These Banana Oatmeal Muffins are easy to make and full of flavor and texture. They are perfect for breakfast or snacking.
With over 2 million page views, hundreds of five-star reviews, and almost 100,000 social shares, this is my most popular muffin recipe that readers keep coming back to make again and again.
Excellent muffin recipe! I made them a few weeks ago and I'm making them again right now. My three and a half year old granddaughter loves them! This recipe is a keeper for sure! Thank you!
Oatmeal banana muffins
These tasty banana muffins have plenty of banana flavor and get a chewy texture from the old-fashioned oats. And to take these muffins a step further, I’ve added a delicious oat topping.
No special equipment needed when making these muffins. You need a bowl, a heavy-duty spoon for mixing, and a muffin tin for baking. Whether you’re a novice in the kitchen or an experienced baker, these banana oatmeal muffins will get you rave reviews in your kitchen!
My top tips for making these muffins include
- Use Very Ripe Bananas: Overripe bananas with dark spots or fully brown skins work best, as they provide natural sweetness and a moist texture.
- Don’t Skip the Oats: Use old-fashioned oats for a chewy texture that complements the banana flavor. Quick oats can alter the texture and may not absorb liquid as well.
- Perfect Crumb Topping: Ensure the crumb topping is mixed until it resembles coarse crumbs. This adds a sweet, crunchy layer to the muffins.
- Even Muffin Sizes: Fill the muffin cups evenly using an ice cream scoop.
If you are looking for a little variety, here is another tasty banana muffin recipe to try!
Banana Oat Muffin Ingredients
- Oats - Use old-fashioned oats or rolled oats. They have a thicker texture than quick oats and are perfect in this recipe.
- Flour - Regular all-purpose flour is used. Be certain to measure your flour using the fluff and scoop method.
- Bananas - The riper the bananas, the better. Choose very brown bananas. You’ll need 1½ cups of mashed bananas which is about 3 bananas.
- Sugar - Two types of sugar are used in this recipe. Granulated sugar is used in the muffin batter and brown sugar is used for the topping.
- Oil - The oil adds moisture and helps create a perfect crumb. Use a light-flavored oil like canola or vegetable oil.
- Spices - Ground cinnamon and nutmeg add the perfect amount of spice.
- Vanilla - Use pure vanilla for the best flavor.
- Leavening - One egg, baking powder, and baking soda are all used in this recipe.
How to make Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Mix the oatmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar in a large bowl.
- In a smaller bowl mix egg, oil, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and stir.
- Stir in mashed bananas.
- Fold together until well combined.
- Divide into 12 sprayed or lined muffin tins.
- Mix the remaining oats, melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Sprinkle topping over unbaked muffins.
- Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
You might also enjoy these muffins baked into a loaf of oatmeal banana bread.
How to store Banana Oat Muffins
Once the muffins are fully cool, store them in a single layer in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 3-4 days.
To freeze the muffins, place fully cool muffins in a freezer-safe container or bag in a single layer. Muffins are best used within 1-2 months.
Tips for making Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Use fresh baking powder - baking powder can lose its effectiveness and if old, your muffins might not rise properly.
- Fully preheat your oven - I use a separate oven thermometer in my oven to make certain my oven has reached the proper temperature. My preheat light often turns off before the oven has reached full temperature so I always give it extra time.
- Do not overmix batter. Just stir until everything is mixed in. Over-stirring can cause tough muffins.
- Use an ice cream scoop for even-sized muffins. Plus it makes putting the batter in the tins easy peasy!
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my muffin recipes!
Oatmeal Banana Muffins Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cups oats (old fashioned oats or rolled oats)
- 1 ¼ Cups flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 whole egg
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups ripe bananas, mashed (about 3-4 bananas)
Topping
- ½ cup oats (old fashioned oats)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl mix oatmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and sugar together.1 ½ Cups oats, 1 ¼ Cups flour, ½ cup sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, pinch ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a smaller bowl mix egg, oil and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and stir. The mixture will be very dry at this time.1 whole egg, ¼ cup oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Fold in bananas. Keep folding until all the dry ingredients are mixed in.1 ½ cups ripe bananas, mashed
- Divide into muffin tin that has been either lightly sprayed with a nonstick spray or lined with paper liners.
- In another bowl combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle over muffin batter.½ cup oats, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- Bake at 375°F for 18-20 minutes.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas. The peel should have lots of brown spots and the bananas should mash easily.
