These are the BEST healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins you’ll ever eat! They’re fluffy and moist, but made with whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with applesauce, honey, and bananas to keep them wholesome.
These sweet, blueberry-studded muffins were one of my daughter’s first “big people” foods. While she the loved the cranberry chicken salad and pasta sauce I served her around the same time, the Banana Blueberry Muffins really stole her heart. And who can blame her?! They’re sweet and moist, with jammy fresh blueberries in every delicious bite.
Why These Banana Blueberry Muffins Are the Best
I try not to use “best” too often, but these muffins deserve the title. Here’s what makes them so darn good:
- Tested for perfection. I made this recipe three times in order to get it JUST right. I wanted to make sure that, despite using the healthier ingredients, the texture was still springy and moist, with a sweet flavor that appeals to kids. (Basically, I wanted them to BE healthy but not TASTE healthy.)
- Wholesome ingredients. I used honey and applesauce instead of sugar; the bananas also add sweetness and help with the texture and moistness. Then I swap in whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. Instead of butter, I use coconut oil, which also helps keep these banana blueberry muffins fabulously moist.
- Perfect for little eaters. These banana blueberry muffins are a great healthy muffin recipe for toddlers to start with. They’re a moist, easy to chew muffin that your little peanut will love! They make a great on the go breakfast if you’re in a hurry, a fiber filled food to throw into your kiddos lunch or hand to them for a mid-day snack!
- Easy to make. This recipe is a cinch! Although you will need a second bowl for tossing the blueberries with flour (this keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins!), the batter is all made in a single bowl.
What You’ll Need
Here’s a list of what you’ll need for these healthy banana blueberry muffins. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Whole wheat flour – I like using straight up whole wheat flour because I love the heartiness and subtle nuttiness it adds, but you can also use white whole wheat flour if you’d like, which is a bit milder.
- Honey – For natural sweetness. Use a pourable honey, not the kind that comes solid in a jar.
- Unsweetened applesauce – A classic trick for reducing fat in baking recipes while still keeping things moist.
- Coconut oil – You’ll need to melt this so it incorporates evenly into the batter.
- Bananas – The riper the bananas, the more banana flavor and sweetness you’ll get in your muffins.
- Egg – Let this come to room temperature before you start baking.
- Vanilla extract – An all-purpose flavor enhancer!
- Salt – For balance.
- Baking soda – Make sure your baking soda hasn’t expired! This is a common culprit when muffins don’t have a lot of rise.
- Cinnamon – For cozy flavor. Cardamom is another delicious option if you want something a little different.
- White whole wheat flour – For tossing the berries.
- Blueberries – I use fresh berries in this recipe. If you need to use frozen, do not thaw them first. If you thaw them, they’ll change the color of the batter!
Tips and Variations
These pointers will help you make the perfect banana blueberry muffins!
- Don’t overmix the batter. This is the golden rule of muffin making! If you stir too much or too vigorously, you’ll over-activate the gluten and end up with tough, dense muffins.
- Keep over-ripe bananas on hand. When I have bananas that are over-ripe, instead of making muffins or Banana Bread right away, I will pop them in the freezer so they’re ready when I have the time for baking. You can freeze them in a zip-top bag with the peel on, then thaw and peel before baking.
- Add another fruit. Swap half the blueberries for chopped strawberries or peaches for a slight twist on the original.
Serving Suggestions
I like to top these banana blueberry muffins with a little almond butter for some added protein. Cason likes them warmed up with peanut butter. For a more filling breakfast, serve them alongside Smoky Bacon Sweet Potato Hash & Eggs or Mini Quiches (which are also kid-friendly!).
How to Store
- Room temperature: Let your banana blueberry muffins cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Place the cooled muffins on a baking sheet in the freezer for one hour. Remove from the freezer and place the muffins in a freezer-safe storage bag. Freeze up to 3 months.
