Healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins are made with whole grains, rolled oats, Greek yogurt, natural sweetener, and deliciously sweet bananas. They’re soft, moist and perfect for snacking on the go!
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You won’t believe how scrumptious these healthy banana oatmeal muffins are. They’re made with sweet ripe bananas, Greek yogurt, rolled oats, and whole wheat flour keeping them nice and fluffy!
Although naturally sweetened, you could add some chocolate chips for a delicious treat, it’s almost like chocolate banana chia pudding. Yum!
Keep a stash of these delicious and healthy oatmeal muffins on your counter or the freezer for easy access to protein filled healthy breakfast ideas any day of the week! Also, on rotation is this easy carrot cake baked oatmeal!
If you are a banana lover like me, you will love these other healthy banana snacks recipes!
There is so much to love about these healthy banana oatmeal muffins! Easy to make in one bowl, plus the combination of whole grain ingredients deliver fiber, potassium, protein, and healthy fats to keep you full longer.
While whole wheat or spelt flour is often the grain of choice in many of my healthy muffin recipes, if you need a gluten sensitive muffin make these healthy oatmeal muffins or try naturally gluten free almond flour banana muffins.
Bananas play such an important role in many baked goods for flavor and texture. Use any leftover bananas for these healthy banana muffins, banana protein muffins, or healthy zucchini banana bread.
Ingredients for Healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Bananas: The riper the better. You know the ones with the brown spots!
- Egg: Used for binding and it also adds moisture. Egg free, try these using a chia egg or flax egg instead.
- Greek yogurt: Use at least 2% fat for moist muffins, but 0% works if that is all you have. Regular yogurt (not Greek) works as well. I use plain but no rule says you can’t try other flavors. If you are out of yogurt, sweetened or unsweetened applesauce can be substituted.
- Sweetener: Maple syrup or honey. Both deliver amazing taste, sweetness and because they are liquid won’t throw off the dry to liquid ratio.
- Oil: Avocado or coconut oil. Both have different tastes. I find the taste of the avocado oil less noticeable.
- Dry ingredients: Cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, whole wheat flour, rolled oats.
- Cooking spray: I use Misto.
Rolled oats vs. quick oats in muffins. Quick oats are meant to absorb liquid faster than rolled oats which means they are thinner and softer. When used in muffins they are much finer and less noticeable once the muffins are done.
Banana Oatmeal Muffin Mix-In’s
- Chocolate chips: Chocolate and bananas are a perfect match, just like in banana zucchini muffins. Dark chocolate, semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or even white chocolate chips would be great!
- Blueberries: Fresh or frozen, you may also like these healthy blueberry banana muffins.
- Raisins: Along with any other dried fruit such as cranberries, currants, and chopped dates.
- Nuts: Add even more good fats and protein to these healthy banana oat muffins and add in chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
How to Make Healthy Banana Oat Muffins
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place your parchment paper liners in the muffin pan and be sure to spray each liner. Set it aside.
- Mash bananas: Grab a large bowl and toss your bananas in there. Using a fork (or any type of masher you’ve got standing by) get to mashing.
TIP: The riper the banana the softer and easier they are to mash. You can mash completely until puréed or leave a few lumps in there. It’s up to you.
- Add everything except flour and oats: To the mashed bananas, add in the egg, yogurt, maple syrup, oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk everything to combine.
- Gently stir in the flour and oats: Be sure not to overmix. Let it sit for a few minutes so that the flour can be absorbed by the surrounding liquids. This is so you don’t have the flour taste when chunks of unabsorbed flour are left behind.
- Fill muffin tin: Use an ice cream scoop to fill each muffin tin to about 3/4 full. If you’d like you can add a few extra flakes on top of each one. No real reason other than it looks cute!
- Now it’s time to bake: Place the tray on the middle rack and bake your healthy banana oatmeal muffins until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Make mini muffins! These make the best toddler snacks! Using a mini muffin tin, bake for 15 minutes. Do the toothpick check and go from there. Would like a banana bread or oat bar? Check out my healthy banana bread with applesauce or banana oatmeal bars.
Best Tips for Success
- Sweet bananas. A bruised banana is an awesome banana! We want them brown, sweet, and delicious!
