banana oat muffins

Vegan Banana Oat Muffins with Cinnamon and Maple

Some mornings simply call for perfectly fluffy and warm banana oat muffins. These muffins are nut, egg, and dairy-free, making them friendly to vegans and those allergic to nuts.

Furthermore, they are free of refined sugars as they are sweetened with maple syrup. The use of mashed ripe bananas in conjunction with the maple syrup creates a very desirable lightly sweetened muffin. There is a ton of moisture in these, and they are just perfect as a grab and go snack, or a light breakfast to be accompanied by a serving of fruit.

Banana Oat Muffins before they are baked

Our Favorite Way to Use Overripe Bananas

We’ve made these banana oat muffins so many times because like most people, we always have bananas that get a little too ripe for our liking. I’m just being honest because it does happen to the best of us… I’ll bet that you likely have some bananas staring you down from across the kitchen at this very moment, slowly rotting away.

If not, I guess I have to ask you how it feels to be a person with their sh*t together. 😉

Nonetheless, since we are always looking for ways to reduce our food waste, this recipe is the perfect solution. Typically, we freeze any overripe bananas and use them for smoothies, or banana bread. Admittedly, I have been getting tired of making the same old banana bread these days.

While this recipe is very similar to banana bread because it uses many of the same ingredients, it just feels a little different. Sometimes switching things up can be nice. A lot of that can be attributed to using muffins cups rather than making a loaf, and playing around with the moisture content and texture of this recipe. The oats play a bit part in the textural component of this muffin.

These banana oat muffins are simply perfect for a number of reasons:

  • They are super easy to make with many basic household ingredients.
  • If you have a stand mixer, you can mash the bananas right in there and use only one bowl for the entire recipe.
  • These muffins are naturally sweetened with maple syrup (or honey if you prefer). This can be a benefit as most people avoid using refined sugars because they can be inflammatory, and higher in calories without any nutritional benefits.
    • Calories are not the enemy by any means, but consuming naturally sourced sugar can come with some added antioxidants and prebiotic oligosaccharides that feed gut flora. Being more conscious about what is in our food is always a plus!
  • These muffins can hold on the counter for about 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Make Banana Oat Muffins

  1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease all 12 cups of a standard sized muffin tin, or use silicone baking molds. We prefer using silicone baking molds.
  2. In a large bowl, mash up your bananas and then add in the olive oil, maple syrup, oat milk, and vanilla extract.
  3. Once the wet ingredients are thoroughly combined, add in the flour, baking soda, salt, oats, and the cinnamon.
  4. Divide the batter into your muffin cups, filling each ⅔ of the way. This should make about 12 regular sized muffins.
  5. Dust the tops of the muffins with more cinnamon and a sprinkle of oats. This step is optional, but they do come out a bit nicer with some added “toppings”. At this stage you can add just about anything that you want, like some seeds, nuts, chocolate chips, etc.
  6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, and remove the muffins when a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.

Vegan Banana Oat Muffins with Cinnamon and Maple

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Banana, Maple Syrup, Muffin, Oat, vegan
Servings: 12 Muffins

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe bananas mashed
  • cup olive oil
  • ½ cup maple syrup Pure Canadian Grade A
  • ¼ cup oat milk
  • 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour unbleached
  • cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon half for the batter, half for topping

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease all 12 cups of a standard sized muffin tin, or silicone baking molds. We prefer the baking molds for an easier clean up, and guaranteed non-stick situation.
  • 2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add in the olive oil, maple syrup, and oat milk, whisking to combine. Mix in the baking soda, vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon.
  • 3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, and oats. Add them to the wet mixture, and stir the batter until combined.
  • 4. Divide the batter into your muffin cups, filling each ⅔ of the way.
  • 5. Top each muffin with a generous dusting of cinnamon, and some rolled oats.
  • 6. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick poked into the center of the muffin comes out clean.
  • 7. Allow to cool before removing from the pan, or silicone cups. Serve with a nice cup of hot coffee, or store them up to 3 days on the counter. These can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight freezer-safe container.