Almond Flour Banana Muffins Gluten Free Spice Cravings

My girls and I have been on a quest to try healthier variations of our most loved treats, like these whole wheat banana muffins, in which we replace all purpose flour with whole wheat flour for added fiber and nutrients.

I’ve been using almond flour in baking lately, so wanted to try out my banana bread recipe with almond flour. And I think I nailed it with this one! It took me a few tries to get the consistency right, but now these almond flour banana chocolate chip muffins have become a regular in our home. Let’s take a detailed look on how we made them healthier!

Healthy Banana Muffins with Almond Flour

I like to call these banana muffins healthy for a number of reasons. They are:

Gluten-Free - made entirely with almond flour.Dairy-Free - no dairy in sight, just make sure to purchase dairy-free chocolate chips, too.Oil-Free - almond flour is packed with natural oils so no additional oil is required.Refined Sugar-Free - we sweeten these muffins with maple syrup, which is a natural, unrefined sweetener.Refined Flour-Free - no all-purpose flour makes this a wonderful low-carb recipe, too.Easily made Vegan - the recipe requires two eggs, but those can be replaced with a vegan egg replacer or two flax eggs (keep reading for instructions below!).

Maple Syrup vs Regular Sugar: Along with a number of antioxidants and minerals, maple syrup scores lower on the glycemic index when compared to table sugar (54 vs 65, respectively). That means, maple syrup raises blood sugar slower than regular sugar. This helps to avoid that notorious ‘spike and crash’ that is often affiliated with regular sugar.

Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions

All it takes is a few simple ingredients to make these banana muffins with almond flour!

Bananas: Overripe bananas are essential for this recipe because they help sweeten the muffins and reduce the amount of sugar. Just make sure your bananas are brown and speckled all over for the best flavor.Almond Flour: This recipe uses almond flour instead of all-purpose flour which keeps it gluten-free and low-carb. Another key benefit of using almond flour is that it’s nutrient-rich, helps control blood sugar levels and is lower on the glycemic index. Almond meal can also be used in it’s place.Eggs: Room temperature eggs help bind the batter. To make vegan almond flour banana muffins, use egg replacer or flax eggs (Instructions included below).Maple Syrup: This recipe uses maple syrup as the replacement for refined sugar - a natural sweetener that’s lower on the glycemic index. Honey is a good alternative.Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet or bittersweet morsels will do. Search for a dairy-free variety to keep this recipe completely free of dairy. To lower the carbs further, use sugar-free chocolate chips that are made with sugar alcohol. Chopped Walnuts: Optional, but highly recommended! They add that extra special buttery crunch factor.

No oil required: There is so much fat already present in almond flour (it is ground nuts, after all!), this muffin recipe does not require oil. Egg Substitute: To replace 1 large egg, mix 1 tablespoon of flaxmeal with 3 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit till it thickens and becomes gelatinous. Alternatively, use ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce.

Almond Flour vs Almond Meal

There is a slight difference when it comes to these two flours. In the simplest terms, almond flour is made from blanched almonds whereas almond meal is made from almonds with their skin still on. Check out Almond Flour Pancakes for an in-depth look into these two flours.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Let’s see what it takes to make almond flour muffins from scratch:

Mash bananas: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, add peeled ripe bananas and mash them well using a fork or electric beater. The consistency should be like a puree with a few small chunks.

Add wet ingredients: Stir in maple syrup, vanilla extract and eggs. Beat until smooth.

Stir in dry ingredients: Add almond flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and mix until fully incorporated.

Add chocolate chips: Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

And nuts: If adding chopped walnuts, fold them in.

Fill muffin tin and bake: Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners. Using an ice cream scoop, fill the muffin tray evenly. Place the tray in the middle rack and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. If not, pop them back in for another 1-2 minutes.

Cool: Remove the tray and cool for 10 minutes. After that, transfer the muffins to a wire rack for cooling.

Note: For best taste and texture, cool completely before eating. They might be crumbly and a bit greasy if you don’t wait for them to cool.

Variation: Almond Flour Banana Bread

You can turn the same batter into a gluten free banana bread with almond flour. This is how:

Follow steps 1-5. Pour batter in a greased 4 x 8 inch loaf pan (1 pound pan) and bake for 30-35 minutes. Check by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, it’s done! If not, put it back for another 3-5 minutes depending on how wet the toothpick was.

Try a Variation: Vegan Almond Flour Banana Muffins

You can very easily make this recipe vegan by swapping out the eggs for a vegan egg replacer, such as Bob’s Red Mill. Alternatively, make a flax egg by mixing in 2 tablespoons of flaxmeal with 6 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit till it thickens and becomes gelatinous. Note: Do check the ingredients in the chocolate chips to ensure they don’t contain dairy.

Serving Suggestion

These banana muffins are the perfect ‘grab-and-go’ breakfast or snack for the girls. And one that I don’t feel guilty about! 🙂 Make them ahead of time and add them to your breakfast or brunch spread. Serve them all on their own or enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Storage & Freezer Instructions

Store on the kitchen counter for up to 3 days in an airtight container. If you’d like to keep them longer, store in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze, place the muffins in a freezer-safe plastic storage bag, label, date and freeze for up to 6 months.

Recipe Tips & Notes

Use super ripe, brown speckled bananas. Riper bananas means tastier banana muffins with less sugar. You can use almond meal instead of almond flour. The batter will have the brown specs from the skin of the almonds and the bread will be slightly more dense.For slightly less sweeter muffins, reduce the maple syrup to 2 or 3 tablespoons.Add different kinds of mix-ins to enhance the flavor. Feel free to add ½ cup chopped pecans instead of walnuts, white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, peanut butter chips or blueberries.For best results cool completely before enjoying. They might be crumbly and a bit greasy if you don’t wait for them to cool.Store in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze, seal tight in a plastic storage bag, label, date and freeze for up to 6 months.