My whole family loves fresh berries, so I’m always thinking of ways to incorporate them into easy, nourishing snacks and meals. Right now, these oatmeal muffins are my favorite way to use fresh berries, which I tend to buy in bulk since I’m feeding four hungry boys over here. These oat muffin cups are soft and hearty, sweetened with banana and applesauce, and bursting with fresh berries. We enjoy them for grab-and-go breakfasts and afternoon snacks, and I find myself reaching for them as pre- and post-workout fuel, too.
Recipe Highlights
Great for meal prep: These muffins last up to a week in the fridge and they freeze well, too. So they’ve become one of my go-to breakfast meal prep ideas and a delicious way to use overripe bananas.
Nutritious and versatile: Made with a variety of real-food ingredients, this oatmeal muffin recipe provides energy-supplying carbohydrates, fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and good-for-me fats. The muffins are also dairy-free and vegetarian, and can be modified to be gluten-free and/or nut-free so everyone in my house can enjoy them.
Make them in less than 30 minutes: With minimal prep time and a quick cook time, this muffin recipe is fully baked and ready to eat with a total time of less than 30 minutes. Even better, most of the time is hands-off, leaving me free to finish the rest of my weekly meal prep.
Main Ingredients
This isn’t the full list of ingredients (scroll down to the recipe card for those). But instead, just a few notes about the main ones:
- Unsweetened applesauce: I use unsweetened applesauce to keep the muffins sweet and moist while reducing the amount of added sugar needed.
- Quick cooking oats: Given that oatmeal offers various health benefits, I use it in a variety of recipes, like these healthy baked oatmeal recipes. For these oat muffins, I use quick oats, finding that old-fashioned rolled oats don’t bake as well, causing the muffins to be crumbly. If all you have on hand is old-fashioned oats, pulse them a few times in the food processor to break them up before adding to the batter.
- Fresh berries: Use any fresh berries or combination of berries in this recipe. I usually use a combo of fresh blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. I’ve also used frozen strawberries and wild blueberries and that works well, too, as long as the berries are thawed and drained before adding to the batter.
- Brown sugar: A little light or dark brown sugar sweetens the muffins without adding too much sugar. For refined sugar-free oat muffins, use maple syrup or coconut sugar instead.
- Bananas: I use two ripe bananas for extra sweetness while limiting added sugar and providing some fiber. The riper they are, the easier they are to mix into the muffin batter, and the sweeter the muffins taste.
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Make It Gluten-Free
This recipe calls for a base of oats and flour. Oats are naturally gluten free, but they are sometimes processed in a facility that also processes gluten-containing grains, so be sure to find certified gluten-free oats. As a substitution for the all-puporse flour, use a gluten-free flour blend, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour Blend.
Make It Nut-Free
When I’m planning to include these oatmeal muffins in my boys’ packed lunches, I omit the chopped walnuts since they attend a nut-free school. The muffins lose just a bit of crunch, but no one notices a difference, and they’re just as tasty.
My Favorite Ways To Enjoy
These oatmeal berry banana muffins are a healthy breakfast I rely on to keep me fueled when I’m dashing out the door to get my kids to school and various practices and camps. I pair one with a mug of high-quality coffee, especially after learning about the benefits of coffee. That said, I sometimes swap my plain coffee for a quick protein coffee to add a little extra nourishment and round out the muffins even more.
If I have more time, I’ll pair these breakfast muffins with protein options like hard-boiled eggs, breakfast meatballs, or these turkey sausage patties. I might add a sunrise super smoothie or my go-to green smoothie to get more fiber, too. I enjoy a smear of butter and a drizzle of honey (or this honey butter) on mine. My boy like to top theirs with a smear of almond butter or peanut butter for extra nutty flavor.
Storage Options
Package any extra oatmeal muffins in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
Or, for a longer-lasting option, I wrap each muffin in plastic wrap and transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. The frozen muffins keep well for up to 3 months. To serve, let one thaw at room temperature or microwave for 10-30 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven’t tested it, but I don’t see why not. Follow the instructions as written, mixing the wet ingredients and dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then, portion the batter into a mini muffin tin greased with cooking spray or lined with muffin liners. Bake as usual, adjusting the cooking time as needed. The muffins are done when the batter looks set and is lightly golden brown.
Like most baked oatmeal recipes, these muffins lend well to a variety of mix-ins. Some favorite add-ins of mine are chocolate chips, chopped pecans, dried cranberries or raisins, or coconut flakes.
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Mixed Berry Oatmeal Muffins Recipe
These mixed berry baked oatmeal muffin cups are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and nut-free-friendly. Quick and easy to make, they’re a fun grab-and-go breakfast or snack option bursting with sweet, fruity flavor that’s kid and adult-approved.
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed (1 cup)
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup brown sugar (may sub maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (for gluten-free, use gluten free all-purpose flour blend)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 ½ cups fresh berries (I use ½ cup blueberries, ½ cup blackberries, and ½ cup raspberries)
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners or mist the cups of a silicone muffin pan with cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, applesauce, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix together until just incorporated.
- Gently fold in the berries and walnuts.
- Divide the batter among the cups of the prepared muffin pan (filling each muffin cup to nearly the top). Bake until the center is set and edges are lightly browned, 15-18 minutes.
- Remove the muffin pan from the oven. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store the cooled muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Notes
For gluten free: Replace the all-purpose flour with an equal amount of gluten-free flour. I like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour blend.
For nut-free: Omit the walnuts.
For refined sugar-free: Use an equal amount of maple syrup or coconut sugar instead of brown sugar.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 160
- Fat: 4 g
- (Sat Fat: 0 g)
- Sodium: 132 mg
- Carbohydrate: 28 g
- (Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 10 g)
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 28 mg
Dietary
The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.
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