Peanut butter banana muffins with whole wheat flour (for flavor!)

These peanut butter banana muffins feature whole wheat flour, which adds a lot of extra nuttiness to the flavor. I baked these muffins with both all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour to compare the flavor and texture. Taste testers favored the whole wheat version for the nuttier flavor.

Surprisingly, the whole wheat flour had a superior texture too, which isn't always the case in muffins. I typically prefer all-purpose flour in muffins, but whole wheat absorbs more liquid, which creates a better texture in this recipe.

That's because peanut butter banana muffins tend to be denser than classic blueberry muffins, which are light an airy. Denser muffins can be a little gummy if not perfectly balanced and baked. But whole wheat flour actually helps in this case, absorbing more of the liquid and creating a slightly dryer crumb that's still tender.

Jump to:

• Bananas - quantity and ripeness
• Regular vs natural peanut butter
• Why whole wheat flour is better for these particular muffins
• Cook muffins to 200-205°F
• Recipe
• Different types of peanut butter banana muffin recipes
• More recipes & resources

As a bonus, these muffins are also pretty healthy:

• Reduce added sugar, but not so much that it tastes like cardboard
• Whole-wheat flour is a better source of fiber
• Replace butter with peanut butter, not just for added flavor, but also for the extra protein
• Each muffin has 6g of protein (about the same as an egg)

Bananas - quantity and ripeness

Most banana bread and muffin recipes are pretty forgiving, but peanut butter banana muffins need to be a little more precise or the texture gets thrown off.

How to use more or less bananas

This recipe calls for 3 large bananas, which should total about 1 to 1.25 cups when mashed. I've tried with both of those ranges and it works, but I wouldn't go outside that.

One of the reasons is that each banana contains about 80-100 grams of water (which is about ⅓ of a cup). That extra moisture can make these types of muffins too dense and even gummy.

Ripeness affects flavor more than texture

Ripeness doesn't affect the texture of these muffins, at least not in a noticeable way. An overripe banana has about 5 grams (⅓ teaspoon) more water than a slightly ripe banana. So you don't have to worry on that front.

I recommend using overripe bananas in this recipe for the stronger banana flavor. This way, the banana flavor stands out even with all of the added peanut butter.

These values are based on the study titled "Dietary fiber, starch, and sugars in bananas at different stages of ripeness in the retail market," by Phillips et al., 2021.

Regular vs natural peanut butter

Standard grocery store peanut butter, like Jif and Skippy, have a very different texture from natural peanut butter.

However, they both work out in this recipe. My suspicious is they both contain a similar amount of oil, so the results are similar in muffins and quick breads.

• Natural peanut butter: more prominent nutty flavor
• Regular peanut butter: easier to work with and more fool proof (read Serious Eats commentary about baking with peanut butter)
• Regular chunky peanut butter: works great too, use the same amount as the recipe indicates

If using natural peanut butter you must stir it really well before measuring it out for the muffins (which is easier to do if it's room temperature).

I also want to point out that natural and regular peanut butter can't be swapped as easily in cookies. Peanut butter cookie texture is more sensitive and benefits from regular peanut butter.

Why whole wheat flour is better for these particular muffins

I admittedly prefer all-purpose flour in most of my muffins. During my baking tests, I was surprised at how much better the whole wheat muffins tasted. The flavor and texture were both superior.

Use fresh whole wheat flour

Whole wheat flour only lasts 3-6 months in your pantry before it develops off flavors. Those flavors can easily ruin a muffin. I actually store my whole wheat flour in the freezer so it lasts a year.

Red wheat has a nuttier flavor

Red wheat is the common whole wheat you find in grocery stores and has a nuttier flavor than golden wheat.

I love using Janie's Mill flours because they are family-owned, organic, and make stone ground flour for better flavor. If you buy the larger bags (like 10 pound or up), they are similarly priced (per ounce) to King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill.

I use their Turkey Red for these muffins, but Red Fife would also be tasty, as would most of their whole wheat flours. (This is not an affiliate link or a sponsorship, I just like their flours and they ship nationwide).

Let the whole wheat flour absorb liquid for a superior texture

I mentioned earlier that peanut butter banana muffins are denser than your typical muffin. Because of that, you have to be careful to avoid a gummy texture.

Whole wheat flour works out better because it absorbs extra moisture better than white flour, and bakes up slightly drier.

This works best when you let the batter rest, so the flour has a chance to hydrate. Usually 15 minutes is enough. This prevents that gummy center, as long as you cook it to the proper internal temperature.

Christine Gallary at The Kitchn also tested this with banana muffins, and found the batter that has time to rest had a better texture. For an ever deeper dive into whole wheat flour in baking, check out the King Arthur Baking article, "How to substitute whole wheat for white flour in baking."

Cook muffins to 200-205°F

The main key to success when baking any kind of muffin is to cook it to the right temperature. You're aiming for 200-205°F with a quick read thermometer.

Here's what happens if you don't cook it to the right temperature:

• Overcooked the muffins will be dry
• Under-cooked the muffins are gummy

I've never had much luck with the toothpick test. Once I started using a quick read thermometer for baking, I've never had a gummy banana muffin or banana bread again. I use it way more often for baking than I do for cooking meat.

I bought the gold-standard Thermapen (it is pricey but extremely well made and reliable if it fits within your budget).

Recipe

Different types of peanut butter banana muffin recipes

There's actually very little variance among peanut butter banana muffins. Here's what I've found when evaluating over 2 dozen different recipes:

• Flour: white, whole wheat, and some use oats, usually 1.75 to 2 cups
• Peanut butter: almost every recipe uses ½ a cup
• Sugar: almost every recipe uses ½ to ⅓ cup, sometimes including honey or maple syrup
• Liquid: mine uses whole milk, some use alternative milk, greek yogurt, apple sauce, or extra butter
• Oven temperature: some recipes start the oven at 425℉ for an initial burst of heat to give some extra lift for 5 minutes, then reducing to 350℉ for the remainder. I found that 375℉ for the entire time yields similar results, while 350℉ for the entire time bakes denser.

Here are some variations that caught my eye:

• Chocolate peanut butter banana muffins by Making Thyme for Health (¾ cup cocoa powder is added to the batter)
• Healthy pb banana muffins with chocolate chips and oat flour, by Broma Bakery
• Peanut butter and jelly banana muffins from Mad About Food (jam is swirled into the top)
• Peanut butter banana muffins with honey and Greek yogurt from Sally's Baking (and 425℉ trick)

More recipes & resources

I also found a few more recipes with bananas and peanut butter that you might like:

• Chocolate peanut butter banana bread from Broma Bakery
• Peanut butter banana upside down cake from Butternut Bakery
• Peanut butter banana bars from Chelsea's Messy Apron
• Healthy peanut butter banana cookies from Nutrition in the Kitchen

Some of my favorite banana or peanut butter recipes:

Here are a few of my favorite recipes.

• The banana pecan muffins use twice the amount of nuts as most recipes for a really nutty result.
• The banana bread has a fig syrup swirled in to taste like a fig newton.
• The peanut butter cookies are soft and chewy with a chocolate ganache filling.

More muffin recipes

I make a lot of muffins, whether to grab and go in the morning, or as a light snack at night. Most of them are fairly low in sugar and on the healthy side, other than the blueberry muffins, which are full butter, sugar, and flavor.