Banana oatmeal muffins are one of the easiest homemade breakfast recipes you can bake when you have ripe bananas sitting on the counter. 👇👇
Made with pantry staples like rolled oats, honey, eggs, and milk, these gluten-free banana oatmeal muffins bake into a soft, filling breakfast that works perfectly for meal prep, quick snacks, or busy school mornings.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Perfect for meal prep - Bake a batch once and keep easy breakfasts ready for the week.
- Built from pantry staples - Oats, bananas, eggs, and honey are affordable ingredients most kitchens already have.
- Freezer friendly - These muffins freeze beautifully and reheat quickly for busy mornings.
- Naturally sweetened - Ripe bananas and honey provide sweetness without relying on refined sugar.
- Budget-friendly breakfast - Oats and bananas stretch ingredients while still making a filling homemade recipe.
When you're trying to keep grocery spending under control while still feeding a family, recipes like this help create a dependable breakfast rotation.
Why Banana Oatmeal Muffins Are Great For Meal Prep
These muffins are especially helpful when you're building a routine of quick breakfast options that don't require cooking every morning.
Because oats and bananas hold moisture well, the muffins stay soft for several days and freeze extremely well. That means you can bake once and keep breakfast ready for the entire week.
Recipe Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats - Old-fashioned rolled oats give these muffins their hearty texture, while blended oat flour keeps them soft and tender.
- 1 ½ cups oat flour - you can easily make homemade oat flour using a blender.
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ripe bananas - mashed
- 2 eggs - beaten
- ½ cup honey - or maple syrup
- ¾ cup milk
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
These muffins use a combination of blended oat flour and whole rolled oats, which creates a hearty texture while keeping the recipe completely gluten-free.
How To Make Banana Oatmeal Muffins 👇👇
Follow these steps to make soft, hearty banana oatmeal muffins every time.
STEP 2: Mix Dry Ingredients
Add the oat flour to a medium bowl, along with another 1½ cups of whole rolled oats (you'll have half oat flour, half whole oats). Add ½ tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, and 2 tsp cinnamon. Mix everything.
STEP 3: Mix Wet Ingredients
Mix the 2 eggs, ¾ cup milk, ½ cup honey, and 3 tsp vanilla extract in a separate large bowl.
STEP 4: Mash Banana
Add the 2 ripe bananas to a plate and mash them thoroughly with a fork. Add the mashed banana to the liquid ingredients and mix.
STEP 5: Mix Together
Add the dry oat mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir everything together until just combined, but don't overmix. Let this sit for 20 minutes to let oats soak up the wet ingredients. This will let the oats absorb some of the moisture to create moist and fluffy muffins.
STEP 6: Add To Muffin Pan
Give the batter a quick stir, then spoon roughly ¼ cup of batter into each muffin cup. Sprinkle a small amount of rolled oats on top of each muffin (optional).
STEP 7: Bake Muffins
Place in oven to bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center.
Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove muffins and place on a cooling rack.
Easy Flavor Variations
These muffins are very easy to customize depending on what you already have in your pantry.
- Chocolate chips - Add 1 cup for a sweeter snack-style muffin.
- Chopped walnuts - Adds crunch and extra richness.
- Dried fruit - Raisins or cranberries work beautifully with banana.
- Fresh berries - Blueberries or raspberries add brightness and extra moisture.
These variations allow you to rotate flavors without needing completely new recipes.
Recipe Tips
- Let the batter rest - This allows oats to absorb liquid and improves muffin texture.
- Use very ripe bananas - The darker the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful the muffins will be.
- Don't overmix - Stir just until the ingredients are combined to keep muffins tender.
- Use an ice cream scoop - This helps portion batter evenly into the muffin pan.
Why Let The Batter Rest
Letting the batter sit before baking is an important step when baking with oats.
Rolled oats absorb liquid more slowly than regular flour, so resting the batter allows the oats to hydrate fully. This helps create muffins that are softer and less crumbly after baking.
