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}
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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, Apple 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. Store them in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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
- 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. If you prefer more rich and chocolatey muffins, try these Banana Chocolate Protein Muffins!
- 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
Video
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.
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.
Sooo good! Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!!!
My pleasure! So happy the muffins met your expectations! I appreciate the glowing review :)
I have unsweetened plain protein powder. Would that work and would you add any sweetener / vanilla extract to make up the difference in taste? Thanks!
I would imagine you could use unsweetened protein powder, but you might want to add some sweetener since you’ll lose some sweetness by not using the vanilla protein powder. You could also add a bit of vanilla to compensate. Hope it works out for you!
Excellent, the best protein muffin recipe I’ve tried. Ive been on a journey to find one that works for me! Consistency is perfect.
I swapped out half the oat for defatted almond flour and used 2% Greek yoghurt, and wild blueberries instead of chocolate. I had to add a splash of water as the vegan protein powder I use is more dry. Thankyou, well thought out.
That’s amazing – I’m so happy you found a protein muffin that you enjoy! Love the addition almond flour and blueberries as well! I appreciate the kind rating and review :)
I made these today. Unfortunately I was very disappointed. The muffins came out dense. The flavor was okay.
I don’t own silicone muffin pans, so I went with the paper liner. Yep, they stick pretty good to them. LOL
I’m sorry the muffins didn’t meet your expectations. Oat flour does tend to be more dense than your typical flour and yes, these muffins tend to work best with silicone liners. The recipe has received tons of 5-star reviews, but I understand that it won’t be for everyone!
do you think I could use egg whites only – maybe 4 – instead of whole eggs (I can’t eat egg yolks or 2 flax eggs?
thank you! Your discount code didn’t work on the Good Protein site.
Thank you.
Judy
Hi Judy! Yes, I think using all egg whites would work! That’s strange about the discount code. I’m sorry that happened. Did you enter it incorrectly or try to use the code with any other offers? I don’t think it works if you try to stack offers/discounts. I’ll look into it to see if there are any issues with the code. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
OH MY …. I think I just found my new favorite breakfast recipe! These turned out absolutely stunning and I love how quick, easy, and healthy they are. Thanks so much for sharing :)
My pleasure! I’m so happy you found a new breakfast favorite :) Thanks so much for the kind rating and review!
Made these today! Tweaked the recipe a bit because my batter was a bit wet (maybe the eggs or bananas were larger than average) so I added 30 grams almond flour, 12 grams flaxseed meal, and 3 tablespoons of Swerve brown sugar replacement, this changed the macros a bit, but not by much. Ended up with a baker’s dozen (13 muffins). These are absolutely delicious – so good I had to share!
☆ Thank you for sharing this healthy snack! ☆
I love how you were able to adapt the recipe to meet your needs! So happy you’re enjoying them :)
Ok YUMMY! And I happened to only have 1 cup of Greek yogurt, so I added a processed/blended cup of cottage cheese as well and it still tasted SO good. Cook time is accurate. This was a fun bake :) I doubled the recipe which is why i needed 2 cups of yogurt. These taste so healthy !!!!! So pleasant
P.S. this is my first time leaving a comment with my new last name! I just got married and my husband loved these too hehe. Jesus loves you, I pray He will show Himself to you in the soft small ways and in the big miraculous ways this week
I’m so happy you enjoyed these muffins! Great thinking using blended cottage cheese as an alternative to the yogurt and making up a double batch. I love doing that too!
That is so special that you have a new last name – congratulations on your marriage! I appreciate the prayers and encouraging words! God bless you :)
Followed the recipe exactly. Used paper liners (not recommended but that’s what I had). Out of the oven they were hard to remove but they come off easily after being refrigerated so no worries if that’s all you’ve got! This is 10/10 warmed up with a tbsp of peanut butter, or 13/10 if you add a small scoop of halo top vanilla ice cream… drooling still. Highly recommend!
Oh yum…you’re making me drool!! Thanks so much for the helpful tips about the liners and the kind rating and review :) So happy you enjoyed them!
Can I substitute gluten free 1 to 1 for the oat flour?
I haven’t personally tried it, but I’m thinking it would probably work! Keep me posted on how they turn out if you decide to experiment :)
These muffins are so good! I typically double the batch and have them as a quick protein-filled breakfast or a healthier option when I have a sweet tooth. Bonus points for breastfeeding mommas since they are made with oats.
Awesome – love the idea of making a double batch for quick breakfasts and snacks! Definitely a great option for breastfeeding moms too! I appreciate your kind rating and review :)
Is it 174 calories per muffin?
Yes, that’s correct!
A repeat in this house! We use whey protein and omit the chocolate chips. Love eating warm with peanut butter, for a little added protein and yumminess. So great for a quick breakfast or after school snack.I pass it along to my clients when giving them protein ideas as well. Thanks for sharing!!
So happy you’ve been loving the muffins – and yes, PB is the best on these muffins! I appreciate you sharing the recipe with clients too :) Thanks so much for the kind feedback and rating!
I was very pleased with how these muffins turned out! I did add 3 Tbs of honey since I have a really bad sweet tooth and they satisfy it excellently. Otherwise, i followed the recipe exactly. After reading other reviews, I expected a couple more than the 12 muffins the recipe says, but was very surprised to get 18 FULL muffins. I did use paper liners sprayed with Pam and they released easily. I will be making more and freezing them for my “back to school” meal prep! Thank you for this great recipe :)
Thanks so much for sharing this feedback Norene! Bonus that you were able to get 18 muffins out of this recipe! My muffin tin must be on the larger side. Love the tip about spraying the paper liners – very helpful! I’m so glad it was a winner :)
wow, these are incredible. I made them exactly to the recipe, maybe a few more chocolate chips. I used the Vega vanilla protein and greens powder. These stayed super moist without being soggy. I will absolutely be making these again, and I need to try the blueberry ones next!
I also got 16 muffins from this recipe.
Thanks so much for the glowing review! So happy you loved them! Hope you enjoy the blueberry protein muffins too :)
These muffins are fantastic! I always search for muffin recipes that are high in protein and low in sugar and this one hit the mark. They are moist and flavourful. Thanks for sharing!
Should these be stored in the refrigerator?
I typically like to store them in the fridge to keep them fresh for longer. Sometimes I find that baked goods made with protein powder can develop a bit of a funky tasty after a few days at room temperature, so to be safe, I’d store them in the fridge or freezer. Hope that helps!