These healthy banana nut muffins are soft, lightly sweet, and easy to make, using simple pantry ingredients for a wholesome, make-ahead breakfast.
For more easy breakfast recipes, check out our Greek yogurt chia pudding, apple sauce muffins, banana chia pudding with Greek yogurt, and healthy blueberry muffins.
Why you’ll love these banana nut muffins!
These healthy banana nut muffins are our go-to when we want something that truly feels satisfying. Louise and I love them because they’re substantial and nourishing, not light and cake-like like many muffins tend to be. One or two is enough to feel well fed 🍌
What makes them special is the oats. We don’t soak them on purpose. We love the chewy texture they add and how they make them feel hearty and comforting. Add ripe bananas, Greek yogurt, and walnuts, and you get healthy banana muffins with oats that taste simple and real 🧁
They’re made with pantry staples and come together easily in one bowl. No oil, no butter, and gently sweetened with honey — perfect if you’re looking for banana nut muffins without oil that still taste great 💚
P.S. If you’re looking for more oil- and butter-free muffins, try our high-fiber muffins, sweet potato oatmeal muffins, or oil-free carrot cake muffins.
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Bananas: ripe bananas add moisture and natural sweetness. Extra-ripe bananas work best.
- Egg: helps bind the batter and gives structure. Substitute a flax egg if needed.
- Greek yogurt: keeps these banana nut muffins with Greek yogurt moist and tender. Use low-fat Greek yogurt or Skyr for a more protein-rich muffin.
- Honey: gently sweetens and pairs well with bananas. Substitute maple syrup or regular sugar if preferred.
- Vanilla extract: adds warmth and depth. Optional, but recommended.
- Rolled oats: add chewiness and fiber, making these banana oat muffins healthy and satisfying. Quick oats also work.
- Flour: all-purpose flour gives the softest texture. Substitute whole wheat flour or a gluten-free blend.
- Cinnamon: adds gentle spice. Swap with nutmeg or pumpkin spice.
- Baking powder: helps the muffins rise and stay fluffy.
- Baking soda: works with the yogurt to lift the batter.
- Salt: balances sweetness and flavor.
- Walnuts: add crunch and healthy fats. Pecans or almonds also work well in banana nut muffins for breakfast.
How to Make Banana Nut Muffins
Step 1: Prep the pan and oven
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil a non-stick 12-cup muffin pan, or line the pan and spray the liners with oil so the muffins don’t stick. These muffins are very sticky. Do not skip this.
Step 2: Mash and mix the wet ingredients
Mash the ripe bananas in a large bowl until mostly smooth. Add the egg, Greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla. Whisk until creamy and well mixed.
Step 3: Stir in the dry ingredients
Add the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir gently until you don’t see dry flour. Don’t overmix. Fold in the walnuts. This is how you get naturally sweetened banana muffins with a tender bite.
Step 4: Fill the muffin cups
Spoon the batter into the pan. Try to divide it evenly between the 12 cups. A spoon or small ice cream scoop makes this easier.
Step 5: Bake and cool
Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20–25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then move to a rack to cool fully. If you use paper liners, they peel best once completely cool.
Tips
- Use very ripe bananas. Brown spots mean more flavor and natural sweetness.
- Do not skip oiling the pan or liners. These muffins are sticky and will cling if the pan is dry. We find a non-stick muffin pan brushed with a little olive oil works best.
- Stir the batter gently and briefly. Overmixing makes muffins dense instead of soft.
- Leave the oats unsoaked. This keeps the muffins chewy and hearty, not mushy.
- Fill the muffin cups evenly so they bake at the same speed.
- Check doneness with a toothpick in the center, not the edge.
- Let the muffins cool completely before removing or peeling liners. They release more easily once cool.
- These muffins taste even better the next day, after the flavors settle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. They also freeze well.
Yes. Let the muffins cool completely, then freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently.
These muffins are oil-free, so they’re naturally sticky. A non-stick muffin pan brushed with oil works best, or lightly spray the liners.
Yes. This recipe uses honey and ripe bananas for sweetness, so there’s no refined sugar needed.
Absolutely. Just leave the walnuts out, or replace them with chocolate chips, raisins, or seeds if you like.
Yes. Quick oats work well and give a slightly softer texture.
More Simple Breakfast Recipes to Try
- Banana pancakes
- Blueberry overnight oats with Greek yogurt
- Greek scrambled eggs
- Oatmeal pancakes
- Apple cinnamon overnight oats
- Banana overnight oats with Greek yogurt
- Blueberry chia pudding
- Banana chocolate muffins
If you try this Banana Nut Muffins Recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments—we love hearing from you.
