I’m partnering with Bob’s Red Mill® to bring you today’s recipe! I absolutely love all of their products, especially their flours and oats, and use them every day. Bob’s Red Mill products are so perfect for baking!
Throughout my childhood, my mom mainly baked two things from scratch: chocolate chip cookies and banana muffins. She followed the recipe on the back of the bright yellow bag of chocolate chips for the cookies, but for the muffins, she pulled out a faded card from her recipe binder with my dad’s handwriting scrawled across it in black ink.
He had created that recipe during graduate school, and it called for fairly normal ingredients, like flour, oil, sugar, eggs, and a couple of extremely ripe bananas. With such simple and straightforward instructions, Mom mixed up a batch a few times when we ended up with extra fruit ripening on the counter.
Although I only ate lemon poppy seed muffins back then, I still bravely tried one the first time she baked those banana muffins. I hated “bits” in my food (like onions in spaghetti sauce or even blueberries in pancakes!), but Mom reassured me that the muffins contained no bits… Only thoroughly mashed, and therefore completely undetectable, bananas.
After I fell in love with my first bite, Mom taught me how to break them open while still hot and fresh from the oven, then place a little pat of butter on each half and watch as it melted into the warm muffins. I also learned that they tasted just as delicious, if not even better, the following day after spending the night sealed inside of an airtight container in the fridge, which let the flavors meld and intensify, while also giving the muffins an even softer and sweeter film across their tops, almost as if you had brushed a little honey on their domes.
After a trip back home for the holidays and a search through Mom’s recipe binder to find Grandma’s fruitcake recipe, I came across Dad’s banana muffins recipe too. But because Dad’s original recipe didn’t exactly fall in the “healthy” category…
I decided to create my own healthier version back at my house, which resulted in these Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins! They’re just as moist and fluffy as the ones from my childhood, and just as easy to make too, but these contain no refined flour or sugar. Even better, they’re 136 calories!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY BANANA OATMEAL MUFFINS
So let’s go over how to make these healthy banana chocolate chip oatmeal muffins!
You’ll actually start with Bob’s Red Mill® Organic Quick Cooking Rolled Oats. I absolutely love these oats — and not just because I always feel good about eating wholesome organic ingredients! These quick cooking oats are smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats, which means they cook faster and soften better… And that leads to supremely moist and tender muffins!
Then to make sure your healthy banana chocolate chip oatmeal muffins turn out as moist and fluffy as possible, you’ll mix those quick cooking oats with mashed banana, Greek yogurt, and vanilla. You’ll let that mixture sit while you measure and stir together the rest of your ingredients, which allows the oats to start soaking up moisture ahead of time. That creates really soft and tender muffins! (It’s my special trick to creating the best banana oatmeal muffins imaginable!)
So with that first bowl set aside, it’s time to turn your attention to the next one…
And in that second bowl, you’ll start with Bob’s Red Mill® Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. This just might be my all-time favorite flour! It has the same health benefits (like extra fiber!) as regular whole wheat flour. Yet because it’s made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat, the organic whole wheat pastry flour has a lighter taste and texture, more similar to that of all-purpose flour or cake flour. That lighter taste and texture lets the sweet fruit flavor and fluffy texture of your healthy banana oatmeal muffins truly shine!
Tip: I’ve shared my favorite gluten-free options in the Notes section of the recipe, if you’d like to make these banana oatmeal muffins gluten-free!
In that second bowl, you’ll also whisk in baking powder, baking soda, salt, and a little bit of cinnamon. Somehow, I just can’t eat oats without cinnamon, whether the oats are in a plain bowl of oatmeal for breakfast or oatmeal cookies for dessert… So I sprinkled in a small amount to this recipe, and it definitely adds a warm and cozy background flavor to these healthy banana oatmeal muffins!
Whereas many traditional muffin recipes call for ¼ to ½ cup of oil (or more!), this recipe only requires 1 teaspoon of butter. Yes, that’s it! That really helps keep your healthy banana oatmeal muffins low fat and low calorie. Such a relief, right? 😉
Then the rest of their tender texture comes from two ingredients you’ve already added…
Greek yogurt and mashed banana! Greek yogurt is one of my favorite ingredients in healthy baking because it adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil to your muffin batter but for a fraction of the calories. Plus it gives your banana oatmeal muffins a protein boost!
And yes, the mashed banana does more than just add flavor! It also provides extra moisture to your healthy oatmeal muffins, giving them an irresistible fluffy and super moist texture, as well as natural sweetness.
For this reason, I highly recommend using the ripest, spottiest bananas you can find! The ones that look almost pure brown or black are the best. They have more natural sweetness than their pure yellow cousins, so your muffins will turn out softer, sweeter, and much more fluffy. I know it’s hard to wait for your bananas to over-ripen, but I promise these muffins are worth it!
Tip: Some grocery stores sell bruised or overly ripe bananas for a discounted price! I always check there first when I’m craving banana bread and don’t want to wait for my fresh bananas to ripen.
