This post is possessed! It published itself yesterday, then deleted itself, then rescheduled itself to be posted in 2015. What the what?? Let’s try this again…
Normally, when bananas are about to go bad, I’ll peel them, slice ‘em up, and put them in a Ziploc bag in the freezer to use in smoothies. But lately my smoothie fuel bag has turned into bags, and I needed to find another way to prevent my browning bananas from going to waste. 
These quinoa breakfast cups are delicious and filling—each one is dense, so it only takes one (or, ok, maybe two) to satisfy morning hunger. You can eat them like a muffin, or break one up in a little bit of warm almond milk and eat it like oatmeal (I did this one morning and loved it!).
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Make a batch and eat them all week for breakfast or as a post-workout snack. They’re definitely best warm, but can also be eaten cold on the go. 🙂 
What’s your favorite way to use over-ripe bananas?
Quinoa breakfast cups… how smart! The only thing I don’t have in my pantry are the oats, so I wonder if I could use extra quinoa?
My favorite thing with over-ripe bananas is to make banana bread, but sometimes I’ll just slice them up and put them in the freezer for a future smoothie. I love that because it gives them just a little extra shelf life and when I make the smoothie, I don’t need to add any ice.
I love that, too–I always have a little baggie of banana slices in my freezer. 🙂 You could just use quinoa, the texture is just going to be a little different (probably not as sturdy).
Thank you Nicole for that tip about extra quinoa as I have allergies to oat.
What kind of oats would you recommend to be used?
I usually use old fashioned rolled oats, but friends have made them with quick oats and say they’re just as good 🙂
Would the amount of extra quinoa be the same as the oat amount called for if replacing the oats and doing all quinoa my daughter has allergy to oat as well.
These look perfect for those early mornings when there’s not enough time to make breakfast, but something warm is necessary. My over-ripe bananas always go in smoothies – I have so many of them I’m more worried about running out!
I’ve been thinking about making banana bread all week, this was perfect timing!
In the oven baking, as we speak!
These would be perfect… I love banana bread but this would be a great on the go option!
Loving this combination, and love its versatility between eating like a muffin or heating up for oatmeal!
oh yum. i love any way to integrate banana 🙂 might have to make this tomo!
This looks so yummy!
xo Jennifer
http://seekingstyleblog.wordpress.com
Yum!! Do you think these would freeze well? They would be perfect to mix up and freeze before our baby girl comes!
Hmm I’m not sure–but next time I make them, I’ll give it a try and let you know! And how exciting you’re expecting–congrats! 🙂
Did you try freezing them yet? I was going to double the batch and freeze half of them tonight.
Yes–they’re still tasty reheated after freezing! 🙂
I slice over ripe bananas into my morning oatmeal with some blueberries, chia seeds, cinnamon and flax. They mush up and act as a natural sweetener! Awesome in these frigid temps (we have been averaging -15 to -20 as of late….f -ing ridiculous)!
Yum!! That sounds delicious! I am SO OVER the cold weather, too–although our temps haven’t been quiiiite as low as yours 🙂
hey nicole, do you now how mutch calories are in 1 muffin ?
greeting from the netherlans kelly
Hi Kelly! I’m not sure, but the Fitness Pal website has a really handy calculator for determining calorie counts in different recipes–check it out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator Hope that helps! 🙂
I calculated and it’s roughly 150 per muffin which is awesome!
I calculated and got 86 but I substituted stevia for honey and halved the banana-plenty of banana flavor! Next time I’m going to add in some chopped almonds for protein, They froze fine-just popped them in the microwave.
How much Stevia did you use?
These look really good. What do you think could added to these to up the protein, though that could still be baking friendly?
It’s too funny that you wrote this post because I have been trying different things with my super ripe bananas too. My frozen banana bag was getting pretty backlogged. Lately, I’ve been making banana- peanut butter overnight oatmeal and using it for flour-less pancakes – so good!
You could spread some almond butter on top before eating–that would add some protein and I’m sure it’d be delicious!
Hemp hearts?
And for the many ppl with lots of frozen banana, try a vegan ice cream. Frozen banana and a small amount of peanut/almond/cashew butter (pick one) and a small amount of water. Put in food processor and voila, dairy free ice cream. Yum!
I added hemp hearts and some nuts for extra protein:)
This recipe was amazing! I’m a new reader and I cant wait to read more of Pumps&Iron! Love the blog so far!!
Yay so glad you liked it! 🙂
Very healthy Recipe, thanks for all the Team, well done.
