Vegan Banana Oat Muffins

Fluffy, delicious vegan banana oat muffins you can customize with your favourite add-ins, like chocolate chips, blueberries, dried fruit, nuts, and more!

These quick and easy vegan muffins can be enjoyed at breakfast, brunch, or as a quick snack, and they can be made refined sugar-free and gluten-free if needed. Find all of the details below.

Bananas are a regular on my grocery list but despite my best intentions to finish them all while they are at their prime, I always end up with a few that become overripe.

So, when that inevitably happens, I bake delicious things since overripe bananas are exactly what you need to make the best baked banana recipes, like these delicious, fluffy vegan banana oat muffins!

These egg-free, dairy-free muffins are filled with flavour and since they're so easy to make and come together so quickly, you may just find yourself wanting to make them every time you have a few "less than perfect" bananas lying around.

If you want a few more vegan banana recipes in your collection to choose from, bookmark these to make next time you have a few overripe bananas just waiting to be used:

• Vegan Banana Cake
• Vegan Banana Cookies
• Vegan Banana Baked Oatmeal
• Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread
• Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake
• Vegan Banana Pancakes

Ingredients You'll Need

All you'll need to make these soft and fluffy muffins are basic ingredients. I've included notes and substitution info about each one below.

Ingredient and Substitution Notes

Flour - This recipe was developed and tested to be just vegan or vegan AND gluten-free, so you have two choices:

For vegan gluten-free banana oat muffins: Use Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend in the RED bag. Oat flour, almond flour, coconut flour or any other gluten-free flour on its own will not work, it must be this specific gluten-free flour blend to get the same results I do.

For vegan banana oat muffins: Use all-purpose white flour.

I haven't tested this recipe with any flour other than the two listed above.

NOTE: Measuring flour accurately for baking is essential to the recipe turning out as it should. Read this article: "How to Measure Flour Correctly" before you start.

Rolled Oats – You'll need old-fashioned rolled oats. If you need the muffins to be gluten-free, use certified gluten-free rolled oats.

Steel-cut oats and quick-cooking / instant oats / quick oats cannot be used; the texture of the muffins will not be correct.

Puréed Bananas – Use soft, overripe bananas. Bananas with lots of brown spots or brown bananas are the best for baking! Process them in a food processor, blender, or with a stick blender until no chunks remain. If you don't have a blender, mash the bananas well with a fork or potato masher until they reach a smooth, chunk-free consistency.

TIP: Avoid leaking bananas or those showing signs of mould. Also, steer clear of bananas that are still green or difficult to peel, as they are not ripe enough. Using underripe bananas will result in dry muffins that don't have proper flavour, sweetness, and texture.

Sugar – You can use either brown sugar or coconut sugar, but be aware that each requires a different quantity, so take note of this detail while preparing the recipe. I haven't experimented with liquid sweeteners such as pure maple syrup or agave or tried any sugar alternatives.

Oil - Use a neutral-flavoured vegetable oil, such as refined avocado, safflower or sunflower. Melted coconut oil can also be used, but ensure that the other ingredients are at room temperature to prevent solidification. I haven't tried making these muffins oil-free.

Flax Eggs – This recipe is made without eggs, so ground flax seeds and water are used to make flax eggs. Chia eggs can be instead of flax to keep the recipe eggless.

Baking Powder and Baking Soda - Make sure both of these ingredients are fresh, they are essential in helping the muffins rise and have the proper texture.

Cinnamon, Vanilla Extract, and Salt – These are all flavour enhancers and important for great-tasting muffins, don't leave any of them out.

Add-Ins of Your Choice - I used chocolate chips for the batch you see in the images, but you can use a different add-in such as raisins, chopped toasted nuts (like walnuts or pecans), dried cranberries, fresh blueberries, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds.

Not sure which brands make vegan chocolate chips? Read this article: "Are Chocolate Chips Vegan?" for a large list of recommendations to look for at your grocery store.

How to Make Them

(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step on how to make this recipe here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside.

2. Mix the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients to form the batter.

4. Fold the add-in you'll be using into the batter.

5. Using either a spoon or a trigger ice cream scoop, distribute the muffin batter evenly into your prepared muffin pan. Scooping even amounts ensures all muffins are the same size and that they will finish baking at the same time.

6. OPTIONAL: Sprinkle rolled oats or turbinado sugar on each muffin.

7. Bake.

8. Carefully remove the muffin tin from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes.

Next, remove the muffins from the muffin pan and place them on a wire rack to cool.

Serve warm or fully cooled and in case you want to have a hot drink alongside your muffins, how about an almond milk latte, a vegan chai latte, or a homemade vegan hot chocolate?

Storing and Freezing

Store your banana oatmeal muffins in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature for up to five days.

Freezing

Once they've cooled completely, tightly wrap them individually, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze them for up to two months.

When you're ready, thaw them at room temperature. Once thawed, if you'd like, you can warm them for a few seconds in the microwave before serving.

What's the Texture Like?

Made correctly, these muffins are soft and fluffy, the rolled oats add some extra texture.

To ensure yours turn out the same as mine, please follow the recipe exactly as it’s written. This applies to both versions of the recipe. Baking is indeed a science!

If you make any changes or substitutions, other than what is listed in the “Ingredient and Substitution Notes” section above, your muffins may not turn out as they should.

Tips for Success

• Measure and have all your ingredients ready to go before starting. This will make the process run smoothly, quickly, and easily.
• Measure your ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a scale (this is the one I have) and my weight measurements. Please read my article about how to measure flour correctly.
• Use the same flour I use. If you're making the vegan gluten-free version, keep in mind that vegan gluten-free baking can be tricky because different flours and blends produce extremely different results. To get the same outcome I do, please use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (in the RED bag!).
• Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh. If they aren't fresh, your muffins will end up dense and chewy.
• Use a trigger ice cream scoop to add the batter to the muffin pan. This ensures that each muffin will be almost identical in size and that they finish baking at the same time.
• Take extra care not to over-bake or your muffins will be dry.
• Read this post from top to bottom before you start. I’ve shared many tips throughout so you get everything right. Also, read through the full recipe before getting started.
• Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.

If You Make This Recipe...

Let me know! You can do that by leaving a comment below and you can also post a picture on Instagram and tag me so I can see the muffins! (I'm @delightfuladventures on Instagram)

If You Like This Recipe...

You may also like these other vegan muffin recipes:

• Vegan Applesauce Muffins
• Vegan Oatmeal Muffins
• Vegan Apple Oatmeal Muffins
• Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
• Vegan Sweet Potato Muffins