Name: Healthy Banana Oat Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3 ripe bananas, mashed (approx 240g); 3 large eggs; 75 g Greek yoghurt; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 65 g xylitol; 200 g almond flour; 150 g rolled oats; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda; 1 tsp ground cinnamon

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These irresistibly healthy Banana Oat Muffins are deliciously moist and full of flavour. They have a lower (Diabetic) carb count, are gluten free and have no added sugar or butter. So these muffins really do make the perfect healthy breakfast on the go or sweet snack throughout the day.

Muffins are a great sweet (or savoury) snack option, as well as being very handy for a quick breakfast on the go. These healthy banana oat muffins are the perfect way to start your day as they are packed with nutrients from the banana, almond flour and oats. Plus they don’t have any added sugar or butter

These muffins are simply sweetened from ripe bananas and a little additional xylitol, a nutritive-based sweetener. Xylitol is my sweetener of choice due to its low glycaemic index, it doesn’t have a strange taste profile and it doesn’t cause a rise in blood sugar levels. But if you would like to read more about sugar substitutes and diabetes management then click here for lots more information.

Why these banana Oat muffins are so good

Quick and Easy – Firstly you can’t argue with a muffin recipe that only takes 30 minutes to make and bake! These muffins don’t require any fancy equipment and can be made all in one bowl.

Super satisfying – Oats are super satisfying as they are nutrient-rich and full of fibre. This will help you to feel fuller for longer as well as being a very tasty way to get more good stuff into your diet.

Kinder on blood sugar levels – The combination of the low glycaemic index oats, natural sugars and healthy fats from the almonds, work alongside the fibrous oats to slow the release of glucose which we have found helps to make these muffins kinder on blood sugar levels.

Swapping out traditional baking ingredients like wheat flours, sugar and butter, instead for ground almonds, oats, greek yoghurt, banana and xylitol, not only makes these muffins a healthier option but also helps to make them easier on blood glucose levels.

As with a lot of the sweet recipes on WHK, these swaps also drastically reduce the overall carb count which for managing blood glucose levels as part of your overall diabetes management can also be a great tool. Just one banana oat muffin comes in at just 12 grams of carbs.

healthy banana oat muffin in half next to a whole muffin

Ingredients for Healthy Banana Oat Muffins

Ripe Bananas
- The older and browner the better
- Adds natural sweetness and extra moistness to these muffins
Eggs
- A key component to any bake and should be free-range if you can
Greek yoghurt
- This helps to make these muffins super moist
- A healthier option as it is used as a replacement for butter and oil
Vanilla extract
- The better quality the better the flavour
Xylitol
- A nutritive based sweetener with a low glycaemic index
- Use any sweetener you prefer, however, read more here, as not all sugar replacements are a 1:1 substitute.
Almond flour/ground almonds
- Gluten-free and net carb count free
- This flour adds a lovely nutty flavour and is a great no-carb-count option for cakes and bakes
- My favourites are by NKD Living Finely Ground Almonds or the Almond Flour from Whole Foods Online
Jumbo Oats
- A gluten-free whole grain
- Oats are such a magnificent superfood; they are wholegrain, a great carbohydrate source, and full of fibre, essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Baking powder and Bicarbonate of Soda
- Essential for adding air and lightness to your muffins
Ground Cinnamon
- A wonderful flavour that goes so well with banana

healthy banana oat muffins on a cooling tray

Equipment Needed

1 Mixing bowl

Weighing scales

Spatula / Mixing spoon

12 Hole muffin tin

Muffin Cases

Measuring Spoon ( tsp)

How to make Banana Oat Muffins

These Muffins really couldn’t be easier to whip up and bake. Made all in one bowl the real challenge is letting them cool long enough before you dive in!

Start by preheating the oven to 190C / 170 C fan and line your muffin tin with 12 cases

In a large bowl weigh (for accurate carb counting) and mash your bananas with a fork until you have a smoothish paste. Now add the eggs and whisk them with your fork before adding the greek yoghurt, vanilla extract and xylitol. Mix everything well until you have a light yellow batter.

Now add your dry ingredients, the almond flour, oats, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon. Mix everything well, until all ingredients are combined.

Finally, using a large spoon, spoon the mixture evenly into your muffin cases. Sprinkle some optional nuts or additional oats on top for decoration and then bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Leave them to cool on a rack.

Recipe tips

Bananas – Make sure your bananas are wonderfully ripe to avoid any large hard pieces in your muffins. The softer and browner the better.

Mixing – try not to overwork your batter (mix too much) as you want your muffins to retain as much air and lightness as possible.

Baking – Check your muffins after 20 minutes, they should be golden brown and shouldn’t wobble in the centre. If they seem underdone, bake them for an additional 5 to 8 minutes. Test with a toothpick to ensure that it comes out clean

Serving suggestions

These muffins are delicious just as they are but here are a few other ways we like to enjoy our banana muffins

Before cooking top your muffins with:

Chopped nuts

Fresh berries

Desiccated coconut

Chocolate Chips

After cooking and once cooled top your muffins with:

Nut butter – I love peanut butter slathered on top

Chocolate spread – We love the Meridian Cocoa & Hazelnut Butter

How to store your muffins

These muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. However, if you want them to last a little longer then I would suggest storing them in the fridge where they will happily last for up to 5 days.

You can always gently heat them up again in the oven if you prefer your muffins slightly warm.

More Easy & Delicious Diabetic Recipes for BALANCED Blood SugARS:

Diabetes Note

These healthy banana oat muffins are the perfect way to start your day as they are packed with nutrients from the banana, almond flour and oats. Plus they don’t have any added sugar or butter

Carb Counting

The overall carb count for this based on the ingredients we would count for is:

150g of Jumbo Whole Rolled Oats (Sainsbury’s) = 90.8g of carbs
3 bananas (approx 240g) = 48.7g of carbs
75g of Greek yoghurt (Fage) = 2.3g of carbs

Now add all the carbs together – 90.8+48.7+2.3= 141.8g of carbs

Finally divide this by the serving size, 12 – 142/12 = 12g of carb per portion

Please note this carb count amount per portion is based on the standard ingredients listed above and may differ depending on what you use and how much you choose to eat.

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