Healthy Maple Banana Oat Muffins

Made with pantry staples and a few healthy ingredient swaps, these Maple Banana Oat Muffins are an easy, high protein alternative to banana bread. Great for a grab-and-go breakfast!

An Easy Grab and Go Breakfast

Muffins have become one of my go-to breakfasts for busy mornings. They’re one of the easiest, mess-free things to grab on a morning where I’m trying to get out the door in minutes or just don’t feel like cooking.

Many traditional muffin recipes are full of processed sugar, flour and other not-so-great ingredients but fortunately, I’ve discovered a few swaps that not only give you the BEST muffins but also make them healthier.

These Maple Banana Oat Muffins, for example, are sweetened with maple syrup and we’re skipping processed flour completely by blending the oats into a flour-like texture. This also has the bonus of adding more protein to the muffins, making them an even more filling breakfast!

In the end, you end up with fluffy, moist banana oat muffins that make a wholesome breakfast. These remind me an upgraded banana cake – a bit healthier and much more portable.

Enjoy these straight from the oven or pop them in the freezer for a breakfast in a pinch whenever you need it!

What You’ll Need

These healthy banana oat muffins are made with pantry staples, with a few swaps to keep them light and moist!

• Bananas – Ripe bananas with spots work best.
• Egg – For vegan banana oat muffins, substitute a flax egg.
• Maple syrup – Provides the maple flavor and is used as a sweetener in place of sugar.
• Coconut oil – A healthy, flavorless oil option to use instead of canola or vegetable oil.
• Vanilla extract – Just a splash.
• Cinnamon – Warming spice flavor
• Nutmeg – Adds to the warm cinnamon flavor.
• Oats – Oats are blended and used as a flour replacement.
• Baking soda – Helps keep the muffins light and fluffy.
• Salt – Just a pinch.

How to Make Banana Oat Muffins

These maple banana oat muffins come together in just a few simple steps! All you need is about 30 minutes and you’ll be biting into a warm, freshly baked muffin.

1. Preheat oven. Preheat your oven for 350°F.
2. Blend oats. Pulse oats in a blender or food processor until they have a flour consistency.
3. Combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add maple syrup, egg, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Combine with a fork.
4. Add in dry ingredients. Add ground oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda to the wet mixture. Mix with a spatula until all ingredients are combined.
5. Prepare and fill the muffin tin. Line each muffin tin with a cupcake liner or cooking spray. Fill each tin 3/4 full.
6. Bake and enjoy. Bake for 16-19 minutes. Enjoy warm.

Tips for Success

Though these banana oat muffins are super simple to make, there are a few things to keep in mind for the best, fluffiest muffins. I’ve included a few suggestions for customizing them too!

• Don’t overmix the batter. Fold in the ingredients until well combined but avoid over-mixing as you will lose the light, fluffy texture in the muffins.
• No need for granulated sugar. One of my baking hacks is to use maple syrup, honey or agave as a replacement for granulated sugar. The maple syrup in these maple banana oat muffins not only gives a hint of maple flavor but helps keep them moist too.
• Add in chocolate chips or nuts. If you like a little something extra in your muffins, you’re free to add in your favorite chocolate chips or nuts. Walnuts are a great addition!
• Be careful with oil substitutions. I’ve found coconut oil to work best in these, as it’s light and leaves no aftertaste. Olive oil will leave a taste while vegetable and canola oils are highly processed and we want to keep these as healthy as possible.

Serving Suggestions

Hands down, the BEST way to enjoy maple banana oat muffins is warm from the oven!

Sometimes I’ll eat them plain, sometimes I’ll add a tiny drizzle of more maple syrup or honey, or even just a bit of butter or ghee.

If you want a little something extra to keep you full throughout the morning, peanut butter and almond butter also make great additions!

Whenever you enjoy one of these muffins, just pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds first.

How to Store Leftovers

To keep your muffins soft, be sure to keep them in a container or ziploc bag as soon as they cool. Leaving them out on the counter will cause them to harden.

If you’ll be enjoying them within 2-3 days, leaving them on the counter in a airtight container is perfect. Otherwise, I like to pop them in the freezer to grab-and-go whenever I need.

Can I Freeze Banana Oat Muffins?

One of the reasons healthy muffins are a go-to breakfast of mine is that they freeze well, so I literally always have some in the freezer.

Allow the muffins to cool completely. Then place on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze for 30 minutes.

Transfer to an airtight container and return to the freezer. They’ll last for up to 3 months.

Defrost them individually in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.

More Healthy Muffin Recipes:

• Easy Banana Muffins
• Moist & Healthy Zucchini Muffins
• Skinny Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
• Lemon Raspberry Protein Muffins
• Healthy Blueberry Muffins

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