Eggless Banana Oat Muffins
- 15 min prep
- 52 min
- Bake
- Serves 12
- 205 kcal
- 3.6 g protein
Overripe bananas, rolled oats and atta, held together with curd instead of eggs. Domed, soft muffins that keep for days and travel well in a tiffin.
Ingredients
- 3 large very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1¼ cups / 300 g)
- ½ cup (120 g) thick curd, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) neutral oil or melted butter
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar or powdered jaggery
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120 g) whole wheat flour (atta)
- 1 cup (90 g) rolled oats, plus 2 tbsp for the tops
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup (40 g) chopped walnuts (optional)
Method
- 1Heat the oven to 200°C and line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases. In an OTG, place the tray on the lower-middle rack with both rods on.
- 2Mash the bananas in a large bowl until mostly smooth, then whisk in the curd, oil, sugar and vanilla until the sugar has mostly dissolved.
- 3In a second bowl, stir together the atta, 1 cup oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- 4Tip the dry mix into the wet and fold with a spatula just until no dry flour is visible. A lumpy batter is correct; overmixing makes tough, tunnelled muffins. Fold in the walnuts.
- 5Let the batter sit for 5 minutes so the oats start to soften, then fill each case almost to the top. Scatter the remaining oats over the muffins.
- 6Bake for 5 minutes at 200°C, then lower the heat to 180°C and bake for another 15 to 18 minutes, until the tops are domed and golden and a toothpick pushed into the centre comes out clean.
- 7Cool in the tray for 5 minutes, then lift out onto a rack. Let them cool for at least 10 more minutes before eating; the crumb sets as it cools.
Notes from the Department
- Bananas should be heavily speckled or black. Yellow bananas give a bland, drier muffin.
- The hot start at 200°C is what makes the dome. Do not skip the temperature drop or the bottoms will scorch.
- Freeze cooled muffins in a zip bag for up to a month; warm from frozen for 20 seconds in the microwave.
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 205 kcal
- Protein
- 3.6 g
- Carbohydrate
- 28 g
- Fat
- 9.4 g
- Fibre
- 2.9 g
- Sugars
- 12 g
Why this works
Curd stands in for eggs twice over. Its acidity reacts with the baking soda for lift, and its protein and moisture help the crumb hold together. Ripe banana adds more binding and most of the sweetness, so the sugar can stay modest. Rolled oats soak up some of that moisture as the batter rests, which gives the muffins a soft, slightly chewy bite rather than a cakey one.
Starting the bake hot sets the outside quickly while the centre is still rising, so you get proper domes instead of flat tops.
Swaps
Quick oats work in the same quantity and give a finer crumb. Replace half the atta with maida for a lighter muffin. Swap walnuts for chocolate chips or raisins. For a vegan version, use thick coconut or soy yoghurt and oil instead of butter. Jaggery powder in place of brown sugar gives a deeper, caramel colour.
Serving
Eat one warm with a smear of peanut butter, or pack two in a tiffin with a piece of fruit. They are breakfast muffins, not cupcakes, so they are not very sweet; the Ministry considers that a feature. Pair them with a glass of milk or a banana smoothie for a fuller breakfast.
Storage
Keep them in an airtight box at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Fridge-cold muffins taste better after 10 seconds in the microwave.
Questions people ask
- How do I make banana oat muffins without eggs?
- Use curd and ripe banana together. The curd adds moisture and reacts with the baking soda for lift, and the banana binds the batter. This recipe is built that way from the start.
- Why are my banana oat muffins dense?
- The batter was probably overmixed, or the bananas were not ripe enough. Fold only until the flour disappears, and check that your baking powder and soda are fresh.
- Can I make these muffins without sugar?
- You can drop the sugar to ¼ cup if the bananas are very ripe. Removing it entirely makes the muffins noticeably drier and paler, so add 2 tbsp more curd if you do.
Inspired by Bliss of Baking. Method, notes and photograph by the Ministry of Oats.
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