- When measuring flour, don't overpack the measuring cup. Fluff up flour with a spoon or scoop, and then gently scoop it into the measuring cup and then level the cup.
- The batter may be a bit dry if bananas are not fully ripe.
- If batter is too dry add 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
- Use old fashioned oats or quick oatmeal. Steel cut oats do not work for this recipe.
- The old fashioned oats will add texture to the muffins.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Mad about Muffins
SMi says
Unfortunately this recipe did not. workout for me. The muffins didnt rise and were dry. I added the milk in the batter as suggested but no luck.
Kathy says
I'm sorry these muffins did not work for you. Make certain you are using fresh baking powder. Also use very ripe bananas - that's your best bet for overcoming the dryness.
Victoria says
Has anyone tried this with Splenda instyof sugar?
Kathy says
Hi Victoria,
I have only made this recipe as written.
Kathy
Steph says
Hi there what kind of oil?
Kathy says
You could use canola or vegetable oil. Any light tasting oil should work fine.
Lana says
Delicious, and I even made them w Gluten Free Flour , added raisins and chocolate chips , didn’t do the topping and my husband loved them and he is not a banana person Thank You 🙏 5 stars but it stopped at 3 when I tried to rate it ? So I didn’t fuss
Kathy says
Hi Lana,
I love that you were able to make this for your non-banana loving husband and he loved them! Great to know that the gluten free flour worked too. I was having issues with my star rating and it only allowed 3 stars! Thanks for letting me know and it's now fixed.
Happy Baking! Kathy 🙂
Sophie says
Hi Kathy!!!
Me again! My family loved your recipe! thank you so much!!!
Now I just have to ask, is their a way I can adjust this recipe to large muffin pan?
Do i bake it in the same temp? just a little longer? thank you!!!
Kathy says
Hi Sophie,
Can you believe that I don't have a large muffin pan? I would probably lower the oven temperature by 15 degrees and increase the baking time by 10-15 minutes. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to make certain they are cooked all they way through.
I hope this works for you!
Kathy
Sierra says
Hey! I made these in a large muffin pan. I got exactly 6 muffins, and I cooked them an extra 5 minutes. I am convinced my oven runs a bit low... so I didn’t adjust the temp.
Sophie says
Hi Kathy,
Not sure if this has been asked, but I saw that you used quick cooking whole oats? Unfortunately I only have that another brand's Whole Rolled oats that cooks for 5 minutes. Is that ok too? Or is it necessary that I get the quick cook ones? Thank you so much!
Kathy says
Hi Sophie,
Regular rolled oats work just fine.
Enjoy!
Kathy
Sophie says
thank you for your reply!
i'm truly sorry for this but i have to ask, my husband wants more bananas... how much more bananas can I add without comprimising the recipe?
thank you in advance!
Kathy says
That's a really good question! I really don't know how many more you can add. I'd start with one additional banana and give it a try.
Good luck! 🙂
Di says
Excellent 😊 I cut the sugar in half. They were perfect! Just not fussy on too sweet, so it was only an experiment......not to be disrespectful to your recipe. I am putting this recipe right into my favourites’ file:)
5 stars! Di
Kathy says
Hi Di,
I love that you made this recipe work perfectly for you! Some like these muffins sweeter and some not so sweet. I'm glad they worked out for you. I appreciate your comment! 🙂
Kathy
Jill says
Made this recipe as I had 3 almost black bananas in the fruit bowl, best ever banana muffins, even hubby loved them and he’s not generally a cake type person. Will definitely make again, thanks.
Kathy says
Thanks, Jill! Bananas seem to turn so quickly and this is a great recipe to use them up! Thanks for leaving such a great comment! 🙂
Catherine says
I've been searching for the perfect banana muffin recipe! These are awesome! I added a few chocolate chips to half the batter. Substitutions that worked!!--I used gluten free flour, coconut oil, and half the sugar (coconut sugar).
Kathy says
Hi Catherine,
Thanks for your kind comment and letting us know about your substitutions. I like the addition of a few chocolate chips too! You just can't go wrong with adding a little chocolate. 🙂
Kathy
Debra says
I really liked that this recipe had cinnamon and nutmeg in it. I thought it was a little too sweet for my taste. Next time, I will cut the sugar in both the muffin mix and the topping. Otherwise, I really liked these muffins and will definitely be making them again.
