Banana Coconut Muffins
These naturally sweetened banana coconut muffins are for coconut lovers. I bet you can't tell they're made with 100% whole wheat flour!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
Coconut lovers, this double-coconut banana muffin recipe is for you! I’m confident you’ll fall in love with the sweet, bright flavors and contrasting textures in these little treats.
These muffins taste familiar and comforting, given their fluffy, banana-infused insides. They’re also fun and tropical, thanks to the shredded coconut you’ll find on the inside and on the muffin tops. A little lemon zest brings all the flavors together.
Like my healthy banana muffins, these muffins are also made with whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened (this time, with honey).
These muffins are based on a different recipe, though, and yield smaller muffins that are perfect for satisfying your afternoon sweet tooth. You could also serve them for a grab-and-go breakfast this Memorial Day weekend.
Curious about how this recipe came to be? I can’t remember how I originally found Deb’s Double Coconut Muffins, but I was completely taken by her coconut-topped beauties.
In the original recipe, Deb gives a long list of suggested substitutions, including swapping mashed banana for the yogurt. I was out of my staple Greek yogurt so I reached into my freezer for the bag of ripe, frozen banana chunks to defrost.
This was a serendipitous substitution because the banana adds the sweetness that unsweetened coconut flakes lack. In my second batch, I traded 1/4 cup honey for the 1/3 cup sugar, and found that the dry coconut soaks up the extra moisture in the honey.
I’m three batches deep in this recipe and I can say with certainty that these muffins are best with banana, sweetened with honey and topped with a heavy sprinkle of coconut and some glittering raw sugar.
With my substitutions, if you try yogurt instead of mashed banana, your muffins won’t be sweet enough to delight.
Please let me know how your muffins turn out in the comments! I hope they’re a big hit.
Craving more banana goodness? Here are a few more of my favorite banana recipes:
- Healthy Banana Bread and Healthy Banana Muffins
- Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes and Banana Oat Pancakes
- Favorite Banana Cake
- Vegan Banana Nut Scones
- Banana Almond Smoothie
Banana Coconut Muffins
These naturally sweetened banana coconut muffins are a real treat. I bet you can’t tell they’re made with 100% whole wheat flour! Recipe yields 1 dozen muffins.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour or white/regular whole wheat flour
- ½ cup white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest (the zest from about about ½ medium lemon)
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana (from about 3 bananas)
- ½ cup virgin coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 large egg, preferably at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, divided
- 1 tablespoon turbinado (raw) sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If necessary, grease all 12 cups of your muffin tin with butter or muffin liners (my pan is non-stick and didn’t require any grease).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Stir in ½ cup of the shredded coconut.
- In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, coconut oil, honey, egg and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups (a scant ¼ cup batter each), then sprinkle the muffin tops with the remaining ¼ cup shredded coconut. Sprinkle the tops with the raw sugar.
- Bake for about 17 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer muffins to a cooling rack and let them cool.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Double Coconut Muffins.
Make it vegan: All you’ll need to do is replace the egg with a flax egg. I haven’t tried this substitution myself, but it should work.
Make it gluten free: Based on similar recipes, Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose blend should work well.
Freeze it: The muffins freeze well!
Serving suggestions: I like these muffins served warm for breakfast with a side of Greek yogurt, or with a little dollop of tart lemon curd for a sweet afternoon snack.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hi! I want to use up a can of coconut cream. Can you imagine a way to incorporate it into this recipe? (Apart from a frosting, I might add).
Hi Dalya! I wish I could, but that would be a completely different recipe. Sorry!
These were really yummy! I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of lemon zest as I didn’t have a lemon kicking around. They took a lot of coconut oil which is expensive so if I make them again I think I’ll do half coconut half something else, maybe even try applesauce. I did exactly 17 minutes and they were a bit too dark on the sides/bottoms, but maybe that’s just my oven and muffin tins. All around, healthful but tasty. Thanks for the recipe.
