Whole Wheat Banana Oat Muffins with No Refined Sugar

Slightly sweet with a perfect moist texture, these Whole Wheat Banana Oat Muffins make a great grab-and-go breakfast or after school snack. And with 4 grams of protein, they'll help fill you up, too!

Ingredients for healthy banana muffins

• Ripe Bananas — Bananas are best for baking when they are over ripe and spotted or mostly black.

• Coconut Oil — Melted and cooled to room temperature.

• Maple Syrup or Honey — Such a delicious way to sweeten muffins without the refined sugar!

• Large Eggs — always room temperature. See below on getting ingredients to room temperature quick!

• Vanilla Extract — Adds a touch of vanilla flavor and enhances the sweetness.

• Whole Wheat Flour — Be sure to use the spoon and level method to get the correct amount of flour. This recipe also works great with Fresh Milled Flour (soft white wheat).

• Baking Soda & Baking Powder — Using both baking soda and powder gives these a fluffy rise and helps offset the heaviness of the bananas.
  
• Cinnamon & Nutmeg — The perfect way to amp up the flavor and complement the bananas.

how to get room temperature ingredients — fast!

Eggs — speed up the process of getting eggs to room temperature by dropping them gently into a bowl or cup full of hot water (not boiling) and let sit 5 minutes. Done!

Yogurt or Milk — To get yogurt to room temperature quickly, simple place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave at 50% power in 15 second intervals, stirring each time.

Butter — the best way to soften butter to room temperature is to get a tall glass and fill with hot water. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes until the glass is hot. Empty the water and turn the glass upside down over the wrapped butter. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. this will gently warm the butter through to the center.

The Best Gluten Free Flour for Muffins

I've tried and tested many different gluten free flour blends and the clear winner is King Arthur Measure for Measure (always cheapest on Amazon). It can be used as a direct replacement in almost any recipe and it will taste just as good as the original. You can read about my gluten free flour blends experiment here.

How to Make Extra Large Bakery-Style Muffins

It's really easy to make these muffins like the ones you get at a bakery — big enough for a filling breakfast. Try using these 6 cup muffin pans and scoop batter evenly between all 6 cups. Increase the bake time to 425°F for 8 minutes and then reduce heat to 350°F for 15 minutes, checking center for doneness with a toothpick or fork.

Banana Oat Muffins make the best grab-and-go-breakfast

My husband once found an article about how our brains crave sugar in the morning to help us jump-start our day with clarity. I'm pretty sure you can find any article to support any bad habit.

Personally, I prefer a little natural sugar in the morning along with some protein. These muffins have 4 grams of protein each. Spread a bit of peanut butter and you've got a decent little snack or treat to jump start your day.

Whole Wheat Banana Oat Muffin Modifications

These muffins can easily be modified to fit your taste! Try some of these options below:

Add Crumble Topping — To take these banana muffins to the next level, add a crumble like the one on these Everyday Pumpkin Muffins. Brown sugar, pecans, butter and cinnamon make a great topping.

Add a Fresh Banana Slice — Another great way to top these off is with a slice of fresh banana on top. Grab a still-yellow banana and slice in ¼" slices. Add once slice to the top of each banana before baking. It caramelizes and gets naturally sweet.

Chocolate Chips — Ok, this one is pretty obvious, but chocolate chips and bananas are a beautiful marriage, just like in our Gluten Free Banana Loaf Bread recipe. Try adding a few extra on top so the kids know just how amazing these muffins really are.

Add Fresh Fruits — Blueberries are an obvious addition, which is why I created this Banana Blueberry Muffin Recipe. Blueberries, raspberries, or chopped strawberries would all taste delicious. Simply fold in the fresh fruit before baking.

Add Nuts — I love pecans added into every muffin recipe, but especially with these banana oat muffins. Simply chop a half cup and gently fold the nuts in before baking.

How to make healthy banana Oat muffins

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray muffin tin, or line with paper liners and spray those with non-stick spray as well, set aside.

In a large bowl, using a fork, mash up your bananas until smooth.

Add in the melted coconut oil, maple syrup (or honey), room temperature eggs and vanilla extract and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, oats and salt.

Gently fold in dry ingredients until no more flour streaks remain. Over mixing will result in tough, dry muffins. So keep it gentle.

Scoop batter evenly between your 12 muffin tins, or about ¾ full. Using this OXO scoop makes perfectly even muffins every time!

Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking for 8-10 minutes, until the tops bounce back when touched lightly. Baking for 5 minutes at a high temperature helps the edges of the muffin rise and push the center to create that pretty dome.

The best way to store Banana Oat muffins

Once muffins are completely cooled, place in an air-tight container or zip-top bag lined with a paper towel. The paper towel absorbs excess moisture, keeping the muffins fresh longer. They will keep at room temperature for 3-4 days.

Can I freeze Muffins? Yes, here's how!

To freeze muffins, simply bake, cool completely and then either place them in individual freezer bags or wrap each muffin in freezer paper and place them in a zip-top bag. Muffins will last in the freezer for up to three months. To enjoy after freezing, either allow to come to room temperature (about 1 hour), or place in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until warmed through.