If you read my blog, you know that sometimes, when Trader Joe’s has produce in bulk for a really good price, I buy it. Then, I am stuck with tons of produce wondering, “what in tarnation am I going to do with all this?”
This is the burden I have to bear as a girl who loves both food and bargains.
So now I find myself with a surplus of blueberries and peaches. So I made these DELICIOUS Banana Blueberry Oat Muffins, made with 100% whole grains and absolutely no refined sugar!
It’s a good thing I bought blueberries in bulk because it took me several attempts to get this right. Baking with whole grains is much different than baking with all-purpose flour.
For one thing, whole grain baked goods can come out fairly dense. I have found that the biggest thing that helps avoid this is to not over-mix the batter.
When you hear cooks on TV saying “stir until just combined,” they mean it. The more you mix, the denser it will be.
So when you add the flour and oats to the wet ingredients, make sure you only just combine it, and then gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
A note about over-ripe bananas: please, please, whenever you have bananas about to go bad, don’t throw them out! Put them in your freezer until you want to use them for muffins, bread, or banana chia seed pancakes.
Freeze them whole, and when you need to use them, microwave for 45 seconds and remove the fruit from the peel. The peel will turn black and look unappetizing, but the inside is soft, sweet, and perfect for baking.
While we are on the subject of freezers, these muffins can be frozen for up to 6 months in an airtight container or bag. When you want one, simply remove from the freezer and microwave for 30 seconds to one minute for a quick and easy breakfast.
To serve, I recommend cutting the muffin in half, spreading butter on it, and grilling cut-side down for a couple of minutes in a cast iron skillet.
Hey, there has to be butter somewhere, right?
The result will be a toasty, buttery, crunchy outside with a soft, warm inside. Yum, I think I will go make one right now!
Of course, they are delicious on their own as well :-)
Now I have to think of something to do with those peaches… peach cobbler?
Any other ideas?
Banana Blueberry Oat Muffins (made with whole wheat flour and honey)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 2 ripened mashed bananas
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 cups whole wheat flour pastry flour is best
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1.5 cups fresh blueberries or other berry, see notes about using frozen
- turbinado sugar if desired, for topping muffins
Instructions
- Add coconut oil (1/2 cup) and honey (1/4 cup) to large mixing bowl. If coconut oil is solid, microwave for 15 seconds, until honey and oil are softened.
- Cream together with a mixer on high speed.
- Add eggs (2) and Greek yogurt (1/2 cup). Mix together until very well combined.
- Add the 2 mashed bananas, vanilla (1 teaspoon), cinnamon (1 teaspoon), pinch of nutmeg, baking powder (1 teaspoon), baking soda (1 teaspoon), and salt (1/2 teaspoon). Mix until well combined.
- Add flour and oats- stir until just combined.
- Fold berries (1.5 cups) in to mixture.
- Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners; fill each cup evenly with mixture.
- Sprinkle the tops of each muffin with turbinado sugar (optional).
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Video
Notes
- Storage: These muffins can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for 5 days. They can be frozen in an airtight container or bag for up to 3 months.
- Not a fan of coconut oil? Extra-virgin olive oil can be used instead. Substitute the same amount.
- Honey Substitute: You can also use brown or white sugar, or maple syrup, instead of honey.
- You can use frozen berries for this, but keep in mind, it's likely that the muffins will be more colored blue/purple.
- To make them gluten-free: you can use a gluten-free flour mix substituted with a 1:1 ratio (I have not tried this personally, but I have readers who have substituted with no problem).
- For a dairy-free version, use your favorite dairy-free yogurt.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Kelie
Great recipe! Making my second batch tonight! Barely lasted a day😂
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked them!
Lou
THE perfect muffin recipe!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Julia T
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I just tried it today and all I want to do was giving you a 5 star ratings because the muffins were so so delicious!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked them!
Neha
Just tried these w/ flax meal as eggreplacer. They turned out great – light yet filling. I suppose if I had read the comments here before-hand, I should have added some walnuts but the measurements and ingredients already listed were just right too. Thanks!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad these worked for you, and great to know the flax meal worked well as an egg replacer! Thanks for the tip.
April
Just made these! So delicious and I love how healthy they are. I used 1/2 cup white flour and one cup whole wheat flour and they turned out perfectly. Thanks for the great recipe!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked them!