I buy my coconut oil at Aldi because it’s consistently the cheapest (even when other brands are ‘on offer’) and it tastes exactly the same (side by side)! I mention this because without the full amount of coconut oil, you’ll probably be disappointed with the coconut flavour (the lack of it, I mean). Also honey makes the cake darker on the edges – can’t remember the technical words but sugar causes browning and the sugar in honey browns quicker. Hope that helps :)
Hi Kate! I was wondering if you could replace the turbinado sugar to stevia? I’m curious about this recipe but I don’t have that sugar in my shelf!
Thank you!
Hi! The topping of sugar is optional. I don’t think stevia will get you the same result.
These are amazing! I used all purpose flour for all the flour since it’s all I had on hand and subbed out the honey for brown sugar and added 1/2 cup chocolate chips (so the littles would eat them). They are perfectly moist and dense like a cake and rose beautifully. Hands down my new favourite muffin recipe! If you love coconut, these are a must!
Thank you for sharing you made it, Meghan!
So sad. Made them with my son and they were horribly dry. Waste of expensive ingredients
Love these! Made them GF by substituting 1 cup Bobs 1-1 Baking flour and 1/4 cup almond flour. Kept everything else the same, except sprinkled the top with organic coconut palm sugar, because I had it. The first non-chalky tasting gf muffin I have eaten in 2 years! I wonder if it’s the banana? They are light and fluffy and sweet!
Delighted to hear it! Thank you, Beret.
Hi , can I make these muffins with regular white flour only ?
Hi Saira, that should work ok.
Will the cooking time -+temperatures stay the same ?
Yes, both will stay constant!
They tasted great but didn’t rise much. I used 1c whole wheat flour and 1/4c white. Everything else was followed from the recipe.
Divine! I swapped the 1/2 cup whole wheat for oat flour, the flavors were awesome! They were like little sponge cakes, LOVE THEM! Will explore your other recipes. Thank you!
Really delicious and aromatic! Mine just came out of the oven. I needed something to do with the 3 black bananas on my counter. This was perfect. They aren’t as big and fluffy as your pumpkin muffins, but they are light, sweet, and perfect for springtime.
Great to hear this one was a winner for you, Sarah. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Kate. I just tried making this today, used all purpose flour only and substituted some of the honey for palm sugar syrup sauce. Was wondering why they didn’t rise much from the baking. They were also pretty dense and heavy texture-wise. Are they supposed to be this way or did I go wrong somewhere? Still absolutely delicious to eat, but how do I get them to be lighter and fluffier?
Hi Naomi! These muffins are a bit less fluffy than typical muffins, but in a decadent way that I love. I’m not familiar with palm sugar syrup, but that may be a factor. It’s also important to measure your flour properly so you don’t accidentally use too much, which can produce dense/heavy goods. I give the flour a stir, spoon it into the measuring cups, and level off the top with a knife. Hope that helps!
So excited to try these after falling in love with your healthy banana bread recipe! I only have sweetened sugar on hand, should I just omit or lessen the amount of honey used? I’m not sure if omitting honey will make them dry?
Hi Lyndsey! You do need the liquid sweetener for this to help with the moisture and for them to turn out.
*sweetened coconut (not sugar)
These are so good! Like, really good. I used all regular whole wheat flour and added some chocolate chips, otherwise I made them just as written. Next time I will change the ratios a bit to make 12 regular sized muffins (I only got 10) and probably decrease the coconut oil. But they’re delicious!
Thank you for sharing, Alyssa! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Hi Kate , i Have made these muffins numerous times and they always come out perfect.
However, I wanted to try Making them with oat flour .
Do you think they will come out fine if I only use oat flour ? Or do I need to add baking soda ?
Ps. I have tried them with 3/4 cup Whole wheat pastry flour and 1/2 cup oat flour . They come out fine just a tad bit flatter.
Hi Saira! I believe they should work just fine. See my post about oat flour on how to adjust. Let me know how it turns out for you!
These came out perfectly!
Hey! Can I use freshly grated coconut? Will that affect the moisture content and sweetness?
Hi! I love that you have fresh coconut available. I haven’t tried it, but like you pointed out, the moisture level may change things. I can’t say for certain without testing it. Sorry to not be of more help!
