be the flour/unripe bananas that would cause the really dense texture. Hope they turn out better for you next time if you decide to try them again!
I have made these twice. First as directed and they were very dense and dry and I found the flavor lacking a bit. The second time I omitted the banana, and replaced it with 4 oz of unsweetened applesauce. I added a half cup of almond flour and a quarter cup of canola oil. Lastly, I added 2 Tbs of cinnamon and 2 Tbs of pure maple syrup. They turned out wonderfully soft and moist with just a hint of sweet. Will make these again, thank you for sharing!
I’m sorry you found them to be dense and dry – I’m not quite sure what went wrong there unless your bananas weren’t quite ripe enough? I’m glad you were able to find a way to modify the recipe to make it work for you though!
SO SO SO GOOOD! YOU NEED TO MAKE THESE RN! AND THERE GOOD FOR YOU ….. WHATTT UR KUDDING! THEY HAVE FIBER AND PROTIEN! AND NOT JUST TO MUCH SUGAR AND THERE DELICIOUS! WHAT THE FRICK THERE PERFECT❤️
I was so surprised how good these were! I don’t have a food processor so I blended the oats and then separately I blended the rest of the ingredients and then mixed the 2 together and they turned out great! I used a vanilla ice cream protein powder which made them even more delicious.
Awesome! Love how you improvised without a food processor — thanks for sharing that tip! I bet they were super delicious with the vanilla ice cream protein powder. Now I want to try that haha!
I’m going to attempt to make these but I don’t have any oats. Can I use almond flour instead
Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to test these muffins with almond flour. My only concern is that there would be too much moisture in the muffins. I think you would probably have to adapt the ingredients slightly to make it work with almond flour. Keep me posted if you decide to experiment!
Made them as above the first time. Second time I replaced the bananas with canned pumpkin, used a Pumpkin Spiced Latte protein powder, and replaced the chocolate chips with chopped walnuts. Delicious both ways!
Absolutely love these!! I don’t have or like protein powders, so I substituted with PB2 powder and they came out great! This is my new favorite recipe for a healthier version of banana bread.
Awesome, love the idea of subbing in PB2! I’m going to try that sometime! Thanks for sharing this brilliant idea :) Glad you found a new favorite!
My teen loves these. I sprayed the paper muffin liners with nonstick spray and the muffins did not stick. Thank you for a great way to add protein to our mornings!
Awesome tip — thanks so much for sharing! I’ll definitely have to try that next time :) So happy this recipe helps you incorporate some extra protein!
Because I very much dislike the taste of our protein powder (this one happens to be vegan with greens + vanilla), I thought that these would taste terrible and that they just wouldn’t be sweet enough. I was very wrong! They are actually VERY sweet, very delicious & satiating and in fact a great way to use up super gross-tasting vanilla protein powder! Thank you for this recipe!
Yes!! So glad you were able to put your not-so-tasty protein powder to good use! Huge bonus because I know that stuff isn’t cheap. Thanks so much for returning to share this kind feedback :)