Banana Oat Muffins

These small batch banana oat muffins are a mashup of two breakfast favorites: oatmeal and banana bread. They’re subtly sweet, filled with hearty oats, and made with just one banana!

Closeup of a banana oat muffin surrounded by walnuts.

The best thing about baking with bananas is that you can make so many different things with them. Like a batch of cookies, baked oatmeal, or a mini loaf of banana bread.

Today we’ve got another fun recipe to add to that list: Banana Oat Muffins! The recipe is small batch (it makes only 6 muffins), uses basic ingredients, and is easy to customize with a variety of mixins.

The baked muffins are not too sweet with a texture that’s both tender and hearty thanks to the soaked oats. Paired with our muffin tin frittatas they make for a delicious and filling start to the day.

Recipe ingredients arranged on a table and labeled.

Ingredient Notes

  • Banana: One large very ripe banana with a peel that’s spotted all over and feels tender when pressed.
  • Egg White: Save the yolk for another recipe (I recommend these chocolate cookies!)
  • Sugar: Granulated sugar or brown sugar. For the best flavor and texture, I like to use a combination of both.
  • Low-Fat Buttermilk: Plain Kefir or yogurt thinned with milk will also work.
  • Oats: Old-Fashioned rolled oats have a heartier texture, for a lighter fluffy crumb use quick-cooking oats.

How to Make Banana Oatmeal Muffins

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Then set aside.

2. Next, mash the banana in a medium bowl. Stir in the buttermilk, egg white, sugars, and oil. Add the oats, stir again, and leave the mixture to sit for 10 minutes. Soaking the oats softens them resulting in muffins that bake up taller and more tender.

Mashing banana, oats soaking in bowl, toasted nuts on pan, mixed batter, baked muffins in a muffin tin.

3. Preheat the oven (or toaster oven) to 375°F and grease a muffin tin. To toast the walnuts, spread them on a small pan and pop them in the oven while it’s heating up. In about 4 or 5 minutes they should be warm and toasty. Remove the pan and set them aside.

4. Mix the batter. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour bowl, mixing just until everything is incorporated. Then fold in the nuts, if using. Try to not overmix the batter, you want it to look kind of lumpy – not smooth.

5. Bake and enjoy. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, our muffins usually take about 17 minutes.

Sliced and buttered muffin on a blue plate.

Freezing and Reheating Leftovers

The baked and cooled muffins will keep well in a covered container for 1 to 2 days. We love to reheat muffins in the toaster oven, they get crispy outside and are perfectly warm and toasty inside.

To freeze leftovers, add them to a freezer-safe bag or storage container and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, let the muffins sit at room temperature for about 25 minutes or microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.

What else can you add to banana oatmeal muffins?

You can try other nuts like chopped pecans or macadamia nuts. Candied ginger or dried fruits like raisins or dried cranberries would be fun. And of course, chocolate always goes well with bananas. In the summer I love to make this recipe using diced fresh strawberries and mini chocolate chips.

Strawberry banana oat muffins with chocolate chips on a baking rack.

More Tasty Small-Batch Baking Recipes

Closeup of baked banana oatmeal muffins on a plate.

Banana Oat Muffins

Yield: 6 Muffins
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Total Time: 37 minutes

The type of oats used will affect the muffin’s texture. For super fluffy muffins use quick oats, for heartier muffins use old-fashioned rolled oats.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup (90 grams) All-Purpose Flour or White Whole Wheat Flour
  • ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon Table Salt
  • 1 Large Ripe Banana (125 to 130 grams peeled), at least ½ cup mashed
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 grams) Low-Fat Buttermilk, (*See Substitutions Below)
  • 1 Large Egg White (25 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) Neutral-Flavored Oil (like canola oil) or Melted Butter
  • 2 tablespoons (24 grams) Granulated Sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (24 grams) Brown Sugar
  • ½ cup (50 grams) Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats or Quick Oats
  • ¼ cup (30 grams) Raw Walnut Pieces (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, add the banana and mash well. Stir in the buttermilk, egg white, sugars, and oil. Mix in the oats and leave the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
  3. While the oats soak, preheat the oven to 375°F. If using a toaster oven, adjust the rack to the center or bottom position and select the BAKE setting. Grease a 6-cavity muffin tin with oil or butter.
  4. To toast the nuts, spread them onto a small sheet pan and add to the oven for about 5 minutes while it's heating up. Once the nuts are warmed and lightly golden, remove the pan and set aside to cool.
  5. To make the muffins, add the oat-buttermilk mixture to the flour bowl and stir just until combined. Then fold in the nuts. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin.
  6. Bake until the tops spring back when pressed and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  7. Cool the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Notes

Sugar Options: The muffins can be made using all granulated sugar or all brown sugar. For muffins that are tender and sweet with a slightly crunchy crust, we like to use 2 tablespoons of each one.

Buttermilk Substitutes:

  • Use an equal amount of plain Kefir.
  • Yogurt thinned with milk. A mixture of 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt whisked with 3 tablespoons of milk worked well for us.

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Option: Omit nuts, mix in 3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips and ¼ cup chopped strawberries.

Recipe adapted from the Banana Oat Muffins in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 Muffin
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 219Total Fat: 8.9gSaturated Fat: 0.8gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 178mgCarbohydrates: 31.2gFiber: 2.2gSugar: 11.4gProtein: 5.2g

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