Healthy Banana Muffins | Gimme Some Oven

Easy30 minsGluten-Free

This healthy banana muffins recipe is easy to make with everyday ingredients, lightly sweetened with maple syrup, naturally gluten-free, and so tasty.

After posting recipes for healthy pumpkin muffins and healthy apple muffins this autumn, it was only natural that this recipe was soon to follow.

We’re talking today about how to make healthy banana muffins!

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I switched to these muffins this fall once I ran out of pumpkin puree for the season.  And oh my goodness, I am convinced that banana anything baking in the oven beats any scented candle you can buy.  These are guaranteed to make your home smell amazing.  And even more importantly, they taste great!

This healthy banana muffins recipe is also notably lightened up compared to traditional muffins, thanks to using old-fashioned oats in place of all-purpose flour and maple syrup and in place of granulated sugar.  They’re also filled with lots of sweet, ripe bananas, because my top priority here is that the banana-y flavor really come through.  They’re spiced with pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves), which happens to pair perfectly with banana as well as pumpkin.  And they are downright delicious.  

I already know you’re going to love them. ♡

Feel free to make a big batch and freeze the extras if you’d like.  But chances are, these banana muffins are not going to last long.  Let’s make some!

Healthy Banana Muffin Ingredients:

To make these healthy banana muffins, you will need:

• Mashed ripe bananas: Just mash and pack them tightly into a measuring cup to measure the right amount.  1 cup = approximately two medium bananas.
• Old-fashioned oats: Which we will pulse in the blender or food processor until they are finely ground to make our oat flour.  Or, you are welcome to use store-bought oat flour instead.
• Pumpkin pie spice: I feel like this spice blend pairs really well with banana muffins too.  But feel free to use any combo of your favorite warming spices instead.
• Almond milk: Or your favorite kind of nut milk or cow’s milk.
• Maple syrup: Or you could sub in honey, if you prefer.
• Coconut oil: Just a few tablespoons (or feel free to sub in your favorite mild-flavored oil).
• Eggs, salt, vanilla and baking soda: Because…muffins.
• Turbinado sugar: Totally optional, but I love the extra hint of sweetness and crunch and sparkle on top

As always, if making this recipe gluten-free, be sure to double check that all of your ingredients are certified gluten-free.  (Especially the oats.)  And you can either grease the muffin cups, or use baking liners.  I just made my own parchment baking cups in the photos here.

How To Make Banana Muffins:

To make this healthy banana muffins recipe, simply:

1. Make your oat “flour”: Add your oats to a blender or food processor and pulse until they reach a fine flour-like consistency.
2. Combine your dry ingredients: Add the pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda, and pulse until evenly combined.
3. Whisk together your wet ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, eggs, maple syrup, almond milk and vanilla until evenly combined.
4. Combine the two.  Fold the dry ingredients in with the wet, and use a spatula to stir together until just combined.  (Try not to over-stir.)
5. Fill your muffin cups.  Portion the batter evenly between 12 muffin cups.  (I always like to do this with a large cookie scoop.  You’ll need a heaping scoop of batter for this specific recipe — about 1/3 cup per muffin.)  Then sprinkle with a pinch of turbinado sugar, if you’d like.
6. Bake.  Until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
7. Enjoy!  I love these muffins best fresh outta the oven.  But once they have cooled to room temperature, feel free to store them in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze (tightly wrapped in plastic wrap) for up to 3 months.

Optional Add-Ins:

Feel free to also add in:

• Chocolate chips: Because…chocolate.
• Nuts or seeds: Such as pepitas, pecans, sunflower seeds, walnuts, etc.  You can either sprinkle them on top of the muffins, or fold them into the batter.
• Dried fruit: Dried cranberries, raisins, apricots…whatever you love.
• A maple glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar and maple syrup until they form a glaze-like consistency, and drizzle over your muffins for extra sweetness

More Favorite Muffin Recipes:

Looking for more healthy muffin recipes?  Check out my:

Enjoy, everyone! ♡

Yield: 12 servings

Healthy Banana Muffins

This healthy banana muffins recipe is easy to make with everyday ingredients, lightly sweetened with maple syrup, naturally gluten-free, and so tasty.  See notes above for optional add-ins.

Total Time:30 mins

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:15 mins

Ingredients:

• 3 cups old-fashioned oats*
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, homemade or store-bought
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, plain or vanilla
• 1 cup tightly-packed mashed ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or any mild-flavored oil)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• optional: turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking liners, or lightly grease with cooking spray.  Set aside.
2. Puree oats in a blender or food processor until they reach a flour-like consistency.  Add in the pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and sea salt, and pulse until the mixture is evenly combined.  Set aside.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mashed banana, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla extract until evenly combined.  Fold the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredient mixture, and stir until the mixture is just combined.  (Try to avoid over-mixing.)
4. Portion the ingredients into prepared baking cups.  Then sprinkle a pinch of turbinado sugar on top of each muffin, if you would like.
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.
6. Serve warm.  Or let the muffins cool to room temperature, then store in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

*Or feel free to substitute in 240 grams (8.4 ounces) oat flour.  And as always, be sure to use certified gluten-free ingredients if making this recipe gluten-free.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

Difficulty: EasyCategory: Gluten-Free

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