These 5-Ingredient Banana Muffins are the kind of recipe that makes you wonder how something so easy can be so delicious! Made with oat flour, they have a tender and moist texture and loads of real banana flavor. Naturally vegan and gluten-free, with an oil-free option.
2½cupsmashed over-ripe banana - about 5 large bananas
⅓cupmaple syrup plus 1 Tablespoon - see Notes for sub
¼cupneutral oil - or ⅓ cup runny natural peanut butter
1½teaspoonsvanilla extract - optional
2¼cupsfine oat flour - (230g) See Notes
2teaspoonsbaking powder
¼teaspoonfine sea salt - optional; omit if using salted nut butter
Optional additions:
chopped walnuts or pecans - or chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190°C). If desired, place paper liners in the cups of your muffin pan.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas and measure to make sure you have 2.5 cups. Whisk in the maple syrup, oil, and vanilla, if using.
In a separate bowl combine the oat flour, baking powder, and salt, if using. Whisk to combine. Pour the dry ingredients into the banana mixture, and stir just until there’s no dry flour. Fold in chopped nuts, if desired.
Divide the batter evenly across the 12 muffin cups. If you like, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with more nuts.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175C), and immediately place the pan in the oven. Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store the muffins as room temp for up to 2 days, refrigerated for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 2 months.
Notes
SubstitutionsFlour: The same amount of all purpose flour by weight (230 grams) may be used instead of oat flour. That's slightly less than 2 cups.Maple syrup: I recommend sticking with maple syrup if possible since it affects the consistency of the batter. Regular or light brown sugar plus 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk will also work. Dried sweeteners like coconut or date sugar don't contribute moisture, so other adjustments would need to be made.Tips
Use a kitchen scale for the best, most consistent results. If you don't have one, whisk the oat flour before measuring.
Use very ripe bananas (aka "overripe). Under-ripe bananas won't contribute as much moisture or sweetness to the muffins. At a minimum, the peels should have a lot of dark spots. Learn how to quickly ripen bananas in this article by Serious Eats.