Rukmini Sunil
Hi! Thank you for this recipe, looks delish, can’t wait to try them. Will the muffins still rise okay if I add some chopped walnuts to it?
Thanks!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yes, I think that would be fine! I would add about 1/2 cup – 3/4 cup of finely chopped walnuts. These muffins are very forgiving :-)
Rukmini Sunil
Awesome! Thank you. :)
Janet
I love this recipe! I make it all the time. It’s easy, healthy and delicious! I didn’t have enough blueberries today, so I made up the difference with fresh chopped peaches. Delicious!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yum! Love the idea of adding peaches. Glad you like the recipe!
Alysia Song
Hi. This recipe looks great. Can I replace the flour with just oat flour?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’ve never tried it, but the recipe is really forgiving, so I think it would work! If you try it, I’d love to know how it comes out.
Zara
These came out perfect and taste amazing! I’ve been looking for a healthier banana muffin recipe, but they always add sugar or white flour. Absolutely love these and will continue making them. Thank you for sharing :)
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked them!
Ivana
Amazing muffins!!! Best I have ever had! Thank you for sharing.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked them!
Julie
Love this recipe. I would like to make it again today. Unfortunately, my bananas are still green. Can I substitute the bananas for applesauce? How much applesauce? Thank you!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Sorry for the delay- hope you were able to figure out a solution! Hm, I’ve never tried subbing the bananas with applesauce, but I think it might be worth a shot since this muffin recipe is very forgiving. I would probably use 1 cup applesauce total for this recipe. Hope that helps!
Jessica
I’m from the UK and have tried lots of different recipes that are ‘healthy’ but they never seem to work. They aren’t sweet enough or they’re too dense, so I was sceptical trying this but decided to bite the bullet. I’m glad I did because they were amazing! I do own cup measurements so followed the recipe almost exactly, except I used 113g of butter instead of coconut oil and used wholemeal self-raising flour (which because it contains baking powder, I omitted adding the baking powder in the recipe as well) but kept the baking soda (called bicarbonate soda over here) in and they rose beautifully. I also added crushed walnuts and brown sugar to the top of the mixture for a crunchy sweet texture. Really delicious! They rose well and weren’t at all dense. Filling too, and just enough sweetness.
Tips:
I will say that when you taste the wet mixture it doesn’t taste that sweet but when it’s cooked it is sweet enough. I was also worried because when I beat the eggs into the mixture it looked scrambled, but don’t worry and keep going with it.
In the UK we use celsius not fahrenheit so if you have a convection oven bake at 190C. I have a fan oven so I baked at 170C for 22 minutes and they were perfect!
Thanks for the great recipe!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad these were a success for you, and thanks so much for sharing your tips!
Tai
I substituted 1/2 cup of the flour with 1/3 cup plant-based protein powder and I’m really happy with the results. I also used frozen blueberries and you’re right, the muffins were pretty dark colored but I don’t mind. I think next time I may add a little more oats and decrease the honey a bit to make them even healthier, but they were delicious as is! Thanks for the recipe.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oh wow, what a clever idea to replace some of the flour with protein powder! Glad that worked out for you and thanks for the tip!
Sarah
These are great and the recipe is very forgiving! I substituted coconut sugar for honey, homemade (very runny) yogurt for Greek yogurt, and whole wheat bread flour and measured/guesstimated just about everything with the wrong size measuring cups because the ones I needed were in the dishwasher. And they’re great! I’ll definitely come back to this recipe and try some of the other modifications.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked them and happy to hear your substitutions went well- thanks for sharing these tips!
Kristina
I made these tonight because I had blueberries my toddler wasn’t going to eat and bananas getting quite ripe. I used white whole wheat flour and they came out light and fluffy but crunchy in the outside (I used a dark nonstick muffin pan). I recommend tossing the blueberries with a little flour to make sure they don’t sink. I added chopped dried apricots too up the iron factor. I love that they’re not super sweet…just the right hint without tasting too much like honey. I’m wondering how to add flax meal in without changing the texture.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked them and thanks for the tip about tossing the blueberries in flour! The darkness of your muffin pan may have contributed to them overcooking a bit on the outside- did you line the muffin cups with liners? That may help. Flax meal may change the texture as it absorbs liquid quite a bit- you may want to consider replacing the eggs with “flax eggs-” have you ever tried that? It’s a nifty trick used in vegan baked goods. Here’s a good resource that may help! https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-a-flax-egg/
Elaine
Can you bake this in a square pan for how long?
