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 for kids 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.
They are an easy breakfast recipe for kids that also works as a toddler snack or even a Cold Lunch Idea for Kids.
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. (My Protein Banana Muffins are great for that, too.)
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.
Table of Contents
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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 oatmeal 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 Banana Oatmeal Muffins 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.
(You can also try my Banana Yogurt Muffins and my Sugar-Free Banana Muffins.)
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.
- Try a pumpkin version in my Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins.
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.
I make these muffins every 1-2 weeks and wanted to thank you since I use the recipe so often. These muffins one of the few things my toddler will eat. The only change I make is that I omit the maple syrup and usually plop in other fruits, like frozen blueberries or whatever else we have on hand. Again, Thanks!
Could you use steel cut oats instead of rolled oats?
If you had a really strong blender that could grind them up, maybe. I haven’t tried it though so I am not 100% sure it will work the same way
I made this for my 11month baby and the whole family loved it!
I skipped the maple syrup, but I forgot to add the additional 2 tbsp milk that you mentioned in the comments. Just to let people know: it works wonderfully! Texture, flavour, everything. I used very ripped banana.
I also frozen and used throughout the week.
Thanks!!
Loved it and easy to prepare! Thank you from Nairobi Kenya
I started the recipe and realized I didn’t have any eggs on hand, but found a substitute suggestion to use 1/4c of seltzer water as replacement for 1 egg. Was a little skeptical about how liquid-y it would be but I blended everything (except the seltzer) as directed then added 1/2c seltzer last minute before doing one last pulse to get it mixed in… It turned out surprisingly well in the mini muffin pan!
how many cups oat flour if I use that instead of grinding oats?
Just a little less than 2 cups
The batter was very runny and filled 12 muffin cups and then some! However they were quite tasty! Ill try again and see… How much banana is vague.. I use frozen over ripe ones and its very liquidy… any suggestions for how much mashed banana?
It would be about a cup mashed banana. I would drain off any liquid that comes off of your bananas when you thaw them!
Hi dear! Is there anything that can be used in 0lace of eggs? Thanks
I would try a store bought egg replacer in this one like the kind from Bobs Red Mill
Just made these… Love them! Great way to use over ripe bananas… This is the first rolled oats-banana recipe that actually turned out as expected… And the bonus… They are So Good!!!
I’m so glad to hear it!
Could you use thawed frozen bananas?
Sure, I don’t see why not. Just drain off any liquid if there’s a lot that comes off when they thaw.
Would it be ok to just omit the maple syrup (we don’t do sugar or sweeteners) or should it be replaced with another wet ingredient – maybe more yoghurt?
Thanks!
If you omit it, I would add an additional 2 tbsp milk. Should work similarly!
These turned out great! This is one of the few ways I can get my daughter to eat bananas! Thanks for the recipe!
My kids loved them! 😍 thanks 🙏🏽
Could I omit the maple syrup? Or use honey instead? Thank you!
You can use honey!
Could you plz tell how many tbsps of greek yogurt plz?
According to an online converting tool, 6 fluid ounces is 12 tablespoons.
My kids loved them! 😍 thanks 🙏🏽
Would these be ok for a younger baby minus maple syrup? Mine is 8.5months, and really itching for finger foods over spoons. He does eat eggs & we’ve loved your egg & banana pancakes.
Yes, they should be if you dice them up small!