Healthy banana muffins made with old-fashioned rolled oats and whole wheat flour. Start your day with an easy, nutritious breakfast. This mix contains several healthier ingredient substitutions. Make these ahead of time and just grab and go!
Healthy banana muffins taste like a morning treat, but inside those tender cakes are nourishing ingredients with added benefits. This recipe combines intense banana flavor with the whole grain goodness of oats and whole wheat. Don’t throw away those speckled, overripe bananas that may be lingering on your kitchen counter. Transform them into a delicious portable breakfast to start your day!
Muffins are a type of quick bread that can be made rapidly with a short preparation time. Combining carefully selected wholesome ingredients with the proper leavening agents, a moist and tender baked product is achieved.
Flour Selection
A white whole wheat type of flour is a good substitute for all-purpose flour. It still provides a tender interior crumb with some added texture from the bran. The bananas already have a darker appearance, so adding whole wheat won’t change the color much. White whole wheat flour is made from a lighter and milder-flavored wheat.
Switching the Fat
Coconut oil is used instead of oil or butter. It’s melted so that it can be seamlessly incorporated into the muffin mix. The fat from the oil and eggs helps the muffins stay tender.
Leavening Agents
Whole wheat muffins can be denser than traditional recipes. The leavening power from whipped eggs and baking soda helps produce gases that get trapped when baked, creating beautiful domed muffin tops.
Natural Sweeteners
Honey and the natural fructose in the ripe bananas add just the right amount of sweetness to the muffins. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you don’t need as much in the recipe.
Nutritional Boost
Adding old-fashioned rolled oats and bananas to the recipe provides sources of soluble and insoluble fiber for digestive health benefits and satiation. Each muffin packs in 3 grams of dietary fiber per serving. Bananas also contain vitamins and minerals like potassium, folate, vitamin B6, and protein.
Beautiful domed muffin tops
If you remember from high school chemistry, when an acid and base combine, carbon dioxide gas bubbles form. When you mix your batter with the wheat proteins (glutenin and gliadin), gluten bonds form and help trap the gas bubbles in the protein matrix. The result is beautiful high-rise muffin tops. This same reaction occurs in my banana chocolate chip muffins as well.
For added texture, these healthy banana muffins have a light oat crumble topping. A simple mixture of oats, solid coconut oil, flour, light brown sugar, and cinnamon gives an upfront flavor burst. You could also just add a sprinkle of oats or chopped nuts to switch up the options with each batch.
Recipe Science
Don’t overmix the batter!
Have you ever wondered why cake mixes or recipes tell you not to overmix your batter? It’s for a good reason. Overmixing causes the proteins in the flour to strengthen and form tighter bonds, which you can tell immediately after your first bite. If you want a tender cake-like muffin, mix the dough until the dry ingredients are moistened, not until smooth!
More Banana Recipes
If you tried these Healthy Banana Muffins, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Healthy Banana Muffins with Oats
Ingredients
Banana Muffins
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas, about 3 bananas
- ¼ cup milk, dairy, unsweetened almond or cashew
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour, or whole wheat flour
- ⅓ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
Oat Crumble Topping
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour, or whole wheat flour
- ⅛ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats, ground
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, solid
Instructions
Banana Muffins
- Set the oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 325°F.
- Lightly grease muffin tins with baking spray or oil, or line the cups with paper liners.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the melted coconut oil and honey, 30 seconds.
- Add egg and beat for 30 seconds.
- Add mashed bananas, milk, baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, whisk for 20 seconds.
- Add in flour and oats, stir together with a spatula until just combined.
- Evenly divide the batter between muffin cups, at least two-thirds full. Set aside.
Oat Crumble Topping
- In a small bowl mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and oats.
- Add in solid coconut oil, mix with your fingers until the mixture looks like wet sand.
- Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the topping on each muffin. You will have some leftover topping.
- Bake muffins for 23 to 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean or the internal temperature of the muffin is 190°F.
- Transfer the muffin tin to a wire rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- If no paper liner was used, carefully use a knife to release the sides of the muffins from the tin.
- Gently use another sheet pan to invert the muffins onto the pan to remove the muffins.
- Serve muffins warm or at room temperature.
Equipment
Notes
- Store the muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Jen L says
Love these healthy muffins! I can’t have honey so I substituted maple syrup and they were very sweet. Next time I think I will use a little less and maybe add some wild blueberries. I love the fact you can’t taste the whole wheat flour, I used King Arthur White Whole Wheat. My hubby never realizes when I’m making him eat healthier, he just thinks they are the same old recipe. Thank You for a healthy recipe! Best Wishes!
Jessica Gavin says
Great job, Jen! You could definitely cut back on the maple syrup if needed. Love the addition of fresh blueberries to the muffins!
Ambear Bollman says
I just finished mixing these up for the second time this week! They’re a household favorite. I love the crumble topping. I like to leave some of the banana chunky so the muffins have pieces of gooey banana in them. . . . ! So good. Thank you! Also love the added info on the science behind how it all works together 🙂
Jessica Gavin says
The banana chunks in the muffins sound divine Ambear!
Carol Dehne says
These were delicious! I loved that the sweetness was achieved with coconut oil and honey, not sugar. I will definitely make these again.
Casey says
Hi Jessica!
I only have one ripe banana. What else should I add in to add sweetness?
Thanks!
Casey
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Laura- Do you happen to have applesauce or some other pulpy fruit, or dates?
Natasha says
Would this recipe work with regular white flour?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, all-purpose White four will work as well 🙂
Maria V Rangel says
I am glad that other flours can be substituted I mainly have all purpose flour. Thanks.
Harold says
Made with olive oil and gf all purpose baking flour (Bobs Red Mill) and these turned out really really good. So fluffy and not terribly dense. I did increase oats to 1/2 cup. Thanks this is definitely a keeper!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback Harold! I love that you made a gluten free version, did you use the 1:1 baking flour or just all-purpose GF from bob’s red mill? I’ll have to try your version!
Sarah says
These muffins are so good. I also love reading the science of how cooking or baking works, you learn so much more then just a recipe.
Thank you!
Judy says
These sound very good. I’m looking for higher quality treats to make my mom when we are with her for the month of July. I can always count on you.
Would it be okay to use almond or coconut flour?
I dropped my Instagram account but I am still with you on your site. : )
I’m cheering you on always,
Judy
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Judy! I haven’t tested the muffins with almond or coconut flour. I’m thinking it would be a little more dense, but worth a try! I miss you on IG but so happy that you still write to me on my website 🙂