These Blueberry Banana Muffins are a total treat, especially because they are so easy to make, and they taste like they came from a bakery. The two fruits in the muffins add natural sweetness and a base of oatmeal adds extra goodness—all in about 30 minutes!
I love to make this healthy muffin recipe on weekends to store and serve for quick breakfasts and snacks throughout the week. These muffins store extremely well in the fridge and are great served chilled or slightly warmed up. The flavor is bursting with natural sweetness from the fruit and they are full of nutritious ingredients including oats and eggs.
This muffin recipe for kids comes together really easily in a food processor, which quickly turns the whole ingredients into a nutrient-packed batter. And then you can serve them as a toddler breakfast, cold lunch idea with some fruit or yogurt, or as a healthy toddler snack.
I like making muffins with a dose of whole grains for both long-lasting energy and a bit of fiber. With this recipe, I was originally thinking of something that I could bring to a friend who was about to have a baby. (Oats are recommended as a good food to help with milk production.)
Plus, these Blueberry Banana Muffins are a great alternative to regular oatmeal if your kids aren’t big fans. It has similar nutrition and is easy to make ahead and store in the fridge until breakfast time. You can also make these muffins without dairy and nuts, which is nice for families with dietary restrictions or needing dairy-free recipes for kids.
(You may also like my traditional Oatmeal Muffins, Banana Oatmeal Muffins, and Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins.)
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need
Here’s what you need to have on hand to make these Blueberry Banana Muffins so you know what to get ready.
- Rolled oats: These are sometimes called “old-fashioned” oats at the store and they add whole grains, fiber, and B vitamins to the healthy blueberry muffin recipe.
- Shredded unsweetened coconut: This adds flavor and moisture. (If you don’t love coconut or don’t have it, you can simply use more oats instead.)
- Ground flaxseed: This is sometimes called “flaxseed meal,” and it helps the batter hold together nicely.
- Salt: A little salt helps to bring out the other flavors in baked goods.
- Eggs: The eggs in this recipe help the batter hold together nicely, make the muffins more filling, and add beneficial fats. I use large eggs in baking.
- Ripe bananas: The riper the bananas, the better the flavor will be in these muffins.
- Coconut oil: You’ll want to melt this before you add it in so it blends in seamlessly. You can also use another neutral oil or melted butter.
- Honey or maple syrup: You can use either here. To make this for a baby under age 1, skip the honey and use maple syrup instead—or omit it all together.
- Fresh or frozen blueberries: Either work here, so use what you have.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make this blueberry banana muffin recipe so you know what to expect from the process. Scroll down to the end of the post for the full information. (You don’t even need a mixing bowl!)
- Place all the dry and wet ingredients—except the blueberries—into the bowl of a food processor.
- Grind until the batter is smooth and uniform.
- Remove the blade of the food processor and stir in the blueberries. Divide batter among a greased muffin tin and bake.
- Let cool slightly in the tins, then remove muffins and serve warm or store in an airtight container to serve on future days.
TIP: Let the banana blueberry muffins cool slightly in the tins, then remove and serve warm or store in an airtight container to serve on future days.
Dairy-Free Blueberry Banana Muffins
These muffins are totally moist without requiring dairy. Hopefully this allows more kiddos to enjoy them, and it means you can make these even when you are short on milk. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
TIP: There’s also an egg-free variation at the end of the recipe in the Notes.
Fresh and frozen blueberries work similarly in this muffin recipe, so you can use either according to what you have on hand.
If you have blueberries that sink in a muffin, you can toss in flour to coat before adding into the batter. (I haven’t had that happen with this recipe, but if you’re worried, you can do that extra step.)
Yes, you can omit the honey or maple syrup and simply rely on the banana for sweetness. That is a great option. Just be sure to use very ripe bananas for the best flavor.
You sure can! We’ve done them with fresh and frozen raspberries and they work really well. I think diced strawberries would be great, too, or really any berry that you have and want to bake with.
How to Store
Once the muffins have cooled on a wire rack, store Blueberry Banana Muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and serve chilled or slightly warmed. Freeze cooled muffins in a zip-top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 3 months.
Best Tips for Success
- These taste like baked oatmeal crossed with a muffin.
- Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for the best flavor and sweetness.
- Use honey or maple syrup as you prefer. (Avoid honey for babies under age 1.)
- Make them as standard size or mini muffins.
- To make them without coconut, substitute additional oats.
- To make them without coconut oil, use canola oil or butter, melted and slightly cooled.
- I prefer to bake muffins in a nonstick pan coated with nonstick spray instead of paper muffin liners, which may stick to the muffins.
- Serve with Greek yogurt, a Yogurt Drink, scrambled eggs, or milk, if desired.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback if you’d tried this recipe so please comment below to share!
Blueberry Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups sliced bananas (about 2 medium/large bananas; use very ripe bananas)
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled (or canola oil or melted butter)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and coat muffin pan well with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Place the oats, coconut, and flaxseed into the food processor and process for about 30 seconds or until the oats resemble a coarse flour.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except the blueberries and process to combine well.
- Remove the blade and stir in the blueberries.
- Spoon into the prepared muffin cups just to the brim.
- Bake for 28-30 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let cool in the pan.
