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healthy banana oat muffins

May 10, 2020 by Amanda @ .running with spoons. 17 Comments

Healthy Banana Oat Muffins made with NO butter or oil, but so soft and tender that you’d never be able to tell! Beautifully domed muffins loaded with plenty of banana flavour, they make a deliciously healthy breakfast or snack!

Healthy banana oat muffins in a muffin pan.

It’s been a while since muffins made with regular flour made an appearance on Spoons! But after coming across a lone bag of flour on my last trip to the grocery store, I figured it was time to switch things up and give it a go again.

Uhm. Let’s just say it took a few failed trials to remember what I was doing. And by “a few failed trials” I mean you probably wouldn’t want to eat those muffins. See, I’d been making flourless oat-based blender muffins for so long that it took a second to remember proportions and mixing techniques – both pretty important when working with regular flour.

But on the bright side, the failed trials reminded me of what doesn’t work and helped me pick up a tips on how to achieve gloriously fluffy muffins with beautifully domed tops.

Kind of like the ones in these healthy banana oat muffins. Keep reading for the recipe plus tips that you can apply to basically any muffin recipe to get nice domed tops.

A top view of banana oat muffins on a cooling rack with oat flaked on top of the muffins.

How To Make Healthy Banana Oat Muffins

  • All the ingredients get combined in ONE BOWL, so grab one that’s nice and big to make mixing easier.
  • Start with the wet ingredients. Break the eggs and beat them a few times to combine the yolks with the whites. Then add the mashed bananas, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in the oats along with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • I used coconut palm sugar for my sweetener, but you can replace that with brown or cane sugar as well. Maple syrup will also work, but it will change the texture of the muffins a little bit and you’ll have to use less – maybe 6 Tbsp (90 ml).
  • You can also use regular yogurt instead of Greek. And it can be flavoured/sweetened if that’s all you have, but that will affect the flavour and sweetness of the muffins.
  • When it comes time to add the flour, add it slowly and mix it into the batter gently. Some lumps are totally fine if it means mixing fewer times. You want to handle the batter as little as possible after the flour goes in.
  • I used all-purpose flour because it was all I could find, but you can swap half of it for whole wheat flour. So it would be 3/4 cup (90 g) all purpose and 3/4 cup (90 g) whole wheat flour.
  • I really recommend either using parchment paper liners or greasing your muffin cavities well. These muffins will probably stick to paper liners.
Healthy banana oat muffins in a muffin pan.

How To Get Muffins With Domed Tops

I did a little bit of experimenting and researching to figure out how to get those nice domed muffins tops, and these are some of the tips I picked up:

  1. Flour matters! A whole wheat flour will never rise as much as a white flour because it’s heavier. If you really want to cut back on the white flour, use a combination of half whole wheat and half white for best results.
  2. Temperature matters! A starting temperature of 425ºF (218ºC) gives the muffins a nice big boost of heat which allows the tops of the muffins to rise, set, and hold their shape while the rest of the muffin continues to cook. But only keep them at this temperature for 5 minutes and then turn the oven down to 350°F (176°C) for the remainder of the baking time. This prevents them from burning to a crisp.
  3. Baking powder and baking soda matter! You always want to make sure your leaveners are fresh – never more than 6 months old. And to get nice domed tops, you want to use more baking powder. The general rule is 1 tsp of baking powder per 1 cup of flour, but in this case we use 1 1/2 – 2 tsps per cup of flour.
  4. The way you mix the batter matters! Never, ever, ever mix your batter too vigorously or for too long. You want the flour to just barely be combined into the wet ingredients, and as soon as it disappears, STOP. This is because mixing flour with liquids activates the formation of gluten and the more you stir or knead the batter or dough, the longer and tougher those gluten molecule chains get. This in turn makes baked goods tough, gummy, chewy, and unevenly cooked. To avoid this, handle the batter as little as possible.
  5. How much you fill your muffin cavities matters! Fill them all the way to the top. All the way! And you can even overfill them a little bit. More batter = more muffin, and I promise you (with this recipe at least) that the batter won’t spread and leak off the side of the muffin pan to form a molten lake at the bottom of your oven. This might mean that you only get 10 muffins instead of 12 but they’ll be 10 gloriously fluffy and dome-y muffins.
A healthy banana oat muffin with a bite taken out of it so that you can see the fluffy texture inside of it.

Okay, But What Are They Like?

Soft, tender, loaded with flavour, and soooo fluffy. I mean, just look at the inside of those little guys! You’d really never be able to tell that they’re made without any butter or oil. AND! as an added bonus, you get those beautifully domed tops that make muffins look so much more appealing.

The whole recipe is made in one bowl to keep things simple, and while adjusting oven temperatures mid-bake might seem like a pain in the butt, I’ve found the easiest way to deal with it is to set the timer on your phone to 5 minutes, do the cleanup, lower the temperature when the timer goes off, and then re-set a timer for another 15 minutes. Easy peasy.

You can also toss in some add-ins like chocolate chips, dried fruit, or nuts, depending on what you’re craving at the time.

Happy eating!

3 healthy banana oat muffins stacked on top of each other.

I’d love to know if you make this recipe! Leave a comment and rating down below to let me know what you think, and subscribe to our mailing list to receive new recipes in your inbox!