I made these muffins and doubled the recipe. I didn’t have coconut oil so I used vegetable oil instead. I also used brown sugar to sprinkle on top with the coconut. These are by far the best banana muffins I have ever made!!
I was a little bit skeptical given the smaller size, but these are delicious and plenty fluffy. I used all whole wheat flour, flax egg and maple syrup instead of honey.
Thank you for sharing, Eileen!
Delicious! I used chocolate chips instead of coconut flakes and baked for 19 minutes.
I’m hoping to use plain Greek yogurt instead of coconut oil, would that ruin the recipe?
Hi Jenna, you do need some type of oil for this. I know others have used applesauce as a replacement for oil in some recipes and it’s turned out well. Maybe try that instead?
I’m trying it today and subbing the coconut oil for Greek yogurt.Will let you know how it turns out!
This recipe looks wonderful! Looking forward to making it. I was wondering if you think it would work to sub the 1/2 cup of flour for oat flour? Just wanting to add a bit more fibre. Thank you.
Hi! I do know oat flour can be a substitute for most recipes like this, however it typically requires more. I don’t know about only doing a partial amount. Here is more on my oat flour!
Wonderful thank you!
Not sure but do you really want a 1 1/4c of flour and it can all be the same whole wheat? Want to make these but am unclear on why the two flour measurements with option on both for the same type?
Hi Stephanie! I think this recipe works best with two different flours. But, if you don’t have them you can use just the whole wheat. I hope that helps clarify it.
I made the recipe using all purpose flour and whole wheat flour. They are delicious!
Flavour is awesome!!!, luckily I kept an eye on these, as they were ready in 15 minutes, but every oven is different
Hi – I want to have them fresh tomorrow am. Do you know if prepping the mix and leaving it over night in the fridge, baking tomorrow, would work? Thanks!
Hi Silvia, I wouldn’t recommend leaving the mix in the refrigerator over night. However, you could store the wet and dry separately and try it that way. Although, I haven’t tried it. It may be an option.
Great Kate! I will give it a shot. Thanks for the quick response. I have done it normally before and they are delicious.
Beautiful. I used half and half coconut and rice bran oil and that was fine. Thrilled to use up some over ripe bananas in a new recipe and with the thread coconut. Thank you Kate.
After reading the comments and discovering my “missed” (forgetting to only add half of the coconut flakes), I decided to add about a tablespoon of applesauce. And of course a bit of chocolate chunks :)
Also I scooped the batter over 9 muffincups. They raised beautiful. They taste delicious !
Katie, thank you for your recipes. I have tried many recipes on your site. I also tried the GF banana bread, which is of course also delicious.
I’m glad it worked the second time! I appreciate your review, Shama.
I had 3.5 bananas so I used all of them on this recipe. I’m thinking the extra half must have been the reason the bake time was so skewed – it took 24.5 min for the muffins to be done. They are fine, but I don’t really care for the coconut texture, even though I love coconut. I hope it’s a win for others.
Hi! Sorry to disappoint, but changing on ingredient in baking will change your result.
I used wholemeal spelt flour and they are amazing! So light and fluffy. I will probably use a little less honey next time as they are very sweet but definitely will make them again and again!
Me and my family love the soft and wonderful texture of the whole wheat banana and coconut muffins… for sure I’ll make them many times for breakfast.
Thanks so much for the recipe.
I posted the photos on Instagram.
Wonderful! Thank you for your review, Rebecca.
I am sure these are even more delicious making them exactly as the recipe calls, but I used date paste instead of honey and omitted the sugar on top. So good!
Hi! I’m wondering if dessicated coconut would also work please? Trying to go through a big bag! Thank you :) love your recipes!
Hi! Shredded works best here, Rebecca. I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure if it will work. Let me know if you try it!
I don’t like gluten free flour and dont eat wheat flour, so can you use oat flour, almond flour, or rice flour instead of wheat?
Thanks for reply!
Hi! You can use oat flour. Check out How to Make Oat Flour post for more details.
