I love baked goods made with bananas. So when I finally tried chia seeds in my Blueberry Chia Muffins with Lemon and Ginger a few years ago, I knew that something made with bananas had to be the next step in my foodie love affair with these healthy little seeds. So I turned to an old family recipe for banana muffins and got to work on some Banana and Chia Seed Muffins.
Updated January 2022 – This recipe has been on the blog for a number of years, but recently I’ve been working on this recipe to make these muffins even healthier, so please do keep reading to find out how I did it. Of course, the original recipe is still here as well.
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I’ve written before about my love (them when they are ripe) / hate (them when they are over-ripe) relationship with bananas. I’ve bemoaned the window of about two and a half hours my banana fussy family and I generally get for optimal banana enjoyment and how we often end up with quite a few past their best bananas. Having said that, “past their best for eating” bananas are no bad thing because when they reach this point they magically turn into “perfect for baking” bananas. Bananas at this stage are perfect for this easy recipe.
Tips for Making Banana and Chia Seed Muffins
My recipe for Banana and Chia Seed Muffins uses vegetable oil instead of butter. I adore the flavour of butter in baking but it needs to be softened before you bake with it, and this requires me to plan ahead. When using oil I can just decide to make muffins at the last minute.
I always use mild olive oil for baking muffins. You can’t taste it and it’s better for you than some other vegetable oils. Don’t use Extra Virgin Olive Oil though – it is more suited to salad dressing, dips and drizzling as it has a much more pronounced flavour.
Raisins or sultanas add a lovely flavour to my Banana and Chia Seed Muffins. They also make them even more nutritious. Both raisins and chia seeds contain protein, vitamins and minerals and of course, bananas are good for you too. If you are concerned about the sugar in raisins or they are not to your taste, simply use less of them or leave them out entirely.
Unlike most muffin recipes, which call for you to mix the wet and dry ingredients until “just blended”, this muffin recipe is one that you really have to stir. The mixture is very thick before you add the bananas, and still quite thick afterwards. Don’t be alarmed, this is exactly as it should be. While I don’t recommend beating the mixture, you do need to stir it enthusiastically until everything is combined.
I like to use a quick release ice cream scoop to transfer the batter to the muffin pan. This is the muffin pan that I use.
Full of Healthy Ingredients
Most people can’t taste the chia seeds in my Banana and Chia Seed Muffins. Chia seeds are really good for you and they have an incredibly mild flavour – in fact I’ve heard it said that they don’t really have a flavour of their own. In my opinion, they have a slightly sweet taste and a very appealing texture. They seem to pick up flavour from the things they are cooked with and therefore enhance everything you put them in. If you haven’t tried chia seeds, you are definitely missing out – and I say this as someone who waited for absolutely ages to try them! I recommend you use a generous tablespoon of chia seeds in this recipe. Normally you should use level tablespoons or teaspoons when they are called for in a recipe. In this case, a “generous tablespoon” means a heaped tablespoon (ie. not level). Be sure to use proper measuring spoons when baking.
Recently, I started to wonder if I could perhaps make Banana and Chia Seed Muffins even healthier. I started experimenting with using a combination of whole wheat (wholemeal) flour and all purpose (plain) flour instead of just all purpose flour. After several test batches, I found the best proportions were 1 cup of whole wheat flour to ⅔ cup of white flour. The muffins taste delicious and have a lovely texture. So if you would like to bump up the fibre and nutrients in these muffins, this is a great way to do it. Of course, you can still make the original version if you prefer. I can never decide which I like best!
Also, should you wish to reduce the sugar from a half cup (100 grams) to one-third of a cup (about 70 grams or 6 tablespoons), you can do this as well. Of course, it makes the muffins a bit less sweet, but they still taste absolutely delicious.
How To Serve and Store Banana and Chia Seed Muffins
Perfect for breakfast, in a packed lunch or for a snack, my Banana and Chia Seed Muffins will keep well covered at room temperature for about 3 days. If it is very hot where you are, you may prefer to keep them in the fridge. Just be sure to bring them back to room temperature or warm slightly before eating.
