With just a handful of nutritious ingredients, you can bake up super easy Banana-Oatmeal Muffins to share with the kids. Bonus: These store so well in the fridge for days!
Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Almost every week, I make a batch of healthy muffins to have on hand for easy breakfasts, snacks, and lunches. I love that they can sit in the fridge and still taste great a few days later—and that they’re packed with enough nutrition that they’re a good quick meal option. My kids (like many, I’m sure!) enjoy muffins, but just putting a few chocolate chips on top transforms them into something they’re SUPER excited to eat.
To make these muffins we blend up whole grain oats with Greek yogurt or milk, eggs, bananas, and a few pantry staples. You pour the batter from the blender right into the muffin pan so the method is seriously doable…even if you have only one free hand!
The combination delivers protein, fiber, and potassium—as well as some of the fats toddlers need to grow—in an easy to eat format.
We like to eat these muffins cold right out of the fridge, but you can also serve them slightly warm. You can dice them up as needed for younger kids.
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Ingredients You Need
To make this banana-oatmeal muffin recipe you’ll need the following ingredients on hand. Most of them are pantry staples, so you might have some already.
- Rolled oats: I use oats here since they blend into a flour and add fiber and complex carbohydrates to make a satisfying muffin.
- Super ripe bananas: These muffins will have the best flavor if you use ripe bananas with some brown spots, as the brown spots indicate natural sweetness.
- Plain Greek yogurt (or milk): You can use either option and have similar results. The muffins will have slightly more protein with Greek yogurt.
- Eggs: Eggs add structure to the banana muffins and help the batter hold together nicely.
- Maple syrup: You can add maple syrup or honey to sweeten these muffins. To make without added sugars, omit this and add 2 tablespoons milk to make up the liquid amount.
- Vanilla extract: A little vanilla adds nice flavor to these oatmeal muffins.
- Cinnamon: This pairs so nicely with the flavor of the ripe bananas.
- Baking soda: This is key to the muffins baking through and rising, so be sure yours is fresh.
TIP: You can use either Greek yogurt or milk in these muffins. Yogurt will make for slightly flatter muffins, but they will taste the same.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process of how to make these banana muffins. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information.
- Place the oats into a food processor or blender to make a coarse flour. Add the rest of the ingredients except the chocolate chips, if using.
- Blend until very smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender if needed.
- Divide among muffin cups and top with chocolate chips if using.
- Bake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
TIP: Use bananas with a lot of brown spots for the best natural sweetness and flavor. You know, those ones that have been sitting on the counter ignored all week and need to be used up!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can try using honey if you prefer.
You can make these in a food processor if you prefer. Or to make them by hand, you’ll need to start with store-bought oat flour, mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher until super smooth, and stir everything together in a bowl. I prefer the texture of these when made in a blender or food processor—it’s smoother and more uniform.
I love making flourless muffins with homemade oat flour because they are so easy and have the added benefits of fiber and complex carbohydrates. Just choose gluten-free oats if needed. The oats, which get ground in the food processor or blender, bake up with the banana to create very moist and tender muffins —which are delicious and also easy for toddlers to eat.
These muffins can store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Or in the freezer in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
Mini Banana Muffins
To make these as mini muffins, grease a mini muffin tin and pour the batter about ¾ of the way full in each muffin cup. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Follow the rest of the instructions in the recipe below.
How to Store
These muffins can store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Or, freeze the muffins in the freezer in a zip-top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
Best Tips for Success
- For mini muffins, bake for 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean.
- Dairy-free: Use plain nondairy milk.
- For the best flavor and natural sweetness, use very ripe bananas with a lot of brown spots.
- To make these without a blender, use store-bought oat flour, mash the banana very smooth, and mix together in a mixing bowl.
- You can use either Greek yogurt or milk in these muffins. Yogurt will make for slightly flatter muffins, but they will taste the same.
- Add a few chocolate chips to the tops of each muffin if desired.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you try it so please comment below!
Banana Oatmeal Muffins (SO Good!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 cups sliced bananas (about 2 medium, very ripe)
- 6 ounces milk (or plain whole-milk Greek yogurt)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease 10 cups of a standard-size muffin tin.
