Chocolate Banana Protein Muffins

Aug 17th

My husband is a high school football coach and preseason started on Monday. Normally I make him a protein shake in the mornings with frozen bananas, chocolate protein powder, peanut butter, etc. I’m happy to do this on a normal basis, but not at 6 am when I don’t have to be up that early. What to do? I felt like baking, so I started thinking about including protein powder in a baked good; maybe a muffin? He could grab one or two on his way out the door and have a complete, high protein breakfast that would get him through to lunch.

I’d tried this in the past and it didn’t work out so well; he said he could taste the powder. As I looked around for recipes I was surprised to find very little. It seemed like there were recipes on “fitness” sites, but none to be found on credited baking sites like epicurious or cooking light. I ended up putting something together from various sources, but it was definitely experimental.

I was SUPER happy to stumble into something delicious! Truly, it tastes like chocolate cake. They are about 200 calories each, with over 3 grams of fiber and over 5 grams of protein. So if he takes two, he’s looking at an extremely complete breakfast! These muffins are REALLY easy to make, FYI.

Chocolate Banana Protein Muffins

Makes 12-14

1 1/2 c. flour (all purpose or white whole wheat)

1/2 c. chocolate protein powder

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder 

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 c. greek nonfat (plain) yogurt

1/3 c. canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

1/2 c. chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, protein powder, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 


3. On a plate, mash bananas with a fork. 


4. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, bananas, oil, sugar, vanilla, and yogurt until combined. 

5. Fold dry ingredients into wet until half way mixed. Fold doesn’t just mean mix carefully. Folding is an actual technique. Cut down through the mixture with a rubber spatula and scrape the spatula toward you underneath the batter, then flip the batter onto the top. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and do it again. You are essentially folding the two ingredients together.


6. Add walnuts and chocolate and continue to fold until just combined. 


7. Spray a 12 c. muffin tin with nonstick spray. 


8. Divide batter evenly between the holes. I made 14 muffins. I used two silicon muffin liners that I placed on a cookie sheet below the muffins. 


9. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until you touch the top of a muffin and it’s no longer wet. Whenever a recipe gives you two times, always set your oven for the LOWER time. You can always bake something more but you can never bake it LESS. 


10. Let cool in the tin for about five minutes, then remove to a wire wrack to cool completely.

These will keep at room temp for several days, or in the fridge for longer. They will freeze GREAT; put them in bags of two and take them out as you need them for breakfasts on-the-go!

Also, the perfect thing to eat after a workout is something that has carbs, protein, and healthy fats. This is the perfect post (or pre) workout snack! It’s protein comes from the powder (obvi), but also the greek yogurt, eggs and walnuts. Our walnuts and canola oil give us monounsaturated fat, which raises our HDL (GOOD cholesterol) and lowers our LDL (BAD cholesterol). The carbs are there in the flour and bananas. Plus they taste like chocolate caaaake!

Picky-eater kids? This is a great way to ensure they’re getting what they need at breakfast and I’m sure they’ll be happy to eat them!

Chocolate Banana Protein Muffins

Makes 12-14

1 1/2 c. flour (all purpose or white whole wheat)

1/2 c. chocolate protein powder

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder 

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 c. greek nonfat (plain) yogurt

1/3 c. canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

1/2 c. chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, protein powder, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

3. On a plate, mash bananas with a fork. 

4. In a large bowl, whisk bananas, oil, sugar, vanilla, and yogurt until combined. 

5. Fold dry ingredients into wet until half way mixed. Fold doesn’t just mean mix carefully. Folding is an actual technique. Cut down through the mixture with a rubber spatula and scrape the spatula toward you underneath the batter and flip the batter to the top. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and do it again. You are essentially folding the two ingredients together.

6. Add walnuts and chocolate and continue to fold until just combined. 

7. Spray a 12 c. muffin tin with nonstick spray. 

8. Divide batter evenly between the holes. I made 14 muffins. I used two silicon muffin liners that I placed on a cookie sheet below the muffins. 

9. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until you touch the top of a muffin and it’s no longer wet. Whenever a recipe gives you two times, always set your oven for the LOWER time. You can always bake something more but you can never bake it LESS. 

10. Let cool in the tin for about five minutes, then remove to a wire wrack to cool completely.

These will keep at room temp for several days, or in the fridge for longer. They will freeze GREAT; put them in bags of two and take them out as you need them for breakfasts on-the-go!

Also, the perfect thing to eat after a workout is something that has carbs, protein, and healthy fats. This is the perfect post (or pre) workout snack! It’s protein comes from the powder (obvi), but also the greek yogurt, eggs and walnuts. Our walnuts and canola oil give us monounsaturated fat, which raises our HDL (GOOD cholesterol) and lowers our LDL (BAD cholesterol). The carbs are there in the flour and bananas.

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