Banana Oat Muffins

When your bananas hit peak ripeness, you have a few decent options: eat them as-is at their sweetest, freeze them for smoothies or get baking. And while there’s always classic banana bread, once you have tried these banana oatmeal muffins, we have a feeling that it will be a while before banana bread is the first choice again.

Filling, tasty and easy to make, these healthy banana oatmeal muffins are a lovely light breakfast for those busy weekday mornings, or pair a banana oatmeal muffin with all your favorite breakfast foods as part of a hearty weekend brunch spread. Any way you enjoy these muffins, you’ll be glad you had ripe bananas on hand.

Banana Oatmeal Muffin Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: The bananas may define the flavor of these muffins, but the flour is doing much of the work in terms of texture and shape.
• Oats: Quick-cooking oats do much of the rest of that work.
• Baking powder: Never skip the baking powder, as it helps with the rise and structure of the muffins.
• Ground cinnamon: Cinnamon blends perfectly with the sweet bananas.
• Baking soda: Baking soda also helps out with texture in these (and other) muffins.
• Ground nutmeg: No spice better complements cinnamon than nutmeg.
• Egg whites: You need the whites of two large or three small eggs to bind these muffins together.
• Mashed ripe bananas: You need a packed cup of mashed bananas, which is usually about two medium bananas.
• Brown sugar: Measure the brown sugar after it’s packed down.
• Milk: A fat-free (skim, e.g.) milk is best for these muffins.
• Canola oil: The oil adds a pleasant moistness to these muffins.
• Pecans: Nuts add both flavor and a delightful crunch to every bite.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the muffin batter

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In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and nutmeg. Then, in a separate small bowl, beat together the egg whites, bananas, brown sugar, milk and oil. Stir this blend into the dry ingredients, mixing just until all is moistened, then stir in the pecans.

Step 2: Bake and then cool the muffins

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Coat muffin cups with cooking spray, then fill each cup two-thirds full with batter. Bake the muffins at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool them for five minutes before removing the muffins from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Banana Oatmeal Muffin Variations

Use different nuts: Pecans are great here, but you can also use walnuts, macadamia nuts, cashews or other chopped nuts; a blend of nuts works, too.

Add chocolate chips: For muffins that are more of a treat than a breakfast food, add semisweet chocolate chips when you mix in the nuts, leaving the rest of the recipe the same.

Use applesauce instead of oil: If you dislike when muffins have an oily taste or texture, you can use applesauce in place of the oil.

How to Store Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Place the muffins in a paper towel-lined, airtight container and store at room temperature for up to four days or in the fridge for up to six.

Can you freeze banana oat muffins?

Yes, these muffins will freeze well for up to four months. Ideally, wrap each muffin individually before freezing them. Thaw them in the microwave.

Banana Oatmeal Muffin Tips

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Can I skip the spices?

If you’re not a fan of cinnamon or nutmeg, you can leave them out. Just know the banana flavor will be much more pronounced if you do, which may well be to your liking.

What’s the best way to mash bananas?

A potato masher and a bowl work great, as does a simple fork. You can also pulse ripe bananas in a food processor. A blender is not a great choice, as it’s hard to retrieve all of the banana bits.

Are these healthy muffins?

They are pretty healthy, yes. This recipe has just one gram of saturated fat, low sodium, and a bit of fiber and protein, so go ahead and enjoy.