Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (2024)

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Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (1)

There are not many instances where I have shared a recipe on this blog of mine. In fact, I can count on one finger how many food posts I have done. (See my other recipe, HERE).

Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (2)

It is not that I don’t cook. Actually, it is quite the opposite. With 4 kids and a husband, I feel like all I do is cook – and my blog is kind of a break from that.

Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (3)

However, I was just so excited with my recipe invention, that actually turned out amazingly well – I had to share!

Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (4)

The moment these “Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins”were born, was totallyaccidental. I was missing a few ingredients from a standard banana muffin recipe I was trying, so I started substituting for what I did have. Ricotta cheese was thrown in there for good measure, and we love how moist and chewy it makes these muffins. It seems the cheese takes the weight out from the whole wheat somehow.

Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (5)

That is my theory, any way.

Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (6)

Before I jump into the recipe, let’s talk about all these good-for-you ingredients and some tips for a moment.

Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (7)

Rather then sugar, I threw in agave nectar and a bit of honey to sweeten the muffin. I love how I was able to add 3 almost-too-old banana’s – as I usually have that many sitting around wasting away. I have tried using plain yogurt in place of the ricotta cheese, but hands down – the ricotta makes a better muffin. I love the 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips. My kids usually complain when I use them, but they don’t seem to mind one bit in these muffins. When they melt, they are absolutely dee-lish! Finally, I might add that I really prefer to use white whole wheat in my whole wheat baking. It seems to not be as heavy as red whole wheat, but still just as good for you.

Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (8)

There is really nothing horrible for you in these muffins, and you can feel great about eating them by the handfuls! At least we do 😉

Every single one of my picky children will down 3 or 4 of these muffins. To me, that is cooking success!

I also can’t start to make these muffins without a child (or 2 or 3) wanting to help me.

Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (10)

It’s easy enough, any age can be of some help.

Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (11)

We like to use the mini cupcake tins as they cook quickly and are more proportionate for children. Make sure you fill the hole to the tippy top, plus some!

Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (12)
Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (13)

These healthy banana ricotta muffins are wonderful right out of the oven, or a couple of days after. I’ve also had great success freezing them for later use. I wouldn’t save for more than 2 months in the freezer.

Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (14)

I do hope you will give them a try, and let me know how you like them.

Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (15)

And if they put any smiles on some cute little dirty faces!

Here is your printable recipe!

Created by TIDBITS & COMPANY

Servings 12 or 24 mini’s

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

These healthy banana ricotta muffins are moist, yummy and great for kids or adults. Make it a healthy breakfast, snack or lunch. They are made with 100% whole wheat and mixed with ricotta cheese, to make a chewy muffin that is even good the next day. No oil or sugar to be found in this recipe – but trust me – you won't even miss them!

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons honey
  • 1/4 cup agave nectar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large bananas mashed
  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
  • 1/2-1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  • In a large mixing bowl, mash your banana’s.

  • Add the honey, agave nectar, egg, and vanilla. Mix until blended.

  • Then add to the mixing bowl the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix again until blended.

  • Fold in the ricotta cheese until blended.

  • Fold in the chocolate chips until mixed throughout.

  • Grease a cupcake tin with nonstick spray.

  • Spoon batter into each tin until full to the top.

  • For mini muffins, bake 10-12 minutes, until cooked all the way through. For regular size muffin tins, bake about 15-18 minutes until baked through. Do not over cook or they will be dry.

  • Remove and cool on a wire rack.

  • Can be stored in a airtight container for a few days, or in the freezer up to 2 months.

Notes

Recipe found on tidbits-cami.com

Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (17)

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Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (19)

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Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my banana muffin hard? ›

Avoid overmixing your wet ingredients with the flour mixture as this will result in more dry, dense muffins instead of muffins with a moist crumb. Follow the other tips above for using overripe bananas for the best guarantee of moist muffins!

Can I add a banana to muffin mix? ›

Yes! If you are going to add bananas, we recommend adding no more than 2 mashed bananas and omitting the water, since the banana will add moisture. To prepare: Whisk eggs, then add in oil and mashed banana.

