Low-Sugar Banana Oat Muffins

These low-sugar banana muffins are bursting with cinnamon-spiced banana flavor and oats. The deliciously moist morsels are quick and easy to make and the perfect grab-and-go breakfast.

This low-sugar banana muffin recipe came about when my daughter was looking for a low-sugar alternative to her beloved banana bread. Something she could have for breakfast that didn’t venture quite so far into the sweet department. So, I started making her these banana bread muffins. Today, they’re her favorite and a favorite in our household. 

We each have one (or two) for breakfast and I put the rest in a container in the fridge. About 30 seconds in the microwave and we have another breakfast of hot fresh banana muffins anytime. These would be ideal for a small household for that reason. But if you have a larger crew, just make ’em and watch them all fly away as soon as they come out of the oven. That’s a good thing, too!

To make low-sugar banana muffins, you’re going to need bananas, sugar, milk, oil, egg, vanilla, flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. All you need to do is beat the ingredients together, pop the muffin batter into liners, and bake for 20 minutes. Voila! Despite not having as much sugar as normal muffins, they are still nice and sweet thanks to the natural sweetness of the ripe bananas. The addition of oats keeps them good and moist too, and just gives them the best texture!

I can’t wait for you to try this banana muffin recipe. You won’t believe how delicious they are and I’m betting they will become a staple around your house as they have in mine. I wouldn’t even bother telling folks they are low-sugar as no one would ever guess it.

If you love this recipes make sure to check out some of my other yummy muffin recipes: Peach Cobbler Muffins, Fresh Strawberry Muffins, Pumpkin Spice Muffins With Streusel Topping, Apple Bran Muffins, Double Chocolate Chip Muffins, and Monkey Bread Muffins.

Recipe Ingredients

• Ripe bananas
• Granulated sugar
• Milk of your choice
• Vegetable oil
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Quick or old-fashioned rolled oats
• Baking powder
• Ground cinnamon
• A wee bit of salt

Helpful Kitchen Tools

• Muffin Pan (Splurge)
• Muffin Pan (Budget Friendly)
• Whisk

How to Make Low-Sugar Banana Muffins

Now you can do this by hand or with an electric mixer. I’m picturing it being mixed by hand but I usually use my stand mixer because it’s just so quick and easy. Go with your mood.

In a large bowl, place bananas and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until somewhat liquified.

Beating the banana with the sugar ahead of time is one of my favorite tricks because it really helps get that sweet banana flavor and moistness in every single bite.

Add in milk, oil, egg, and vanilla and beat again until combined (about 1 minute).

Now you’ve got the wet ingredients mixed together, add in all the dry ingredients at once. Beat again, scraping down sides as needed, until fully incorporated (about 1 to 2 minutes).

Spray or line 9-12 cups in a muffin tin. ORRR if you use my very favorite muffin tin from USA Pan there’s no need to spray! 

Divide the muffin batter evenly among the cups (I use an ice cream scoop to make life easier).

(I usually end up with 11, depending on the size of my bananas).

Bake at 375 for 17 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Storage

• Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can eat them cold or reheat them quickly in the microwave (30 seconds is all they need).
• These banana oat muffins also freeze well, so feel free to make a double or triple batch. Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months and thaw either at room temperature or in the fridge.

Recipe Notes

• I get 11 out of the recipe but it depends on the size of your bananas. You may get anywhere from 9 to 12.
• You can use any kind of milk in this recipe: whole milk, fat-free milk, almond milk, etc. I’ve also heard of people substituting milk for plain Greek yogurt. Let me know if you try this!
• You want to use quick or old-fashioned oatmeal in this recipe. Steel-cut oats won’t work.
• Try not to overmix the batter, as this ensures the muffins aren’t too tough.

Recipe FAQs

How do you make no-sugar banana muffins?

I haven’t personally tried this, but other recipes I’ve seen for sugar-free banana muffins substitute sugar for honey or maple syrup. It will give these healthy banana muffins the touch of sweetness they need. If you go this route, just add the mashed banana and maple syrup to the other wet ingredients and skip the first step.

How do you make gluten-free banana bread muffins?

This is something else I haven’t personally tried, but store-bought oat flour, almond flour, or even coconut flour are all good substitutes for all-purpose flour. But you can also simply pick up gluten-free all-purpose flour too. I’d also just double-check your oats are gluten-free (it’ll say so on the front of the package).

Can I make mini banana muffins?

Absolutely! If you want to make mini muffins, fill the mini muffin pan cups ¾ full and bake for about 12 to 15 minutes instead.

What else can I add to my banana bread muffins?

Here are some recipe variations:

• Add a cup of fresh or frozen blueberries for banana blueberry oatmeal muffins.
• Add a cup of dried fruit like raisins, craisins, cranberries, or apricot.
• Dust each muffin with extra cinnamon or cinnamon sugar before baking.
• For chocolate chip banana muffins, top each banana muffin with mini chocolate chips before baking or fold a cup of mini chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks into the batter.
• For banana nut muffins, top each muffin with chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts) or fold a cup of chopped walnuts into the batter. 

Have more ripe bananas? Try these recipes:

Hawaiian Banana Nut Bread

Banana Crumb Cake

Bananarita Smoothies

Gluten-Free Banana Nut Muffins (No Dairy or Eggs)

Low-Sugar Banana Mug Cake

Homestead Banana Bread

Note: Due to unpredictable variables and ingredient substitution options, I do not offer nutritional information in my recipes. However, there are some great free websites that allow you to input a recipe with your chosen ingredients and calculate this information with the touch of a button. I use myfitnesspal.com for my personal use when I need this info.

Great minds have purposes, others have wishes. 

~Washington Irving