Vegan Whole Grain Banana Muffins with Walnuts & Chocolate Chunks
These whole grain banana muffins are loaded with walnuts and chocolate chunks and feature all the comforting flavors of classic banana bread. Plus they’re more nutritious than your standard muffin as they’re made with fiber-rich whole wheat flour and oats!
It’s safe to say there’s no shortage of banana bread recipes out in the world. Seriously - it feels like if there’s *one recipe* that every single food blog or publication or person has, it’s definitely banana bread. Except me. 😂 But here’s the thing - it would feel silly for me to put out yet another banana bread recipe into the world without either 1) developing the best banana bread recipe you’ll ever taste (maybe someday!) or 2) coming up with some sort of twist on the classic. I’m not sure that it’s possible to create the *one banana bread recipe to rule them all*, but I do know twists are always a fun way to vary up the classics!
So, what’s my unique twist? First off, I’ve opted for muffins instead of the classic loaf shape of banana bread. But on top of changing up the format, I’ve made these banana muffins 100% whole grain, while still making sure they actually taste delightful and, most importantly, strongly showcase the banana flavor (with some walnuts and chocolate sprinkled in!). And if you’re nervous about the whole grains, don’t fret - these muffins won’t make you sad because these are NOT the types of whole grain muffins that taste like cardboard. (Looking at you 👀, very sad whole wheat muffins from a recipe I followed back in 2016, which tasted kinda like what I imagine soil tastes like. 😢 I’ve yet to recover from those, apparently!)
If you love bananas (who doesn’t!?!!??) and you also love whole grains (and even if you don’t yet, my hope is that you will!), these muffins will surely be a hit!
Why You’ll Love these Banana Muffins
Delightful banana flavor! 🍌 Because these muffins are loaded with about as much banana purée as structurally possible, and sweetened with both brown sugar and maple syrup to accentuate their banana flavor, that flavor really shines through! The biggest possible disappointment with any banana-flavored thing is lacking the banana flavor. After all, it’s probably the whole reason you’re reading this recipe in the first place, right? And, unfortunately, I’ve tried far too many banana breads that have consistently let me down in the flavor department. But not these - they’re absolutely bursting with it! And to top them off, they’ve even got little slices of baked banana on top. You really can’t have too much banana!
100% whole grain benefits. Rather than using plain white all-purpose flour that you’ll find in most baked goods, these muffins call for a mix of whole wheat pastry flour and rolled oats. Whole wheat pastry flour is milled from 100% whole wheat flour, meaning it’s a whole grain, just like rolled oats. The benefit is that these muffins contain extra fiber (the whole grains add 3 grams per muffin!), vitamins, minerals, and all the other nutrients found inside the nutritious whole grains - while still being absolutely delicious and super banana-y. For another delicious whole grain muffin recipe, try my whole grain carrot cake muffins!
Textures. If, perhaps, you associate whole grain muffins with being dense or dry, I have good news for you: these are far from that image. In fact, as you bite into them, don’t be surprised to find that they’re quite fluffy (for being 100% whole grain) and moist! Plus they’re also filled with chocolate chunks and walnut bits for some satisfying crunchy pieces, and the banana slices on top add a slightly gooey component.
Easy to make. When it comes to baked goods, muffins aren’t complicated, and not much can go wrong as long as you measure your ingredients correctly, follow the detailed instructions in the recipe, and avoid overbaking them (sounds obvious, I know, but it really is that straightforward!). Even if you’ve never baked muffins before, the “Tips” section below is a helpful guide to making sure your first batch turns out like they’ve just been baked by the pros.
Ingredient Overview
Whole wheat pastry flour and rolled oats. To make the muffins 100% whole grain, we use a base of whole wheat pastry flour along with rolled oats. Just like regular whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour (WWPF) is also entirely a whole grain flour. But unlike regular whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour is milled much more finely, so it creates much fluffier baked goods! The mix of rolled oats and WWPF helps amp up the nutrition of these muffins by adding in all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals found in these two whole grains, while still also yielding super delicious muffins.
Vanilla extract and cinnamon. For warmth.
Baking soda, baking powder, and salt. The leaveners, plus salt for texture and flavor balance.
Aquafaba (i.e. the liquid in a can of chickpeas!). Aquafaba is an absolutely magical ingredient because when it’s lightly beaten until foamy, it works similarly to eggs during baking by adding structure and lift into vegan baked goods. So in these muffins, aquafaba is the key to a nice and fluffy structure!
Neutral oil. To add moisture! If possible, I recommend using avocado oil or “high-oleic” sunflower oil as these have a much higher content of monounsaturated fats (i.e. more healthful fats) than other neutral vegetable oils.
Light brown sugar and maple syrup. To sweeten the muffins, we use a combination of light brown sugar and maple syrup, both of which beautifully complement the banana flavors with their notes of caramel and molasses.
Overripe bananas. Obviously what gives the muffins their namesake banana flavor! But on top of that, bananas also help keep the muffins nice and moist.
Apple cider vinegar. Just a splash to ensure the baking soda (a base) has enough acid to react with so the muffins can rise.
Walnuts and chopped chocolate. I don’t know about you, but I simply can’t resist adding walnuts and chocolate into banana muffins to 1) take the flavor combo to that next level 🔥 and 2) introduce some crunchy and gooey textures! Just don’t forget to check the ingredients to make sure that the baking chocolate/chocolate chips you choose are vegan.
