Mix up a batch of these easy-to-make Sugar-Free Banana Muffins to share with your baby or toddler come breakfast or snack time. You don’t need any special ingredients and they are super moist and flavorful. (P.S. There’s a vegan option too!)
Sugar-Free Banana Muffins
When we’re feeding babies or toddlers (or ourselves) and looking to minimize added sugars, it can be hard to find homemade snacks and breakfasts for kids that still taste great. So I did my best to ensure that these muffins are delicious in their own right and just happen to have zero added sugars. I’ve made these a handful of times now and both of my girls enjoy them (aged 3 and 7), as well as the baby. And I do too!
Ingredients in Sugar-Free Banana Muffins
To make these healthy banana muffins you’ll need:
- mashed banana
- egg
- coconut oil
- milk
- pure vanilla extract
- whole wheat flour
- rolled oats
- cinnamon
- baking soda
- baking powder
TIP: You’ll want to be sure to use very ripe bananas with a lot of brown spots to ensure that the muffins are flavorful and naturally sweet.
How to Make Sugar-Free Banana Muffins Step-by-Step
Here’s a look at the process involved in making this recipe. (See the full recipe at the bottom of the post for the specifics.)
- Mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher until smooth.
- Add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir together.
- Divide among a mini muffin pan and bake!
Dairy-Free Banana Muffins
To make these muffins dairy-free, use nondairy plain unsweetened milk.
Egg-Free Banana Muffins
To make these egg-free, you’ll simply omit the egg and add additional oil. So easy and delicious!
Gluten-Free Banana Muffins
To make these muffins gluten-free, use gluten-free flour blend. I like the one from King Arthur best.
Will my older kids like these too?
I like to make these with half topped with mini chocolate chips and half plain to make them delicious for all ages. My girls love them with a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips (and I do too!) though you don’t have to do that—they’re impressively sweet on their own (though clearly not as sweet as a traditional banana muffin with added sugar.)
Baby Muffins with Bananas
Babies and toddlers under two are advised not to have added sugars and while that recommendation isn’t always possible to follow, these muffins are a great option for little ones. The textures is moist, so if you break them up into little pieces, babies eating finger foods can eat them too.
TIP: If your baby seems to have a hard time moving bready textures in their mouths, try topping each bite with a little applesauce or plain yogurt. And offer sips of water too.
Tips for Making the Best Sugar-Free Banana Muffins
- Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for the best flavor and sweetness.
- Gluten-free: Swap in gluten-free flour blend for the whole wheat to make them gluten-free.
- Egg-free: Omit the egg and use ½ cup total coconut oil.
- Use melted butter or canola oil instead of coconut oil if needed.
- Be sure to stir your batter together thoroughly. If you can see the oil, you need to stir it more. It should be uniformly mixed.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 24 hours or in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To serve from the fridge, warm for 5-10 seconds in the microwave to soften slightly.
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you try it, so please comment below to share!
Sugar-Free Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed very ripe banana
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil (slightly cooled)
- 1 cup milk (dairy or nondairy)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degree F and grease a 24 cup mini muffin pan.
- Place all ingredients into a medium bowl. Stir well but gently. Be sure to stir your batter together thoroughly. If you can see the oil streaking through the batter, you need to stir it more. It should be uniformly mixed and look like one consistent color.
- Divide batter among the prepared muffin pan.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
- Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
Baby enjoyed them! How long will they last on counter / in fridge / in freezer?
I’m so glad! Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 24 hours or in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’ve just made these and they are so addicting and delicious. These are the best banana sugarfree muffins I’ve ever made, and they taste nutritious with the whole wheat flour. When adding the coconut oil, my cold wet ingredients caused it to solidify since it was microwaved…. but then I just microwaved all the wet mix together to liquify the oil again before adding the dry ingredients. Worked out great! I’m going to make these ALL THE TIME!
I never leave comments on recipes but just wanted to say thank you for this one!! My 11 month old loves them and so does my vegan self- win win!! I added chopped walnuts on top of half for me 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that and thank you for commenting!
Hi amy, are the rolled oats necessary or can I leave them out?
I haven’t made this recipe without them, so if you have them use them!
Oh boy. I don’t bake often so this could be on me.
I melted the coconut oil per the recipe with a few seconds in the microwave. Then I dumped all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. When I started stirring, I realized the cold milk solidified the coconut oil into huge solid chunks.
We called it an oops and threw it into the oven anyway, where it currently smells great. We’ll see what happens!
I hope they turned out okay!
Unfortunately this recipe didn’t work for me. It looked like too much coconut oil?? Also had a strange flavour which was a shame.
I’m sorry to hear that. Did you change anything about the recipe?
Can I use regular quick oats?
I haven’t tried them but I wold think so!
Oh my goodness! These are AMAZING! I used a GF flour blend, 3 bananas was perfect, and i did butter instead of coconut oil. I also added in a few things to try some different flavors. Frozen blueberries. Chocolate chips (these were for me). Shredded coconut. (Not all together, each add in was on its own). These came out incredible. I’ve made sugar free banana bread before and was shocked how great this was. I would never have guessed this didn’t have added sugar. And my bananas were not super brown either. They were just starting to spot. 10 stars! From me and the kiddo (15 months)
Hooray! And I love the additions you made!
i just tried them out and smell amazing but have a super strange unpleasant taste. what do you think the problem could be?
Did you change anything in the recipe? I’m honestly not sure since I’ve never had that issue.
I could not print this receipe fto make again later. I am waiting for them to come out of the oven. They smell so delicious.
Is it possible to make this recipe without oil or butter? Or could I substitute applesauce instead?
I haven’t tried it that way but let me know if you do! (You could make it easier and just use extra mashed banana I’d think.)
What do you think about using olive oil?
I haven’t tried it, but I think if you do you’d want one with a mild flavor. Let me know if you give it a shot!
I just love these! Amy you do such a great job, keep up the great work! I’ve tried the “REALLY” healthy muffins with no sugar / no flour but my toddlers won’t go for them…they go for these, though 🙂
Can I substitute applesauce for bananas? Our bananas are currently green, but we have a big tub of applesauce in the fridge!
I haven’t tried applesauce so I can’t say for sure, but it usually works the same as mashed bananas in baked goods.
I don’t have coconut oil? Is this essential or can I substitute for another type of oil?
Melted butter or a neetral oil like canola should work!
Can you use regular all purpose flour?
You sure can!