Banana bread is my favorite bread or sweet thing to bake. Reasons being that it is very easy to make, takes hardly any effort and because it just tastes great. Luckily we usually have extra bananas in the house that need to be used up. Okay perhaps I also ignore a couple of them so that I’ll just coincidently have to make banana bread with them. Now and then to change it up a bit instead of banana bread I’ll make banana muffins, just as easy and delicious.
If you have been a follower of this blog for a while you will have noticed that I don’t share many baking or dessert recipes. Though I do love baking it is not my strongest point. I am more of a savory dish kinda cook. When it comes to savory dishes I have plenty of confidence that I can experiment as much as I want and try as many different ingredients as I want with good results. When it comes to baking I am not as confident. I will typically try and try new things until I am confident that my recipe is solid or one I can continue to use and share with you.
Another thing you may have noticed is that the few baked or sweet recipes I do share are always low on sugar and yummy fatty things like butter. Oh butter why do you have to taste so good but stick around for a ride on my hips? Damn you butter! Okay I really do love you butter. Sorry about that, what I was trying to say is that I try to make healthier versions for my sweets.
To make these muffins healthier I switched a bit of the A.P. flour for whole wheat flour, flax meal was added to the mix and instead of butter I used yogurt. The yogurt was really because I was out of butter and was to lazy to run out to buy some. Regardless yogurt is something that I’ve found to work great alongside butter or alone without it. But make sure you use full fat yogurt none of that low fat stuff, it won’t work as well. The same goes for the milk, if you use cow milk use full fat milk. It may sound like I’m contradicting myself on the healthy thing, but I’m not. I believe that you can make baked goods healthier by cutting down on the sugar and fats and/or by added healthier flours, but using low fat ingredients is not the way to go. One can only make so many sacrifices, right?
Healthier Banana Muffins, No Butter!
2 medium bananas (skin removed 240 grams or 8.5 ounces)
1 large egg
1/4 cup (50 grams) light brown sugar
3/4 cup plain white yogurt or soy yogurt
1 Tbsp. soy or regular milk
1 cup (140 grams) all purpose flour
1/2 cup ( 85 grams) whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. flaxseed meal
1 tsp. Vanilla or 1/2 tsp. Bourbon Vanilla powder
1/4 tsp. ground Cinnamon
11/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Oats for sprinkling on top
2 mixing bowls
1. Preheat oven to 200c or 392 f and place paper muffin liners inside a muffin tin. In one large mixing bowl, place the peeled bananas then with the back of a fork mash until it is broken down. Add the egg, sugar, soy/regular milk and yogurt to the banana mixture. Using a spoon or whisk to well combine the ingredients and build a little air. Set aside.
2. In the second bowl mix both of the flours, flaxseed , cinnamon , baking powder and soda, and the salt. Stir to well combine all of the dry ingredients. Slowly begin stirring the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, just until combined.
3. Fill each muffin 3/4 full , repeating until all the batter is used. Lastly sprinkle some oats on top of each muffin. Bake in the center of the oven for 15-20 minutes , check the muffins by inserting a toothpick in the center of each muffin. The toothpick should come out dry if not back a little longer.
Remove from the oven and place the muffins on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before serving.
You may be wondering what kind of texture will the muffins have when leaving out the butter. The muffins are still moist because of the fat and creaminess from the yogurt. And look at those air bubbles! The muffins were light, airy, moist and yummy.
More Banana Muffin and Other Yummy Muffin Recipes:
~ Heavenly Nutella Banana Bread by Spicie Foodie
~ Muffin Monday – Lavender Granola Muffins with Apricots, Cranberries and Chocolate by Foodiva’s Kitchen
~ Whole Wheat Cornbread Muffins by Sweetened With Honey
~ Quick & Simple – Rustic Rye Muffins by Scandi Foodie
~ Wicked Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins by Chocolate & Carrots
~ Very Berry Healthy Muffins by Spoonful
What a great looking muffin! I especially love the oats on the top. Thank you for linking back to my Wicked Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins. :-) You’re too sweet!
Hi Caroline, Thank you and I loved your photos and recipe. Will give it a try very soon :)
It looks perfect with fab pics ….
Thanks Priti!
Like the oats on top, a reminder that the muffins are healthier ;)
Hehe, yeah :) Thanks.
Hey, I love the yogurt in the batter! I usually think applesauce is my go-to “healthy” substitute… never thought about yogurt before. Thanks for the great recipe and the tip. : )
Hi Ramona, I always have yogurt in the house but not applesauce that is why it is my substitute. I should try more applesauce recipes though. Thank you:)
Your muffins look fantastic. I tend to be more of a savory cook than a baker as well. You should post more of your baking goods though. This banana bread is fantastic. I agree that the oatmeal sprinkled on the top gives it added flair and reminds us that they are also good for us. Beautiful job.
Hi, Thank you:) Okay I will start posting more of my baked recipes. In fact what a great way to keep learning with feedback from all of the experienced bakers.
Nancy, these look soooo good, I can’t believe they have no butter or oil. They’re like light fluffy banana flavoured clouds. The oats look really pretty scattered over.
Hi Hester, Thank you so much:)
Wow muffins without oil or butter! Usually, I substitute butter w. extra virgin olive oil. :)
Hi Michelle, That also sounds like a good substitute.
these are so pretty! i love the oats on top.