This recipe was originally published on AprilJHarris.com in 2015. Updated in January 2022.
Can I Freeze Banana and Chia Seed Muffins?
These muffins freeze well for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen muffins overnight in the refrigerator and gently reheat before serving.
Banana and Chia Seed Muffins – Printable Recipe
Banana and Chia Seed Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup mild olive oil You can use another mild vegetable oil if you prefer.
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature if possible
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1⅔ cups all purpose (plain) flour Or use 1 cup wholewheat (wholemeal) flour (approx 140 grams) and ⅔ cup all purpose (plain) flour (approx 85 grams) instead.
- 1 generous tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ cup sugar You can reduce the sugar to ⅓ cup (6 tablespoons) if you want/need to.
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
- ¾ cup raisins or sultanas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C or 160° for a fan oven).
- Grease and flour a 12 cup muffin pan or use paper liners.
- Beat the oil and the eggs together in a medium bowl or jug.
- Beat in the vanilla. Set aside.
- In another, larger bowl, mix together the flour, chia seeds, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
- Add the oil and egg mixture to the flour mixture in the larger bowl and stir well until combined. The batter will be very thick at this stage.
- Stir in the bananas and the raisins until thoroughly combined.
- Divide the batter between the muffin cups. (I use an ice cream scoop for this.)
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the muffins comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack. Delicious served warm or at room temperature but don't eat them straight out of the oven as the raisins will be very hot!
- Muffins will keep for 3 days at room temperature or can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw completely and reheat gently before serving.
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These look delicious April! Pinned and shared and these would be perfect right now with my coffee!
Thank you, Joanne! And thank you so much for pinning and sharing
🙂
The banana and chia seeds muffins look scrumptious, April! I would definitely add raisins to them! Pinning and tweeting!
Thank you, Hadia, I am so glad you like them 🙂 And thank you for pinning and sharing!
Banana muffins are nice because the banana flavor is so light you can pair them with other flavors and make a completely new muffin. Thanks for posting. Hello from Hearth and Soul Hop.
I’m so glad you like them, Melissa 🙂 Thank you so much for being a part of the Hearth and Soul hop.
Thank you for sharing your recipe at the Recipe Swap. These muffins look really good. I have been looking for some uses for chia beyond adding them to Aloe Vera juice. Thanks.
I’m really glad you like the recipe, Kathy! Thank you for hosting the Recipe Swap.
This sounds really delicious! 🙂
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Thank you, Jess 🙂
These muffins look absolutely delicious, love the chia seeds and banana flavors.
Thank you, Florian. They do go really well together 🙂
I’ve not cooked with chia seeds but I do love banana muffins, these look lovely!
Thank you, Kavey!
I’ve been looking for a new muffin recipe and I just found it. They look and sound so good.
I hope you enjoy them as much as we do, Janette!
Like you I prefer oil when baking as it is much quicker
It really is 🙂
I bet these are delicious! They certainly are healthy. And, definitely beautiful! I love your presentation too!
Thank you so much, Debi 🙂
Wonderful muffins! And it’s a great idea to add chia-seeds 🙂
Thank you so much, Winnie 🙂
April these muffins look absolutely delicious! Thank you again for stopping by and sharing your recipe with us at Try a Bite Tuesdays!
Thank you, Deb 😀
Hi April – These look great. I am always looking for a good recipe for ripe bananas. Thanks for sharing with the Let’s Get Real party. Pinning to our group board.
Thank you, Gaye, and thank you for pinning too!
I love to add in chia seeds for protein whenever I can in to a dish. Thanks for sharing at Let’s Get Real Link Party.
I love how such tiny seeds can be such a great source of protein, Karen 🙂 Thank you for visiting!
Absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you, Hannah! I’m so glad you like them 🙂
These look and sound delicious! I make a lovely banana cake and add raisins and it really brings out the sweetness, these would make a lovely afternoon treat with a nice cup of tea!
