Whole Wheat Pecan Banana Muffins

A fluffy and wholesome muffin recipe, these Whole Wheat Pecan Banana Muffins are naturally sweetened with banana and maple syrup and every bite includes a delicious crunch thanks to nutrient-dense pecans. Thank you to the American Pecan Council for sponsoring this post!

I’ve always loved muffins but it wasn’t until I had children that I began to fully appreciate muffins for a myriad of reasons beyond their flavor. I now see muffins in a new light because of everything they bring to the table for a busy mom:

Muffins are portable and perfect for on-the-go breakfasts or snacking
Muffins are often freezer-friendly and ideal for prepping multiple batches at a time
Muffins are easy to “fancy up” for kids with various colorful muffin wrappers, sprinkles, chocolate chips, etc.
There is no shortage of muffin recipes out there so muffin boredom doesn’t exist

I now consider myself a muffin-making machine because I have two boys who inhale muffins on a daily basis. My whole wheat pumpkin muffins and sweet potato muffins are in constant rotation in our house! (This post contains links to more of our boys’ favorite muffin recipes in case you’re interested.)

When it comes to making muffins from scratch, I have a few loose requirements for the recipes I generally make for our family. I prefer a whole wheat flour or oat flour base. I love recipes that are naturally sweetened with maple syrup, dates, bananas or honey. And I want the muffins to be made with healthy ingredients but still taste great. An added bonus: When the muffins contain some kind of fruit or vegetable and a dose of healthy fats from nuts, seeds or good-for-you oils.

The Whole Wheat Pecan Banana Muffins recipe I’m sharing with you guys today checks all of these boxes!

The base of the recipe is whole wheat flour and old fashioned oats and they’re naturally sweet thanks to bananas and maple syrup. The muffins also include pecans, which offer 3 grams of plant-based protein and are a good source of dietary fiber. Heck yes!

Though I snack on pecans because I love their flavor (especially when they’re candied — can’t stop, won’t stop) I love incorporating them into the recipes I feed my family because they’re nutritional rockstars. A handful of pecans (approximately 19 halves) is a good source of fiber (compared to other nuts, they’re among the highest in dietary fiber!), thiamin, and zinc, and an excellent source of copper and manganese, a mineral that’s essential for metabolism and bone health. Plus, a one-ounce serving offers a nice boost of plant-based protein to keep our family feeling satisfied for longer. Since my boys would happily survive on all the carbs, incorporating sources of healthy fat and protein into their diets is very important to me and when I can do that in muffin-form, I’m all about it!

From start to finish it should take you less than 30 minutes to make a batch of these pecan banana muffins — and that includes baking time! They come together quickly and if you have a child who loves helping you in the kitchen like I do, let them be the one to chop up the pecans because they will think that’s the coolest part of this recipe! (For a kid-friendly chopping method, pour whole pecans into a zip-top bag and let them smack the nuts with the back of a spoon until they’re “chopped.”) Pour the batter into a muffin tin lined with muffin liners or a silicone muffin pan sprayed with cooking spray and enjoy the smell of freshly baked pecan banana muffins as it takes over your home!

These muffins taste wonderful still warm from the oven and topped with a smear of butter. So good! If you want to add a little more sweetness, a drizzle of honey is also fantastic. Oh and like nearly every muffin recipe I share on the blog, these pecan banana banana muffins are also freezer-friendly so feel free to make a double or triple batch so you can freeze some to have on hand for easy breakfast or snack options on busy days!

I hope these muffins quickly become a new favorite in your house. Please let me know if you decide to give them a try!