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
Your toddler won’t eat? Help is here!
Sign up for our email updates to get tips and ideas sent to your inbox.
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 made these and they taste so delicious. Only thing is that the muffins are really dense in the middle. What have I done wrong?
Maybe check that the baking soda is fresh?
Do you think I could use regular whole milk yogurt (instead of Greek) in these? It’s what I have on hand. Thanks!
Yes, I’d think so, though they may take a few more minutes to bake through so check and bake a little more if needed.
My daughter and I made these today. We made a double batch and added chocolate chips to one batch and blueberries to the other. They turned out great!
I made these and they were delicious. My kids love it.
Is this a thick or runny batter?
It’s fairly thin.
My son has egg allergy. What can I use instead of egg that acts as a binding agent.
You could use a store bought egg replacer like the one from Bob’s Red Mill or try a flax egg (the texture may be a little more like baked oatmeal)
Tried this super easy recipe this morning and it was a pure success! I forgot the milk 😂 but still very fluffy and yummy.
this is our new favourite banana muffin thanks
This recipe looks great! I have full fat plain Greek yogurt on hand, would that work okay in this recipe? If so, little man and I are making some muffins tomorrow 🥰 thanks for all you do, I have used many of your recipes and loved them all!
yes that should work well and enjoy!
These are so simple to make and my toddler loved them! I subbed almond milk because it’s what I had and made them in a silicone mini muffin pan baked for 16min. Made 48 mini cupcakes. Thanks for the great recipe!
Loved how these turned out ! Recipe is really easy and yummy. I used honey rather than maple syrup and also added walnuts! Will definitely make again. Thanks!!
These muffins are so good and so easy to put together! I had oat flour, so I decided to try it and I used 3 bananas Came out great. Yum!
Easy to make and tasty, toddler enjoyed them but I found they really stuck to the muffin liner which is a shame. Any tips?
I don’t use or recommend paper liners with my muffins since they don’t typically have enough fat not to stick. So that’s why they stuck. If you want to use them, parchment ones will work best or you’ll want to lightly spray paper ones with nonstick spray.
Would we sub maple syrup for white or brown sugar? If so, would it be the same amount? Thanks so much in advance!
I’d use the same amount and add 2 tbsp milk.
I have a very similar recipe I used back in the day, and they add a 1/4 cup of chia seeds as well! Just a thought if kids or grown ups need some extra protein.
Has anyone tried to make these with a flax egg? My daughter is allergic to dairy and egg so I’m wondering if that could work here! We may give it a try today and report back…