Vegan Banana Muffins (Gluten-Free!)
These delicious muffins taste just like classic banana bread... but in portable, fun-sized form! They're tender, moist, naturally sweetened, and made with no refined oil.
Servings: 12 muffins
Ingredients
Wet ingredients:
- 3 large bananas, very ripe*
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar (or cane sugar)
- 1/4 cup dairy-free milk
- 2 Tbsp. almond butter
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. ground flax + 1/3 cup warm water
Dry ingredients:
- 1 cup oat flour (GF if needed)
- 3/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Oven: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with parchment baking liners.
- Flax egg: Make a flax egg by stirring together the ground flax and 1/3 cup warm water in a small bowl. Set aside for 5-8 minutes to thicken. I give it another stir halfway through. (If using cool water, it'll take about 15 minutes to gel.)
- Wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas. Then add all other wet ingredients. Add the thickened flax egg. Whisk to combine.
- Dry ingredients: Add all dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined and no dry pockets remain. (Try to avoid over-mixing; the batter should be thick and lumpy.) Set aside and let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes. This allows the oat flour to absorb moisture which creates a softer, less-crumbly texture.
- Transfer: Portion the batter evenly throughout the lined cavities. (I use an ice cream scoop with thumb press for easy transferring.)
- Bake: Place in oven and bake for about 18-21 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbles).
- Cool: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack and cool for about 60-90 minutes. (This is an important step because they're soft & fragile when hot, but firm up as they cool. They also need to be completely cool before storing.)
Notes
*Bananas: 3 large bananas is about 1.5 heaping cups mashed. If your bananas are smaller/medium-sized, use about 4-5.
Storing: After FULLY cooled, store muffins in a tightly sealed container for 2 days at room temperature, or 5 days in refrigerator. (You can transfer them to the fridge after 2 days on the counter.) They also freeze great for about 2 months. I thaw them in the fridge overnight. Gently warm them in the microwave for 15 seconds right before enjoying if desired.
Flour: For best results, weigh your flour. You'll find the gram measurements in the "metric" tab in the recipe card. It's much more accurate because flour amounts can vary by volume. (I use Bob's Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose baking flour.)
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Calories: 133 kcal | Carbohydrates: 24 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 3 g | Saturated Fat: 0.4 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Potassium: 214 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 7 g | Vitamin A: 39 IU | Vitamin C: 3 mg | Calcium: 47 mg | Iron: 1 mg