Thank you Anna!
I just made banana muffins too! Mine are the un-healthier version though, ha. :)
Julie I’m sure they are still delicious.
Hi Nancy, I haven’t forgotten about you;-) I just baked some unhealthy banana oatmeal bars but I did cut back on the sugar and I’m sure we’ll never miss it! Your muffins sound very good, very doable and something I would bake and enjoy for breakfast so I thank you for sharing ;-)
All my best wishes for your week;-)
Hi Patty, Great and I’m looking forward to it:) Your oatmeal bars sound delicious and I’ll be hoping you share that recipe so I can try them. Thanks sweetie and you too!
Oh Nancy, those look amazing..love this and not only does it look so delicious but healthy recipe too! Nicely done, very beautiful photos!!!!
Thank you Sandra:)
I must find that bourbon vanilla powder. Can only imagine how good that smells.
It smells and tastes incredible. I do love regular vanilla but this one is so intense and delicious.
These look very tasty but I have to say I love the photos, as always. They look like postcards. You should think about selling these.
Thanks !
These look delicious – and how nice that you’ve made them more healthy! I love the recipe! Thanks for sharing….
Thank you Ann:)
These muffins look fabulous!!!
Grazie Guiletta!
I do love me some banana muffins, and I have yet to find a version I don’t like! Though, if I were to eat them as often and as many as I would love to – I would really appreciate this version with no butter! ;) They look beautiful and make me want to whip up a batch!
I agree Kita, banana muffins are just hard to resist healthy or nice and fatty versions. You really don’t miss the butter in these and besides you can always slather a nice piece of butter. They are perfect warm and with melted butter, yummy:)
Adorable!
Gracias!
They look wonderful! I really like the way yogurt works as a sub for butter sometimes, and I do love my butter ;)
Can’t live without butter Alisha:) Thanks sweetie, hope you are well.
this muffins looks healthy wonderfully done
Thanks!
Well for someone who says they’re not into baking much these are fabulous. Love that they’re extra healthy, too – and what beauties your photos are. Wonderful!
Thank you Jill, it is so kind of you to say:)
These look great! I calculated the nutrition facts, and they’re about half the calories you would expect from something comparable.
For 6 muffins, each has roughly 245 cals, 2g fat, 50g carbs, and 7g protein.
…of course I’ll be adding peanut butter to the top of mine :D
Thanks for doing that Rodzilla! I’m not a calorie counter so it wouldn’t have occurred to me to calculate the calories. We will all appreciate it though:)
Beautiful pics!! Banana muffins look delicious!
Hi Linda, Thank you:)!
Good Morning Nancy and Congratulations on Today’s Top 9!
Thanks Sandra!
Wonderful muffins. Love that they’re the healthy version. Congrats on top 9!
Thank you Kim!
You are the perfect person to whom my question needs addressing! As most, I am trying to eat more lightly and have kept off 100# for more than 10 yr. Plain, non-fat Greek yogurt is one of my favorite foods. I often swap much of the fat calories in a baking recipe with the non-fat yogurt. If there is no fat/oil and using egg white or 1 egg is there enough emulsifying action to hold everything together, have decent texture and taste great? To make NF yogurt into 2% lowfat would be about 1/2 tsp oil, double for regular yogurt (4gm/100gm.) Aside from experimenting do you have any guidance? (My pumpkin bread contains 1/4 – 1/3 cup oil, down from 1 cup in the original recipe. Haven’t been very successful dropping it further.) This is the first time I’ve seen your blog and hope to read it daily. Thank you!
Hi Wendy, Welcome and glad you stopped by:) I am not sure about the swapping of the eggs for 1 or just using egg white. I don’t think it would be enough but there is only one why of finding out ,right. I do try to eat and bake healthy, making good choices but as far as using fat free or low fat products that is not something I choose to do. Instead I see if like in this case exchanging the oil for yogurt or even applesauce, or I also experiment alot with just using less oil or fats. Quite honestly I rarely use more than 1/4 or even an 1/8 of fat or oils in my backed goods. For your pumpkin bread try using some plain yogurt or the apple sauce, of course if you do not use homemade apple sauce make sure you omit some of the sugar so that you aren’t adding calories from too much sugar. Good luck and please do share how your pumpkin bread comes out:)
Wow! they look really nice with no oil. Congrats for being on today’s top9 !
Congrats on being Top 9! I love that you used all healthy ingredients with no butter in this recipe…. will definitely try soon!
Hi Laney, Thank you:)
great post!
looks yummy….good photography & I am attracted much, first time here…..
Thank you Amy !
These muffins look so great! Love the substitutions you made and the oats on top. So delicious. And healthier? i’ll take two!
Thanks for sharing Nancy :)
Hi Roxana, Thank you! It’s a great compliment coming from a talented baker as yourself.
Thanks so much for this. I’m always so hesitant to substitute ingredients because I think it won’t taste (or bake) as well! These muffins look delicious and I can’t wait to go on my substitution adventure!
Hi Ana, No problem! I’m also hesitant sometimes but you never know until you try. Right ? Not to say that I haven’t had my fair share of experiments gone wrong :)