Kathy says
Thanks you! I'm glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Marcy says
Made these this morning. Delicious! I added 1/2 c. Of peanut butter to the batter and made them in jumbo muffin tins. I might add a little more oil next time, but I will definitely be making these again!
Patti says
Easy, excellent recipe. I used 1/3 cup oil for moister texture. Also adding milk and/or a few dollops of sour cream creates moister batter. I added dark chocolate chips for a decadent treat!!
Kathy says
Hi Patti!
I love the idea of adding chocolate!!!
🙂
Robin says
I baked these this morning for my breakfast. Made a half recipe since I didn't have enough bananas, but it will be a full batch next time! They made my day!!! They are the best banana anything I've ever tasted! I used a GF flour and added walnuts and dark chocolate chips. They are the right consistency for moistness/density. They baked up nicely, puffed up, but not over the top of the liners. The crumbs are delicious; I love muffins with a crumb topping-just "tops it off"! Great recipe, will definitely use this in the future!
Kathy says
Thanks, Robin! The crumb topping is one of my favorite parts too!
Erica says
Love this recipe. I substitute about 1/2 cup wheat flour for white and pipe a cream cheese filling into the center. Yum. The whole family loves them.
Kathy says
That cream cheese filling sounds yummy! 🙂
Joyce Holland says
Kathy,
I tried your banana oatmeal recipe this morning and they are wonderful. I did add 1/4 cup of homemade applesauce. It was also a good time to test out my new RV Confection oven. Lower temp and in 16 minutes We were eating muffins! I can't wait to try some more of your recipes.
Kathy says
Hi Joyce,
Thanks so much for your comment! I've never tried baking in an RV oven - that sounds like it could be challenging! Glad you've figured it out. Happy Baking 🙂
Marie says
Made these this morning. I added chocolate chips, sour cream and a little milk. Very yummy!!!! Also, I ran out of oats, so my topping was honey oat cereal with turbando sugar. So good!!
Kathy says
What a clever idea! 🙂
Robyn Atkinson says
Enjoyed the muffins very much! I did need to add 2 Tbsp. of milk. Next time I may add mini chocolate chips or blueberries.
Kathy says
Those would be great additions! 🙂
Janice Pattie says
I love these muffins, such a great recipe. Thank you.
Kathy says
Thank you! I'm so glad you love them as much as we do! 🙂
Christine says
Hi Kathy
Made this recipe today used honey instead of sugar mine was a bit dry used 3 small bananas wondering if I should have used 4 instead or some other liquid like the apple sauce idea.
Kathy says
Hi Christine,
I have not tried using honey in place of the sugar before. I use medium sized banana when making these so if you were using small ones, I probably would have added an extra banana. The bananas do need to be very, very ripe. The riper they are, the more liquidy they become.
I make these muffins regularly and I don't have problems with them being dry. Use regular size very ripe bananas and you should be good!
Marla says
I was looking for a recipe that had a lot of oatmeal, this was the recipe. I did add 1/3 c oil vs 1/4c ,plus 1 TBS of milk because my batter was very dry. This made the batter more moist. I did use 3 very ripe bananas. They look exactly like your picture. We Loves the taste.
Kia says
This recipe is an absolute favorite in our house. I would love to make a loaf instead of muffins this time. Are there any suggested alterations to the recipe I should make? Or any suggestions on a bake time?
Kathy says
Hi Kia,
I have not made this into a loaf before, but now I am inspired! I think I will experiment this weekend and will get back to you! Thanks 🙂
Kathy says
Hi Kia,
I made this into a loaf this morning. I did add an extra egg and halved the topping. I baked in a loaf pan for one hour. This bread was good, but heavy. Wait until it's completely cooled before slicing otherwise it crumbles. I am going to experiment a bit more to lighten this up a bit.
Happy Baking! 🙂
Allison says
My nine year old son and I made these for today's life + math lesson. This recipe is DEFINITELY a keeper! I made a few tiny alterations, just based on personal preference -- 1/4 c. melted butter instead of oil, 1/4 c. brown sugar + 1/4 c. white sugar instead of all white sugar, and sub'd 1/2 c. of the white flour with whole wheat. (Nothing that would substantially alter the final product.) The muffins are delicious!!!
My other child multiple food allergies, including dairy and egg. This recipe could VERY easily be modified to suit his dietary needs by simply replacing the one egg with a 'flax egg' (or other egg substitute), and using coconut oil or dairy-free butter in the topping.
Kathy says
I love that you've got your son baking! That's the best lesson around. 🙂