You know that moment when your bananas have gone a little too far and the peanut butter jar is almost empty? Don’t throw either of them out. These peanut butter banana muffins were born on a Wednesday morning exactly like that — 30 minutes before school drop-off, one bowl, no mixer. They came out golden, soft, and smelling like the coziest thing I’d made all week.
My kids ate three each before I could say breakfast. I’ve made them every week since. If you love our banana bread muffins, these are going to be your new morning staple.
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Why You’ll Love These Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
- One bowl. No mixer. 30 minutes. Real life mornings need real life recipes — this one delivers every time.
- Naturally sweetened with honey. No refined sugar. Just the warm sweetness of ripe bananas and honey working together.
- Yogurt = insane moisture. The secret weapon in this recipe. It keeps every muffin tender and soft for days.
- Real protein, real filling. Peanut butter does more than add flavor — it genuinely keeps you full until lunch.
- Kid-approved, every single time. My kids didn’t even realize these were healthy. They just asked for seconds.
Ingredients & Notes
Everything you need is probably already in your kitchen. Here’s what goes into these peanut butter banana muffins and why each ingredient earns its spot.
DRY INGREDIENTS
Flour. Whole wheat flour adds fiber and a gentle nuttiness that pairs beautifully with the peanut butter. All-purpose flour works perfectly too — same quantity, slightly lighter crumb. If you need a gluten-free version, check out our flourless banana peanut butter muffin variation below.
Cinnamon. Just enough to add warmth without overpowering. Don’t skip it — it rounds out the banana and peanut butter flavors beautifully.
Baking soda + baking powder. Both are needed here. The baking soda reacts with the banana and yogurt for lift; the baking powder gives extra height and dome.
Salt. Always. It balances the sweetness and makes the peanut butter flavor really pop.
WET INGREDIENTS
Bananas. The riper, the better — look for brown-spotted ones. They mash smoothly and bring natural sweetness so you need less honey. I use 2 large or 3 medium bananas (about 240g mashed).
Honey. Our sweetener instead of refined sugar. It adds a gentle floral warmth. Maple syrup works as a 1:1 swap if you prefer. For a vegan version, maple syrup is the way to go — see our vegan banana bread for more honey-free ideas.
Yogurt. Plain Greek yogurt or regular plain yogurt — both work. This is what makes these banana and peanut butter muffins incredibly moist and tender without being heavy. Don’t substitute with sour cream if you can avoid it; yogurt’s acidity is part of the magic.
Coconut oil. Melted and slightly cooled. Neutral vegetable oil or melted butter work too, same quantity.
Egg. 1 large egg, room temperature if possible. It binds everything together and gives the muffins structure.
Milk. Any milk works — dairy or plant-based. Just enough to loosen the batter slightly.
Peanut butter. Use a smooth, natural peanut butter with no added sugar. Stir it well before measuring. Almond butter or sunflower seed butter work great as nut-free swaps.
Vanilla extract. Pure extract, not imitation. It ties all the flavors together.
MIX-INS & TOPPING (optional)
Mini chocolate chips. Fold them into the batter for pockets of melted chocolate in every bite. If you love that combination, our peanut butter banana chocolate chip muffins variation covers it in detail.
Peanut butter drizzle. Melt 2 tablespoons of peanut butter with a tiny splash of coconut oil. Drizzle over cooled muffins. Worth every second.
How to Make Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
One bowl, a fork, and 30 minutes. That’s genuinely all this takes. Here’s the process step by step — read through once before you start, then it’s completely effortless.
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease lightly with coconut oil.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Mash the bananas. In a separate large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. A few small lumps are fine — they add texture.
4. Mix the wet ingredients. Add the honey, yogurt, melted coconut oil, egg, milk, peanut butter, and vanilla extract to the mashed bananas. Stir well until everything is fully combined and smooth.
5. Combine wet and dry. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined — do not overmix. A few streaks of flour are fine. Overmixing = dense muffins.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips (if using). Stir in gently with a spatula, just 3 or 4 turns.
The batter will be thick and fragrant — that warm peanut butter banana smell at this stage is something else.
