Flourless Banana Protein Muffins {8g Protein}

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If you have ripe bananas and protein powder, try this easy recipe. These flourless Banana Protein Muffins are moist, naturally sweet and perfect to satisfy your cravings. They’re great for meal prep, healthy desserts and post workout snacks.

I love mixing protein powder with bananas, whether for protein banana bread, protein brownies or banana protein pancakes. And honestly, you should as well.

There are so many benefits! First, the ripe bananas add moisture and keep baked goods with protein powder soft and fluffy. All without oil or butter. Second, they provide natural sweetness with no added sugars.

And let’s not forget: Using those leftover ripe bananas for baking your own treats is a great way to save money!

Ingredients and substitutes

Here is all you need, along with details and replacements. You can find the precise ingredient quantities in the recipe card at the bottom.

Egg – A large egg adds richness and helps bind the batter. While egg whites make muffins rubbery, you can use a flaxseed egg if vegan.
Bananas – You’ll need 2 large ripe bananas. They should be soft, with a darker peel or brown spots (as those in the picture up here).
Protein powder – Vegan protein powder and casein yield moister banana muffins. You may also use whey, but it tends to get dry when baked. For this recipe, I recommend vanilla flavor.
Peanut butter – Opt for creamy peanut butter, without added sugar and oil if possible. You can replace it with almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter if allergic to nuts.
Milk of choice – Only if necessary, you can use either dairy or dairy-free milk.
Baking powder – This makes flourless muffins rise.
Chocolate chips – I like sugar-free dark chocolate chips because they’re healthier. But any type of chocolate will also work.

Best bananas for protein muffins

One of the secret for keeping them moist protein is to use the right bananas. They should be nicely ripe, not yellow or green. Here’s a quick trick to see if your bananas are ripe enough: check their peel and texture. First, they should be brownish or at least have brown spots all over their skin. Second, they must be soft to the touch.

Dietary adaptations

Vegan – Replace the egg with a flaxseed egg and use a vegan protein powder.
Gluten-free – Ensure your protein powder is certified gluten-free, especially if plant based.
Nut-free – Swap peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or white tahini.
Low glycemic (diabetic-friendly) – Substitute the bananas with a cup of unsweetened pumpkin puree and sweeten with monk fruit or stevia. Add a touch of banana flavor, if you’d like.

How to make banana protein muffins with no flour

Step 1 – Combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl, start by mashing the ripe bananas. When mashed, add in the egg, the peanut butter and whisk well until combined.

Step 2 – Add dry ingredients. Sift into the banana mixture your protein powder and the baking powder. Whisk until you get a smooth batter. If too thick, adjust with a splash of milk.

Step 3 – Add chocolate chips. Fold through the chocolate chips.

Step 4 – Bake. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups and top with more chocolate chips, if you desire. Bake in hot oven at 350°F (180°C) for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool over a baking rack before serving.

Watch the video recipe

Recipe tips

Use ripe bananas – As they sweeter, they are perfect for a recipe without sugar or sweeteners like this. Overripe bananas are ideal!
Choose a good protein powder – For a moist texture I suggest vegan protein powder, casein, or a whey-casein blend. Vanilla flavor matches well with the bananas, but also chocolate or unflavored works.
Adjust sweetness to taste – Ripe bananas and flavored protein powder are the main source of sweetness in this recipe. But if you use unflavored protein or prefer a sweeter taste, I suggest adding 2 to 3 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey.
Don’t overbake them – Protein powder baked goods tend to become dry and rubbery if exposed to high temperatures for too long. Especially if they’re made with whey.

Meal prep and storage directions

These macro-friendly cupcakes are ideal for your weekly meal prep. Make a large batch on Sunday and you’ll have high protein snacks for the week. They fit well in your breakfast and lunch boxes, or in the gym bag. For a more complete snack, I like pairing it with my vanilla protein shake

Here’s how to store and freeze them

After baking, allow them to cool and place any leftover in an airtight food container or ziplock bag. Refrigerate for a maximum of 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months. To reheat, bake the frozen banana protein muffins for a couple of minutes in hot oven at 350°F (180°C).

Frequently asked questions

Can I use powdered peanut butter?

If you are looking for sneaky way to cut calories, try powdered peanut butter (like PB2 or PBFit). Although they won’t be as rich and moist, you can swap regular peanut butter for the same amount of PB2, stirred with water until creamy.

What protein powder should I use?

My recommendation is to bake with vegan protein powder, casein or a mix of whey and casein. Although it also works, whey is not ideal. It dries out easily, yielding a rubbery texture.

How can I make my banana protein muffins moister?

Use vegan protein powder or casein, avoiding whey and collagen. Moreover, use overripe bananas. They are sweeter and make baked goods softer. Another good precaution is to not bake them for too long.

How many calories are in a muffin?

A muffin contains about 116 calories, 8 g of protein, 10 g of carbs and 5.9 g of fat. These nutritional values are approximations, for the precise macros I recommend calculating your own.

More high protein desserts

If you try this recipe, make sure to leave a 💌 comment and ⭐️ star rating down below letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you!

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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare a muffin mold with muffin liners. Make sure you grease the liners to prevent the cupcakes from sticking.
In a large bowl, start by mashing the ripe bananas. When mashed, add in the egg, the peanut butter and whisk well until everything is well combined.
Sift in the protein powder and the baking powder, then whisk the ingredients until you get a smooth muffin batter. Do not overmix. Based on the type of protein powder used, you may need to adjust with up to 2 tbsp of milk if the batter is too dry (see notes*).
Fold through the chocolate chips.
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups and top with more chocolate chips, if you desire.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool over a baking rack before serving.

Protein powder choice – For a moist texture I suggest vegan protein powder, casein, or a whey-casein blend. Vanilla flavor matches well with the bananas, but also chocolate or unflavored works.
Sweetness note – Ripe bananas and flavored protein powder are the main source of sweetness. But if you use unflavored protein or prefer a sweeter taste, I suggest adding 2 to 3 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey.
Texture notes – Depending on your protein powder choice, this recipe may require different quantities of milk: less (to none) for whey and more for casein or vegan protein powder.

Recipe variations

Banana bread – Add ½ tsp of ground cinnamon, 1 tsp of vanilla extract and, if desired, ¼ cup of chopped walnuts.
Blueberry lemon – Stir a generous amount of juicy blueberries and 1 tsp of lemon juice.
Coconut – Mix in 2 tbsp of shredded coconut, the perfect match with bananas and chocolate chips.
Apple cinnamon – Replace the 2 bananas with 1 cup of applesauce, add ½ tsp of ground cinnamon and fold through ¼ cup of diced apple.
Walnuts – Add to the batter ¼ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for extra crunchiness and nutritional benefits.