In the ingredients list it says 1 cup mashed banana, in the directions it says 2, which is correct?
Thanks for catching that! I just fixed it. 1 cup mashed bananas. 🙂
These were delicious! I didn’t have an apple so I threw in some frozen berries (Blueberries, Raspberries) and added a bit of cloves, nutmeg and ginger. (Just a pinch) Absolutely amazing!!!
How many calories are in each serving?
I’m not sure but two great resources for calculating totals of multiple ingredients are the Lose It app and http://nutritiondata.self.com/
I just calculated and it’s roughly 150 per muffin!
Just made these — so delicious right out of the oven!!
Do you think you could substitute coconut oil for the almond milk? I myself am not dairy free so I don’t buy other milks, but I’m making these to take to a group with people that ARE dairy free.
Hmm 1/2 cup might be a little too much for a 1:1 swap with coconut oil–maybe just do 1/4 cup coconut oil and 1/4 cup water? Let me know how the substitution works if you try it out!
Hi. This may be a silly question but are you using a regular muffin pan or a mini muffin pan? Thanks.
Regular 🙂
Thx!
Made these cups – quite dry, found there was not enough wet ingredients to bind the dry ones. Delicious smell when they were baking. Good for using as a granola in milk.
Try swapping the quinoa:oats ratio–1 1/2 cup oats 2 cup quinoa. This is how I made them the first time and they’re super moist, but I found they fell apart, which is why I ultimately adjusted the amounts. Hope that helps! 🙂
Omg these look fantastic! Definitely making them today. I noticed in another comment someone mentioned freezing them. Did you ever try that and see how it went?
I haven’t personally, but have heard back from a few other testers that they do freeze well!
Was craving some dessert so I made these and added walnuts, dried cranberries and some chocolate chips…so good! Thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s delicious and even better for being gluten free! I am already looking forward to having another in the morning with some vanilla Greek yogurt. I’m a new fan of your blog!
YUM!–I love the additions, I’ll need to try that next time I make these 🙂
Any idea what i could sub out the banana for? Not a fan…. double up on apple and add some berries maybe.
More apple sauce? You’d want something with a similar “wet” texture.
I made these this morning according to the recipe and they were good, but not as flavorful as I liked, so I made a second batch and added puréed pumpkin along with the apple sauce, some walnuts, raisins and apple pie spice and OMG!!! This is definitely a keeper. Thanks for the great recipe!
Those additions sound amazing! I’ll have to try that next time I make a batch 🙂
Becky led me over here..and I’m so happy she did! :)) These are amazing little things right here! Making them as soon as I make applesauce (which I’ve been planning to make anyway) lol Thanks so much for sharing! x
I made these, added walnuts, chia seeds and raisins and they were incredible.
I’m not very good at exactly following a recipe, but I followed it pretty closely. Didn’t have applesauce so I used peaches in mango gel. Didn’t have almond milk, so just used regular milk. I also had a half cup of cut up strawberries in the fridge and a few tbsp’s of mini chocolate chips (that melted when I added the hot quinoa). “Muffins” in the oven now. Batter tasted great, can’t wait to try em all cooked up!
Hello! About to try these the first time, but was curious if you are “mixing” with a mixer or just fork stirring? Minor detail can make a big difference sometimes!
Hi! Did you mixer or just fork stir? About to make these!
Just stirred with a fork! 🙂
Sounds delish! Don’t forget- these can be made gluten free also, with gluten free oats! Yum!
What can you use instead of the milk? Want to make fora vegan guest.
Almond milk is vegan-friendly! 🙂
I would use maple syrup instead of honey for vegan friendly 😉
They are delicious!! My mom and I are trying to eat healthy and find good alternatives!! And this hit the mark! Great for a quick breakfast! I highly recommend!
Just made these this morning and they were great! I had no problems with them being dry or falling apart. Next time I’m going to add some dried cranberries or nuts. I also used regular milk with no problems. So glad I found your recipe!
What kind of applesauce did you use?
I’ve made these several times using different applesauces (I just grab whatever’s in my pantry) and they turn out great each time, but unsweetened applesauce (one of the Whole Foods brands) is probably my go-to
Could I substitute rolled oats for old fashioned oats?
You sure can. Old fashion oats is the only thing I’ve ever used and it was great!
As prepared above, I figured about 163 calories each. Delicious, full of protein and fiber, a great snack
Just made this recipe as is apart from using muffin tin liners! Excellent. Wondering if anyone has ever tried using a 9X4 inch loaf tin instead?
I left these out overnight but just saw it says to refrigerate. Think they are ok?
