Banana Protein Muffins

"What should I eat before my early morning workout?" These protein muffins are a great example of an energizing pre-workout snack to enjoy before a 6am workout! They contain a source of carbohydrate for energy alongside some protein to kick-start the recovery process!

Our Registered Dietitians love that these muffins come together quickly in a blender and contain a mix of whole-food ingredients:

• Rolled Oats: We used quick oats blended into flour. Be sure you measure out your quick oats prior to blending for an accurate measurement! The oats offer a source of fibre-filled carbs for sustained energy!
• Vanilla Whey Concentrate Protein Power:  vanilla protein powder adds sweetness and a punch of protein to support muscle recovery from your workouts. The addition of protein also slows the digestion rate of these muffins which ensures they offer longer lasting energy. We recommend using a whey protein concentrate for the best consistency in baking. 
• Banana: Banana adds moisture to the recipe and a boost of potassium and fibre! These muffins are similar to our Pumpkin Protein Muffins which use pumpkin puree instead of ripe bananas.
• Eggs: the eggs at protein to the recipe and work as a binder!
• Coconut Oil or Butter: Coconut oil or butter adds a fat source which not only offers flavour but makes the muffins a bit more filling and blood sugar supportive!
• Honey: Honey adds sweetness to the recipe. We used only 2 tablespoons of honey as the flavour of our protein powder and ripe banana also offers sweetness. Increase to ¼ cup of honey if you prefer a sweeter muffin.
• Chocolate Chips: we topped the muffins with mini-chocolate chips but feel free to swap with any other toppings or mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans!

Our Registered Dietitians have included the measurements in cups and tablespoons as well as grams. If you have a food scale, it can be more accurate to weigh each ingredient to ensure the muffin recipe turns out perfectly! Furthermore, a food scale can make it fast and efficient to measure ingredients and save some clean-up at the end! If you'd like to order a food scale, this is a great one!

If you'd like to try a pumpkin version of these muffins, you can make our Pumpkin Protein Muffins here. 

BANANA PROTEIN MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ cup (150g) quick oats*
• ½ cup (45g) whey concentrate protein powder _{(eg. Pescience)}
• 2 (225g) ripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons (40g) honey**
• ¼ cup (60g) coconut oil or butter
• ¼ cup (60mL) milk _{(eg. unsweetened almond milk)}
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder 
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup (30g) chocolate chips or chopped nuts

_{* to ensure accuracy of the ingredients, either weigh 150g of quick oats or measure 1½ cups of oats before blending into oat flour.
** increase to ¼ cup of honey for a sweeter muffin}

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Measure out 1½ cup cup quick oats or weigh 150g with a food scale. Then, add the oats into a blender and blitz into oat flour. It is important you measure the oats before blending into flour for an accurate measurement. 
3. Next, add the remaining ingredients to the blender (except the chocolate chips). This includes the protein powder, ripe bananas, eggs, honey, coconut oil or butter, milk, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Note: our protein powder is quite sweet so we only used 2 tablespoons of honey. If your protein powder is subtly sweet or your prefer a sweeter muffin, then increase to ¼ cup honey!
4. Blitz the batter in the blender until well combined. You may have to scrape down the sides of the blender with a spatula. 
5. Grease the cavities of a muffin tin to prevent sticking. Then, spoon the batter into each muffin cavity. The cavities should be about ¾ full. 
6. Top each muffin with a sprinkle of chocolate chips or chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans. 
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool before storing in an air-tight container.

These muffins are moist so I recommend storing them in the fridge so they last longer! If you will not be eating them in the next 3 days, store them in the freezer and reheat in the microwave when ready to enjoy!  

KITCHEN TOOLS

• Food Scale (to more accurately measure for baking)
• Blender (also used in our blender banana muffins)
• Muffin Tin (also used in our double chocolate banana muffins)

DIETITIAN TIPS

While these muffins are perfect to consume on their own as a pre-workout snack, we recommend building in an additional protein source if you'd like a snack that keeps you full for longer. For example, eating 1-2 muffins alongside a protein shake, a couple hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese, or plain Greek yogurt. Obtaining 20-30g of protein in a meal or snack will help to keep you full for longer!

WANT TO LEARN HOW TO CHOOSE SNACKS FOR YOUR WORKOUTS?

Our team of Sports Dietitians support clients with their training and exercise goals through nutrition counselling and coaching. You can learn even more about timing meals and snacks for your training via our blog post or podcast on peri-workout nutrition!