- To make banana ripen faster: Place a few ripened bananas or apples with unripened ones in a brown bag. Close tightly and wait 1-2 days. The ethylene gases from the ripened fruit will speed up the ripening. Or bake on a baking sheet at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Let them cool, remove black skin and mash.
- Do not overmix the batter. Just blend! When you mix vigorously, gluten will over activate leaving your muffins rubbery and tough.
- Other sweeteners. If you’re going to use a different sweetener just make sure it’s liquid.
Our favorite way to enjoy these healthy banana muffins with oats is to slather them with nut butter! My kids also love them with a warm bowl of Instant Pot applesauce or for a heartier breakfast I serve with overnight oats or chia pudding.
FAQs
You could but then you’d just be making my healthy oatmeal muffins which use oat flour. Make my coconut flour banana bread or almond flour banana bread for other gluten free flour options.
Sure. Substitute with liquid agave or a liquid form of monk fruit extract or erythritol. Whatever you do keep it liquid to maintain the balance of dry and liquid ingredients.
Banana oatmeal muffins can be made dairy free if you swap the Greek yogurt for a dairy free yogurt, the end result might be slightly different both in flavor and texture.
Soft, fluffy, and moist. Everything a good muffin should be!
Storage Tips
To store: You can keep these at room temperature in a cool dry area. Make sure to keep them covered to lock in moisture. Transfer them to the fridge for another 3 days after that.
To freeze: These healthy oatmeal muffins freeze well which is great for double batches! Place them in a freezer-friendly Ziploc bag and keep them frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter and reheat if you’d like.
More Healthy Muffins to Try
Healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe with brown spots bananas 1 1/2 cups mashed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt 2%+ fat
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
- 3 tbsp olive, avocado or coconut oil (melted)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole wheat or spelt flour
- 1 cup rolled or quick oats +more for topping
- Cooking spray I use Misto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, line 12 muffin tin with parchment paper liners and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add bananas and mash with a fork. Add the egg, yogurt, maple syrup, oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk to well combine.
- Add flour and oats, gently stir until well incorporated but do not overmix. Let batter sit for a few minutes to absorb the flour.
- Using an ice cream scoop, fill each opening of a muffin tin 3/4 full and add a few extra flakes of oats and cinnamon on top (optional). Bake on a middle rack for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let muffins cool for about 5 minutes and enjoy!
Store: Covered in a cool dry place for 2 days. Then refrigerate in an airtight container for another 3 days.
Freeze: Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw just remove muffins from the freezer and let defrost for a few hours or overnight on a counter.
Notes
- Bananas: Choose very ripe bananas that are yellow with many brown spots to brown patches. Bruised bananas are even better. Scary looking brown bananas are awesome.
- Flour. Do not use all purpose flour or coconut flour. White whole wheat flour or wheat pastry flour may work. If you would like to use almond flour, check out my almond flour banana muffins.
- Liquid sweetener: Not dry sweetener like sugar please. You have to keep dry to wet ingredients ratio.
- Yogurt: You can use 0% yogurt, however muffins will be less moist. Regular (not Greek) yogurt will work as well, so will sweetened or unsweetened applesauce.
- Egg free: Try learning how to make a flax egg or chia egg.
I just finished and realized I used all-purpose flour and then saw your note about it. Will they turn out ok???
They might! Let us know!
Please share how they turned out…I just saw the notes as well and now I’m scared….
Although it has not been tested, all purpose should be okay, you may need to use a tiny bit more as whole wheat flour is more dense.
I’m never disappointed with this recipe. How do I modify the recipe when using a tin for 6 large muffins.
Recipe will take longer to cook as the muffins will be larger. Since the recipe has not been tested as such, I would set the timer for 30 minutes, but start checking at 25 and they may take up to 35-40 minutes to be done.
I’ve been looking for healthy options that my husband likes. These were a hit. Thank you.
So glad they were a hit!
What can I supplement that’s gluten-free but not whole wheat?
Please see FAQs in the post for ideas.
A new favorite for sure, took the suggestion to add chocolate chips and the family loves them!
So glad you love them!