Happy New Year, folks! I always have big plans to hit the ground running in the new year… and then something always happens to lay me low for a couple of weeks. Last year it was a rib contusion from a random trapezing accident, and this year it’s just a good old-fashioned cold.
Maybe this is God’s way of telling me to just chill out… that my new year actually starts on January 15!
So in that case I’m still a couple of days ahead…
But even on days I don’t feel my best, I can always bake. So that’s what I’ve been doing to keep myself occupied (since I can’t be in the gym!), and I came up with these yummy little gluten-free banana walnut muffins.
Now, I don’t have celiac disease, but I do find that eating too much gluten (as well as other fermentable carbohydrates- more on that later…) does my belly no favours. So the less I eat, the better. Fortunately, there are many, many wonderful substitutions for wheat flour in baking.
These muffins use a combination of oat flour (I used certified gluten-free oats and ground them in my blender), almond flour, and coconut flour. This produced a moist, tender muffin with a nice texture that wasn’t dry and didn’t fall apart.
The key to tender muffins (gluten-free or not) is not to over-mix them. Combine your wet ingredients in one bowl, your dry ingredients in another, and then add the wet to the dry all at once, mixing JUST enough to moisten the flours. It’s ok to have a few lumps in your batter. If I’m adding extra ingredients (like walnuts or chocolate chips), I do this halfway through the mixing process, so they’re incorporated without having to stir it any more than necessary.
Very ripe bananas provide most of the sweetness in these muffins, and I just add a pinch of granulated stevia to amp up their natural sweetness. Feel free to use coconut sugar or brown sugar instead. And I used almond butter (instead of oil or butter) to add moisture (and also a bit of protein!) to these healthy muffins. Peanut butter also works… and if you do this, I highly recommend throwing in some chocolate chips! My kids agree…
These muffins are a snap to make and super easy even if you’re a bit under the weather. Let me know if you try them- I would love to know what you think!
Cheers, friends!
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 egg whites
- 3 T. almond butter
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1 cup oat flour (use certified gluten-free)
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1 T. granulated stevia (I use Truvia brand) (can sub 2 T. coconut sugar)
- 1 t. baking powder
- ½ t. baking soda
- ¼ t. salt
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F (200C.) Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray, or line with paper liners.
- Combine mashed banana, pumpkin puree, egg whites, almond butter, almond milk, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flours, stevia, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add banana mixture to dry ingredients and stir gently to combine, adding the walnuts about halfway through the mixing process. Do not overmix or your muffins will be tough.
- Scoop into muffin tin and bake 16-18 minutes or until a wooden tester comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container. Makes 12.
Nutrition Facts
The Yummiest GF Banana Muffins
Serves: 12 muffins
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 muffin
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 117 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 6g | 9.2% | |
| Saturated Fat | 0 | |
| Trans Fat | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 | |
| Sodium | 0 | |
| Total Carbohydrate 13g | 4.3% | |
| Dietary Fiber 3g | 12% | |
| Sugars | ||
| Protein 4g | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
The Expat Dietitian