Description
These Whole Grain Banana Bran Muffins are a healthy and delicious breakfast or snack option, packed with whole wheat flour, wheat bran, flaxseed meal, and ripe bananas. Sweetened naturally with honey and enhanced with chopped walnuts, these muffins are moist, flavorful, and nutritious, perfect for starting your day or enjoying as a wholesome treat.
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 3 medium ripe bananas (330 grams), mashed
- ⅓ cup (112 grams) honey
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (180 grams) unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180 grams) whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup (54 grams) wheat bran
- 3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Butter
- ¼ cup (56 grams) salted butter, melted (or sub melted virgin coconut oil)
Mix-ins
- ½ cup (56 grams) chopped raw walnuts, plus 3 tablespoons for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Muffin Tin: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners and spray the insides of the liners with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, honey, eggs, almond milk, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together whole wheat pastry flour, wheat bran, flaxseed meal, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt until evenly mixed.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredient bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender.
- Add Melted Butter and Walnuts: Stir in the melted butter until the batter is smooth and well combined. Then fold in the chopped walnuts gently.
- Fill Muffin Cups and Sprinkle Walnuts: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin liners in the tin. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with the remaining 3 tablespoons of chopped walnuts for added texture and flavor.
- Bake the Muffins: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool and Serve: Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm with a little butter, honey, and a sprinkle of sea salt if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make nut-free: omit the walnuts entirely or substitute with seeds such as pumpkin seeds.
- To make dairy-free: use melted vegan butter or coconut oil instead of butter, and dairy-free milk alternatives.
- To make vegan: use dairy-free milk and butter substitutes, replace honey with maple syrup, and substitute eggs with 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons flaxseed meal + 6 tablespoons water, mixed and rested).
- For best texture, avoid overmixing the batter to keep muffins light and fluffy.
- Feel free to customize by adding dark chocolate chips, dried fruits, or different nuts.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