Just made these and enjoyed them with coffee for an afternoon snack. So good! I had some adjustments, which still produced an amazing muffin: I halved the recipe because I only had one frozen banana in the freezer (which actually worked well, thawed and mashed with its juices; compensated with a little extra water to make the full 1/2 cup). I also used all whole-wheat flour, which worked out well for me because I had upped the liquid content. I also added a little more honey than called for just to use up the end of the bottle. So good, like all your recipes. Essentially fool proof!
Sounds delicious, Jenny!
I meant to add that I used a flax egg substitute instead of a real egg to make halving easier. Maybe the real egg would have produced a slightly fluffier muffin, but flax egg worked fine!
Really good! I have never made a bad recipe from your page!
I’m happy to hear that, Candida! Thank you for your review.
I love your recipes!! Just made these muffins and despite adding too much honey, they were amazing! Now I want to know if you have a rhubarb muffin recipe that I overlooked!
Made gluten free. Used 1/4 almond flour. 1cup 1:1 gluten free flour (bobs red mill). Added 2oz chopped almonds. Used 2oz sweetened coconut and put it call in the batter. Didn’t have honey. I had some syrup from canned sweet potatoes and reduced it to honey consistency. Seemed to work fine. 1/2 cup syrup reduced to 1/4 cup. Tooknabout 15’minutes and needs to be watched. Great taste and good texture.
Thank you for sharing how you were able to modify this recipe and how it worked or you! Thanks for sharing, Catherine.
I just made a batch of these and went the vegan route and did all whole wheat flour. They turned out delicious! I substituted maple syrup for honey and a flax egg for the regular egg. It took an extra 3 minutes in the oven to cook and they didn’t quite turn out brown on the top but they taste amazing and the texture is perfect.
I’m glad they turned out, Elise! Thank you for your review.
These are fantastic! Perfect kids lunchbox snack!
I’m happy you and your kids loved them, Nicole!
These sound delicious! Have you tried any other flowers to make them GF? Thank you!
Hi! They work well with a gluten free flour blend, like Bob’s Red Mill. Or, you could try oat flour and follow my How to Make Oat Flour post for amount.
Thank you so much!
I made these with GF flour and they came out pretty good. I think the coconut oil and honey really helped hydrate the batter. I chose to top them with a lime glaze and it’s delicious. I call BS on that yield though. I got 10 smallish muffins.
Hey. this is Shaswati and I love baking. I have tried to make muffins many times but have not succeed yet. But I love to try you recipe of muffins. I hope after following the recipe I will do it perfectly.
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Thanks for sharing this kind of recipes.☺
Excellent recipe. Contrary to others, my batch was not at all dry or too dense. Given my obsession with coconut, I added a splash of coconut extract as well. Might try these with chopped pecans or almonds next time. Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you loved them, Jennie!
Great recipe! I used “no egg” egg replacer, avocado oil and date syrup instead of honey. Worked really well!
Instead of making these into muffins can you make it in a bread pan like your healthy banana bread and healthy pumpkin bread?
Hi! I haven’t tried it. It would need more time. Let me know how it turns out if you do!
These were delicious! I used maple syrup instead of honey, but this was the only alteration. My 1.5 & 4 year olds also loved them. They’re perfectly sweet, moist, and fluffy. Thanks for another great recipe!
We made these without the honey, just sweetened with banana, and they were great! Not dry either. I did substitute a1/4 cup of the flour with quick oats and used half white flour, but otherwise didn’t make any changes. I think they cooked in about 16 minutes. Might want to keep an eye on them if your oven runs a bit hot like mine.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Made these today, flour amount sounded too low for 12 muffins, so made 9 instead and they turned out great. Same size as traditional approximately 2 cup flour recipes. Didn’t change oven temp, and time was within this recipe’s range. Tasted excellent.
Absolutely love these muffins! I have made many of your other muffin recipes time after time, but we wanted something a bit different for a special birthday brunch and although none of us are HUGE coconut enthusiasts, these came out AMAZING. Another one to keep in the weekend muffin rotation for sure.
I made these today using all regular whole wheat flour, maple syrup instead of honey and added some pecans. I love them and how dense they are. Thanks so much.