Thank you 🙂 They really are lovely with a cup of tea.
Anything that makes a muffing healthier is fine by me, These look delicious I must admit.
Thank you, Mellissa! I’m always trying to ‘sneak’ healthy ingredients into my recipes 🙂
Looks delicious April I love to try it.
Thank you, Swathi 🙂
I’m staring at a bunch of past-their-prime bananas right now. This recipe is calling my name! I love the idea using chia seeds in banana muffins. It’s a great twist on the standard version.
Thank you, Tracy! I hope you enjoy the recipe – those bananas will be perfect for it 🙂
what a delicious snack
Thank you 🙂
Yum! Chia seeds are sooooo good in baked goods. I love the heart shaped cutting board, too!
They really are wonderful in baked goods, Kylee 🙂 And thank you, it’s one of my favourites!
I haven’t tried chia seed in baking yet. Given the number of muffins we eat (and the bananas getting away from me right now) this may have to be my first try!
I hope you enjoy the recipe, Anne. I hesitated to try chia seeds at first too but I love them now!
April I love using chia seeds and I think they go especially well in muffins and similar foods. These look just perfect; thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you so much, Dan 🙂
I feel like you just can never go wrong with a great banana muffin. Am I right?? I love the addition of the chia seeds too, yum!!
Thank you, Sarah, I do love a good banana muffin!
I keep thinking I must bake with chia seeds, but I still haven’t got round to it; I’ll have to make these, they look delicious!
It’s much easier than I thought it would be, Annie. I use them a lot now. You just have to be careful as they love to absorb liquid, so I have to take that into consideration when I’m developing a recipe.
These look scruffy, love the addition of chia seeds
Sorry I meant scrummy scrummy!
I thought that was what you meant 😉 It’s that dreaded auto-correct again!
Thank you, Bintu 🙂
What is it about chia with banana? They are a natural together and I love them together in this recipe. Thanks!
I totally agree – banana works so well with chia. Thank you!
Clicked though to these from the Zucchini and chia seeds muffins and realised I had 3 VERY ripe bananas that desperately needed using up and everything else in the recipe so made them yesterday. They are gorgeous!! Thank you!
I’m so glad you like them, Hilary! Thank you so much 🙂 They are one of the most popular muffins on the blog – and one of my favourites as well 😉
Clicked through to these from the Zucchini and chia seeds muffins and realised I had 3 VERY ripe bananas that desperately needed using up and everything else in the recipe so made them yesterday. They are gorgeous!! Thank you!
Love the recipe but would like to know how many calories per muffin? thx!
Hi Laurie, I have not calculated calories for my recipes in recent years but I used an online calculator for this and got a value of 170 calories per muffin. I had to increase the flour to a round number to do that so this number may be a little high, but I thought I’d err on the side of caution! Hope this helps 🙂
Just made these with a few minor modifications. Yummy! I skipped the raisins. Used 1 cup of we flour and only 2/3 cup white flour. And one of my bananas had been frozen before. Will probably do all ww flour next time
I’m so glad you liked them, Monika, and I’m pleased to hear that whole wheat flour worked so well. I always keep frozen bananas on hand for baking, so this tip will come in handy too. Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
Oh yummy, these look delicious April 🙂 Thanks for sharing at Welcome To The Weekend Blog Hop.
Thank you so much, Claire 🙂
These are delicious Banana and Chia Seed Muffins! Hope you are having a fantastic weekend and thanks so much for sharing your post with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much, Miz Helen. I hope your weekend is wonderful too!
These look delicious and healthy April perfect to pop in a lunch box
Thank you, Amber. They really are good in lunch boxes 🙂
Muffins are my favorite breakfast and these looks really delicious and a bit different with the Chia seeds.
Thank you, Leanna 🙂 Have a lovely week ahead!