Then to boost the natural sweetness of your healthy banana chocolate chip muffins (and keep them refined sugar free!), you’ll also mix in a little liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!). It’s also highly concentrated. You just need 1 ½ teaspoons for all 12 muffins, which is the equivalent of nearly ¾ cup of sugar! This is the kind that I use because I love its pure sweetness and don’t notice any strange aftertaste like with some other stevia products. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
Of course, you’re still missing one key component… The mini chocolate chips! I prefer using mini chocolate chips to ensure that every bite contains at least one morsel of chocolate (if not more!). I also save some to press into the tops of the muffins just before baking. I think it makes them look even more irresistible, don’t you??
Time for a delicious and healthy breakfast! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy banana chocolate chip oatmeal muffins!
| Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins | | Print |
- ¾ cup (75g) Bob’s Red Mill® Organic Quick Cooking Rolled Oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- ¾ cup (195g) mashed banana (see Notes!)
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240g) Bob’s Red Mill® Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour or Bob’s Red Mill® Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp liquid stevia (see Notes!)
- 2 tbsp (30mL) water
- ½ cup (120mL) nonfat milk
- 3 tbsp (42g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. (If using liners, then line 12 muffins cups with liners and coat them with cooking spray.)
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, banana, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a third bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, and liquid stevia. Stir in the water. Stir in the oat mixture, mixing until no large lumps remain. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently fold in 2 ½ tablespoons of chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, and gently press the remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake at 350°F for 20-23 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Quick cooking rolled oats are smaller and thinner than old-fashioned oats. To make your own out of Bob’s Red Mill® Regular Rolled Oats (aka their old-fashioned oats!), add ¾ cup (75g) of the regular rolled oats to a blender or food processor, and pulse until they’re ⅛ to ¼ of their original size.
Bob’s Red Mill® Ivory Whole Wheat flour, Bob’s Red Mill® Regular Whole Wheat Flour, white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the whole wheat pastry flour.
The muffins require 2 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the muffins maintain their shape and texture while cooling. Without both egg whites, the muffins may collapse while cooling and turn out much denser.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE: Remember to measure your oats and flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. Too much of either will make your muffins turn out dry. This is especially true of the oats because they act like sponges and soak up lots of moisture from the batter.
IMPORTANT BANANA NOTE: For best results, use the ripest, darkest, most spottiest bananas you can find! The ones that look almost entirely black or brown are perfect. They have a stronger and sweeter banana flavor than pure yellow bananas. Measure the bananas by cups or grams. Not all “medium” bananas are the same size!
The mashed banana and Greek yogurt combined need to measure 1 cup. If you have slightly more than ¾ cup mashed banana, then reduce the Greek yogurt by the same amount, and vice versa.
STEVIA NOTE: I do not recommend substituting for the liquid stevia, if at all possible. (You’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!) I buy mine online here because that’s the best price I’ve found.
However, if you really prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the muffins, substitute ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (120g) granulated sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar and reduce the milk to ¼ cup (60mL). You may also substitute ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (150mL) pure maple syrup, honey, or agave and omit the milk instead. The baking time may vary with either of those substitutions as well.
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, you can also use the following: 1 cups (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Remember to measure the flours like this.
DAIRY FREE OPTION: Use the coconut oil option or stick-style vegan butter in place of the unsalted butter. Substitute non-dairy yogurt (ie soy-based, almond-based, oat-based, etc) for the Greek yogurt and your preferred non-dairy milk for the nonfat milk.
SPECIAL TRICK FOR THE BEST MUFFIN TEXTURE: In Step 2, combining the oats with the mashed banana, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract lets the oats start absorbing moisture ahead of time. This helps softens the oats, which gives your oatmeal muffins the best moist and tender texture!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill®. Find their products at a store near you using their handy store locator! As always, all text, photos, recipe, and opinions are my own.
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
♡ Healthy Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Muffins
♡ Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins
♡ Healthy Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Muffins
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy muffin recipes!
I’d love to make this as a bread. How long should I cook this as a loaf instead of muffins? And should I adjust the temperature?
We haven’t converted this specific recipe from muffins to a quick bread, but I think it could work, Joanne! My best guess would be to use 9×5″ loaf pan, and bake the loaf at 350°F for 40-50 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. There’s a decent chance it may take a little longer, but it’s always easier to stick an underdone loaf back in the oven than it is to salvage a burnt one! 😉 If the top starts browning too quickly, then you can always cover it with foil during the last segment of baking.
I’d love to hear what you think if you give this a try, Joanne!
Thanks! I ended up dropping the heat to 325 and cooking for an hour in a 9×5 loaf pan. Came out perfectly. Didn’t have liquid stevia so did half granulated sugar and half coconut sugar, kids had finished my milk and the only thing in the fridge was buttermilk, it worked out! Mines not as healthy as yours though … I added way more chocolate chips LOL! This will definitely be a “repeat offender” recipe.
That’s so wonderful to hear, Joanne! I always tend to measure chocolate with my heart, so I approve! 😉 I’m so happy you were able to figure out the temperature and time with success, and the modifications worked well for you, too! Thank yo so much for taking the time to let us know!