- Run a paring knife around the edges of the muffins and gently remove from the pan.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- Store in the fridge for up to 5 days and serve chilled or slightly warmed. Freeze cooled muffins in a zip-top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 3 months.
- To make these without the shredded coconut, simply omit and add ½ cup more oats.
- Nut-free: Use canola oil or butter instead of the coconut oil, and use additional oats instead of the coconut.
- Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- Egg-free: Omit the coconut. Soak the flaxseed in ¼ cup water for 5 minutes. Add ½ cup milk (dairy or nondairy) to the batter. Bake as directed.
- As mini muffins: Use a mini muffin tin and bake for about 18 minutes.
- Without a food processor: Use oat flour and mash the banana well before mixing everything together in a bowl.
Nutrition
This post was first published April 2016.
i always like how crisp and clear your instruction are keeping in mind all the substitutions. Love cooking and baking with you.
I’m so glad and I appreciate you letting me know that!
Love these healthy muffins! They’re delish! I don’t have muffin pan so baked in a glass pie plate. Also didn’t have flaxseed so I substituted some sesame seeds and whole wheat flour. And I really like whole old fashioned oats so I decided to try without processing into oat flour…and the results were phenomenal! I love that there’s so much flexibility, and every time we’ve tried different variations of this recipe, it’s always a hit with everyone! Thank you.
I’m so glad to hear that and thank you for sharing!
Thank you! We were measuring mashed rather than sliced.
Although these muffins were delicious the two times my mom and I made them two bananas only yields about one cup. Should we use enough bananas to get two cups, or just use two bananas. Thank you!
It should be 2 cups sliced bananas. I updated the instructions to make that more clear. I’m glad they turned out regardless!
I have made this recipe 3x and every time they are raw in the middle after cooking the recommended amount of time, they come out clean with a toothpick but when I cut into them after cooking they aren’t cooked. What am I doing wrong?
Are you making any changes to the ingredients? Are you using a regular muffin tin (as opposed to silicone)? I’m sorry you’re having trouble!
I plan to make these today! Can I use a silicone muffin pan? Thanks!
If you have a regular nonstick muffin pan, I would recommend using that. Silicone doesn’t always bake the same, so if that’s your only option, you may need to add a few minutes onto the baking time.
Just made these (with my 3 year old!) for baby brother’s birthday. SO delicious! Instead of flaxseed I used chia seeds. I will be making these again! They were easy and called for simple ingredients…thank you! Thank you for sharing the recipes!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Just made these blueberry banana muffins (in mini form) – they turned out so well! Your mini applesauce muffins have become a staple around here but it’s nice to try something new, too. My little guy and I think they’re delicious. Thanks!
Thank goodness! A sensible recipe with pantry staple ingredients that turns out perfectly every time! I always come to your site for “reasonable “ recipes. Thank you for creating so many wonderful ones like this one for us!
Hi! I made these Sunday night and my kids love them. I just saw that they are supposed to be stored in the fridge. Should I toss them if I had them stored in a container on the counter?
I’m so glad they liked them, and no, you don’t need to toss them! I’d put them in the fridge now or into the freezer just to keep the ones left fresher though.
Thanks for replying. I just saw that you did include that in your notes.
Would like to try these as mini muffins. Any idea of how much to reduce cook time? Thanks
You could try 18-22 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a cake tester or toothpick into the center. It should come out pretty clean.
I’ve made these a few times now and I feel like they’re actually better baked as mini muffins instead of the regular sized ones. Maybe because It’s so fun to eat them with one bite or it’s just so great eating the whole mini muffin and getting the surge of flavors in my mouth? Everybody and I mean even the pickiest of kids that I know-even one that doesn’t like bananas, (which kid doesn’t like bananas?) love these!! I’ve made the gluten free one too and my gluten free friend can’t believe they’re gluten free! He said he’s never had gluten free baked goods like these muffins before! These muffins are quick and easy to make, which is good because they get eaten just as fast! I once didn’t have flax on hand and so I substituted Chia seeds and they came out ridiculously delicious. Additionally, I baked the mini muffins for only 15 minutes and they came out so moist and perfect. I also omitted the coconut flakes and just increased the oats and it was terrific! Absolute gem of a recipe, thanks!
DELICIOUS! So far my 18 month old wasn’t a fan of muffins, but this recipe seems to have won her over. Following modifications were made, and they turned out PERFECT:
Substituted ground flax seeds for 2 tablespoons chia seeds
Added 2 tablespoons of honey instead (which is half of what the recipé calls for).
Next time I will double the batch and freeze them.
I’m so glad to hear this and thank you for sharing your substitutions!
I followed your instructions to make the eggless mini muffins, they’re so good! I only used 2 1/2 tablespoons of maple syrup with fresh blueberries. Hope the little man will like it. *fingers crossed*
Thank you for this recipe! My 2 year old pretty much refuses all food, but for some reason devours these! I make a batch every other day.
I tried the recipe but the muffin didn’t puff up very much and the inside seems to be still uncooked while outside is already too crunchy. Any idea why? I didn’t have food processor so i use hand blending instead. Batter texture wasn’t as smooth.
It’s possible that the batter not being as well incorporated doing it by hand would make the baking time inaccurate.