Banana Chia Seed Muffins with Pecans

Banana and Chia Seed Muffins with Pecans are the perfect grab-and-go snack or breakfast. The crunch from the Pecans and Chia Seeds is lovely! These muffins are naturally sweetened and not too sweet and have a wonderful lightly spiced cinnamon banana flavor. They're made with white whole wheat flour, for a healthy muffin recipe that isn't too dense or "healthy tasting." Give them a try!

Be sure to also check out this healthy low-calorie banana bread!

Chia seed muffins

Chia seeds make a great addition to overnight oats, chia lemonade drinks, salads, and yes, MUFFINS!

If you like poppy seed muffins, then you will probably like these chia seed muffins! The chia seeds give these banana muffins a subtle crunch.

The banana adds natural sweetness to the muffins, and I add just a little cinnamon to the muffin batter to give everything more flavor (plus a little antioxidants never hurt anyone!).

These muffins also have chopped pecans because I love how toasted pecans taste in baked goods, but you can absolutely skip the pecans if you don't like nuts in your muffins or want to make nut-free muffins. Instead of pecans, you can try adding some fresh or frozen blueberries, or just omit them.

Related recipe: Blueberry Wheat Germ Muffins

Related recipe: Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake Muffins

Whole wheat chia muffins

Since we're going with the "healthier" theme thanks to the chia seeds, I also used white whole wheat flour in this recipe.

White whole wheat flour is one of my favorite ingredients ever! It has all the benefits of whole grain flour, but it looks and tastes a lot lighter when baked, so it can be substituted directly for all purpose flour in many recipes, even for baking.

You can find white whole wheat flour in most large grocery stores (I like the King Arthur brand!), or on Amazon.

More muffin recipes to try: Mulberry Muffins

Ingredients for banana chia muffins

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour (or use 50/50 regular whole wheat / all-purpose flour)
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 egg
• ½ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup pecans, crushed or chopped

More muffin recipes to try: Orange Cranberry Muffins

Equipment

In addition to bowls, measuring spoons and cups, you'll need:

• 12-muffin tin (the standard size)
• Muffin liners
• A squeeze-release ice cream scoop to spoon the batter into the muffin pan. I think it's so much easier to use than a spoon—less messy!

More muffin recipes to check out: Cranberry Date Muffins

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F. Place muffin liners in a muffin pan.

Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, chia seeds, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

Step 3: In another bowl, mash the ripe bananas really well. Add the egg, honey, oil, and vanilla and mix well.

Step 4: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until mostly combined. Add the pecans and incorporate them into the batter until everything is combined. Do not overmix!

Step 5: Use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon to add the batter to the muffin pan lined with paper liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350F, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

More muffin recipes: 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredient tips and substitutions

→ Pecan substitution: for a nut-free muffin, substitute with dried cranberries, or fresh or frozen blueberries.

→ White whole wheat flour: If you can't find white whole wheat flour, you can use 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour. Using 100% whole wheat flour will end up with muffins that are a little too dense.

→ Spray your measuring cup with oil before measuring out the honey, it won't stick to the measuring cup!

Other easy breakfast treats you will love:

• Syrniki - farmer's cheese pancakes
• Pumpkin spice pancakes
• Pumpkin spice whipped coffee
• Mocha dalgona coffee
• Greek yogurt oatmeal blueberry pancakes – with the most delicious blueberry pancake sauce!

If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!