This healthy banana muffins recipe is easy, moist and delicious. Both the banana muffins and muffin tops make a great snack on the go.
3 recipes in one! With the same dough you can make banana muffins (large or mini) or banana muffin tops, just the time in the oven changes. We give you instructions for making and baking all variations.
Making mini banana muffins or muffin tops is great for the person that wants to have a small treat on hand without the heaviness of a full muffin. Or make banana muffin tops using a whoopie pie pan. No special pan? Then see instructions below.
How To Make Healthy Banana Muffins and Muffin Tops
Making mini muffins or banana muffin tops gives you one-bite treats that you can keep in the freezer and reheat at a moments notice. Mini banana muffins and muffin tops are perfect for portion control and/or for smaller appetites and hands.
Full size banana muffins take about 20 minutes, mini banana muffins about 15 minutes and muffin tops about 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
You can use banana muffin tops for whoopie pies, just add filling. Leave plain and you have a delicious banana muffin top without the bulk of a big heavy muffin.
A muffin top or whoopie pie pan has a very shallow indentation so that you only get that crispy muffin top without all of the heavy bottom muffin.
Using a muffin top or whoopie pie pan helps keep the banana muffin tops uniform shape and size. If you don’t have a muffin top pan, then drop 2 tablespoons of dough onto a greased (or parchment lined) baking sheet and spread into a 3 inch circle with the back of a spoon.
Why Use Ricotta Cheese In Banana Bread?
I found that the ricotta cheese adds moistness to the banana bread muffins and a little tang too. So many banana bread recipes come out dry and crumbly, these muffins are moist and yummy.
Substitutions For Banana Muffins And Muffin Tops
Top with powdered sugar for a little added sweetness.
All Purpose Flour and Wheat Germ – you can substitute 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour for the all purpose flour and wheat germ. You can also skip the wheat germ all together if you like. If you don’t use the wheat germ then add another ¼ cup all purpose flour.
Sugar – You can replace the granulated (white) sugar with brown sugar for a richer, more molasses taste. Or split the cup evenly between white and brown sugar.
Ricotta Cheese – you can use 1/2 cup canola oil in place of the 1 cup ricotta cheese and ¼ cup canola oil called for in the recipe.
Vanilla Extract – If you don’t have any vanilla you can skip it all together. Vanilla extract adds a nice depth of flavor but isn’t necessary.
Healthy Banana Muffins or Muffin Tops
These healthy banana muffins or muffin tops are so easy to make, are a great use of over ripe bananas and are easy to freeze and reheat on a moments notice.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons wheat germ,optional if you don't use wheat germ then increase the flour to 3/4 cup total
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 2 large ripe bananas with brown spots
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 Tablespoons canola oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees, butter pan or line with paper liners.
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Mix dry ingredients together, flour, wheat germ, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
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Mash bananas and mix with ricotta, oil, eggs, vanilla and sugar.
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Combine dry with wet ingredients.
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Fill muffin tin or muffin top pan with roughly 2 Tablespoons of dough. If you want to make muffin tops and don’t have a special pan, then add about dough to greased baking tray and use the back of a spoon to spread the dough into a 3 inch circle.
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For large muffins bake about 20 minutes, mini muffins about 15 minutes and muffin tops for 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.
Top cooled muffins with some powdered sugar if you like a little more sweetness.
Recipe Notes
See our Banana Whoopie Pie recipe to give some sweetness to the muffin tops
Freeze – Flash freeze the muffins, store in a ziptop freezer baggie or freezer container and store for up to 6 months. These are great treats to reheat in the microwave and run out the door. Try microwaving for about 20 seconds from a frozen state.
Ingredient Substitutions - see post above for several substitutions
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