Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

These healthy banana oatmeal chocolate chip muffins are super simple to whip up with a few basic pantry ingredients and are naturally sweetened with the ripe banana and maple syrup. They freeze well so I try to keep a batch on hand for a grab and go snack!

I’m not sure these vegan chocolate chip banana muffins need much introduction – just trust me that they are absolutely, 100% delicious! For this recipe, I wanted to make the classic banana muffin a bit healthier. So I’ve made these ones vegan, incorporated whole wheat flour, and sweetened them with maple syrup.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Easy to Make: takes just 10 minutes to mix up the batter for these muffins.
• Naturally Sweetened: maple syrup and bananas naturally sweeten these muffins without additional sugar.
• Freezer Friendly: just pop into a container or ziplock bag and freeze. Reheat for 30-45 seconds in the microwave when ready to eat.
• Vegan/Dairy Free/Egg Free: these are a great option for those who are plant-based or have dairy/egg allergies. Flax seed is used as an egg replacement and soy milk instead of dairy milk.
• A Healthy Snack: love keeping these on hand for a quick grab-and-go snack. Add a smear of peanut butter for a bit more protein.

Vegan Banana Muffin Ingredients

• Flax Egg: One of my favorite egg replacers for vegan baking is a flax egg. Egg adds moisture and provides structure in baked goods and flaxseeds can help do the same. For 1 regular egg, use 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and 2 1/2 tablespoons of water. Mix those together with a fork and let it sit for a couple minutes until it forms a gel.
• Bananas: You’ll need three bananas for this recipe and the more ripe they are, the better! Super ripe bananas mash better and will give you a sweeter muffin.
• Flour & Old-Fashioned Oats: You’ll use whole wheat flour for these muffins. However, if you like a lighter/fluffier muffin, use a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flours. Oats add some extra fiber to the muffins, but could be omitted if you want.
• Maple syrup: Maple syrup and banana add natural sweetness to these muffins without the need for sugar.
• Plant-based milk: I’ve made these with both almond milk or soy milk. Most any plant-based milk could be used interchangeably in this recipe. You just want to make sure it is unsweetened and not flavored.
• Baking powder/Baking soda: These guys do the heavy lifting to help make these muffins fluffy.
• Oil: Feel free to use whichever oil you prefer. I’ve used olive oil, melted coconut oil, and canola oil with equal success.
• Coconut: I love adding a little unsweetened shredded coconut onto the top of muffins before baking. It toasts into a golden brown in the oven and looks so pretty! If you don’t like coconut, you can skip it.
• Chocolate chips: I like Enjoy Life brand vegan chocolate chips.

How to Make this Recipe

STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease muffin tin or add paper liners.

STEP 2: Add ground flax and warm water to large mixing bowl. Stir with a fork and let it sit for 2-3 minutes until it forms a gel (ie. a flax egg!). Add the bananas to the same bowl with the flax egg and mash well with a fork.

STEP 3: Add all the rest of your wet ingredients (oil, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla) to the bowl with the mashed banana and stir.

STEP 4: In a small mixing bowl, add the flours, oats baking soda, baking powder, and salt and stir to combine. Add to the banana mixture in the large mixing bowl. Stir just until combined.

STEP 5: Add chocolate chips and stir. Use an ice cream scoop to evenly divide batter between 12 cups in your muffin tin. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown or until toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.

Frequently Asked Questions