Healthy Banana Muffins are the perfect way to up any ripe bananas you have sitting on the counter. They bake up light and fluffy, so you’d never know they are made with healthier ingredients!
Inspired by my favorite Healthy Banana Bread, this banana muffin recipe has the perfect amount of banana flavor. Serve one with a glass of almond milk, for the perfect after-school snack or an easy breakfast on the go.
Need a vegan recipe? Be sure to check out my Vegan Pumpkin Muffins, which are also made with oat flour. You can swap the pumpkin puree for mashed bananas, instead!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Be sure to use bananas with lots of brown spots on their skin, for the best results. The riper the bananas are, the sweeter the muffins will turn out.
If you only have frozen bananas on hand, you can use those, too! Just make sure to thaw the bananas first, and include the liquid that releases from them as they thaw.
While oats are naturally gluten-free, make sure you use certified gluten-free oat flour to avoid any cross-contamination during processing. Using olive oil keeps these muffins more tender than if you were to use coconut oil or butter, but you can’t taste it at all. Feel free to use any other vegetable oil you like.
If you’re not a fan of cinnamon, swap it for a teaspoon of vanilla extract instead. I like to sprinkle chopped walnuts on top for added crunch and nutrients, but you can add any other toppings you love.
How to Make Healthy Banana Muffins
1. Mix.
Peel the ripe bananas and add them to a large bowl. Mash the bananas with a fork until they are relatively smooth, then add in the oat flour, coconut sugar, eggs, olive oil, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Stir well, until the batter looks relatively uniform. (Since this recipe is gluten-free, there’s no need to mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately. You can’t over-work it!)
2. Bake.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare a muffin tin by lining it with paper liners (or silicone liners), for easy removal later. Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Sprinkle on any extra toppings you like, such as chocolate chips or chopped nuts, like pecans or walnuts.
Add-ins are optional. You can also fold these into the batter for crunch throughout the muffin.
Bake until the muffins rise in the center, about 22 to 24 minutes. You can also test the middles with a toothpick, to make sure it comes out clean.
3. Enjoy!
Let the muffins cool in the muffin pan for at least 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy one slightly warm with a pat of butter on top, or try spreading it with some peanut butter, for a snack with extra protein.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze muffins! Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months, tightly sealed. Let them come to room temperature for the best flavor before serving again.
Recipe Variations & Frequently Asked Questions
If you would rather use whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour, I would start with slightly less than this recipe calls for, since those two options are more dense. I’d probably start with just 1 cup and see how they turn out.
Using a liquid sweetener, like honey or maple syrup, will cause the muffins not to rise as much, so they will have a more dense texture. I don’t recommend this, but if you must, use just half the amount of sweetener this recipe calls for because liquid sweeteners are more concentrated.
Eggs are key to the structure of these muffins, so flax eggs won’t give you a similar result. I’d recommend starting with one of my vegan muffin recipes, like carrot cake muffins, so you have a little more guidance.
If you don’t have baking powder on hand, you can use 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda instead. In that case, I recommend also adding 1 teaspoon of vinegar to the recipe, to make sure no baking soda flavor remains in the final baked muffins.
Typically, you can swap the oil in a recipe for applesauce or Greek yogurt, with slightly different results. (Oat flour is slightly gummier in the middle when you skip the oil.)
Looking for more healthy muffin recipes? Try Flourless Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, Almond Flour Muffins, Banana Oatmeal Muffins, Spinach Muffins (made in a blender!), or Apple Spice Paleo Muffins for more ideas.
Healthy Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed banana (2 medium ripe bananas)
- 1 1/4 cups oat flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners. In a large bowl, combine the mashed banana, oat flour, eggs, coconut sugar, olive oil, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Mix well, until the batter looks relatively smooth.
