Description
Healthy Banana Nut Muffins are soft and hearty, with bananas and walnuts, and wholesome ingredients including steel-cut oats and whole wheat flour. They come together in just one bowl with vegan, gluten-free and nut-free options included.
Ingredients
- 1 cup steel-cut oats
- 1 cup unsweetened nut milk
- 2 large overripe bananas, mashed (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup raw chopped walnuts
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the oats and milk and let soak overnight (or for at least 5-6 hours).
- Pre-heat oven to 425F and grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
- To the bowl of soaked oats, add the mashed bananas, egg, oil and honey. Whisk until combined. Add in the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and stir until the dry ingredients are well incorporated. Fold in the walnuts.
- Divide batter evenly into the cups of the muffin pan. The cups will almost be full. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container on the counter or freeze for later enjoyment.
Notes
- Nut-free version – substitute dairy milk for nut milk, and replace the walnuts with pumpkin seeds, raisins or chocolate chips.
- Gluten-free version – substitute the whole wheat flour for gluten-free flour and make sure your oats are certified gluten-free. The texture will be a little different, and the muffin tops will turn out a little crackly instead of dome-shaped.
- Vegan version – replace the honey with maple syrup and use a flax egg instead of an egg.
- If you’re pressed for time, or don’t have steel-cut oats, you can use quick cooking rolled oats and soak them for 30-60 minutes. They won’t create the same nutty texture, but they still work well in this recipe.
- If you don’t have coconut sugar, you can substitute brown sugar. And if you don’t have whole wheat flour, you can use all-purpose white flour. Just note that these substitutions will make the muffins a little less healthy.
- Dark coloured muffin pans tend to brown the muffins faster, especially on the bottom. So if you’re using a dark pan, just keep an eye on the muffins as they near the end of their bake time.
- Total time in the recipe card includes time for the oats to soak.
- Be sure to check out the other sections above the recipe card for more detailed advice and suggestions for making this recipe.
