Healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins
These Healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins are the perfect solution for using up ripe bananas, offering a genuinely wholesome and satisfying breakfast or snack. Packed with whole grain oats and natural banana sweetness, they are wonderfully moist, easy to pack, and great for meal prepping. This simple recipe requires minimal equipment and is highly customizable with various mix-ins.
Equipment
- muffin tin
- Whisk
- Large bowl
- medium-sized bowl
- Small bowl
- Wire rack
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat for extra fiber)
- ½ cup sugar (coconut sugar or brown sugar also work well)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- A pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg, preferably at room temperature
- ¼ cup neutral oil (like canola, vegetable, or melted coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (this is usually 3 to 4 medium bananas)
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (for topping)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (for topping)
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar (for topping)
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter (for topping)
Instructions
Instructions
- Prep Your Oven and Pan: First things first, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by lining it with paper liners or giving it a good spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mixing these well now ensures everything is evenly distributed later.
- Combine the Wet Ingredients: In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg until it's a bit frothy. Then, stir in the oil and vanilla extract.
- Bring It Together (Gently!): Pour the wet mixture into the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until they are *just* combined. The batter will look very thick and dry at this point—don't worry, that's normal. Now, add the mashed bananas and gently fold them in. Be careful not to overmix the batter! Overmixing develops gluten and will lead to tough, dense muffins instead of light and fluffy ones. Stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour.
- Prepare the Topping: In a small bowl, stir together the ½ cup of oats, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, brown sugar, and melted butter until the oats are evenly coated.
- Fill and Top the Muffins: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. They will be quite full. Sprinkle the oat topping generously over each one.
- Bake to Perfection: Place the muffin tin in your preheated oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. You'll know they're ready when a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool Down: Let the muffins cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents them from getting soggy bottoms.
Notes
Overripe bananas are key for sweetness and moisture. For extra moisture and a subtle tang, an optional tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream can be added. Do not overmix the batter to ensure light and fluffy muffins. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. Customizable with chocolate chips, nuts, blueberries, or shredded coconut.