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If you have some overripe bananas on your counter, these Healthy Banana Nut Muffins are such an amazing use for them! They’re made with whole wheat flour and whole grain oats with no butter and no refined sugar. So they’re nutritious, wholesome and so satisfying for breakfast, a snack or even for dessert!
I love stocking up on bananas because my kids enjoy them all week long. And when they start to go ripe and I’m in a baking mood, these banana nut muffins are the perfect healthy treat to make! They’re filling, really easy to make, and have the best texture. The addition of walnuts is absolutely spot on! And if you’re the kind of person who often rushes in the morning, these are a lifesaver. You can meal prep them during the weekend and then you’re set all week!
Table of Contents
Recipe at a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Oven
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: Sweet, Nutty
Skill Level: Easy
Summary
- No Mixer Needed: Just a couple of bowls and a whisk is all you need for this banana nut muffin recipe, making clean-up a breeze.
- Naturally Sweetened: Ripe bananas and maple syrup mean no refined sugars are added, keeping things healthier.
- Filling and Nutritious: With whole wheat flour, rolled oats, and walnuts, these muffins aren’t just tasty – they’re a wholesome choice to keep you satisfied and energized.
- Simple Ingredients, Rich Flavor: The mix of bananas, maple syrup, and cinnamon adds lots of flavor to the muffins without a lengthy ingredient list.
Ingredients to make healthy banana nut muffins
- White Whole Wheat Flour: This adds a nice, hearty texture to the muffins. Some use regular all-purpose flour, but I don’t recommend it as it can change the consistency of the batter.
- Rolled Oats: Add some to the batter and save some for a crunchy topping. Quick oats can work in a pinch, but rolled oats give the best texture.
- Baking Soda: The rising agent that helps your moist banana nut muffins puff up.
- Cinnamon: Adds a hint of warmth and depth to the muffin flavor.
- Salt: A pinch to balance the sweetness.
- Coconut Oil: It keeps the muffins moist. You can substitute it with another neutral oil or applesauce to keep it lower in fat.
- Maple Syrup: Natural sweetness at its best. Honey or agave nectar are great substitutes if maple syrup isn’t available.
- Eggs: They help bind everything together and add fluffiness.
- Bananas: If they’re starting to brown on your counter, they’re perfect for this recipe. The riper the better!
- Milk: Any type will do but almond, oat, or soy milk are good plant-based options. Even water can help add moisture to the batter.
- Vanilla Extract: Just a dash elevates the flavor profile.
- Walnuts: For that delightful crunch. Pecans or almonds can be a good swap.
- Granulated Sugar: Optional, but great as a topping. You won’t need too much, just a sprinkle.
How to make banana nut muffins
- Start by whisking together the dry ingredients: whole wheat flour, rolled oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- In another bowl, start mixing together the wet ingredients. You’ll start by creaming the melted coconut oil with the maple syrup; then adding the eggs, bananas, milk and vanilla extract.
- Use a whisk, electric mixer or a fork to mix everything together but some lumps are totally ok.
- Now combine the dry and wet ingredients together.
- Next, add some chopped nuts of your choice. I like using walnuts or pecans.
- And finally fold in those nuts into the banana muffin batter, and you’re ready to transfer it to a muffin tin.
I recommend using parchment paper muffin liners. The muffins peel right off that way and clean up is a cinch! If you have a very good non-stick muffin tin, you can get away with just greasing it with some cooking spray. This part is optional, but I love sprinkling some granulated sugar on top along with rolled oats.
When these healthy banana nut muffins come out of the oven, they will be puffed, golden in color and utterly moist and irresistible. Make sure to allow them to cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, and then cool in a wire rack afterwards.
Tips for making the best banana nut muffins
- Use spotty black bananas for best results. You’re looking for that squashy flesh that’s totally unappealing to eat. That’s because the soft texture and broken down starch allows you to mix the banana much more easily. And that means banana nut muffins with more banana flavor and more sweetness throughout.
- Start with the oven temperature at 425°F and then lower to help the muffins rise. I learned this tip from Sally’s Baking Addiction and it’s totally optional. But that initial burst of hot air springs up the top of the muffins quickly, making them rise nicely.
- Don’t over work the batter. After you whisk the dry ingredient and beat together the wet ingredients, be careful to not over mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Just mix until you don’t see any more flour streaks.
- Don’t leave these muffins in the muffin pan for too long. The steam inside the muffins can’t escape then, which might create a wet base. Just leave them for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack. Cooling on a wire rack allows air to circulate around them.
Popular substitutions & additions
- Add coffee. Mixing a tablespoon of strong brewed coffee to your wet ingredients can give your muffins a deeper flavor.
- Experiment with toppings. Before baking, sprinkle some shredded coconut or dark chocolate chips on top of your banana nut oatmeal muffins.
- Fold in dried fruits. Think raisins, chopped dates, or dried cranberries. They’ll surprise you with a sweet chew in between bites!
- Change up the spices. Swap the cinnamon for nutmeg, cardamom, or your favorite warm spice. You can also keep the cinnamon and sprinkle in other spices, if you like.
