Name: Gordon Ramsay Banana Oat Muffin Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 120g (1 1/3 cups) rolled oats; 190g (1.5 cups) plain flour (all-purpose flour); 1.5 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda); 1/4 tsp fine sea salt; 100g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar; 4 large ripe bananas, mashed; 1 large egg, beaten; 55g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted; 60g (1/2 cup) walnuts, roughly chopped

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I started making these because I always had browning bananas on the counter and felt guilty throwing them away. Now I look forward to them going spotty because it means I am one bowl away from a batch that lasts us three mornings in a row.

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What Does Adding Oats to Muffins Do

The oats soak up the moisture from the bananas, which means the muffins hold together without needing loads of butter or oil to bind them. They also give the crumb a chewy texture that plain flour muffins just do not have, and I think that chew is what makes these feel more like a proper breakfast than a sweet treat.

If you swap the oats for extra flour, which I tried once, the muffins come out dry and crumbly by the next day. Ramsay put oats in this recipe for a reason, and that reason becomes obvious the moment you try to skip them.

Use the Brownest Bananas You Can Find

If your bananas still have green tips, do not use them yet. The browner and spottier they are, the sweeter and softer they become, which means you need less added sugar and the banana flavour actually comes through after baking.

I buy an extra bunch every week and leave them on the counter until they look like nobody would eat them. That is exactly when they are ready for this recipe, and the mashing takes about thirty seconds with a fork.

Banana Oat Muffin Ingredients

120g (1⅓ cups) rolled oats
190g (1½ cups) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
¼ tsp fine sea salt
100g (½ cup) light brown sugar
4 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 large egg, beaten
55g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
60g (½ cup) walnuts, roughly chopped

How To Make Gordon Ramsay Banana Oat Muffins

Preheat and line: Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases.
Mix the dry ingredients: Combine the oats, plain flour (all-purpose flour), baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), salt, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.
Mash the bananas: In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. Stir in the beaten egg and melted butter.
Combine wet and dry: Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients along with the walnuts. Fold with a spatula until just combined.
Do not overmix: Stop as soon as you see no dry flour. The batter should look lumpy and rough, not smooth. This is the one rule that matters most.
Fill the cases: Spoon the batter into the paper cases, filling each one about three quarters full.
Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool: Leave in the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

The One Thing You Should Never Do to Muffin Batter

Overmix it, and I know that sounds like advice everyone gives but it actually matters here. When you stir too much you activate the gluten in the flour, which makes the crumb tight and rubbery instead of soft and open.

I used to mix until the batter was perfectly smooth because it looked neater, and every batch came out dense. The day I stopped at lumpy was the day the muffins finally had that light, tender crumb.

Are These Actually Healthy

Ramsay put this in his Healthy Appetite cookbook for a reason. Compared to a standard bakery muffin loaded with oil and refined sugar, these use mashed banana as the main sweetener, oats for fibre, and just 55g of butter for the whole batch of 12.

I am not going to pretend they are a health food, but I would rather my kids eat one of these for breakfast than a cereal bar with twice the sugar. If you want to push them further, swap the walnuts for almonds and cut the brown sugar to 75g, which is what I do on weekdays.

What To Eat Them With

Warm from the oven with butter melting into the top is the best way, and I do not think that needs explaining. But they are also good split and toasted the next morning with a smear of peanut butter, which turns them into something more substantial.

I make these alongside a batch of buttermilk pancakes on weekends so there is something for everyone. A pot of oatmeal cookies made at the same time means the oven is already hot, and a side of ricotta pancakes gives you a proper spread without much extra work.

How To Store Banana Oat Muffins

They keep in a sealed container at room temperature for 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5. I warm mine in the microwave for 15 seconds before eating because it brings back the soft, just-baked texture that goes stale overnight.

You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. I freeze a batch every time I make them and defrost one at a time for quick weekday breakfasts, which is the main reason I bother making 12 at once.

FAQs

Can I use instant oats instead of rolled? You can but the texture will be softer and you lose the chew. Rolled oats give these muffins their character, so I would stick with them.
What if I only have 2 or 3 bananas? You can make a smaller batch, but the banana is doing most of the binding and sweetening so going below 3 changes the result. I would wait until you have 4.
Can I add chocolate chips? Yes and my kids prefer them that way. Fold in a handful at the same time as the walnuts, but know that it takes these from breakfast muffin to dessert territory.
Do I need the walnuts? No, they are optional. I sometimes swap them for pecans or leave them out entirely when I am making these for someone with a nut allergy.

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Nutrition Facts

(Per muffin, makes 12)

Calories: 194 kcal
Total Fat: 6g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Carbohydrates: 36g
Sugar: 14g
Fibre: 2g
Protein: 4g
Sodium: 180mg