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Whole Wheat Banana Muffins With Streusel

5
/5
40 mins
11 Comments
Jump to Recipe Video
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 02/23/2022Updated: 06/27/2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Muffin with text overlay that reads "whole wheat banana streusel muffins."
Muffin with text overlay that reads "whole wheat banana muffins with streusel."
Muffin with text overlay that reads "banana muffins with yummy streusel!"
Muffin with text overlay that reads "streusel banana muffins."
Front view of one banana streusel muffin on small white plate, with bananas and more muffins in background. Text overlay reads "chocolate & carrots".

Whole wheat banana muffins with crunchy streusel topping are so delicious. Perfect for breakfast, snack, or lunchbox treats. 

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Streusel is like frosting – it makes the muffins extra special.

How long it takes: 40 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: muffin tins, oven, mixing bowls, measuring utensils
Servings: makes 15 muffins, depending on size

Overhead view of banana muffins with streusel.
Table of Contents
open
  • 1 Recipe Overview
  • 2 About These muffins
  • 3 What You’ll Need
  • 4 How To Make This Recipe
  • 5 FAQs
  • 6 Make them Your Own
  • 7 Storage Tips
  • 8 More Muffins
  • 9 Get the Recipe: Whole Wheat Banana Muffins With Streusel

Streusel! While muffins aren’t normally frosted, they can claim streusel as their crowning glory. And who doesn’t love crunchy, crumbly cinnamon-scented streusel?!

Whole wheat banana muffins, capped with glorious streusel, make a great breakfast or snack. Anyone would look forward to one of these muffins in their lunchbox, too.

If you’re feeling the streusel, you may want to try this coffee cake with streusel or pumpkin streusel bread, too.

Just in case you’re interested, according to our friends at Wikipedia, streusel has German origins. It means “something scattered or sprinkled” from the verb streuen. Sometimes I feel like that could describe my brain.

Maybe I just need a cup of coffee and a banana muffin. With streusel, of course!

About These muffins

While banana muffins are a sweet treat, these muffins are a bit healthier than most. Whole wheat flour adds fiber and nutrients; Greek yogurt ups the protein and reduces the need for a lot of oil. Three bananas add nutrition along with lots of natural sweetness.

If you want, the streusel can be omitted. These muffins are great with or without streusel but I just love that sugary crunch that you get on the muffin top. So delicious!

Muffin with a bite out of it.

I’ll get you started on the recipe here but as always, look for the printable recipe card near the bottom of the post. You’ll find measurements, instructions, and nutrition information.

What You’ll Need

  • Flour, Sugar, Cinnamon, Butter: These four simple ingredients make up the streusel. The butter should be at room temperature before using.
  • Bananas: You’ll need about 3 medium bananas. Ripe or even very ripe bananas are perfect so if you have a few languishing on your counter, making muffins is a good way to use them. You can also use frozen bananas that you’ve thawed!
  • Greek Yogurt: It doesn’t really matter whether it’s full-fat, low-fat, or non-fat yogurt, in fact, it doesn’t even have to be Greek yogurt. It does need to be plain yogurt, that is, not flavored. Greek yogurt will add more protein to the muffins than regular yogurt.
  • Whole Wheat Flour, All-Purpose Flour: Use a combination for the best results. All whole wheat flour may make the muffins a little on the heavy side. You could also use white whole wheat flour.
  • Eggs: You’ll need a couple of eggs.
  • Sugar: Only a half cup of sugar is added to the muffins along with another 1/4 cup in the streusel. Ripe bananas add plenty of sweetness.
  • Oil: Any type of mild-tasting oil is fine. I usually use canola oil for muffins.
  • Pure Vanilla Extract: A baker’s best friend.
  • Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt: Normal muffin ingredients which provide leavening and seasoning. Skipping the salt will cause your muffins to taste a little flat.
Muffin ingredients and streusel ingredients.

How To Make This Recipe

Let’s get started! Get your oven preheating and spray your muffin tins with a little nonstick spray.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the streusel ingredients. Use a fork or pastry cutter to cut the butter in until the streusel looks like coarse crumbs. When you pinch a bit in your fingertips, it should stay together in a little clump. Set it aside for now.

Four images showing how to make streusel.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas with the same fork or pastry cutter you used for the streusel.

Bananas being mashed.

Add the eggs, yogurt, sugar, oil, and vanilla and mix it all up really well. The eggs should be well blended into the mixture.

Next, measure out the flour using a spoon to scoop the flour lightly into a dry measure cup. Add it to the top of the banana mixture. Don’t mix it in yet. Add the baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the flour and just fluff it together using your fingers or a spoon.

Now fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture. Stir just until the flour is mixed in.

Banana muffin batter, four steps.

Fill the muffin tins with the batter about two-thirds full. We tested these muffins several times and found that if you overfill the tins, the streusel has a tendency to fall off when the muffins rise during baking.

Hand using scoop to put batter in a muffin tin.

Top each muffin with a tablespoon of streusel. Pat the tops of the muffins lightly with your fingertips so the streusel adheres. If you have extra streusel, just add a bit more to the muffins until it’s used up.

Unbaked muffin with streusel.