- Place the oats into a food processor or blender. Grind for about 30 seconds or until they resemble a coarse flour.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except the chocolate chips, if using.
- Blend until very smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender if needed.
- Divide among 10 muffin cups. You want each cup to be about ¾ full. Top with chocolate chips if using.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until firm to the touch and lightly golden brown around the edges. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack (or just tilt a bit in the pan to let air flow underneath) to cool.
- Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Video
Notes
- These muffins can store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days or in the freezer in a zip-top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
- Mini muffins: Use a mini muffin pan bake for 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean.
- Dairy-free: Use nondairy milk.
- To make without a blender: Use store-bought oat flour instead of rolled oats, mash the banana very smooth, and mix together in a mixing bowl.
- You can use either Greek yogurt or milk in these muffins. Yogurt will make for slightly flatter muffins, but they will taste the same.
- Add a few chocolate chips to the tops of each muffin if desired.
- Serve cold or slightly warmed. Dice up for younger eaters as needed.
Nutrition
This post was originally posted on July 19, 2019.
Amazing recipe!! Turned out perfect
Will make again!?
Hooray!
Hi
Can I put fresh blueberries inside?
Sure, about 1 cup would be good
Could I make these without grinding up the oats?
I don’t know that they would hold together well without doing that since the ground up oats act like flour.
These turned out great!!! I used Lacanto sugar free maple syrup and Kite Hill vanilla unsweetened almond milk greek yogurt. I did blueberries and topped with some unsweetened coconut flakes! Yummmm! Definitely making again!!
I’m so glad!
I just tried this recipe and it came out Ah!-mazing ?
Thank you for posting this.
I’m so glad to hear that!
Hi! Would these work as bread? I’ll be traveling and think bread would be easier to take than muffins
I haven’t tried them that way but I do have an easy Banana Bread recipe if you prefer to try that. https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/kid-friendly-banana-cake-recipe/
Hello! Are the measurements American? How much is a cup? Thankyou! 🙂
They are in US measurements and I don’t have conversions but you could try using an online converter. Apologies!
Thankyou! I tried them last night anyway, using about 90-100g of oats for each cup of oats, threw in some blueberries, they were amazing! 🙂
I don’t normally rate recipes but felt compelled to with this one! The recipe is super easy, I used a food processor. Just two steps, process oats and then add other ingredients. So simple. I added a half teaspoon of almond butter on top of some of mine and swirled it around – was good. Also added a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil. Worked out brilliantly, well risen (even with yoghurt) and delicious. My toddler loved them as did we. Thank you!
I am so glad and thank you for the comment!
Hello, I’m wanting to make these tonight without a trip to the grocery store — would Old Fashioned oats work as opposed to rolled oats?
yes, they’re the same thing!
These are super easy to make and delicious
What can I substitute with if I don’t have maple syrup?
honey would work too
Could you substitute apple sauce instead of the maple syrup or honey?
I haven’t tried it without so I can’t say for sure, but it might be possible to simply use additional banana
My 13 month son loves these. I’m a baking newbie so the shape and color do not look like yours though. Somehow, muffin top gets too browned and bit flattened.
My 3 year old son loves these muffins! And I did too. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Hi there,
I’m going to make these for my 9 month old to try – she needs to try egg in baked goods to determine her egg allergy. She has a confirmed milk allergy and I was wondering if I can use oat milk or almond milk instead? I also don’t want to use any sweetener – would I have to increase or decrease any other ingredients to eliminate the maple syrup?
Yes, you can use any milk you want in this. I haven’t made them without the maple syrup, but I think they’d work fine if you omit it and use 8 ounces milk (so just a slight increase). I hope the allergy test goes as well as possible!
These were such a hit with my 17 month old that he started taking them off the counter by himself!
Yay!
I made this for my family and everyone loved them! I even made a double batch and they are almost gone. I made plain, topped with chocolate chips, and even topped some with blueberries I had in the fridge! Thanks for this great recipe.
I’m so glad to hear that!!