- Use a 1/4 cup measure to pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Top each muffin with a few chopped walnuts, if desired. (Or omit for a nut-free recipe.) Bake the muffins at 350ºF for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins feel firm in the center.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes, then they are ready to serve. You can store leftover muffins at room temperature for up to 2 days, or they will last longer in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 1 week. You can also freeze leftover muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
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Notes
Nutrition
If you try this healthy banana muffin recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like them!
This recipe is everyTHING. So delicious, moist, and sweet without being too sweet. I was craving a sweet treat from Starbucks, so I knew I had to find and bake a healthier version to kick the sugar cravings. The recipe was easy to follow and scrumptious!
The whole family loved this recipe! This will be my go-to-recipe when I have brown bananas in the house 🙂
Amazing!!! I love all of your recipes, I have a sweet tooth and I’m so excited to try healthy and delicious recipes, like yours! ♥️
Thank you so much!
These are the best healthy banana muffins! The texture is perfect. This is going to replace my old banana bread recipe, because I like the portions and flavor better!
Delicious muffins with a great texture. I added 1/2 cup of dairy/-free dark chocolate chips instead of walnuts for a school safe option for my daughter. Will definitely make again!
Delicious recipe. Made for the first time last weekend. Very good and not too sweet. I added more walnuts in the batter along with on top. Very filing too. Easy to make and I will definitely be making again.
I can’t wait to try this. Is there a substitute for the coconut sugar? Thank you ☺️
Is there a substitute for the coconut sugar? Thank you.
Any other granulated sugar (like white or brown sugar) should work similarly, but I’m not sure how you would swap it for a liquid sweetener yet. The ratios would definitely change quite a bit if you used something like maple syrup or honey, and the texture might turn out gummy in the middle with that sort of substitution.
I was out of coconut sugar today (oops!), so I used 1/2 cup of date sugar instead. The muffins turned out great! No other changes necessary.
Excellent muffins. I used raw cane sugar as that’s what I had. My husband took a bite and really liked them.
These look delicious, but is there an egg-free vegan version?Would it work as well with a flax replacement?
Absolutely delicious! Great flavor and texture. The only question is: how many will I eat before my husband and children see them?
I used the approved baking powder substitute of 3/4 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp vinegar. Muffins rose beautifully.
I made these the other day, and everyone gobbled them up so quickly that I made a second batch the next day! These are seriously some of the best healthy/gluten-free banana muffins I’ve ever had!
Delicious! I love the cinnamon and banana together – great way to use up leftover bananas.
Brilliant recipe. Lovely texture and taste deeeelicious. Thanks for the metric option, really appreciated.
Can I swap almond flour for coconut flour?
I love this so much and it is so moist & fluffy. It is the best oat flour banana muffin ever.
These have a great texture. Only thing I did differently was swap out the coconut sugar for erythritol. Would make again!
I’ve tried ALL your muffin recipes and this one is definitely in my top 3. The texture is the closest to non-gluten-free recipes that I’ve found and the flavor is so good!! Thank you for always turning out such reliable, high quality recipes!
This recipe is amazing and loved by everyone who tried them! I add enjoy life chocolate chips for my kids and they always ask for more muffins. Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes with us.
So delicious.
Best muffin recipe I’ve tried yet!! I’ve tried a million and this one gives the best, fluffiest results. I used half the amount of coconut sugar and avocado oil instead of olive and WOW! I usually find that oat flour recipes are gummy but this one was not! Highly recommend.
I make these muffins frequently! They are so delicious! I use egg replacer in them so they’re vegan. I use avocado oil instead of olive oil. I prefer 1/3 C. coconut (or date)sugar instead of 1/2 C. I make mini muffins. Put 1/2 in the freezer for a later date so I’m not tempted to eat them all in 3 or 4 days!
I subbed oat flour for almond flour and coconut sugar for regular sugar and then use chopped pecans instead of walnuts.
Literally drooling, these are insane. They smell like apple pie and taste like heaven.
I make this recipe at least twice a week for my husband who is T2. He loves them! And I use flax “egg” and top with a pinch of unsweetened coconut. I highly recommend them.