Tips for Baking these Muffins
Use a scale to weigh the ingredients. For the best results, use the gram measurements where provided in the recipe as they’re more accurate, so they’ll yield the most consistent results!
Don’t have a food scale? Use the tips below to approximate the closest measurements for the brown sugar and flour. (PS - I highly recommend investing in a food scale - they’re cheap and incredibly useful for both baking and cooking!)
To measure the brown sugar, pack your measuring cup very lightly.
To measure the flour, use the “spoon and level” method to avoid using too much flour (you don’t want super dense or dry muffins!). To do this, “fluff” the flour to aerate it. Then, spoon the flour into a measuring cup until it overflows slightly, and use the back of a knife to “level” the excess flour off the top.
Use very, very overripe bananas. To achieve the optimal sweetness and best possible flavor, you’ll need to use very, very overripe bananas (but not fully black and rotten!). Make sure to mash them thoroughly before adding them in (there shouldn’t be any chunks left in there), which should be relatively effortless to do as overripe bananas break down very easily when you mash them.
Soak the oats to soften them. Oats are dry and can take time to soften, so to avoid any super dry oat oat bits inside the muffins, simply soak the oats for 20 minutes inside your mixture of wet ingredients. This allows them to absorb more moisture so that they’re nice and soft prior to baking into the muffins!
Don’t overmix! Overmixing can create tunneling (those annoying air pockets!) or tough-textured (i.e. not fluffy!) muffins, which we don’t want. To avoid that, once you add in the dry ingredients, use a silicone spatula to mix them with the wet ingredients just until the dry ingredients have been incorporated enough to form a batter with a few bits of flour left - and stop there! Then stir in the walnuts and chocolate gently, just until everything is incorporated.
Use dual baking temperatures for taller muffin tops. To maximize the rise, it’s best to briefly bake muffins at a high temperature (which triggers the leaveners to activate and rise up quickly!) before dropping the temperature down to the normal cake/quick bread baking temperature. This means we’ll start by baking the muffins at 425°F for 5 minutes to give them a chance to puff up quickly, then drop the temperature down to 350°F for the remainder of the bake so that the muffins can then bake evenly. (Continuing to bake at the higher temperature would burn the outsides while leaving the interior uncooked - we obviously don’t want that!)
Let cool fully before eating. I highly recommend letting these muffins cool entirely before digging into them. Not only does this allow their crumb to finish forming, it also really enhances their flavors. I know the idea of warm baked goods sounds great in theory, I promise they’re not nearly as tasty as their cooled down versions. The flavors are worth the extra wait!
Now that you’ve learned all about these banana muffins, it’s time to try them for yourself!
Whole Grain Banana Muffins with Walnuts & Chocolate Chunks
Vegan, Whole Grain
Makes 12-14 muffins
Ingredients
6 tablespoons aquafaba (i.e. the liquid from a can of chickpeas)
2 cups well-mashed very overripe banana (from about 4-5 medium bananas)
96 grams / ½ cup (lightly packed) light brown sugar
⅓ cup neutral oil* (such as sunflower, avocado, grapeseed, etc.)
¼ cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
180 grams / 1 ½ cups (spooned & leveled**) whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup raw walnuts, chopped
⅓ cup chopped vegan baking chocolate OR vegan chocolate chips
For topping:
¼ cup raw walnuts, chopped
1 medium very ripe banana, thinly sliced (optional)
Directions
To a large bowl, add the aquafaba and use a handheld electric mixer to whip the aquafaba on medium speed for ~60 seconds until uniformly very foamy. Add in the mashed overripe banana (make sure it is very well mashed and that there are no visible chunks left), brown sugar, oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar and continue using the electric mixer to mix them in until thoroughly combined.
Add in the rolled oats and use a rubber spatula to fold them into the wet ingredients. Set aside for 20 minutes to allow the oats to absorb moisture and soften.
At this point, pre-heat the oven to 425°F and line a standard muffin tin with 12 muffin liners. (If you have an additional tin, you can prepare 2 more cups with liners to make a total of 14 muffins.)
In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Once the oats have finished soaking, add in the mixed dry ingredients and use the rubber spatula to fold them in just until the dry and wet ingredients are incorporated (a few bits of unmixed flour are ok!), being careful not to overmix. Add the walnuts and chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips) and use the spatula once more to gently fold them into the batter.
Divide the batter evenly between the 12-14 muffin cups (they will be very full! If making 12 muffins, you may have a tablespoon or two of unused batter left). Top the muffins with the extra chopped walnuts and banana slices.
Bake the muffins at 425°F for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out nearly clean (a few tiny crumbs are ideal), about 24-28 more minutes. (If making 14 muffins, the baking time may be slightly shorter.)
Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool inside the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and allow them to cool fully (about 1-1 ½ hours) before eating.
Best when fresh (after cooling)! Any leftovers can be stored wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes:
*Any neutral oil will work, but whenever possible, opt for a “high oleic” variety as these have a much higher content of monounsaturated fats than other neutral vegetable oils.
**If you don’t have a food scale, measure the flour using the “spoon and level” method. To do this, “fluff” the flour to aerate it, then spoon it into a measuring cup until it overflows slightly, and use the back of a knife to “level” the excess flour off the top.
Loving these whole grain banana muffins? (BTW, you might also like my vegan whole grain carrot cake muffins!) Please take a moment to leave a review in the comments below - I’m very grateful for your time and support! - and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram if you share them.