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.
My daughter has egg allergy. What can I use in place of egg? Thank you
The best option for this recipe is to use a liquid egg replacer, or look at this recipe https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/so-good-sugar-free-banana-muffins/ which has a great egg-free option. This recipe here is harder to do egg free since the ingredient list is a little unusual for a muffin.
Thanks for the recipe.
Can I use frozen bananas?
Yes but it will be easier to blend if you thaw them first.
These are so good and easy! I used half cottage cheese and half milk because I didn’t have yogurt but wanted the protein and they are perfect! Whole family loves them and they freeze so well.
Would using baby oatmeal change the recipe? I have so much leftover!
I haven’t tested it that way so I can’t say for sure, but I think it would wind up too mushy. Maybe start by replacing 1/4 cup of the oats and see if that works okay?
I made these today and everyone including my toddlers loved them. I love making a lot of your recipes!
My family really liked these muffins but they turned out dense in the middle.
I made these today and thought to double the recipe to finish up my oat flour and yogurt. “Midway” I ran out of both ingredients and sub all purpose flour and whole milk respectively to compensate for them. They turned out really moist and fluffy at the same time! Half of the batch was already gone in two hours!
Thank you for this recipe.
I had one banana so I reduced all the ingredients by half (yielded 6 muffins). I thought these were bland vs other muffin recipes that I’ve made from this site. But my son LOVED them, he ate 3!
Easy to make and my 2.5 year old loves them! I eat them too in the mornings when I’m running late or need a little add on with my regular breakfast. I pretty much make these or the chocolate muffins once a week for easy morning breakfast option to go with fruit or eggs.
Hello! I made these and they came out great! However my batter was reeeeallly watery so I added an extra handful of oats but it still came out pretty watery. Is that normal? I used 1.5 large bananas and 3/4 cup of milk (recipe says 6oz which I believe is equivalent to 3/4 cup). Thank you!
You probably needed more bananas. I added 4 bananas which equaled to 300g
Can I use quick oats for this or would the recipe be ruined?
That works fine, enjoy!
I made these the other day. Delicious! My boys loved them. I’m going to make them again for my niece and great-nephew but without eggs. Can I substitute yogurt or applesauce for eggs?
Thanks!
I wouldn’t add yogurt or applesauce in place of the eggs since there is already so much moisture from the banana. You could try a chia or flax egg, but the texture may turn out more like baked oatmeal.
Mine look just like your pictures! Super yummy and wholesome. My 4 year old loved helping make them too!
This has become a staple in my household over the last few weeks. My 2 year old is obsessed. Could you use flax or chia eggs in place of the eggs to make them vegan?
Why when you double or triple this recipe does the NUMBER of BANANAS remain the same (2 medium very ripe), although the Number of Grams / Cups changes?
Because it’s the way the calculator works—it doesn’t have the technological capability to change the words or amounts in the parenthesis. I understand that is frustrating, though I hope seeing that the amount of bananas changed is useful.