- To reheat: Wrap muffins with a paper towel and microwave for 60 seconds.
More Healthy Muffin Recipes
Banana Blueberry Muffins
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 15 muffins 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Muffins
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
The BEST healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins! Fluffy and moist, but made with whole wheat flour, applesauce, and honey to keep them wholesome.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 3 bananas, mashed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon white whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl, add bananas. Using a fork mash up bananas until just very small lumps are left. Add honey, applesauce, coconut oil, vanilla extract and egg.
- Using a fork mix until combined.
- Next add in whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Using a spatula, mix until wet and dry ingredients are completely combined!
- In a small bowl – combine 1-1/2 cups blueberries & 1 tablespoon of white whole wheat flour & toss to coat.
- Gently fold blueberries into the batter.
- Spoon the batter into muffin pan filling each hole about 3/4 of the way full, batter is thicker. (line or spray with cooking spray if not using the cupcake liners)
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 151
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 166 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 12 mg
24 comments on “Healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins”
yummy!
Yay, so glad you loved them, Sophie! Thanks for the 5 stars 🫶
I LOVE these and used to make them all the time! Is there something I could sub for honey so my baby can try them too?
Yes, you could sub it with maple syrup.
Can I substitute elderberries for the blueberries?
Hmm… you could try it. Definitely will be a different flavor but I think it will still be good.
These came out very good. I used half whole wheat flour, half regular. Then I made half of them as mini muffins for 12-13 minutes, and half as regular sized at 17 mins. Now I have some for the baby! 🙂
Love the idea of these as mini muffins! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
These are so good! How long are they good for? do they need to be refrigerated?
You can freeze these muffins for up to 3 months, and they are super easy to reheat; wrap muffins with a paper towel and place them in the microwave for 60 seconds.
Made these today! They were so good! I love that they aren’t as sugary as most muffins are. My 5yo loves them!
Things I did different.
Only had one banana so added 1/3 extra applesauce. (still yummy but I’d prefer more banana taste so next time I will make sure to have 2 bananas)
I used frozen blueberries tossed in the flour and it turned out just fine.
I topped them with a little raw sugar and rolled oats before sticking into the oven.
Half the batch I added some walnuts for the household since nuts aren’t allowed at school.
Will make again!
One of my favorite muffin recipes! Thank you for the 5-star review!
Hi I just made these in cupcake liners and left them in oven for about 20 min And even though toothpick came out clean the bottom stuck to the liner and seemed not done. I placed back in oven for 10 min more but same thing, any idea why they didn’t come out clean? They are delicate and so moist nonetheless! Thanks!
Hey Lizeth, the reason they’re sticking is because they are healthy. 🙂 There isn’t a ton of grease in them. The grease in normal muffins is what helps them not stick. Soo I’d recommend buying silicone cupcake liners or silicon muffin pan and you’ll be good to go and clean up will be a breeze too!
My kids are loving these muffins! They recently started at a new daycare and I have to pack their breakfast and lunch now. I made two batches of these and froze them. At night I thaw one, cube it up, and put it in a little container with hardboiled egg whites and fruit. The breakfast containers have been coming home empty all week 🙂 Thanks!
So happy they love them! It’s the most important meal of the day so why not make it the most delicious one too!
My kids will love these muffins! I better make a double batch!
These would be perfect for breakfast or afternoon snack. I love all the fresh ingredients in it.
It would be great to have these banana blueberry muffins on hand this week!
definitely need to make a batch of these! so great for a quick morning breakfast addition before school!
These blueberry muffins look so delicious! I love that they are naturally sweetened!
Had all ingredients in the counter, so I decided to give it a try. I made these without adding to the recipe at all and the muffins were definitely keepers! they are moist, fluffy and flavorful. Thanks for the recipe!
blueberries and bananas are my jam!! Thanks for the wonderful recipe
These were delicious. Simple to make and the whole family enjoyed them. This is a keeper.