How to store banana nut muffins
Once your banana nut oatmeal muffins have cooled to room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container. If stored at room temperature, they will last for a couple of days.
How long will banana nut muffins last in the fridge?
If stored in the fridge, these muffins will keep well for up to a week. This is a good option if you baked too many muffins, but I always prefer to keep them at room temperature to preserve their flavor and texture
Can I freeze these muffins?
Yes, you can freeze them. Just place them in an airtight container or a freezer bag, and then store them in the freezer. They can stay fresh and tasty for up to 3 months. Whenever you crave a muffin, just take one out of the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature or warm it up in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, swap the eggs for flax eggs (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water per egg) and use a plant-based milk like almond or oat milk instead of regular cow’s milk.
If your muffins turned out denser than you’d like, it might be because you overmixed the batter. When you mix too much, it develops the gluten in the flour and can make your muffins heavy. Next time, stir just until the dry and wet ingredients come together, and you’ll get light, fluffy, healthy banana nut muffins.
No, this banana nut muffin recipe uses white whole wheat flour which contains gluten. But if you need your muffins to be gluten-free, you can swap the wheat flour for a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free baking flour substitute.
I’m obsessed with these healthy banana nut muffins! They are wholesome, moist and so fluffy. But what I love the most is that they are made with feel good ingredients like whole wheat flour, oats and bananas, and sweetened naturally with maple syrup. They truly make the perfect breakfast treat or afternoon snack!
More muffin recipes
- Sweet Potato Muffins
- Healthy Muffins for Kids
- Blueberry Banana Muffins
- Chai Spiced Vegan Muffins
- Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Cranberry Lemon Muffins
- Banana Bread Walnut Muffins
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Healthy Banana Nut Muffins recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Healthy Banana Nut Muffins
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour
- ⅓ cup rolled oats plus more for sprinkling on top
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup packed mashed ripe bananas about 3 bananas
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease a muffin tin or line with muffins cups.
- In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: whole wheat flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl, beat the coconut oil and maple syrup together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well. Mix in the mashed bananas, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Stir the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients using a wooden spoon, just until combined. Fold in the nuts.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with oats and sugar, if desired.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Allow them to cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes. Then transfer from the tin to a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Notes
- Substitute the regular milk with any plant-based milk or even water.
- Substitute the egg for a flax egg to make it vegan.
- Substitute the maple syrup with any other liquid sweetener like honey but it will taste different.
- Substitute the coconut oil with another neutral oil or applesauce to keep it lower in fat.
- To make this gluten-free, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix. Do not substitute only almond flour or only coconut flour.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Such a hit!! Thanks Yumna!
You’re so welcome!
This is so tasty and does seem healthier than regular muffins. I did do white flour/and oat flour instead, plus olive oil (I didn’t have coconut oil on hand) egg whites because I didn’t have regular eggs. Plus chocolate chips! Turned out so yummy! Will have to make more recipes!
I love that! Hope you enjoy the other recipes too!
Hi dear Yumna
i just wanted to tell you’re my favorite food blogger I really trust you😃😍 I made banana oat muffin today it was the best recipe ever🤗
I put chopped madjule date and oat on top😋
Aww, thank you so much! That makes me incredibly happy to hear!
You post best muffin recipes. Easy, fast to do and simple ingredients
Thank you so much! That’s exactly what I was aiming for!
These turned out perfectly. Moist,delicious, tasty banana flavour with the right amount of sweetness. Easy to follow. This recipe is a keeper for sure.
Thank you.
I love your recipes
Thank you so much! That truly means a lot!
I tried making this as Banana bread, I used 1/4 cup of honey instead 1/2 of maple syrup because the milk I used was Sweetened hazelnut, the smell is really nice however, it was a bit dry and crumbles fast, I tried fixing that by using yogurt as a topping when eating it. I used three small bananas, which weren’t too ripe I’m guessing that’s why.
Will try it again as muffins,
Oh yeah, that might be the reason! Hope you like them as muffins!
As usual, from feel good foodie, delicious recipe! I saw this one on Instagram yesterday and realized I already have all the ingredients for it. Made them today for my family, who LOVE them! What a healthy, fast, and practical recipe. Definitely recommend this one!
Also, these make a perfect breakfast and compliment coffee very well! 😁
This recipe popped up on my Instagram feed at the perfect time. Had three bananas just sitting on the counter asking to be used. I know it’s a dick thing to say you made the recipe but then modified it to your own interests, BUT I did add some chocolate chips to it because I’m a chocoholic. I HAD to! I hope you understand. Other than that, I swear I kept the recipe the same! It’s such an easy recipe to follow, I was able to make them while my mom FaceTimed me about local gossip from back home. Damn, these are good! My husband was popping them in like they were chips. He said this might be the first time he’s like walnuts. So flavorful! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Yay, that’s so awesome! Love that you were able to make them while gossiping with your mom LOL!
Amazing recipe!! Just loved it. So far perfectly tasty recipe for leftover bananas..:) Thank you so much.
I admire your cooking..
Aww thank you so much! Glad you loved it!