Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins
A healthy snack the whole family will love. Banana cottage cheese muffins are super nutritious and surprisingly delicious. You’ll also love my cottage cheese chocolate muffins, cottage cheese banana bread, and cottage cheese protein shake.

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If you want a sweet and satisfying snack that’s loaded with nutrition, this recipe for banana cottage cheese muffins is for you.
As a Registered Dietitian, I made this recipe with two goals in mind: make sure they’re absolutely packed with nutrition, and make sure they actually taste great. And we definitely accomplished both.
Scroll down to learn what makes these so nutritious, and some expert tips to make sure your muffins are a success.
Why you’ll love cottage cheese banana muffins
- Packed with nutrition from whole foods ingredients
- Less than 10-minutes to prep the batter and get your muffins baking
- Egg-free in case you or your family has an allergy
- Sweet and unbelievably satisfying, especially for such a healthy recipe
- Lower added sugar than many other banana muffin recipes
What makes them so healthy?
As a dietitian, I design my recipes to maximize nutrition without sacrificing taste.
Here are the healthy highlights for this recipe:
- Extra protein and calcium from cottage cheese
- Dietary fiber from whole wheat flour, oats, and ground flaxseeds
- Minimal added sugars (especially compared to other recipes)
- Important micronutrients from several whole foods ingredients
- Satisfying, so you’ll crave the not-so-nourishing stuff less

What are the benefits of adding cottage cheese?
Cottage cheese is a high protein, extremely nutrient-rich food.
I love to use it in healthy baking because it adds moisture, and a nice sweet-and-salty balance. It also has a mild and versatile flavor.
Nutritionally, cottage cheese is low in calories but high in protein. This means it’s a great way to give baked goods a protein boost and support better blood sugar balance. It also contains important vitamins and minerals like vitamin B12, phosphorous, and calcium.
Ingredients in cottage cheese banana muffins
- Whole wheat flour — look for “whole wheat all purpose”
- Quick oats — not instant oats
- Ground flaxseed — this is by far the best brand!
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- Overly ripe banana
- Cottage cheese — I recommend 2% for best results
- Brown sugar
- Milk — I use 2% dairy milk
- Light olive oil
- Vanilla extract

How to make banana cottage cheese muffins
Position oven rack to the middle and pre-heat to 350 F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners and set aside.
To a medium bowl, add flour, oats, flaxseed, baking powder, salt, and nuts. Whisk until combined and set aside.


To a large bowl, add mashed banana, cottage cheese, brown sugar, olive oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until mostly smooth.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix until just combined. Don’t stir too much or your muffins may be tough.

Scoop muffin batter into lined pan, filling each cup all the way up. Use a cookie scoop at this step to make things easier.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown and set, and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out mostly clean, with a few moist crumbs.

Let muffins cool in the pan for 5-minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack. Let them cool to room temperature before eating. Enjoy!
Need more protein?
Pair your banana cottage cheese muffins with a protein shake, Greek yogurt, or peanut butter.
Storage and re-heating
Fridge: I recommend storing your muffins in the fridge since they contain a substantial amount of dairy. Re-heat for 10-20 seconds in the microwave before eating, if desired. They’ll stay good for up to 5 days.
Freezer: You can freeze your banana cottage cheese muffins! Keep them stored in a freezer-safe bag or food container. Defrost in the fridge overnight, or on the counter for 1-2 hours. If desired, microwave for 10-20 seconds before serving. Muffins will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Important tips
- Wait for extra ripe bananas. The more ripe your bananas, the sweeter your muffins will be. Wait until your bananas are extra ripe, brown, and very spotty.
- Don’t over-pack your flour. Use the spoon-and-level method to make sure you don’t measure too much flour. This can make your muffins dry.
- Don’t over-mix your batter. Over-mixing your batter can make your muffins tough and dry. Mix until just combined.
More healthy snack ideas
Honey bran muffins
Black bean brownie muffins
Healthy apple carrot muffins
Gluten-free pumpkin bread
Chocolate chip protein muffins
Banana peanut butter oat bars
Chocolate cottage cheese muffins
Apple cinnamon oat muffins
Salted honey nut granola

Shop this post
- Muffin pan
- Paper muffin liners
- Silicone muffin liners
- Mixing bowls
- Spatula
- Wooden spoon
- Large cooke scoop
Did you try this recipe?
Leave your rating and review below! And don’t forget to post a picture to Instagram, and tag me @real.life.nutritionist.

Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup quick oats
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
- 1 ½ cups mashed overly ripe bananas, about 4 medium bananas
- 1 cup cottage cheese, I use 2%
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup milk, I use 2% cow's milk
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Position oven rack to the middle and pre-heat to 350 F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners and set aside.
- To a medium bowl, add flour, oats, flaxseed, baking powder, salt, and nuts. Whisk until combined and set aside.
- To a large bowl, add mashed banana, cottage cheese, brown sugar, olive oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until mostly smooth.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix until just combined. Don't stir too much or your muffins may be tough.
- Scoop muffin batter into lined pan, filling each cup all the way up. Use a cookie scoop at this step to make things easier.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown and set, and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out mostly clean, with a few moist crumbs.
- Let muffins cool in the pan for 5-minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack. Let them cool to room temperature before eating. Enjoy!
Hello
Can I use almond flour in this recipe
Hi Jen! Thank you for your question. I have not tested these with almond flour, so I’m not sure if that’s an appropriate swap for this particular recipe. If you try it, please let me know!
Why not leave the nutritional values if they are so good for you?
Hi Barbara, thank you for your comment! We were having an issue with the plug-in that allows us to calculate and show nutritional information. My apologies. Nutrition information is now live and available at the bottom of the recipe card! 🙂