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healthy banana oat muffins


★★★★★

4.8 from 12 reviews

  • Author: Amanda @ Running with Spoons
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12 muffins 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup (115 g) plain 2% Greek yogurt
  • 2 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed (240 g or 1 cup)
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) coconut palm sugar*
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup (60 g) quick oats
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all purpose flour**
  • optional: 1/2 cup of add-ins like chocolate chips, druid fruit, nuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425ºF (218ºC) and prepare a muffin pan by lining the cavities with parchment paper liners or greasing them with oil. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs until the yolks break apart. Whisk in the yogurt, mashed bananas, sugar, and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
  3. Stir in the oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Finally, spoon in the flour and gently stir it in until just combined, making sure to not overmix. If you’re using any mix-ins, fold them in now.
  4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them right to the top. You can sprinkle some oat flakes on top of each muffin if you want.
  5. Bake the muffins at 425ºF (218ºC) for 5 minutes. Then, without opening the oven door, lower the temperature to 350°F (176°C) and bake for an additional 15-17 minutes. The tops of the muffins should begin to turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. As soon as they’ve cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

* You can also use brown sugar or cane sugar. A liquid sweetener like maple syrup or honey will also work, but decrease the amount to about 6 Tbsp (90 ml).

** You can also use a mix of all purpose and whole wheat flours. Use 3/4 cup (90 g) all purpose and 3/4 cup (90 g) whole wheat.

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins

Keywords: banana, muffins, oats, breakfast, Greek yogurt, healthy, recipe, snack

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @runwithspoons on Instagram and hashtag it #runningwithspoons

A collage of healthy banana oat muffins made for Pinterest.

Looking for more healthy muffin recipes? Try one of these!

Banana Oat Greek Yogurt Muffins
Easy Vegan Chocolate Muffins
Blueberry Oat Greek Yogurt Muffins
Easy Morning Glory Muffins
Healthy Banana Nut Muffins

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*Disclosure: Some of the links included in this post may be affiliate links, meaning I’ll earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and believe will add value to my readers. Thank you so much for helping support Spoons!

Filed Under: Breads & Muffins, Breakfast, Recipe Tagged With: banana, breakfast, Greek yogurt, healthy, muffins, muffins with domed tops, oats, recipe, snack

Previous Post: « easy banana oat pancakes
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Wordle answer today

    March 14, 2023 at 3:18 am

    Wow, the cake looks great; I am grateful you showed me how to create it. I’ll create this delectable cake using your recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. phrazle

    January 16, 2023 at 7:08 pm

    My tatsebuds have been waiting for something like this! I can’t wait to feed these to my kids since they are the perfect texture, really light and airy, and packed with nutritious ingredients. Definitely a recipe to have in your back pocket.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Lauren

    January 16, 2023 at 10:22 am

    I was having a very specific craving for a banana oat muffin, but it had to have peanut butter and chocolate in there too!
    I used this recipe, but I only used 100g of flour, then I used 30g of dark cocoa powder and 50g of powdered peanut butter.
    Oh my SWOON. This is the exact thing my tatsebuds wanted! Perfect texture, SUPER fluffy with the biggest muffin crown, and healthy enough that I can’t wait to share with my kiddos! This is a definite make again recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. drift boss

    December 29, 2022 at 1:55 am

    These are delicious and simple. without any added oil or butter, truly tasty. Definitely a recipe to make again. I’m grateful.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
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    August 16, 2022 at 7:30 pm

    What a fantastic blog you have; keep up the wonderful effort; I’d like to read more posts like this!

    Reply
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    July 14, 2022 at 3:21 am

    Snow will not be melted by rock salt or other ice melt treatments. If you must remove snow, do it manually.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  7. Evan

    March 12, 2022 at 12:25 pm

    These are so good and so easy! Genuinely delicious without butter or oil. Will be a repeat recipe for sure. Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
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  10. Vidmate

    February 4, 2021 at 3:06 am

    Rock salt and other ice melt treatments are meant for ice, and not effective for snow. If you need to remove snow do so physically.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • bargainwilted

      March 14, 2023 at 3:05 am

      These were so light and airy, and the texture and flavor were just perfect. The innards of those little little things are amazing! There’s no way to drift hunters know they’re manufactured without the usual fats and oils. PLUS! a further benefit is the formation of the characteristically elevated domes that give muffins their irresistible visual appeal.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
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    February 4, 2021 at 3:06 am

    Rock salt and other ice melters can be devastating for your local water and soil, as well as your vehicles and sidewalk.

    ★★★★

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  12. Dalal

    July 29, 2020 at 1:15 pm

    amaaaaazing recipe! just made it but I used 1 cup of AP flour and 1/2 cup or whole wheat flour, I also added a 1/4 cup of milk and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Never used coconut sugar in baking and I was surprised at how good it is! I might add a bit more coconut sugar next time though

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  13. Jitha

    May 11, 2020 at 7:59 am

    Can I make it eggless? What can I substitute for eggs?
    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Amanda @ .running with spoons.

      May 11, 2020 at 7:22 pm

      I haven’t tried subbing out the eggs so I can’t say for sure, but another banana might work. Or you can try flax eggs. They might not come out as fluffy though.

      Reply
  14. Tia

    May 10, 2020 at 11:06 am

    What if I’m dairy free? Is there an alternate to the yoghurt that would work? Thanks! I love your recipes!

    Reply
    • Amanda @ .running with spoons.

      May 11, 2020 at 7:21 pm

      You can try a dairy-free yogurt made from almond, soy, or coconut. Or I think applesauce should work, but maybe only use 1/3 of a cup.

      Reply

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Amanda

I'm Amanda - health coach, cookbook author, recipe developer, photographer, makeup junkie, and the blogger behind Running with Spoons - a blog dedicated to proving that healthy snacking doesn't have to be tasteless or boring, one delicious recipe at a time. More about Amanda →

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