Bake for fifteen minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Cool on a wire rack in the pan for about ten minutes, then remove the muffins from the tins and cool completely.

Baked muffins in tin.

FAQs

How can I make muffins lighter and more fluffy?

Make sure you don’t overmix the batter. The baking soda and baking powder react with the wet ingredients, immediately producing air bubbles that make the muffins light and fluffy. If you stir the batter too much, that chemical process will be all over before you even get the muffins in the oven and your muffins will be heavy and dense.

Can you use whole wheat flour in muffins?

Certainly. Using all whole wheat flour may make your muffins a bit denser. Mixing whole wheat flour half and half with all-purpose flour gives the muffins a lighter texture.
However, I often use all whole wheat because my family is used to it and it has healthy benefits.

How do I ripen bananas quickly?

According to Chiquita, the expert on bananas, you should keep them in a bunch, put them in a warm spot, and put them in a paper bag with ripe fruit. They also have some great tips for quickly ripening bananas to use for baking.

Make them Your Own

  • All out of whole wheat flour? The muffins are great with just all-purpose flour, too.
  • Omit the streusel if you like.
  • Nutty about nuts? Add finely chopped walnuts or pecans to either the batter or the streusel, or both.
  • Rather have banana bread? Try my whole wheat banana bread recipe.
  • Looking for an extra sweet treat? Fold 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips into the batter.
  • For a delicious alternative to streusel topped muffins, try cream cheese filled muffins. We love these blueberry cream cheese muffins!
Muffins on cooling rack.

Storage Tips

Muffins are best eaten the same day they are baked. They’ll keep for a few days on the counter in a tightly covered container. Make sure they are completely cool before covering them.

More Muffins

Blueberry Strawberry Muffins – healthy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Triple Chocolate Banana Muffins – healthier!

Cornbread Muffin Recipe with Herbs and Cheddar

Browse All

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Overhead view of a banana muffin with streusel.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Whole Wheat Banana Muffins With Streusel

5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Additional Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
15 muffins
Print Rate Recipe
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Whole wheat banana muffins with crunchy streusel topping are so delicious. Perfect for breakfast, snack, or lunchbox treats. 

Ingredients

Streusel

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

Muffins

  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup oil (vegetable, canola, or melted coconut oil)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease muffin tin or spray lightly with cooking spray.
  • In medium sized bowl, combine streusel ingredients: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup sugar, and ground cinnamon. Add butter, and using a fork, pastry cutter, or fingers, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs and will hold together when pinched.
  • In large bowl, mash bananas. Add eggs, yogurt, 1/2 cup sugar, oil, and vanilla extract, mixing until well blended.
  • On top of wet ingredients, add whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gently mix the dry ingredients together before folding them into the wet ingredients. Stir just until combined.
  • Divide batter evenly between 16 muffin cups, about ¼ cup batter per cup. Muffin cups should be about two-thirds full; do not overfill or streusel will fall off as they bake. Sprinkle approximately 1 tablespoon of streusel on each muffin, patting lightly so it adheres. If there’s extra streusel, simply add more to each muffin.
  • Bake 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.
  • Cool muffins in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on wire rack.

Notes

  • Yield varies depending on the size of your muffin tins. If you are making extra large muffins, adjust baking time.
  • If desired, use all whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, or white whole wheat flour, or any combination.
  • Buttermilk may be substituted for the yogurt.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 198kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 176mg, Potassium: 116mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 136IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
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  1. Jenny @ BAKE says

    January 9, 2013 at 6:19 am

    wow these muffins look so tasty!

    Reply
  2. Stephie @ Eat Your Heart Out says

    January 8, 2013 at 8:43 pm

    These are seriously gorgeous! I love anything with the word “streusel” in it, and the big pieces of pecans just send me over the moon! Definitely sharing this one :-)

    Reply
  3. Caroline @ chocolate & carrots says

    January 5, 2013 at 4:04 pm

    Thank you for having me Rachel! :D

    Reply
  4. Gerry @ Foodness Gracious says

    January 5, 2013 at 11:04 am

    Anything with streusel is a winner for me! Great muffins to start the day :)

    Reply
  5. Stephanie says

    January 4, 2013 at 11:26 pm

    This looks delicious, I love a healthy muffin recipe.. especially when it involves bananas

    Reply
  6. Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts says

    January 4, 2013 at 6:51 pm

    Love muffins, and I love making them just a little better for you. These sound wonderful!

    Reply
  7. dixya @ food, pleasure, and health says

    January 4, 2013 at 3:25 pm

    Caroline is one of my fav blogger :) loved all the healthy components of this muffin YUM YUM YUM.

    Reply
  8. Ashley Bee (Quarter Life Crisis Cuisine) says

    January 4, 2013 at 1:40 pm

    Yay for healthy muffins! I need to make some for sure!

    Reply
  9. Jennifer @ Mother Thyme says

    January 4, 2013 at 12:34 pm

    These muffins are calling my name! I love the healthy spin on these!

    Reply
  10. Jessica@AKitchenAddiction says

    January 4, 2013 at 11:20 am

    These are my kind of muffins! Love the streusel topping!

    Reply
  11. Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says

    January 4, 2013 at 9:58 am

    I love it when healthy is delicious! Great guest post :)

    Reply

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