It's a small step that makes a noticeable difference in texture.
Watch How To Make Banana Oatmeal Muffins 👇👇
Blend, mix, rest, and bake. That's it.
If you enjoy easy breakfast recipes made with oats and bananas, you might also like these blender banana oatmeal pancakes or these soft banana bread muffins which are another great way to use ripe bananas.
Andi's Note
I've made this banana oatmeal muffin recipe so many times I've honestly lost count. One of the things I love most about it is that it uses only oats and no wheat flour, which means it works perfectly for our house since my husband and daughter both eat gluten-free.
These muffins have become one of our go-to breakfast options during busy school mornings, and I often tuck one into my daughter's lunch for an easy snack too. It's one of those dependable recipes that just works every time, and hundreds of readers have already made it and shared great feedback.
For another hearty muffin option, these whole wheat banana muffins or my classic oatmeal muffins are both great recipes to keep in your breakfast rotation.
How To Store Muffins
Because these muffins contain mashed bananas, they hold more moisture than traditional muffins.
- Refrigerate - Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- Freeze - Once cooled, wrap each muffin individually and freeze for up to 3-4 months.
- Reheat - Microwave for 30-60 seconds or warm briefly in the oven.
Keeping muffins in the freezer is one of the easiest ways to maintain quick breakfast options without relying on packaged snacks.
If you love baking with oats, you might also enjoy these soft chocolate chip oatmeal muffins or these baked oatmeal breakfast cups which are another easy meal prep breakfast option.
FAQs
Yes. Quick oats will work, though the texture will be slightly softer.
Yes. They freeze very well and reheat quickly for breakfast.
You can reduce the honey slightly if your bananas are very ripe and naturally sweet.
Yes. Use certified gluten-free oats and oat flour.
Banana oatmeal muffins are one of those dependable homemade recipes that make busy mornings easier.
With simple pantry staples, freezer-friendly storage, and easy meal prep potential, they help keep breakfast simple without increasing your grocery bill.
Once you start keeping a batch in the freezer, you'll always have a quick homemade breakfast ready to go.
Banana Oatmeal Muffins
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups oat flour - see instructions for details
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ripe bananas - mashed
- 2 eggs - beaten
- ½ cup honey - or maple syrup
- ¾ cup milk
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
- To Make Oat Flour: In a food processor or blender, add 1 ½ cups of rolled oats and blend until it turns into a fine oat flour.
- Add the 1 ½ cups oat flour to a medium bowl, along with 1 ½ cups of whole rolled oats (you'll have half oats flour, half whole oats). Add the 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt. Mix everything together.
- Add the two ripe bananas to a plate and mash them thoroughly with a fork.
- In a separate large bowl, mix together the mashed bananas with 2 eggs, ½ cup honey, ¾ cup milk, and 3 tsp vanilla extract.
- Add the dry oat flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir everything together until just combined, but don't overmix.
- Let this sit for 20 minutes to let oats soak up the wet ingredients. Then give another quick stir.
- Spoon about ¼ cup of batter into each muffin cup. Sprinkle a small amount of rolled oats on top of each muffin (optional).
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the muffin. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove muffins and place on a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas - Bananas with brown spots provide the best natural sweetness and moisture for the muffins.
- Let the batter rest for 20 minutes - This allows the rolled oats to absorb moisture, which improves the texture and keeps the muffins soft.
- Use certified gluten-free oats if needed - Oats are naturally gluten free, but certified gluten-free oats ensure there is no cross-contamination.
- Don't overmix the batter - Stir just until the ingredients are combined to keep the muffins tender.
- Freezer friendly - Let muffins cool completely, then store in a freezer bag for up to 3-4 months. Reheat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
- Store in the fridge - Because bananas add moisture, these muffins stay fresher longer when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-calculated and meant to be an approximation only.