Elizabeth Lindemann
That’s a great question. I haven’t tried it personally, but I would probably use a 9×13 pan instead of square (otherwise it may be too much batter). Bake as directed for 20 minutes or so and then check it- if a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the batter is clearly set and doesn’t wiggle or anything, you’ll know it’s done! My guess is that it will more likely take about 30 minutes. If you try it, I’d love to know how it comes out!
Selma
The whole family including my teens loved them so they are disappearing rather quickly! Thank you for a quick, easy to make, and healthy recipe.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you and your family liked them!
Susan DiJohnson
When I took the muffins out of the muffin tins (using paper liners) there was seepage of what appeared to be coconut oil at the bottom of each muffin liner and pan. I would recommend using foil liners when making these, which I will use next time. Other than that I love the fact that they are healthy (no butter, no refined flour, oats, yogurt, coconut oil, yeah) and not too sweet, I always decrease the amount of sugar/sweetener in my recipes anyway. Seeing only 1/4 cup made me happy. And I will slightly increase the spices next time. I love being able to taste cinnamon and nutmeg in my baked goods. Thank you.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Good idea about foil liners to avoid a mess! Glad you liked them :-)
Lindsy Saldivar
I never leave comments, but wanted to say I expected these to be flat and dense like every other whole-wheat muffin I’ve made, so I was happily surprised that these turned out pretty fluffy! I used a bunch of substitutions since I am out of everything right now, but these are delicious and pretty. I sprinkled oats on top before cooking.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So happy you liked them, and I love that idea of sprinkling oats on top for a little more texture!
Emily
So good, thank you! These are perfect for everything from busy, on the go mornings with kiddos to sipping coffee on a lazy Saturday. I truly appreciate the health factor!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yay! So happy you like them!
Bri
My step daughter and I made these today, They are so good!! Easy and quick to make, we had all the ingredients on hand, healthy with NO REFINED SUGAR, yet totally sweet, moist, and really delicious. Eat them for breakfast or for dessert! 😍
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’m so happy to hear you liked these! Thanks so much :-)
Hannah
I’ve been using this as a base recipe for healthy toddler muffins for almost a year now. First time, I made it exactly as written, which was excellent. Now I add veggies (spinach and grated carrots) to the wet ingredients and blend well, and I’ve subbed homemade applesauce for the honey. I also sprinkle the top with chia seeds instead of sugar. My toddler loves them and demands more every time!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oh wow I LOVE the idea of adding veggies!! Can’t wait to try that! So glad you like the recipe :-)
Kristina
Do you know what amounts of veggies you add and do you adjust the other ingredients? I make other veggie muffins for my toddler but they’re sweeter, so I’d love to try these with veggies, too!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hm, I think you wouldn’t have to adjust the other ingredients as long as most of the liquid was gone from the veggies! If you add spinach, I recommend using frozen spinach, defrosting it, and squeezing as MUCH water out as humanly possible. I’d probably add about 1/2 cup of spinach. For zucchini, how about these zucchini muffins? They’re very similar to these muffins but with zucchini instead of blueberries: https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/healthy-zucchini-muffins/
Hannah
Hello! I did not adjust the other ingredients, but I did bake maybe 5-10 minutes longer. No exact measurements but I used roughly two handfuls of fresh baby spinach finely chopped, and two medium carrots, grated. In my earlier comment, I said I’d blended them into the wet ingredients, which worked fine, but the last couple batches, I got lazy and just threw them in, and I think it worked even better!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad to hear that worked for you! Thanks for the tip!
Kathi
Made these .. I was looking for another muffin for a quick meal or snack ( depending on what size I make them) I was making the protein banana peanut butter dark chocolate chip ones.
I made these they were much fluffier and sweet as others no honey.
I added peanut butter and instead of 1 1/2 cups wheay flower I did 1cup garbanzo flour and 1/2cup(two scoops) plain vanilla protein powder.
On top I used chia seeds.
I was looking for a muffin to give me.more protein and taste good well they sure hit the spot.
Thank you
Elizabeth Lindemann
Glad you liked them, and thanks for sharing your modifications!