Moist and tender with the most perfect dome I’ve ever seen, these Honey Banana Muffins are a banana muffin recipe that delivers! I love the delicate, floral sweetness that honey adds to these hearty muffins.

Two banana muffins in yellow paper liners, stacked on top of each other.

Aside from white whole wheat flour, these honey banana muffins rely on ripe bananas for some of their sweetness, with the remainder coming from – you guessed it – honey instead of refined sugars.

I also like how the honey helps contribute to a nice, moist banana muffin. Plus, I have a hunch it works especially well with whole wheat flour because whole wheat tends to be more absorbent than all-purpose.

honey sweetened banana muffins in a muffin tin

The Story Behind the Recipe

We’re huge into muffins around here. I probably come up with a new muffin recipe every week. Seriously! Muffincrazytown, I tell ya.

In fact, I actually make an active effort to not post too many muffin recipes. So I try to pace myself, blog-sharing-wise. Except it looks like I went too far in the opposite direction last year – I only posted four new muffin recipes for the entire year! So this year, more muffin recipes are clearly in order. First up: Honey Banana Muffins!

I chose an unrefined sweetener and whole wheat flour for these honey banana muffins to make them wholesome yet still delicious.

A measuring cup full of white whole wheat flour.

(No no! That’s not really how I measure my flour. I just wanted to share a photo of the fluffiness.)

Honey Banana Muffin Ingredients

  • White whole wheat flour: White whole wheat flour is made from white wheat, so when it’s milled, it’s whiter in color without needing to be bleached or otherwise refined. I also like how fine and fluffy it is. Perfect for baking. Feel free to sub in your favorite flour, be it all-purpose, whole wheat, or a one-for-one gluten free blend.
  • Baking powder: This leavening agent helps lift honey banana muffins, giving them a tender crumb and perfect dome.
  • Cinnamon, nutmeg, & ginger: I really like these warm, cozy spices in my banana muffins. You can leave out one or more, or add another cozy spices to the equation if you like.
  • Salt: To highlight the flavors and balance out the sweetness.
  • Bananas: Use very ripe bananas for the best sweet banana flavor.
  • Butter or coconut oil: For moist and tender muffins.
  • Honey: Use your favorite honey.
  • Milk: You can use dairy milk or your favorite unsweetened dairy milk.
  • Vanilla: For an extra boost of sweet flavor.

Substitutions & Adaptations

  • If you prefer not to use honey, pure maple syrup is a great substitute.
  • For gluten-free banana muffins, sub in your favorite 1-to-1 GF flour blend.
  • To make these dairy-free, opt for coconut oil and a dairy-free milk.
  • For vegan muffins, make the dairy-free substitutions and leave out the egg. I haven’t yet tested them this way, but the banana should be enough of a binder to hold them together. Or, try my vegan banana bread muffins!

How to Make Them

There’s nothing to it! It’s a pretty standard muffin recipe: Mix together the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients, then mix them together. Divide between paper-lined cups and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean!

How to Store Honey Banana Muffins

Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to 4 days.

Freezing Honey Banana Muffins

Honey banana muffins freeze really well! Place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and place them in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.

A brownish red basket lined with a yellow and green floral towel, piled with honey banana muffins.

I love how these honey banana muffins contribute to a hearty breakfast or make a nice snack in and of themselves without making you feel like you just ate a cupcake for breakfast.

More Banana Muffin Recipes

Honey-Sweetened Spiced Banana Muffins recipe
4.50 from 2 votes

Honey Banana Muffins

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 27 minutes
Author: Kare
Yield: 12 muffins
Naturally sweetened with bananas and honey, these moist and easy muffins don’t need refined sugar to make them scrumptious.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour (can sub all-purpose flour)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 medium very ripe bananas
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick, melted (can sub melted coconut oil))
  • 1/3 cup honey*
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 12 standard-cup muffin tins or line with liners.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
  • In a medium bowl, mash the bananas. Stir in the butter, honey, and egg. Mix well. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until blended.
  • Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with a wooden spoon or spatula, mix just until incorporated.
  • Divide batter between muffin cups, about 1/3 cup of batter each.
  • Bake until the tops spring when you touch them and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 14-18 minutes.
  • Muffins keep in an airtight container or zipper bag at room temperature for 3-4 days. They also freeze well!

Notes

Gluten-free option:

For gluten-free banana muffins, sub in your favorite 1-to-1 GF flour blend. 

Dairy-free option:

To make these dairy-free, opt for coconut oil and a dairy-free milk.

Vegan option:

For vegan muffins, make the dairy-free substitutions and leave out the egg. I haven’t yet tested them this way, but the banana should be enough of a binder to hold them together. 
3/23/2024 recipe update: Based on reader feedback and additional testing, updated the baking temp from 400 to 375 and changed the cooking time from about 12 minutes to a range 14-18 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 176kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 26mg, Sodium: 217mg, Potassium: 172mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 190IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 104mg, Iron: 1mg
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