These yogurt muffins are light and fluffy and made in just one bowl! Made without refined sugar, it’s a kid friendly and healthy recipe that happens to be gluten free!
Most weeks, I try and whip up some healthy desserts to have on hand.
I’m never someone to deprive myself and never say no to some birthday cake or a batch of fresh brownies. However, as someone with an insatiable sweet tooth, I like to have some healthier options on hand to enjoy between meals or after dinner.
Some of my favorite healthy baked goods include oatmeal cookie bars and donuts. Recently though, I’ve really been digging some Greek yogurt muffins.
Why this recipe works
- Low fat. These muffins call for just 1/4 cup of butter for the entire recipe!
- Naturally sweetened. A combination of bananas and maple syrup sweetens the muffins, without needing any white or brown sugar.
- Perfect texture. Like any good muffin, these are moist and fluffy on the inside with a light and tender crumb.
What I love about this recipe is just how customizable it is. You can use different flavors of yogurt and can add in your favorite fruits, nuts, seeds, or chocolate chips!
Ingredients needed
This recipe calls for simple pantry staple ingredients that you’ll likely already have on hand. Here is what you’ll need:
- Bananas– Brown and spotty bananas are best, as they help the muffins become extra moist and sweet. Frozen bananas can be used, provided they have been thawed completely.
- Butter– Softened and unsalted.
- Maple syrup– A refined sugar free sweetener that gives the muffins extra sweetness.
- Yogurt– Either Greek yogurt, vanilla yogurt, or plain yogurt.
- Eggs– Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract– Every muffin needs a dash of vanilla.
- All-purpose flour– Either standard flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour. If you use the latter (as I did), ensure you use a blend that has added xanthan gum.
- Baking powder and baking soda– Both the baking soda and powder are needed to give the muffins rise and tenderness.
- Salt– Just a pinch to balance all the sweet ingredients.
How do you make banana yogurt muffins?
Start by adding the wet ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mixing them together until smooth. Gently fold through the dry ingredients until just combined. Next, distribute the muffin batter evenly amongst a 12-count muffin tin lined with muffin liners.
Now, bake the muffins for 15-17 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Do not overbake the muffins, as they continue to cook as they are cooling in the muffin tin.
- Be sure to sift your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and baking soda) carefully before adding it into the wet ingredients- we don’t want any flour pockets showing up!
- Feel free to fold through some walnuts, raisins, or shredded coconut flakes.
Dietary swaps and substitutions
The beauty of these muffins is that they are so easy to customize to suit your diet or flavor preferences. Here is what we’ve tried.
- Make them vegan! Replace the eggs with an egg substitute and use dairy free yogurt (coconut yogurt is fantastic!) and dairy free butter.
- Blueberry yogurt muffins– Use blueberry-flavored yogurt and fold through 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries.
- Yogurt chocolate chip muffins– Fold through 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.
- Lemon blueberry muffins with yogurt– Use lemon-flavored yogurt and fold through 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries.
- Pumpkin yogurt muffins– Replace the bananas with 1 cup of pumpkin puree.
Storage and serving instructions
- To store: Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. They will keep longer if you store them in the refrigerator.
- To freeze: Place leftovers in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- What to serve muffins with: These muffins taste incredible on their own or warmed up with a smear of butter. I personally love these with some almond butter or healthy Nutella on top.
More recipes using yogurt to try
Frequently Asked Questions
Adding yogurt to muffins gives them a lovely moist and soft middle and a tender crumb. If you use flavored yogurt, like blueberry yogurt, it will give the muffins a subtle blueberry flavor too.
Yogurt typically replaces all or some of the fat typically used to make muffins, like butter or oil. It can also sometimes be used to replace eggs.
Muffins made with yogurt don’t need to be refrigerated unless they have a frosting made with yogurt.
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Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 12-count muffin tin and fill them with muffin liners. Set them aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bananas, butter, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract, until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold through the walnuts and chocolate chips, if using them.
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Distribute the batter evenly amongst the muffin tin and bake for 17-19 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
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Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
TO STORE: Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. They will keep longer if you store them in the refrigerator.
TO FREEZE: Place leftovers in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg | NET CARBS: 23g
