Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Muffins for breakfast? Why not! These banana oatmeal muffins are soft, fluffy, and naturally sweet. You can have a whole batch ready in 35 minutes and enjoy them all week.
If you like oatmeal and banana bread, this recipe is practically a lovechild of the two. Made with simple pantry staples, these banana oatmeal muffins make a delicious breakfast or a sweet treat.
It’s also an excellent way to use up ripe bananas and stop them from going in the trash (or compost). If you’re conscious of food waste, you’ll love PlantYou Scrappy Cooking, a cookbook where every recipe is low-waste.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These banana oatmeal muffins are wholesome and satisfying. There is no rule that stops you from eating muffins every day, especially these ones!
- Great news for all of my gluten-free friends! This recipe is naturally gluten-free, and you can even make your own oat flour to avoid cross contamination.
- Your kids (and nieces and nephews) will love these! These muffins are also pretty easy to make, in case your kids want to get involved.
- It’s hard to believe, but ripe bananas and maple syrup create enough sweetness while keeping this recipe whole food friendly.
- If you like to meal prep, bake a batch and enjoy these banana oatmeal muffins all week! Suitable for breakfast, an afternoon pick-me-up, or an easy snack.
Key Ingredients
- Bananas – the riper, the better! Not only do they provide sweetness and moisture, they also help to bind the batter.
- Oat flour is an allergen-friendly flour that makes these muffins hearty but still light. You can easily make your own with a food processor and rolled oats.
- Ground flaxseed mixed with water acts as a “flax egg”, a vegan egg substitute in baking.
- Chocolate chips is the final piece of the puzzle that brings joy.
Hack It!
- Swap the maple syrup for agave, date syrup, or another liquid sweetener.
- Add nuts, seeds, or dried fruit in place of chocolate chips. Or, you know, as well as chocolate chips.
- Any plant milk works for this recipe. If you have an allergy, pick one that is safe for you.
- If you don’t have any ground flaxseed, chia seeds can also serve as the binding element in these banana oatmeal muffins.
How to Make Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine flaxseed with water and set aside to thicken.
Step 2: In a casserole dish or bowl, mash the bananas.
Step 3: To the mixing bowl with bananas, add the plant-based milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup and flax “egg”. Stir everything together.
Step 4: Now, in a blender or food processor, blend the oats until you have a fine flour. If you’re using store-bough oat flour, skip this step. Mix in the baking powder.
Top tip: you can blend the baking powder with the oats.
Step 5: Into the bowl with the wet ingredients, add the flour and baking powder. Gently stir until you have a thick muffin batter.
Step 6: Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
Step 7: Scoop the batter into the muffin tray, aiming to distribute it as evenly as possible. This recipe is enough to make approximately 12 muffins, depending on the tray size.
Step 8: Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Test with a toothpick – if it comes out clean, your muffins are ready!
Frequently Asked Questions
Keep them in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 5 days.
Yes! Make sure that your muffins fully cool down, then freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Just thaw naturally or microwave for 30-40 seconds until soft.
In terms of the recipe, there is no difference. However, oats are typically cheaper to buy and more accessible. It’s also a great option if you don’t use oat flour often and don’t want to buy a whole bag for one recipe.
This recipe is naturally gluten-free, which is why I love using oats and oat flour. However, oats are often processed in the same factories as wheat and other grains containing gluten. If you have a serious allergy or an immune response, make sure to buy certified gluten-free oats or oat flour.
More Easy Plant-Based Desserts
- Air Fryer Sweet Rice Paper Dumplings
- Persimmon Pudding
- Homemade Vegan Magnum Ice Cream
- Banana Donut Holes
- Vegan Peach Cobbler
If you love to cook (or need some inspiration) head over to Substack to join our Plant Cooking Club! Every Thursday, a new delicious vegan meal plan drops in your inbox, not to mention an incredible community and exclusive updates from my kitchen.
The Recipe: Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Ingredients
- 2½ cups oats, or 2 cups oat flour
- 3 ripe bananas, large, mashed
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed, mixed with 5 tbsp of water
- ¾ cup plant-based milk
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips, vegan
Equipment
- mixing bowl or casserole dish
- Blender or Food Processor if making your own oat flour
- Potato masher or fork, to mash the bananas
- Muffin tray
- Muffin paper liners or cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- First, prepare the flax egg by combining the ground flax with water. Set aside to thicken.
- In a casserole dish or bowl, mash the bananas. Add the plant-based milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup and flax “egg”. Stir until combined.
- Now, in a blender, add the oats. Blend until a fine flour is formed. Skip this step if using store-bought oat flour.
- Into the bowl with the wet ingredients, add the flour and baking powder, and gently stir until a thick batter is formed. Fold in the mini chocolate chips until smooth.
- Transfer to a muffin tray, and bake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. This will make approximately 12 muffins.
Notes
- Swap the maple syrup for agave, date syrup, or another liquid sweetener.
- Add nuts, seeds, or dried fruit in place of chocolate chips. Or, you know, as well as chocolate chips.
- Any plant milk works for this recipe. If you have an allergy, pick one that is safe for you.
- If you don’t have any ground flaxseed, chia seeds can also serve as the binding element in these banana oatmeal muffins.