These almond flour banana muffins are a great gluten-free option if you have celiac or a wheat allergy or intolerance.
Growing up with a brother and a best friend who couldn’t eat gluten was a struggle. Back in the day, the gluten-free options available were sparse and didn’t taste great.
Now, luckily the gluten-free market has expanded and it’s easy to find great tasting gluten-free treats and other foods.
One of the main staples of gluten-free baking is almond flour! It’s a great gluten-free option and makes for some delicious baked goods, just like these almond flour banana muffins.
Ingredients for Almond Flour Banana Muffins
The ingredients for these almond flour banana muffins are pretty simple. You will also need a muffin tray and tins to bake the muffins in.
- Almond flour
- Bananas: the riper the better
- Baking powder
- Egg
- Maple syrup: honey can be used as a replacement if necessary
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Chocolate chips
Tip: Ripe bananas work best for this recipe because they are softer and sweeter than unripe bananas.
Is almond flour gluten-free?
Yes, almond flour is gluten-free! Gluten is found in a variety of foods from wheat to barley to rye, but almonds do not contain gluten. If you have celiac or are very sensitive to gluten, you may want to look for an almond flour that isn’t made in a facility that handles gluten to avoid cross contamination.
Here are few examples of almond flours that are completely gluten-free:
Is almond flour good for you?
Yes! Almond flour is a great baking flour alternative and has some nutritional benefits compared to regular white flour. Let’s compare!
Half a cup of white flour contains about 230 calories, 48 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat. It’s an excellent source of vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), folate, manganese and selenium and a good source of copper, iron and phosphorus.
Half a cup of almond flour contains 320 calories, 11 grams of carbohydrates, 28 grams of fat, 12 grams of protein. It’s an excellent source of vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin E, copper, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus and a good source of vitamin B1 (thiamine), B3 (niacin), calcium, iron, potassium and zinc.
As you can see, the two foods are pretty nutritionally different. Almond flour is higher in calories, but lower in carbohydrates. It has a bit more protein and much more fat compared to white flour.
The fat in almond flour comes from unsaturated fats, which are considered “good” fats and help promote good heart health. So don’t worry about the fat content being high!
As for the nutrients, they have pretty different nutrient profiles. Since almond flour is made from nuts, its nutrition is going to be similar to nuts, while white flour is going to be a grain and have similar nutrients to other grains.
Along with this, white flour is fortified with nutrients to help replace nutrients that are lost in processing (when the bran is removed from the wheat).
Overall, you should use whichever flour you enjoy the most and fits into your nutrition goals the best. If you can’t eat gluten, almond flour is a great choice, along with coconut flour, rice flour and oat flour.
How to make Almond Flour Banana Muffins
These muffins are pretty easy to throw together and aren’t as laborious as regular muffins made with wheat flour (in my opinion). It can easily be made in one large mixing bowl!
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas. Add egg, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and mix until ingredients are well combined. Then add almond flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until well combined.
Step 2: Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into muffin tins. Spread the batter evenly to ensure all muffins are the same size.
Step 3: Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until the toothpick comes out clean.
After the muffins have cooled down, remove them from the pan and enjoy!
What variations are there for this recipe?
There are several tweaks you can make to this recipe if you are missing ingredients. First, I want to mention that I haven’t tested out all these tweaks, so it will be a bit of an experiment if you try them yourself.
You can use coconut flour instead of almond flour. They are both high fat gluten-free flour alternatives that should act fairly similarly in a recipe. You also may taste a slight hint of coconut, if that’s something you enjoy.
You can also try using applesauce instead of ripe bananas. They both add some sweetness and help keep the muffins together.
Finally, you can really mess around with the add-ins. Personally, chocolate is my favorite and I really try to add it to everything, but, there are some other options. Chopped nuts would work great in these muffins, along with coconut flakes or blueberries. Get creative!
How should I store the muffins?
These muffins should be stored in an airtight container. They should last about 1-2 days on the counter, about 1 week in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer.
If you do choose to put them in the freezer, make sure to separate each layer of muffins with parchment paper so they don’t stick together.
When you reheat the muffins, you can either do so in the microwave, oven or air fryer. I personally like heating them up in the air fryer for a few minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. They get nice and melty and crispy around the edges.
What equipment will I need for this recipe?
While this recipe is pretty simple when it comes to baking, baking does require quite a bit of equipment. You will need several pieces of equipment for this recipe, including:
- A large mixing bowl
- Muffin pan
- Muffin tins
- An oven
If you don’t have a muffin pan, you can always put the batter in muffin tins and throw them on a baking sheet. The muffins will likely spread while cooking, but this will work in a pinch.
Also, pro tip: if you don’t bake a full batch of muffins at once, add some water in the remaining spots. This will ensure the muffins cook eventually, even if some spots are missing a muffin!
If you tried out this recipe and liked it, please comment below and share. Also remember to tag me on Instagram and TikTok!
Almond Flour Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 bananas ripe
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas. Add maple syrup, egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
- Add almond flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Line a muffin pan with muffin liners. Distribute batter evenly among the spots.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool and enjoy!
