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These Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins are made soft and fluffy with oatmeal and mashed bananas and filled with fresh, juicy blueberries! They’re the perfect easy breakfast option or freezer meal prep on a budget. Naturally vegan, gluten-free, and free of refined oils!
Cheap and easy breakfast recipes are my love language and these oatmeal muffins take the cake! They’re hearty, wholesome, and made with simple ingredients. If you keep a well-stocked pantry, you’ll likely be able to whip these up without a trip to the grocery store.
So set aside the regular ol’ bowl of oatmeal and say hello to these banana blueberry oat muffins! It’s a cheap vegan meal the whole family will love.
Why You’ll Love Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- They’ll actually keep you full! Most cheap breakfast muffin recipes are made using all-purpose flour because it is about 1/2 of the price compared to old-fashioned oats (At my local Walmart, all-purpose flour costs about $0.16 per cup whereas old-fashioned oats cost about $0.26 per cup). But all-purpose flour is void of one key ingredient responsible for keeping you feeling full: fiber! These muffins are as filling as eating a bowl of oatmeal and will hold you over for hours.
- Easy to make-ahead. Muffins make for an excellent meal prep recipe and will freeze well too!
- Great for busy mornings. Depending on your schedule, oatmeal recipe ideas like Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats or Overnight Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats might not be feasible. These blueberry banana oatmeal muffins can be prepped a few days ahead, then easily eaten on the go without utensils or a microwave. I even like to bake them and freeze them, then let them defrost in my husbands lunch box during the work day!
Ingredient Notes
- Flax eggs: I’m not against baking with real eggs (they can be quite essential in recipes like these Homemade English Muffins!), but when a flax egg only costs $0.05 per egg, it’s hard to complain. Especially with today’s chicken egg prices (the cheapest eggs at my Walmart in 2024 are $0.22 per egg). Plus, it makes these healthy muffins naturally vegan-friendly! Just make sure to purchase ground flaxseed meal. Or, if you have whole flaxseeds, learn How to Ground Flaxseed Meal at Home.
- Ripe banana: You can use room temperature bananas or frozen bananas that have been thawed and brought to room temperature. Just make sure to use overripe bananas – this will add a great natural sweetness and contribute to the soft fluffy texture of the muffins.
- Oat flour: I always make my oat flour from scratch using old-fashioned oats or steel-cut oats. If you are new to baking with oat flour, check out this helpful resource: How to make Oat Flour. Or, if you do not have access to a high-speed blender or food processor, you can purchase pre-made oat flour at most grocery stores.
- Sugar: Use either brown sugar or coconut sugar. Brown sugar makes slightly more moist muffins and is typically cheaper than coconut sugar.
- Almond butter: Used as the oil substitute in these healthy oatmeal muffins. I recommend almond butter for the best neutral flavor, but any nut butter like peanut butter will do.
- Apple cider vinegar: Reacts with the leavening agents to give these muffins an impressive rise and bakery style dome. If needed, fresh lemon juice (not bottled) is a great alternative.
- Blueberries: I have made this recipe with both fresh and dried blueberries and both work great. You can also replace the fresh berries with your favorite chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or omit them entirely. Do not use frozen blueberries – they will add too much moisture to the muffin batter.
How to Make Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Prepare the flax eggs. In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseed meal and water. Set aside for 10-15 minutes, or until gelatinous.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, runny almond butter, and thickened flax eggs.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the oat flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
- Combine the wet and dry. Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the large mixing bowl with the mashed banana mixture and fold the ingredients together until just combined with no dry spots of flour left behind.
- Fold in the fresh blueberries. If using, gently fold in the fresh blueberries until evenly dispersed.
- Fill muffin cups. Divide the banana blueberry muffins mix between 12 muffin liners in the prepared muffin tins (I used roughly 5-6 tablespoons per muffin). Sprinkle the top of the muffins with additional blueberries and a few rolled oats, if desired. \
- Bake. Transfer the muffin tray to a preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and serve. Remove the muffins from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan before removing to a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
These muffins make for a nutritious breakfast alongside fresh fruit, an afternoon snack, or healthy dessert when paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
We like to enjoy ours plain, or slathered with additional almond butter, dairy-free butter, or a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
Recipe FAQs
Can I replace the oat flour with another flour?
