Almond Flour Banana Muffins

Almond flour banana muffins are the perfect breakfast or afternoon snack.

Tender, moist and so flavorful, these vegan banana almond flour muffins are naturally gluten free, egg free and easy to make! All you need is a fork and a bowl to mix these muffins up!

Why you will love this recipe

• Naturally sweetened and gluten free – sweetened with just 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar, these almond flour banana muffins rely on the sweetness of the bananas for most of their flavor! Use dairy free chocolate chips to make these dairy free and vegan friendly as well! Almond flour and gluten free flour keep them gluten free but packed with flavor.
• Easy to make – all that is needed to make these almond flour banana bread muffins is a fork and a bowl. No fancy equipment is needed to mix up this simple batter. This would be a great recipe to get help from the kids with!
• Great for meal prep – these gluten free banana muffins last all week in the fridge and are freezer friendly as well! Great for breakfast on the go or a quick afternoon snack.
• Easy to find ingredients – you can find all the ingredients you need to make these muffins at your local grocery store, Trader Joe’s or online at Thrive Market.

Ingredients

• Bananas – bananas are the star ingredient in this recipe. You want ripe bananas for this recipe – dark yellow with lots of brown spots on the peel is the best! If you don’t have super ripe bananas but need muffins ASAP, check out my tips below!
• Ground chia seeds (or ground flax) + water – this combination is used to replace the eggs in this recipe. I like using ground chia seeds (you can grind them yourself in a high speed blender or spice grinder) because I find that whole chia seeds tend to get stuck in my teeth even after baking. You could also use ground flax seeds in place of the chia seeds as well.
• Almond flour – for the best texture, I recommend using almond flour. However I have made this with almond meal as well and the muffins still turn out delicious, the texture is just slightly different.
• Gluten free flour– I find that vegan muffins don’t cook all the way through when you use just almond flour and flax eggs (or chia seeds). To offset the moisture that seems to never bake out of the center, I add just a bit of gluten free flour to help absorb any extra moisture. You can use tigernut flour, cassava flour, oat flour or your favorite gluten free flour.
• Coconut sugar – this helps to sweeten the muffins just touch. Just 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar helps to elevate the flavors and really helps them pop. If you are worried about adding sugar, you can omit the coconut sugar but you won’t have quite the same flavor.
• Baking powder – the baking powder is what ensures the muffins will rise. Be sure you are using fresh baking powder. To test it, add 1 tsp. baking powder to about 1 tbsp. vinegar. It should bubble and foam quickly.
• Cinnamon – ground cinnamon and bananas are a match made in heaven. The cinnamon adds to the sweetness of these muffins without adding any sugar and helps create a depth of flavor. If you don’t love cinnamon, omit it. If you really love cinnamon, you can double the amount suggested in the recipe (which I often do)!
• Peanut butter or almond butter – If you are paleo, you will want to use almond butter in this recipe. I like using peanut butter because it’s more budget friendly and I always have it on hand but almond butter would work great in these muffins as well. You could also use tahini (made from ground sesame seeds) or sunflower seed butter (sunbutter).
• Chocolate chips (optional) – use your favorite brand of chocolate chips! Enjoy Life Brand, Pascha and Trader Joe’s all make a great vegan chocolate chip. If you want to minimize the added sugar, I highly recommend these unsweetened 100% cacao chocolate chips.

How to make almond flour banana muffins

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Start by mashing the bananas in a large bowl. You want to try to get most of the lumps out but you don’t have to make them perfectly mashed a few chunks is fine.

Add the chia seeds and water to the mashed bananas and stir immediately. You will find that chia seeds want to gel together if not stirred immediately which can create pockets of chia seeds in the final recipe.

To this mixture, add the dry ingredients: almond flour, gluten free flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon and baking powder. Stir well. The mixture will be thick, but it will all stir in eventually.

Add the peanut butter (or almond butter). I like to wait to add the nut butter until the end after stirring in the dry ingredients because the fat from the peanut butter can stop the ground chia seeds (or ground flax) from properly absorbing the liquid. Stir in the peanut butter until it’s fully incorporated.

If you are adding chocolate chips or any other mix-ins, add them now and stir well.

Line a muffin tin with muffin liners. My favorite choices are silicone muffin liners or parchment paper liners. I don’t like the paper liners as they tend to stick to the muffins.

Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop out the muffin batter into the muffin tin, making 12 muffins total. If you have any leftover batter, try to evenly distribute it so the muffins cook evenly.

Bake at 375F for 30 minutes.

After baking, remove from the oven and allow the muffins to cool completely. I like to let them rest in the muffin tin for the first 10-15 minutes then move them to a cooling rack.

Top tips

• Use ripe bananas: You are looking for bananas that are covered with brown spots on the peel. If your bananas are dark brown/black they may be too ripe (which means they may get a bit darker when baking). They should still be fine in this recipe though.
• Be sure to line the muffin tin with silicone muffin liners or parchment paper liners to ensure the banana almond flour muffins won’t stick. Paper liners often stick to the muffins, creating a big mess when you are finally ready to eat the muffins.
• Let the muffins cool completely before removing the muffin liner. Because these almond flour banana muffins are egg free, they are very fragile right out of the oven. Let them cool completely for the best texture. You can warm them up in the toaster oven or microwave right before eating and the texture will be incredible. You just need to let them cool initially so they can set up properly.
• Fill the muffins up equally so they bake evenly. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to divide the batter to get 12 equally sized muffins. Divide any leftover batter as evenly as possible.
• Make these extra special by topping them with creamy cashew frosting for a cupcake alternative!

Other add-ins

I love how simple this recipe is and how much flavor is packed in these muffins. If you wanted to change things up, you could also add:

• Chopped nuts: pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts would all be great in these banana muffins
• Chopped dried fruit: cranberries, blueberries, cherries, raisins, dates
• Extracts: Use vanilla or almond extract (only about 1 tsp needed)
• Spices: Ground ginger (1/2 tsp. dried) will add some heat, nutmeg (1/2 tsp.) can make it more like pumpkin spice.

Common questions

What if my bananas aren’t ripe

If your bananas are not super ripe but you can still mash them easily with a fork, simply add an extra tablespoon of coconut sugar to help offset the missing sweetness from the banana.

If you cannot easily mash your banana because it’s pretty green, peel the banana and put it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. This will help to soften the banana. Add an extra 1-2 tablespoons of coconut sugar to offset the lack of sweetness.

Can I substitute coconut flour

No, you cannot substitute coconut flour with almond flour. Coconut flour absorbs 3-5 times it’s weight in liquid and dries out baked goods. Almond flour does not absorb any excess water and tends to create moist, tender baked goods.

If you love this recipe, you should try

• Blackberry Lemon Muffins (gluten free, vegan)
• Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Muffins
• Paleo Molasses Cookies
• Quinoa Banana Muffins
• High Protein Banana Bread
• Chocolate Protein Banana Bread
• Carrot Cake Oatmeal Bake