How long should you bake muffins? ›

Let your batter rest in the refrigerator, up to 24 hours. Then fill your muffin tins 3/4 full, and bake a t425* for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 for 12-15 minutes longer. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

How can I make my muffins more moist? ›

By chilling the batter, the starch in the flour is able to absorb more moisture, resulting in a more tender muffin. It also thickens the batter without drying it out, which helps encourage beautiful tall muffin tops without a crumbly or cakey texture.

What causes the muffins to be tough heavy or rubbery? ›

What causes the muffins to be tough, heavy or rubbery? A. Two things: too much egg and using a dark, nonstick pan.

What should be avoided in making muffins? ›

12 Muffin-Making Mistakes And How To Avoid Them
  1. Mistake: Over-Mixing The Batter. ...
  2. Mistake: Not Preheating The Oven. ...
  3. Mistake: Filling The Muffin Cups Too Much. ...
  4. Mistake: Leaving The Muffins In The Pan Too Long. ...
  5. Mistake: Not Preparing The Pan Properly. ...
  6. Mistake: Using Milk Instead Of Water In Store-Bought Mixes.
Jan 7, 2024

Is it healthy to eat muffins everyday? ›

Now muffins aren't all bad. These things are only unhealthy if eaten on a regular basis. If every so often you want a muffin for breakfast or a snack, that's no big deal. When you grab a bakery muffin for breakfast daily, that's when you increase your risk for unwanted weight gain and other health issues.

What sugar is better for muffins? ›

Because of this caster sugar is generally the most versatile and preferred of the two when baking – its small granules mixes more easily and dissolve more readily when combined with other ingredients giving biscuits, cakes, pastries etc. a more even, less coarse texture.

Can you put too much banana in banana bread? ›

Fight the urge to use more banana than called for in your recipe. Using too much banana could make your bread heavy and damp in the center, causing it to appear undercooked and unappealing. If you have bananas leftover, you can always freeze them for later use.

What happens if you add an extra egg to muffin mix? ›

If there isn't enough egg, your batter or dough may not be able to hold its structure or could end up overly dry or dense. On the other hand, if there is too much egg, your baked goods could lose their shape due to excess liquid, or have a rubbery (or even overly cakey) texture depending on the recipe.

What is the best store bought banana nut muffin? ›

Sprouts Banana Nut Muffins

The muffin has good, real banana flavor. It's a little on the drier side, but some people don't want their muffins to be super moist. For me, Sprouts makes the best banana muffins to eat on the go. They're not crazy big and they won't make too much of a mess.

Why are Bakery muffins so much better? ›

The best bakery-style crumb muffins start with cake flour

Cake flour is more finely ground and has less protein, which leaves the muffins with a fine, light crumb and soft texture. Using cake flour is an easy way to avoid heavy, dense muffins even if you end up stirring just a bit too much.

Can I bake muffins at 350 instead of 400? ›

Ideal Muffin Cooking Temperature

That being said, the standard oven temperature for baking desserts like quick breads and muffins is commonly set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Setting your oven to this temperature will almost always produce a well-cooked muffin recipe.

Should muffin batter sit before baking? ›

Rest the Muffin Batter

If you're short on time, just 30 minutes can make a difference. When you rest the muffin batter, the flour has time to absorb more of the wet ingredients. The fully hydrated flour starches yields a thicker batter.

Why do my muffins come out hard? ›

Baking muffins at too high temperatures can cause a hard crust to form. Follow recipe directions for the correct temperature to bake the muffins. To insure the correct temperature each time you bake, always use an oven thermometer.

How to soften a hard muffin? ›

One of the easiest ways to revive stale muffins is to warm them in a hot oven. First, spray them with water or pat them with a damp paper towel. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to around 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap each muffin in aluminum foil and reheat the whole batch for up to 10 minutes.

How do you keep muffins from getting hard? ›

If muffins are left exposed, the moisture starts to leak from them and they dry out. To store muffins up to 4 days, line an airtight container or zip-lock bag with paper towel and store the muffins in a single layer. Place another layer of paper towel on top of the muffins as well.

Why does my banana bread get hard? ›

The reason is as you mix, the gluten begins to develop, and when too much development happens, you can end up with a dense, chewy loaf rather than the soft and delicious banana bread you were hoping for.

References

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