Healthy Banana Nut Muffins (No Oil, With Greek Yogurt and Oats)
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup honey sub ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats or quick oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- ¾ cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). These muffins are very sticky, so lightly oil a 12-cup non-stick muffin pan OR spray the liners with oil to prevent sticking.
- Mash 3 ripe bananas in a large bowl until smooth, using a fork or potato masher.Add 1 large egg, ½ cup Greek yogurt, ¼ cup honey, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients: 1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 pinch salt. Stir gently. Fold in ¾ cup walnuts.
- Fill the muffin pan with the batter, dividing it evenly between 12 cups.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20–25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from the pan.
Notes
- Bananas → Extra-ripe bananas work best. Thawed frozen bananas also work.
- Egg → Use a flax egg if needed.
- Greek yogurt → Low-fat Greek yogurt or Skyr for more protein. Plain dairy-free yogurt also works.
- Honey → Maple syrup or regular sugar.
- Vanilla extract → Optional, or swap with almond extract.
- Rolled oats → Quick oats for a softer texture.
- All-purpose flour → Whole wheat flour or a gluten-free flour blend.
- Cinnamon → Nutmeg or pumpkin spice.
- Walnuts → Pecans, almonds, seeds, or leave them out.
- Use very ripe bananas for the best flavor and natural sweetness.
- Oil the pan or liners well. These muffins are sticky; a non-stick pan brushed with olive oil works best.
- Mix gently. Overmixing makes muffins dense.
- Don’t soak the oats. This keeps them nice and chewy, not mushy.
- Fill cups evenly so the muffins bake at the same pace.
- Test the center with a toothpick, not the edge.
- Cool completely before removing. They release more easily.
- Even better the next day once the flavors settle.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We're here to share easy, healthy, and delicious recipes 🌿✨.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
This looks very good. Is it possible to cook this recipe in a crock pot/slow cooker on low and if so, how long? I don’t have a kitchen or an oven but would love to be able to cook some of your yummy sounding baked goods. I have a crock pot and have read some people cook cornbread and breads in them. Can you help?
Hi Catherine,
We haven’t tested this recipe in a crock pot ourselves, but it should work based on how similar muffin batters behave in slow cookers. You won’t get a golden top, but the inside should still cook through.
If you want to try it, here is what I recommend:
Grease the crock pot very well or line it with parchment (the batter is sticky).
Add the batter (silicone muffin cups work best if you have them).
Place a clean kitchen towel under the lid to catch condensation.
Cook on LOW for about 2–2½ hours, checking around the 2-hour mark with a toothpick.
Cooking times can vary by slow cooker. If you give it a try, we’d love to hear how it turns out — it may help other readers too 😊
Kindest, Louise
These would be great for a quick breakfast or snack. They look really good. I’m assuming they can be frozen? How long will they be good for?
Hi Renee,
Thank you so much for your comment. Yes, they really do work well for a quick breakfast or snack.
They also freeze very well. Once completely cooled, store the muffins in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To enjoy, just thaw at room temperature or warm gently.
Hope you love them!
5 stars! Substituted Splenda for honey (husband is diabetic). Substituted Nutmeg for Cinnamon, I cannot tolerate cinnamon (darn it!)
The muffins are delicious! A KEEPER in my recipe file!! Thank you for sharing!
I love a healthy meal that still tastes great
Love the recipe is quick, easy and very healthy
Thank you for sharing.
I’m glad you enjoyed how quick and healthy they are 🙂
While this looks interesting, without more information about the Greek yogurt I can’t possibly make it.
Are you talking about sweetened or unsweetened? What kind of Greek yogurt you use will obviously make a significant difference in the final product’s taste.
But you just say Greek yogurt in the ingredients list.
Hi Joe,
Thanks for clarifying. We use plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt in this recipe. Sweetened yogurt will work too, but it will make the muffins noticeably sweeter. I appreciate you pointing this out. Kindest,
Louise
Hello Louise n Nico
Can I make these banana nut muffins with almond flour instead of AP?
Thankyou for all your wonderful recipes!
Best wishes
Donna
Hi Donna, thanks so much!
Almond flour won’t work as a 1:1 substitute here because it absorbs moisture very differently and will make the muffins too soft. If you need a gluten-free option, a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend would probably work better. I hope this helps 🙂
Kindest,
Louise
Delicious! Have you tried subbing applesauce for the bananas? Also what is the quantity if either bananas or applesauce in cups?
Hi Lindy,
Yes we tried that – and because so many others asked the same question, we created a separate recipe called applesauce muffins: https://theplantbasedschool.com/applesauce-muffins/
All the best,
Louise
I am going to use this recipe.
Easy to make and good for you
Wonderful, Roberta, I’m very happy you gave the muffins a try.
Thanks so much for baking with us 🙂