These were delicious! I swapped out the raisins with 1 cup frozen organic blueberries, added a pinch of cinnamon, and sprinkled them with a little brown sugar before baking. They were a great brunch treat! (And a great way to get my dad to eat chia seeds ;D lol )
Sounds delicious, Jenna! Love the idea of adding blueberries, they are one of my favourite fruits. I’m so glad you all enjoyed them!! Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
These are in my oven as I type. If the smell is any indication of how delicious these are, I’m in for a treat. I omitted the raisins and added walnuts instead. . . Very excited to have these muffins ready for a quick and nutritious breakfast!
Love the idea of adding nuts instead of raisins, Jillian! They would add nutrition and texture as well as great flavour. I do love the smell of these muffins when they are baking. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Please do let me know what you think 🙂 Have a lovely week ahead!
I just got done making these and they were an absolute hit!! I did replace the chia seeds with chocolate chip (my son for some reason doesn’t like chia seeds 😂😂😂) and skip out on the olive oil since I didn’t have a mild one. They still turned out so moist and scrumptious!
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed them, Ashley! Thank you so much for letting me know. The chocolate chips would definitely be a delicious addition 🙂
These look fabulous! I love using olive oil in baked goods it really adds a special note, pinning too. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Thank you, Angela, and I really appreciate you pinning and sharing too!
APRIL, thanks! Very tasty muffins turned out. Very cool photos!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Alyssa! Thank you for letting me know and for the compliment on the photos as well 🙂
These sound delish! I pinned them so i can make some later! Thanks for linking up with us at the #GatheringofFriendsLinkParty 4
Thank you, Sylvia, and thank you for pinning too!
Do these freeze well?? And can I use vegetable oil instead of olive oil? Thanks 🙂
Hi Adema, You can use any mildly flavoured vegetable oil. I know sunflower and canola (rapeseed) oil work well for sure. Corn oil might change the flavour a little but it will definitely work. The muffins can be frozen. However, as they are a fairly moist muffin I like to reheat them a little before I serve them if they’ve been frozen. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do 🙂
Thanks!! They turned out great and my 3.5 year old loves them!
I’m so pleased you and your little one enjoyed the muffins, Adema! They are definitely a favourite at our house. Thank you so much for letting me know!
April, these muffins are amazing!!
Making them for the second time this week, adding cranberries and figs this time for a festive twist. I’m not a baker usually, so thanks for making me feel like a rockstar with this wonderful and simple recipe!
I’m so glad you like them Abby! I love your idea of adding cranberries and figs – that sounds delicious! Thank you so much for your lovely comment. 🙂
Very tasty, thanks for the recipe! I added frozen blueberry‘s as I had no raisins and they were delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Cara! I love blueberries so that sounds very tasty to me. I will have to give your version of the recipe a try. Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know what you thought 🙂 I appreciate it!
These were really easy, quick, and delicious. I ate them with some almond butter for breakfast. I think next time I’ll try adding an extra banana, and maybe a full cup of raisins (they were such a nice addition.) Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Hannah! And there’s never anything wrong with adding more raisins, that is for sure 😉 Thank you so much for your very kind comment!
Muffins are one of my favorite things to have in the morning with my coffee. I have never had any with chia seeds in them. Got me curious.
I hope you enjoy them, Alexandra 🙂
April, Your muffins look great! I think this recipe would easily convert to gluten free! I use chia seeds a lot in my baking, and I always have them on hand. Love that you used less sugar too, as bananas have that natural sweetness.
Thank you, Leslie!
I made these muffins this morning and I was just thinking about trying to make them gluten free. I think I might reduce the flour a bit if I did. I must give this a try and come back to you. Also, the bananas I used this morning seemed extra sweet and I was thinking I could reduce the sugar even further. Please watch this space – or if you give the recipe a try, please do let me know how you get on. 🙂
I have made these so many times for my toddler. They always turn out wonderfully.
Last time I actually added grated carrot as I was short on bananas and it was a hit with my kiddo!
Thank you so much for letting me know that you and your little one enjoy the recipe, Marilee! It always makes me so happy to read such lovely feedback. I am really intrigued by the idea of adding grated carrot- it sounds delicious and healthy too 🙂