Whole wheat banana chia muffins are light and fluffy without butter, oil, or refined sugars. These healthy muffins feature chia seeds for added nutrition and make a great breakfast or snack! Under 150 calories per muffin.
It only seems fitting that in the aftermath of Halloween we take a second to turn our attention to something healthy. Are you stuck with (a ton) of extra candy like we are? I knew we’d have a small turnout, but you can’t just buy one little pack of Twix, can you? That’s a surefire way to guarantee you’ll have a crowd lining up down the driveway.
Of course I always buy candy that we like to eat, so in the face of a surplus after the fact I wanted to stock the cabinets with something a little bit healthier. These banana chia muffins totally fit the bill as a part of a healthy breakfast or a smart anytime snack. And opening the bag and grabbing a muffin is juuuust as easy as unwrapping a Reese’s!
One thing I love about muffins is that they’re easily converted to a quick bread recipe and vice versa. These banana chia muffins are a spin off of my naturally sweetened banana bread recipe, with a few twists.
When it comes to muffins vs. quick breads, you’ll want to bake muffins at 25°F higher than you would a quick bread recipe. The bake time will be much lower too, so you’ll want to adjust that, too. I bake my banana bread at 325°F in a 9″x5″ loaf pan for around an hour, but these muffins I bake at 350°F for around twenty minutes. Much quicker!
These banana chia muffins feature white whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt in place of oil/butter, and maple syrup instead of refined sugar for a healthier muffin recipe that’s still as satisfying as regular versions. While chocolate chips are a no-brainer when it comes to banana bread, I kept things on the healthier side with stirring in a quarter-cup of chia seeds. You can definitely add them here though if you like!
As the recipe is written below, I calculated the calorie count to be just under 150 calories per muffin, making them a healthier choice when it comes to baked goods. While I used almond milk, you can certainly use your preferred milk variety. Same goes with the flour and the maple syrup. All-purpose flour would work, too, as well as an equal amount of honey substituted in instead of maple syrup.
Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Chia Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 overripe bananas
- 2/3 cup milk, any variety (I used almond)
- 1 5.3-oz container Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
- Add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and ground nutmeg to a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add bananas, milk, yogurt, maple syrup, and eggs to a separate bowl and mix until light and creamy.
- Add dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet and mix until just combined.
- Stir in chia seeds.
- Divide muffin batter equally between the twelve muffin cups and bake for 18-21 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed and a tester inserted into the tallest part of the muffin comes out clean. Let muffins cool in the tin for 10 minutes, and then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Frankie lavender says
Turned out great! I used almond meal and coconut yogurt instead and realised when i was already prepping only had 1 banana. Threw some sultanas and walnuts in. Really yum. Your recipes are really inspiring and have given me enthusiasm to bake and create.thank u x
Tayler Ross says
I’d love to start my day with one of these muffins!
Alyssa says
Thanks Tayler!
April says
I’ve only ever seen chia seeds in smoothies – it never occurred to me to try baking with them!
Alyssa says
They mix right in, just like poppy seeds!