Yes! When I make a small batch and know they’ll be eaten within a couple days, I’ve skipped refrigeration that night. Still yummy! 🙂
This is my new favorite breakfast! Slice it in half and add a little natural peanut butter, delish! It’s so dense. Hard to believe a little muffin keeps me full for so long.
microwave for reheating?? that would probably destroy lots of nutritions!!! dont microwave!
I made one batch last week and a second batch today. I heat them for 30 seconds but my son wraps a cold one in a napkin and eats it on the train ride to work. This works out great because he usually skips breakfast! Thanks for sharing this healthy recipe!
do you know what would be a good substitute for oats? my son is allergic.
Hmm you could increase the portion of quinoa you use and then maybe add in a little flour? Not sure!
How many carbohydrates are there in one muffin?
Oh wow these look incredible, just stumbled across this on Pinterest. Do you track the macros of your food. Would love to know the ratio on these…
I don’t personally but have gotten a lot of requests for the nutritional info on these so I’ll update the post soon! 🙂
I put a few tbsp peanut butter and dessicated coconut in, even better than the original batch. Thumbs up from the UK
Making my second batch! A these are quite tasty and so convenient!
When my bananas start to turn, I put them in the freezer in their skins. No frost bite that way. They make wonderful banana bread after they’ve thawed. Love this recipe. Gonna try it today.
I make these regularly as our breakfast snack. I add chopped walnuts & mini semi sweet choc chips too! 🙂
Fantastic recipe! Is there any way you could post the nutritional stats; fat, protein, carbs, and fiber?
I am a new mom breast feeding 8-week-old twins and found this recipe when searching for easy, make-ahead, filling breakfast ideas. I made my own applesauce and added dried cranberries and walnuts to the recipe. They turned out AWESOME. Sure to keep this nursing mom happy in the mornings!
These are great. 2nd time making them. Thanks.
Anyone try with protein powder?
I tried with some PB2 added in and it was delicious!
These look and sound awesome…can’t wait to try them! What would you suggest in place of the honey?
Maple syrup would be a good swap!
I made these again. They are great! Easy to make and easy to heat up for breakfast during the week. I pour a little real maple syrup on them or a little butter with cinnamon and sugar.
My daughter makes these & they are amazing!!!! She has made these several times. I put almond milk over one & heat. Absolutely delicious & healthy!!
Anyone know nutritional value on these?
Any idea on how many carbs in one muffin. I make these and love them but my husband is diabetic so we need to know the amount of carbs so he can put that info into his insulin pump I order to enjoy these.
I don’t, but this is a great database for getting info on ingredients (you’d just have to add ’em up): http://nutritiondata.self.com/
What a waste of time effort and money. Pretty sure all her friends made the comments. Because they were like rubber balls with apple in them.
Hi Joanne! Sorry to hear these didn’t turn out well for you. By “rubber balls” did you mean they’re dry? I like the firmer consistency, but you could always swap the quinoa:oats ratio to make them more moist (they won’t hold together quite in the same way, but still yummy!)–I’ll add a note to the original recipe with that option in case it could be helpful for readers. I’m not friends with 98% of the commenters on this post, but they do seem like cool people and I’m so glad they enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 🙂
Wow you are a kind person! I admire your response to that ignorant comment! Does anyone know the container equivalents for the 21 day fix?
Couldn’t agree more, people can be so hateful.
I was looking on Pinterest for dairy free healthy recipes for my granddaughter and came across these. I made them as is, and they are delicious!! Not dry, not too wet either. Just right. I ate two and had to stop myself from taking a third. Might try without the honey next time, because the apple and applesauce and banana are pretty sweet on their own. Meant to add chopped walnuts or pecans, but forgot. Thanks for the great recipe! PS…I am not a “planted friend”, but I am now a fan.
I am looking at the above comment and can attest I am not a friend. Found this recipe through a google search. I make tons of healthy cookies and muffins with ripe bananas and so far this is the best tasting, most fluffy, simpliest one I’ve found. I love the quinoa addition. I added some dried apricots to my first batch. This next batch I am making more like a banana bread with coconut, walnuts, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg. My workmates all loved them too. Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you liked it Bethany! Thanks for the sweet words! 🙂
Could I use extra oats instead of quinoa?
Yes, but they might come out dry (the quinoa adds a lot of moisture). Instead of adding a full extra cup of oats, just add 1/2 a cup and then 1/2 applesauce. That should solve it! 🙂
Can you use steel cut oats in place of the old fashioned rolled oats?
