Mini Banana Oatmeal Muffins (gluten-free, dairy-free)
Mini Banana Oatmeal Muffins- Made with fiber-packed rolled oats and naturally sweetened, these muffins make the perfect healthy lunchbox treat! (gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free)
School starts back next week here in Georgia and I can hardly believe it! For me this means back to the lunchbox grind, trying to figure out what nutritious foods I can put in my son’s lunchbox that he will actually eat. It’s an ongoing battle, friends.
Thankfully these muffins have been a favorite of his and I feel pretty good about making them for him. Yes, they have sugar and yes, that is why he is willing to eat them. But they are naturally sweetened (which means antioxidants!) and packed with fiber, plus a little protein to help stabilize his blood sugar.
They come together super quick and stay good in the freezer for a while so you can prep them in advance if needed. Let me show you how to make them!
Mini Banana Oatmeal Muffin Ingredients + Substitutions
- Rolled Oats- Old fashioned or quick oats both work here. Be sure they are certified gluten-free for allergies. If you want to make the muffins in a bowl rather than a blender, you can replace the oats with equal amounts of oat flour.
- Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt- I like to use baking powder and baking soda for super fluffy muffins but you can leave out the baking powder, if desired. Salt helps balance the sweetness. You can omit the salt if your nut or seed butter is salted.
- Ground Cinnamon- Optional but good for flavor and balancing blood sugar.
- Banana- Be sure to use a ripe banana for best results.
- Egg- If you want a vegan version of these muffins check out my vegan banana oatmeal blender muffins. You can halve the recipe to make it into mini muffins.
- Nut Butter- My family loves peanut butter in these but you can use almond butter or cashew butter. To make them nut-free, sub equal amounts tahini or melted (and cooled) coconut oil. Sunflower butter would also work but it may turn the muffins green.
- Pure Maple Syrup- Honey or agave nectar can be used in place of the maple syrup, if desired.
- Non-Dairy Milk- Any kind of milk works here.
- Chocolate Chips- Enjoy Life makes mini chocolate chips that work perfect in this recipe.
How to Make Mini Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Combine wet ingredients in the bottom of a high speed blender (or a bowl).
- Add the dry ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
- Spoon batter into mini muffin tin.
- Bake in oven for 15 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
How to Make them without a blender
- Mash banana by hand then whisk together with wet ingredients.
- Add oat flour (in place of rolled oats) and remaining dry ingredients to the wet.
- Stir until a smooth batter forms. Add chocolate chips and stir together.
- Spoon into muffin tin. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.
How to Make them Nut-free
You can use tahini or melted and cooled coconut oil in place of the peanut butter. Sunflower butter is another option but it may turn the muffins green.
More Kid-Friendly Recipes to Try
- Grain-free Lemon Coconut Energy Bites
- Strawberry Protein Pudding
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Oatmeal Cookies
- Oatmeal Cookie Energy Bites
- Zucchini Oat Waffles
- Super Green Baby Led Weaning Pancakes
Mini Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Made with fiber-packed rolled oats and naturally sweetened, these muffins make the perfect healthy lunchbox treat! (gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free)
Servings: 16 mini muffins
Ingredients
- 1 medium to large ripe banana
- 1 whole egg, preferably pasture raised
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup, or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup natural creamy peanut butter, ingredients should be just roasted peanuts; see notes for substitutions
- 1 cup rolled oats, be sure to use certified GF oats for allergies; see notes for tips to make these without a blender
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt, I prefer ½ teaspoon for a saltier flavor; omit if using salted peanut butter
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips, Enjoy Life makes my favorite dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or line a mini muffin tin for 16 muffins then set aside.
- In the bowl of a blender, add the wet ingredients first (bananas, milk, maple syrup and peanut butter). Next layer the dry ingredients (rolled oats, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, and salt). Blend on high until oats are broken down and a smooth batter forms. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
- Using an ice cream scoop or ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop the batter into the muffin tin, filling each about ¾ of the way full. Sprinkle with a few more chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool completely then serve and enjoy! Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition Facts are for 1 mini muffin. They are an estimate and may vary depending on specific ingredients you choose.
If you don’t have a high speed blender you can easily make these by using equal amounts oat flour and combining the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in two separate bowls. Then you just add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet and stir to combine.
To make the muffins nut-free, sub tahini or melted (and cooled) coconut oil for equal amounts of peanut butter.
Nutrition
Calories: 81kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 62mg, Potassium: 101mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 41IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 27mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!
