Muffins never last long in our house. Twelve muffins come out of the oven, ten make it to the plate, eight survive to the next day, and only a couple are left for day three. This is especially true when maple bacon banana muffins are involved. Of course, we could change our habits, but muffins are delicious, so to reduce the guilt, I set out to make a healthier version.
Now maple syrup is my favourite sweetener. It has a rich, distinct flavour that goes well with the sweet (bananas) and savoury (bacon) ingredients in this recipe. It is also a good source of manganese, riboflavin, zinc, and other minerals, which gives it a higher nutritional value than honey and sugar (source). I would strongly advise you to get pure maple syrup, not the maple-flavoured stuff, which is basically liquid table sugar and just not as good (believe me, I’m Canadian).
No butter is used in this recipe; instead, it is replaced with non-fat Greek yogurt, which reduces overall fat and keeps the muffins tender. It is also an excellent source of calcium, potassium, zinc, and protein (source).
I used whole wheat flour in place of half of the all-purpose flour since whole wheat is less processed, retaining more nutrients and fibre.
The salty, smoky flavour and crunchiness of the bacon goes so well with the soft, sweet muffin. It is a maple bacon banana muffin after all.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Mise en place {see Ingredients for amounts}. Whisk together the flours, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In medium bowl, combine bananas, brown sugar, 3 tbsp maple syrup, yogurt, and milk.
Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in half of the bacon.
Scoop into a muffin pan. Drizzle the remaining maple syrup and bacon bits over top of each muffin.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a wooden skewer comes out clean. Let it cool for 5 minutes in the pan.
Enjoy!
Healthier Maple Bacon Banana Muffins
A tasty maple bacon banana breakfast muffin that is sweet and savoury! No butter in this recipe either; making this a healthier muffin option!
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
- ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 4 tbsp pure maple syrup, divided
- ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup milk
- 6-8 bacon pieces (adjust to preference), broken into small bits, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a muffin pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl, using a fork, combine bananas, brown sugar, 3 tbsp maple syrup, yogurt, and milk.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Using a spatula, mix the ingredients together until the batter is completely moist (just combined).* Carefully fold in ½ of the bacon bits.
- Divide the batter evenly into each muffin cup, filling almost to the top. Drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp of maple syrup and bacon bits over the top of each muffin.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.
Notes
- *Over mixing may result in a tougher texture.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 213Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 295mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 3gSugar: 16gProtein: 7g
Joyce
Monday 6th of March 2017
AHHHHHHHHH this are sooooo yummy looking! Maple bacon is already amazing on it's own but banana? That is such an amazing twist of flavours! I am trying to learn how to bake more and to be honest the butter is TOTALLY freaking me out so it's so cool to see that these awesome looking muffins can be made with greek yogurt! You're awesome! :)
Marie @ Yay! For Food
Monday 6th of March 2017
Joyce, I am positive that you will be amazing at baking!
romain | glebekitchen
Sunday 5th of March 2017
OMG - I have nothing to say except these look AWESOME!
Marie @ Yay! For Food
Monday 6th of March 2017
ha ha Thanks!
Alison @ The Sunday Glutton
Sunday 5th of March 2017
This looks like a really good balance between sweet and savory. I love the idea of maple and bacon together and getting just a little natural sweetness from the banana. It may be healthier, but I bet it still tastes amazing!
Marie @ Yay! For Food
Sunday 5th of March 2017
Thanks, Alison! The flavours just remind me of breakfast!