It took me a few tries, friends, but I think I’ve traded in my favourite banana muffins for these Banana Oatmeal Muffins. They are so moist, and packed with extra goodness from oatmeal. Yes — actual oatmeal. I know it sounds a little crazy, but trust me on this one.
What makes these Banana Oatmeal Muffins so good?
If you’ve ever had a classic oatmeal cake, you know they’re all sorts of amazing. Well, they’re made with oats soaked in boiling water — essentially, really thick oatmeal. They are so ridiculously moist and delicious (especially if you add the toasted coconut topping on it!), and I got to thinking, “what if I put oatmeal into a banana muffin?” So I tried it, and I tried it again, and I tried it again. And it took me a while to strike just the right balance between “moist” and “fluffy” (my first rounds were very moist but so flat!), but the result is so worth it. I don’t know if I’ll ever go back! Plus, you get all the extra goodness of oats right in these healthy banana oatmeal muffins, that they really are perfect for breakfast. The kids love these, especially if I add in chocolate chips. I wanted to start you off with a plain Jane version (you know, one that is actually healthy!), but feel free to get a little crazy and raid your stash of chocolate chips, nuts or dried fruits if you like. And if you’re here accidentally because you though these were actually Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups, then head over there <– to check out that recipe, which is equally as delicious but a totally different thing 😉
How to bake these Banana Oatmeal Muffins:
I tried baking these muffins in all kinds of cups and pans — silicone, paper liners, non stick muffin pans, etc., etc. I recommend using silicone or paper liners, and not just spraying a pan. All ways will work just fine, but the non stick spray makes the muffins a little browner (i.e., tougher) around the edges and we like our muffins soft. If you like them another way then go for it! Here are the differences in muffin texture you can expect: Silicone pans or muffin cups: they will be soft and not brown significantly around the edges or bottom. Remove within 10 minutes of them coming out of the oven so they don’t get soggy from sitting. Dark non-stick pans with non-stick spray: this is absolutely an option too, if you prefer a golden brown exterior and don’t want to wait for them to cool so you can remove paper liners. This is what I did in these photos! Paper liners: paper liners work just fine, and the texture will fall somewhere between silicone and non-stick. However, the one big downside is you have to wait for them to cool completely before you’ll be able to remove them and taste test 😉
Tips and Tricks for Making these healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins:
You can absolutely jazz these up if you like: chocolate chips, peanuts, pecans, or raisins would all be great in here! Even just sprinkling 3 or 4 chocolate chips on top before baking goes a long way with my kiddos 😉 You will want to use instant or quick cooking oats for this recipe only, because you want them to get soft in the boiling water. I have made them with regular rolled oats before, and it works just fine but they have a bit of a chunkier texture. If that’s what you like, go for it. These store perfectly in the freezer, so make a big batch! I like to keep a big container in the freezer, and then keep half a dozen or so in the fridge for easy snacking for the kids. Grab and go snacks are always a good idea here!
More banana recipes for those brown bananas!
Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal Cups Strawberry Banana Smoothie Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (healthier!) Healther Classic Banana Bread Recipe + VIDEO
Create an account easily save your favorite content, so you never forget a recipe again. Register Now Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel — I love to see what you’re making!
