Kodiak Cakes Muffin recipe (without banana) is easy to make and perfect for breakfast or a snack. We love that these muffins are full of whole grains and protein.
I am a muffin lover. They are the perfect quick breakfast for busy mornings when you need a grab-and-go option. Muffins also make a great snack or even dessert.
Quick Guide: Kodiak Cakes Protein Muffins Without Banana
- Liquid Base: Use milk or water.
- The Banana Swap: Use 1 cup of applesauce instead of mashed banana.
- Sweetener: ¼ cup maple syrup or honey.
- Bake Time: 18–20 minutes at 350°F (175°C).
- Pro Tip: For extra protein and moisture without the fruit, use Greek yogurt as your 1-to-1 swap for the banana!
Jump to:
- Why We Love This Kodiak Cakes Muffin recipe (without banana)
- Are Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes Muffins Good For You?
- Ingredients
- Ingredient Notes, Swaps, and Variations
- How to Make Kodiak Cake Muffins
- Storage
- Can I Freeze Kodiak Cakes Muffins
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Muffin Recipes You’ll Love!
- Kodiak Cakes Muffins
Why We Love This Kodiak Cakes Muffin recipe (without banana)
- They are easy to make.
- These muffins are high in protein.
- They’re a great make ahead healthy breakfast option.
- There is a cool grizzly bear on the box. This is especially cool to me because I love bears! In fact, the decor in my bedroom is bears. Literally over a hundred bears are in there. Stuffed bears, glass bears, brass bears, porcelain bears, a blanket, wall decor, clocks, hat boxes, and even books.
Are Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes Muffins Good For You?
Yes, they can be a healthy snack or breakfast option because the pancake mix they are made with contains extra protein and less sugar than most brands. Weight Watchers official website even makes a muffin similar to this one using this exact pancake and waffle mix.
Everything in moderation is a good philosophy so if you only eat a muffin or two in one sitting then they can be part of a healthy diet.
We wanted to make a yummy protein muffin but I didn’t really want to use protein powder. I came across Kodiak Cakes muffins recipe and thought it would be a great way to accomplish this.
Kodiak Cakes Pancake mix is made with 100% whole grain wheat flour and 100% whole grain oat flour. Plus, one muffin has 6 grams of protein.
So I set out to find Kodiak mix at the grocery store and was pleasantly surprised to learn that both of the grocery stores I shop at carry a wide variety of the product.
The recipe on the Kodiak Cakes website calls for mashed banana. I didn’t think that finding Kodiak Cakes mix would be the the easy part, but it definitely was.
When I went to buy bananas they had zero ripe bananas. I mean none! They were some of the greenest bananas around. There was no way these would be ripe any day soon.
I heard you can ripen up a banana by putting it in the oven but I have never tried it. My assumption is that the banana you are starting with would at least need to be yellow. So it seemed if I was going to make my Kodiak muffins that day I would need to come up with something to use instead of banana. I decided applesauce would be a great alternative.
Next decision was do I use sweetened or unsweetened applesauce? Bananas are sweet, and over-ripe bananas are even sweeter so I went with sweetened applesauce. There is added sugar in the sweetened variety but I decided that was okay with me. I think I made the right choice because our yummy muffins had great taste. Just sweet enough without being too sweet.
Ingredients
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Ingredient Notes, Swaps, and Variations
To make these protein-packed muffins, you’ll start with a high-protein pancake mix and a few simple pantry staples. Here is everything you need to know about the ingredients and how to customize them:
- Kodiak Pancake Mix: We use Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk Power Cakes Mix. If you want to experiment, try their other varieties like Chocolate, Oat, Pumpkin, or Birthday Cake.
- Milk: Whole milk is our go-to for richness, but virtually any milk works. Feel free to swap in unsweetened almond, soy, cashew, or oat milk.
- Applesauce: This replaces mashed bananas. We use sweetened applesauce for extra flavor, but you can easily swap this for unsweetened applesauce if you prefer.
- Maple Syrup: Use pure maple syrup rather than pancake syrup. If you don’t have maple syrup on hand, honey is an excellent 1:1 swap.
- Egg: One large, room-temperature egg helps everything bind together perfectly. I have used a cold egg before and it’s fine.
- Baking Powder: While the mix contains leavening agents, we add a little extra to ensure these muffins turn out light and fluffy.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: We love semi-sweet mini chips, but you can get creative here! Use peanut butter, butterscotch, cinnamon, or dark chocolate chips instead.
How to Make Kodiak Cake Muffins
- Preheat oven to 350° and spray muffin tin liberally with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the pancake mix, cinnamon and baking powder in a medium bowl.
- Beat the egg slightly in a small bowl.
- Whisk the milk, beaten egg, maple syrup and applesauce in large bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix, muffin batter will be lumpy. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Divide batter between twelve muffin cups, they will be almost full. Top with reserved chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until the edges begin to brown and the top springs back when touched.
- Cool 4 – 5 minutes in the pan and then run a knife around the muffin to loosen the edges, move to a wire rack to cool.
Baking Tips & Methods
- Don’t Over-mix: Only stir the batter until the dry ingredients are just moistened; the muffin batter should be lumpy.
- Test for Doneness: Bake until the edges begin to brown and the top springs back when touched.
- Cupcake Liners: If you don’t want to use nonstick cooking spray, cupcake liners work perfectly and make cleanup even faster.
- Mini Muffins: You can make bite-sized muffins with this batter! Just use a mini-muffin tin and reduce the bake time to 8–10 minutes.
Storage
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Can I Freeze Kodiak Cakes Muffins
Yes! These freeze beautifully for up to 3 months—just wrap them individually for a quick grab-and-go breakfast or snack.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have applesauce, plain Greek yogurt or mashed pumpkin are great alternatives.
Yes. This recipe was tested with Kodiak Cakes, but other high-protein pancake mixes should also work. You may need a splash more milk if the batter seems too thick.
Mini chocolate chips work best, but you can also toss them with a teaspoon of dry pancake mix before folding them into the batter.
Love this recipe?
Leave a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below!
Kodiak Cakes Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk Power Cakes Waffle and Flapjack Mix
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 cup sweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray muffin pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the pancake mix, cinnamon and baking powder in a medium bowl.2 cups Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk Power Cakes Waffle and Flapjack Mix, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Beat the egg slightly in a small bowl. Whisk the milk, beaten egg, maple syrup, applesauce and vanilla in large mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix, muffin batter will be lumpy. Fold in ½ cup chocolate chips.1 cup milk, 1 egg, 1 cup sweetened applesauce, ¼ cup maple syrup , 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ cup + 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
- Divide batter between twelve muffin cups, they will be almost full. Top with 2 tablespoons chocolate chips, if desired. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until the edges begin to brown and the top springs back when touched.
- Cool 4 – 5 minutes in the pan and then move to a wire rack to cool. Run a knife between the muffin and muffin cup to loosen the muffin.
Delicious and moist!
Thank you!
These were so delicious! My kids love muffins, but I was looking for a somewhat healthier version than the packaged mixes and this is a great alternative.
I am so glad you like them, thanks for commenting and reviewing!