Healthier Banana Strawberry Muffins

Homemade Banana Strawberry Muffins are deliciously fruity, with juicy ripe strawberries and rich banana flavor that is reminiscent of banana bread. Whole wheat flour, unsweetened applesauce and raw brown sugar help to make these muffins a healthier breakfast treat or after school snack. 

I love baking and one of the things I like baking most are muffins! I’ve baked everything from Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins to Self-Frosting Pumpkin Nutella Muffins to Streusel Coffee Cake Blueberry Muffins and they’re all super delicious.

To me muffins are single serving bites of deliciousness that freeze well and make a great on-the-go breakfast or after school treat. Of course, most muffins are not what you would call a low cal treat but more an occasional treat but today I’ve made some substitutions to make these Banana Strawberry Muffins something you can indulge in more often.

There are several ways to make your home-baked goods more healthy and still have them taste delicious. Here are some of the choices I made when adapting the recipe for these Banana Strawberry Muffins.

Healthy Substitutions

• Raw brown sugar vs white sugar: Since raw brown sugar goes through less refining than white sugar it has slightly fewer calories, contains more natural minerals and has an overall higher nutritional value.
• Unsweetened applesauce vs vegetable oil: Using unsweetened applesauce in place of vegetable oil reduces the fat content of the muffins while still helping to retain their moistness. 1/2 cup of vegetable oil has 1920 calories, all from fat, while 1/2 cup of the applesauce has 50 calories with zero from fat.
• 100% whole wheat flour vs white all-purpose flour: Whole wheat flour retains more of the natural nutritional grains since it requires less processing than your everyday bleached white flour. These natural grains contain more folate, riboflavin and vitamins B1, B3 & B5 than all-purpose flour. Additionally, whole wheat flour contains more dietary fiber, 1/2 cup has 6.4 grams vs 1.3 grams of white flour, which is known to help prevent constipation and lower cholesterol.
• Note that some enriched all-purpose flours contain similar amounts of the same nutrients contained in whole wheat flours but without the additional fiber.

So now you’re asking yourself how easy are these muffins to make. Let me show you.

How to make Banana Strawberry Muffins

1. First gather your ingredients. In a large bowl combine mashed bananas, brown sugar, applesauce, vanilla extract and eggs.
2. Mix together both flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. combine with wet ingredients.
3. Toss strawberries with 1 Tablespoon of flour and add to batter.

4. Divide batter evenly between muffin cups, about 1/3-1/2 cup each.

5. Ready to bake.

6. Bake for 20 minutes then let rest in pan for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

The aroma wafting through your kitchen from these Banana Strawberry Muffins will have you wanting to devour the whole dozen while they’re still warm. So go ahead! That’s really when I like to snitch one too! Ohhh, they’re just so good soft & warm!

These muffins will freeze well too. Perfect for a grab-n-go breakfast or warm delicious after school treat. Just a 20-30 second turn in the microwave and you’re ready to enjoy!

5 from 2 votes

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BANANA STRAWBERRY MUFFINS

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

Homemade Banana Strawberry Muffins are deliciously fruity & healthy, using wheat flour & unsweetened applesauce in the mix. Great for breakfast or a snack.

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keywords: banana, breakfast, muffins, recipe, strawberry

Servings: 12 muffins

Calories: 155 kcal

Author: Linda Warren

Ingredients

• 3 bananas
• 2/3 cup raw brown sugar (was 2/3 cup white sugar)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (was 1/2 cup vegetable oil)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour (was a total of 1-2/3 cup all-purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with a nonstick spray. Set aside.

2. Place bananas in a large bowl and mash well.

3. Add brown sugar, unsweetened applesauce, eggs and vanilla to mashed bananas.

4. In a smaller bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix well. 
5. Add to mashed banana mixture and stir to combine.

6. Toss cut-up strawberries with 1 tablespoons flour and stir into batter.

7. Divide batter evenly between 12 muffin cups. 
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.

9. Place pan on wire rack and let muffins rest for 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition Facts

BANANA STRAWBERRY MUFFINS

Amount Per Serving

Calories 155 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Cholesterol 27mg9%

Sodium 202mg8%

Potassium 193mg6%

Carbohydrates 34g11%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 17g19%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 60IU1%

Vitamin C 9.7mg12%

Calcium 23mg2%

Iron 1.1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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