This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
If you love banana bread but don’t want to wait an hour for it to bake, these healthy banana muffins are for you. They are the muffin recipe I reach for most because the batter comes together in just 10 minutes, without using white flour or sugar.
But you’d never guess these are “healthier” just by tasting them!
This recipe is also gluten-free and dairy-free, since it’s made with oat flour. (Which is just finely ground oatmeal.) As someone who has been developing gluten-free recipes for over a decade, let me tell you… it’s not always easy to get a fluffy texture that feels like a a regular muffin. So don’t experiment with changing the eggs and sweetener ratio until you’ve tried these as written first! I want you to have delicious results on your first try.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“I really struggle to find great gluten/dairy free recipes. I was shocked at how delicious and moist these muffins were! I’m throwing away my other banana bread recipe because this one is a keeper!!! The spices were perfect and the banana flavor nicely pronounced. Thank you so much!” – Mirry
Healthy Banana Muffin Ingredients
- Ripe Bananas. Just like making banana bread, these muffins will taste best when you start with two bananas with lots of brown spots on their skins. The more spots there are, the sweeter they will be.
- Oat Flour. You can make homemade oat flour by grinding oatmeal in a blender, but I prefer to buy it at the store for convenience. Shop for “certified gluten-free” oat products to avoid any cross-contamination during processing, if you need these to be gluten-free.
- Coconut Sugar. This is my favorite natural granulated sweetener, but you can use white or brown sugar if you have that on hand. Read the recipe notes if you need to use maple syrup instead.
- Eggs. These are crucial for gluten-free baking. Check out my vegan banana muffins if you need an egg-free recipe instead.
- Olive Oil. Do you know why most muffin recipes call for oil instead of butter? It’s because the texture stays more tender when the muffins are room temperature. Coconut oil and butter are solid in an air conditioned room, so if you want your muffins to stay moist, don’t use these in the muffin batter. (You can’t taste the olive oil in these, but avocado oil works, too.)
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.
How to Make Healthy Banana Muffins
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with 12 parchment paper liners.
Peel 2 ripe bananas and add them to a large bowl. Mash the bananas with a fork until they are relatively smooth. Then add in 1.25 cups of oat flour, 1/2 cup coconut sugar, 3 large eggs, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, and a 1/2 teaspoon of 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!)
Want to save this for later?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Step 2:
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. (I use roughly a 1/4 cup measure to help with this, but it might not be perfect.) 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 at 350ºF until the muffins rise in the center, about 20 to 25 minutes. You can also test the middles with a toothpick, to make sure it comes out clean.
Note: Your muffin pan can affect how long the muffins cook. In a metal pan, they might be done in 20 minutes. In a ceramic pan (affiliate link) it might take closer to 25 to 30 minutes, since the material will take longer to heat up initially.
Serving & Storage Tips
Let the muffins cool in the muffin pan for at least 20 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.
Healthy Banana Muffins (Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed banana (2 medium ripe bananas)
- 1 ¼ cups oat flour
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ 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 ¼ 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 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Muffin Recipes to Try
- Flourless Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Almond Flour Muffins
- Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Spinach Muffins (made in a blender!)
- Apple Spice Paleo Muffins
If you try this healthy banana muffin recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like them!
These are delicious! And easy to make.
This is an awesome recipe. I made my own oat flour by coarsely grinding oats in a mini food processor. I opted to add chopped pecans. Delicious! The second time I made them, I swapped 1.25 cup oat flour with 1 cup oat flour and .25 cup hemp, chia & flax seed mixture. They were also delicious. Thank you for sharing your healthy recipe 🙂