7. Fill the muffin cups. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cups — fill each about 3/4 full. Use an ice cream scoop for even, clean portions.
8. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake — they continue cooking slightly as they cool.
9. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before drizzling or serving.
10. Drizzle with melted peanut butter over the cooled muffins. Optional but highly, highly recommended.
Lily’s Tips
Use very ripe bananas. Brown-spotted bananas are what you want. “The riper your bananas, the less sugar you’ll need — nature does the sweetening for you.” It makes a real difference here, especially since honey is our only sweetener.
Don’t skip the yogurt. It’s not just about texture — the acidity in yogurt reacts with the baking soda to give these muffins their beautiful rise. Skipping it will result in flat, dense muffins.
Measure your peanut butter properly. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level off — don’t scoop straight from the jar. Too much peanut butter and the muffins get heavy.
The fold matters. Fold the batter, don’t stir it. Overmixing develops gluten and turns soft muffins into tough ones. Stop as soon as you don’t see dry flour.
Banana science moment: One ripe banana contains about 12g of natural sugar and 3g of fiber — which means these muffins are genuinely nourishing, not just “healthy” in name. Combined with the protein from peanut butter, they’ll actually keep you full.
Variations
Peanut butter banana chocolate chip muffins. Add ½ cup (85g) mini chocolate chips to the batter and a few on top before baking. The combination of peanut butter, banana, and melted chocolate is hard to beat — our peanut butter banana chocolate chip muffin article covers the full chocolate-first version in detail.
Flourless / gluten-free version. Replace the flour with 1½ cups (150g) of almond flour. The texture will be slightly denser and more fudgy — still delicious. Add an extra egg to help with binding.
Vegan version. Swap the egg for a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water, rested 5 min), use maple syrup instead of honey, and choose plant-based milk and yogurt. Works beautifully.
Blueberry peanut butter banana muffins. Fold in ½ cup (75g) fresh or frozen blueberries instead of chocolate chips. The tartness of the blueberries cuts through the richness of the peanut butter perfectly.
How to Store
These muffins keep beautifully — which makes them one of my favorite meal-prep recipes. Here’s exactly how to store them so they stay soft and fresh all week.
Counter: 3 days — store in an airtight container at room temperature. The yogurt keeps them moist longer than a standard muffin.
Fridge: Up to 5 days in an airtight container. Warm for 20 seconds in the microwave before eating — they taste just-baked again.
Freezer: Up to 3 months. Let muffins cool completely, then freeze individually on a baking sheet for 1 hour before transferring to a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge or microwave from frozen for 45–60 seconds.
Meal prep tip: I bake a double batch every Sunday — 24 muffins, half go in the freezer, half on the counter. School mornings sorted for the whole week.
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Love, Lily 🍌
These peanut butter banana muffins are the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot in your weekly rotation. Warm, soft, naturally sweet — and on the table in 30 minutes. Make them once and your kids will be requesting them every single weekend.
Tag me on Instagram @eatwithmellow or leave a star rating below — it means the world.
If you love these, try our peanut butter banana oat cookies or this creamy peanut butter banana smoothie next!
Love, Lily 🍌
Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin tin (standard size)
- 2 large mixing bowlsv
- Fork or potato masher
- Rubber spatula
- Wire cooling rack
- Ice cream scoop, for even portioning)
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1½ cups 190g whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine salt
WET INGREDIENTS
- 2 large ripe bananas about 240g / 1 cup mashed
- ⅓ cup 110g honey
- ½ cup 120g plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup 60ml melted coconut oil, slightly cooled
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 tbsp 30ml milk (any)
- ½ cup 130g smooth natural peanut butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
MIX-INS & TOPPING (optional)
- ½ cup 85g mini chocolate chips (optional)
- 2 tbsp 30g peanut butter + 1 tsp coconut oil, melted (optional, for drizzle)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Mash the bananas until smooth in a separate large bowl.
- Add the honey, Greek yogurt, melted coconut oil, egg, milk, peanut butter, and vanilla extract to the bananas. Mix until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently fold together until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the mini chocolate chips, if using.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Drizzle with the melted peanut butter mixture before serving, if desired.
Notes