I have not tested this recipe with any other flour and cannot recommend substitutions. If you are interested in a homemade muffin recipe made with almond flour, you may enjoy these Almond Flour Banana Muffins. Or, for a muffin recipe suitable for whole wheat flour, try these Healthy Vegan Blackberry Muffins.
Can I make these muffins without muffin liners?
Yes. Use a silicone baking mat or generously spray the muffin tin with cooking spray before baking. This will help prevent sticking.
Is this blueberry muffin recipe gluten-free?
When prepare with gluten-free certified oats, this healthy breakfast recipe is suitable for those with a gluten intolerance or celiac. It’s also naturally vegan and oil-free, so most everyone can enjoy!
Storage Instructions
Leftover muffins will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container stored at room temperature. These muffins will also freeze well for up to 2 months in an airtight freezer bag or container. If you plan on freezing these muffins for several months, wrap each individual muffin tightly in plastic wrap before placing in a freezer bag. This will prolong freshness and reduce the chance of freezer burn.
To defrost, place the muffins at room temperature until completely thawed and softened. Enjoy leftovers room temperature or pop them in the air fryer or toaster oven for a couple of minutes to warm slightly.
How I Save Money on Oats
Without any sales or coupons, oats are already one of the most affordable whole grains. But there are 3 things I do to never pay full price on oats!
- Purchase in bulk: like most grains and legumes, when purchased in bulk, oats can become even more affordable. I use oats as the base and side kick in so much of my home cooking, I purchase 25 or 50 pound bags of oats online and store them in food-grade 5 gallon buckets or mylar bags in my guest room with a few oxygen absorber packets to preserve freshness. This method ensures I always have oats on hand for the cheapest price possible.
- Use cash back apps: I see deals for oats on the app Ibotta almost every single month. As of writing this, there is a $1.50 cash back deal on every bag of Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quick Cooking Oats!
- Buy generic: Bob’s Red Mill oats are very popular, but they are not the cheapest option. For example, without discounts, Walmart’s Great Value Brand is $0.09 per ounce whereas Bob’s Red Mill is $0.24 per ounce! If crunching numbers isn’t your thing, just go generic. It’s almost guaranteed to be cheaper than name brand.
More Cheap and Easy Breakfast Recipes
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls from Scratch
Hash Browns in Air Fryer from Scratch
Easy Crockpot Hot Chocolate
Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 flax eggs 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed plus 5 tablespoons water ($0.10)
- 2 cups ripened banana mashed ($0.81)
- 2 cups oat flour ($0.52)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar ($0.16)
- 1/3 heaping cup rolled oats plus more for topping ($0.09)
- 4 tablespoons almond butter runny ($0.92)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder ($0.06)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda ($0.02)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar ($0.06)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ($0.06)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt ($0.02)
- 3/4 cup fresh blueberries ($1.65)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners.
- In a small bowl, prepare the flax eggs by whisking together the ground flaxseed meal and water. Set aside for 10-15 minutes, or until gelatinous.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, runny almond butter, and flax eggs.
- In a separate bowl, combine the oat flour, heaping rolled oats, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold together until just combined.
- Add in the fresh blueberries and gently fold until evenly dispersed.
- Divide mixture between muffin liners (roughly 5-6 tablespoons per muffin). Top with additional rolled oats and fresh berries, if desired.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove muffins from the oven and let cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve as is, or with butter or nut butter, as desired. Enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Brown sugar: Substitute coconut sugar
- Rolled oats: Can substitute quick cooking oats
- Bananas: Can replace 1 cup with unsweetened applesauce
- Apple cider vinegar: Can use fresh lemon juice
- Blueberries: Can omit entirely or replace with chopped nuts, dried blueberries, or chocolate chips.
Notes
- Best results if your almond butter is very creamy and almost pourable.
- I make my own oat flour by blending the amount of oats I need in my Vitamix for 10-15 seconds or until a fine powder. You can buy oat flour if you do not have a high speed blender here.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The Nutritional Information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
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Photos by: Your Home, Made Healthy
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