Yes! I’ve used both.
Did you use steel cut oats cooked or raw? Seems like they wouldn’t cook if you put them in raw, and it might make it too mushy to use cooked. Thanks!
Definitely going to make these! Do you have nutrition info – protein, carb, fiber, etc./serving?
I am fructose intolerant and can’t have apples. What will work well instead of applesauce?
You could omit it and just use less oats (1/2 to 2/3 cup less) and a little extra mashed banana.
Is there something I can use instead of the apple sauce or can I just omit it out completely? My son can’t have apples but want to try this recipe
If you omit it, I would reduce the amount of oats you use by 1/2-2/3 cup so that they don’t turn out dry. You could also add in a little extra mashed banana for moisture. 🙂
Maybe pumpkin instead of applesauce?
Are the muffins small, medium or large? I get the impression from the pics and calorie info they’re small, perhaps medium??
I wonder how a little unsweeted cocoa powder would taste in it? I got some today on clearance;)
Can I sub powdered stevia for the honey in this recipe? How much would I use?
Hi! Looks yummy and I’m definitely going to try the recipe!!
How long do these keep for in the fridge (would make a cool addition to my christmas baskets)? Thumbs up from Finland!
Trying now, my recipe produced 18 full muffin cups. I know it was a big tart apple so I’m waiting to see how good they taste and I added 1/2 cup of walnuts just to make it more bread like.
I’ve used some chia seeds and dried cherries for some variation
I just made these (with a few modifications) and calculated the nutritional information – I will list below for those who may be interested. The modifications I made are as follows: Agave syrup instead of honey, only 2 bananas & 1/2 an apple, and added 1/3 C of walnuts & 1/4 C dark chocolate chips (in an attempt to get my daughter to eat them ;). The recipe made 12 muffins.
Calories 160, Fat 5g, Sodium 7.8mg, Carbohydrates 23.9g, Fiber 3.2g, Sugar 7.3g, Protein 3.8g
Made this with quick oats. I ate 12 in 2 days and my picky eating son liked them. I just told him it was an apple muffing 🙂
I used a quinoa flaxseed mix and the breakfast cups came out awesome. I also put some in the freezer for later on and they were still great tasting. Just wish I knew the nutritional facts for the breakfast cups.
Any suggestion for a nut allergy friendly option? Can’t do any nuts at all! So had to find healthy cooking blogs that aren’t completely nutty!
My family loves them. Extra healthy and yummy. We substitute a cup or so of raisins instead of honey.
For the people with oat allergies you can use rolled spelt grain or kamut flakes in place of the oats?
For the people with oat allergies you can use rolled spelt grain or kamut flakes instead. Happy eating ?
Would love to know the cals and nutrition on those qunioa apple banana breakfast cakes
Me too, I want to add it into my Weight Watchers calculator, sounds like a good snack.
Just made these they are delicious!!!
Is there any nutritional fact info you could provide? I will give them a try tomorrow.
My wife recently had some surgery which leaves me in charge of all the food. These were fantastic for breakfast (marketing a second batch this week!). Easy to grab in the morning for me so I can focus on other things and easy for her to throw in the microwave. Great recipe!
I was interested in the calorie count also. I scrolled up and someone did the calculation at 160 with some modifications. Check it out.
These are great though! Very tasty, good snack to take you through to the next meal.
Just wondering if you can replace the bananas with something else. Would like to make this for my son but he really does not like the taste of bananas. thank you
I made the exact recipe but with a lil Natural Peanut Butter added in. Pretty delish….but as an experienced cook/baker, I think a dash if Kosher salt is needed to bring out maximum flavor. That would bring these healthy muffins to the next level.
My husband likes to have a small treat after meals. He is trying to cut calories. Do you think that 1 is under 100 cal.
Amanda
I made your recipe, with a couple of tweaks, and I love it! This recipe will stay in my rotation. Thank you.
The Apple Banana Quinoa Breakfast Cups was super easy to make and they were so delicious. The house smelled so good. Definitely a recipe I will share with friends and continue making. Thabk you for sharing
Can you at least indicate if the temperature is in Celsius or f????
F
Yummm just made a batch left out apple’s but added coconut and pecans. Next batch I’m going to use walnuts and dried cranberries.
hi,
the recipe does not mention the temperature the oven needs to be on to cook it for 20-25 mins. Want to try this and wanted to know the oven temp. thank you
Sorry wasn’t looking. The temperature is the first thing you mention in the recipe.
Do you have the nutrition info for this recipe please?
Thank you