3 Ingredient Banana Oat Muffins (Vegan, Oil-free, GF)

3 ingredient banana oat muffins that are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and delicious! Make them in minutes and vary them in countless ways.

The Best (& Healthiest) Banana Oat Muffins

In the meantime, I’m holding one of my vegan and gluten-free banana oat muffins.

These scrumptious muffins have been an especially popular breakfast of late for both my husband and 4-year-old, but oatmeal is too good to save for breakfast alone. Which explains (at least, in part) why I’m nibbling one at 9 o’clock at night as I type with my free hand.

Recipe Benefits

You may have had oatmeal, or banana, or banana-oatmeal muffins before now. But were they made without gluten? Or eggs? And only natural sugars? Ha, I got you! They are so easy to make.

 Here is a brief summary of features:

• Gluten-free
• Vegan (egg-free & dairy-free)
• No refined sugars
• Fast & easy to make
• Very high in fiber
• 3 grams protein per muffin
• Frugal
• Only 98 calories per big muffin

They are so delicious, too: tender, faintly sweet, filling, and energizing.

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.

• Rolled Oats (or Oat Flour)
• Very Rip Bananas
• Baking Powder (certified gluten-free, as needed)
• Optional: salt

You can add all variety of add-ins to the recipe, too. See below, or in the recipe card notes, for suggestions.

Use Very Ripe Bananas 

Brown bananas–even almost black, weepy, borderline scary bananas–are exactly what you need to make these great muffins. The natural sugars intensify, so much so that it is easier to control (or, in some cases, eliminate) extra sugar.

Step by Step Instructions

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

Step One: Preheat Oven and Prepare Muffin Pan

Preheat oven to 350F (180C) . Line 12 cups of a standard size muffin tin with silicone, paper or foil liners.

Step Two: Process Oats Into Flour

Reserve 2 tablespoons of the oats. In a blender, process the remaining oats into a very fine flour. (Alternatively, use, 2 cups (240 g) ready-to-use oat flour instead of grinding oats into a flour).

Step Three: Make the Muffin Batter

In a medium bowl, whisk the oat flour, baking powder and optional salt. Place the peeled bananas into the blender (no need to clean it after blending the oats). Process until bananas are completely smooth.

Add the bananas to the oat flour mixture. Stir until completely combined. If adding any stir-ins, stir them in now.

Step Four: Portion the Batter

Divide the muffin batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with reserved oats.

Step Five: Bake the Muffins

Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 11 to 15 minutes minutes until golden brown and the centers are firm to the touch.

Step Six: Cool the Muffins

Cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes and then remove from muffin tin.

Flavor Variations

Bananas + oats=comforting flavor, but you can also think of this muffin recipe as a blank slate, ready for all of your flavor and add-in customizations.

• Spices: Add 1/4 to 1 teaspoon of your favorite spice, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, ginger, or pumpkin pie spice. Or add a combination of spices (no more than 1 teaspoon total).
• Dried Fruit: Add up to 1/3 cup of chopped dried fruit, such as raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots, dried cherries, dried blueberries, or dried figs.
• Chocolate: Add up to 1/3 cup of your favorite chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, or add 2 tbsp cacao nibs.
• Nuts or Seeds: Add up to 1/3 cup chopped nuts or seeds, such as walnuts, pecans, peanuts, pepitas, or sunflower seeds. Alternatively, sprinkle a few nuts or seeds on top before baking.
• Extracts or Zests: Add a tsp vanilla extract, almond extract or lemon extract. Or add one to two teaspoons of finely grated lime zest, lemon zest or orange zest.

Tips for Success

Use Very Finely Ground Oat Flour: Use purchased oat flour or grind your own (using rolled oats–old fashioned or quick oats–in a blender (see below). Note that food processors will not grind oats to the superfine consistency needed for this recipe.

Weigh Peeled Very Ripe Bananas for Quantity: The amount of bananas, by weight, is for peeled bananas (as indicated). The same weight for unpeeled bananas would not be nearly enough. The bananas should be very ripe so that they liquify when blended.

Storage for 3 Ingredient Banana Oat Muffins

Store the cooled muffins in an airtight container at (cool) room temperature for 3 days, the refrigerator for 1 week, or the freezer for up to 6 months.

You are going to love everything about these 3 ingredient banana oat muffins. Your assorted friends will love them. Persnickety family members will, too. Your otherwise nonchalant co-workers will ask for the recipe. Here’s to muffins!

Happy baking!

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