So, my kids keep trying to convince me that our bananas are “going bad” and need to be saved immediately. Yep, the ones that were basically green yesterday.
They’re joking , of course, but they’re totally serious about doing anything they can to convince me to make another batch of these gluten-free banana nut muffins.
Moist and sweet and chock-full of banana nut goodness, they only take a few minutes of hands-on time to whip up. Also, because all the batter ingredients are mixed in one container – a blender or food processor – cleanup is quick and easy. I hope you love them as much as we do!
P.S. If you have slightly under-ripe bananas, here’s how to ripen them quickly. Also, if you’re using organic bananas save the peels for this relaxing bedtime tea.
P.P.S. If you’re looking for a banana bread recipe, click here.
Now onto the recipe! 🙂
Gluten-Free Banana Nut Muffins
Equipment
- blender or food processor
- standard muffin pan
- parchment paper liners
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1½ cups mashed bananas (approximately 4 medium or 3 large bananas)
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup melted butter (or coconut oil if dairy-free)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (here's how to make your own)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- ¼ coconut flour (OR 1/2 cup oat flour)
- 2½ tsp baking powder (If you don't have it on hand, you can make it with baking soda, cream of tartar and arrowroot flour or non-GMO cornstarch. Here's how.)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¾ cup chopped pecans or chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place 10-12 parchment paper liners into the muffin tin. (The coconut flour version makes 10-11, and the oat flour version makes 11-12.)
- Mash the bananas with a fork and measure out 1½ cups.
- Add all the wet ingredients (mashed bananas, eggs, maple syrup and butter/coconut oil) to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add all dry ingredients except the pecans/walnuts on top of the wet ingredients and blend again until smooth.
- Stir in 1/4 cup of the nuts. You can transfer the mixture to a bowl for this step if you'd like. Personally, I just remove my blender container from the base, add the nuts, and then use a silicone spatula to mix them in. (That's one less bowl to wash!)
- Place about 1/3 cup batter into each cup, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of the nuts over the top of the muffins.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions I’ve received about gluten-free baking:
Can I use my all-purpose gluten-free flour blend instead of almond flour and coconut flour?
Almond flour and coconut flour absorb liquid differently than all-purpose flours, so unfortunately they can’t usually be swapped for each other in baking recipes. I haven’t tested this recipe with any pre-made blends but my guess is they may turn out too wet, too dry, etc.
Can I use applesauce as an egg replacer?
Although I have used applesauce as an egg replacer in some recipes, I haven’t tested it in this one. I think it tends to work best in recipes that only use 1-2 eggs. This one uses significantly more and may not hold together as well with applesauce. That said, if you try it please let us know how it works out!
More Muffin Recipes To Try
Blueberry Muffins – Moist and cakey, these grain-free muffins are delicious served warm and slathered in butter.
Strawberry Streusel Muffins – These muffins pair a rich, cakey batter with a crunchy, crumbly streusel topping, and they’re surprisingly easy to make.
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins – My daughter and I worked on this recipe for over a month, and she’s super proud that her input created the winning batch. The flavor is bright and lemony, and the texture is moist and cakey.
Apple Cinnamon Muffins – Made with fresh apples and sprinkled with a crumb topping, these gluten-free apple muffins are full of flavor and seriously scrumptious.
Want even more?
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do you have a favorite source for walnuts?
mmmmmmmmm!!!
Emily Cowles Brown – Before we started GAPS we didn’t eat many walnuts, so local sources were enough. Been buying huge quantities at Whole Foods since then simply because I haven’t taken the time to track down a more affordable option. Now that avocados are $3 a piece at my grocery store it would probably be worthwhile to look into!
SO excited to try this. Love the pic.
I am about to try coconut flour for the first time. This recipe makes me excited to try it. 🙂
Coconut flour is FANTASTIC as long as you use lots of eggs in your recipe to keep it moist. Enjoy!
5 minute prep is my kind of recipe! To find things that don’t dirty every single bowl in your kitchen, or something that takes a few minutes to prep is seriously AMAZING.
I totally agree! Tomorrow I”m making stew in the crockpot – yay for mess free recipes!
I can’t seem to get the “where to buy butter” link to work?
Thanks for letting me know, Katherine! Should be working now . . .
HI,
This looks really interesting — I never thought to add nutmeg to banana muffins, and I bet the walnuts add good flavor as well! I’d love for you to come and share it at my Grain-Free Linky Carnival!
http://realfoodforager.com/2011/10/grain-free-real-food-linky-carnival/
I can’t get the where to buy links to work either…
Do you think I could sub almond flour instead of coconut flour?” It’s what I have on hand.
Unfortunately, it won’t. Coconut flour soaks up moisture so you have to use a lot more eggs than in a traditional recipe. Almond flour has a similar moisture level to regular flour and I’m afraid you’d end up with an eggy mess on your hands. Sorry!
We have egg allergies. What can you suggest to substitute?
I’ve heard some people use chia seeds mixed with water, but I don’t have any personal experience to speak from. Coconut flour recipes require a high ratio of eggs to keep from being very dry – I probably would skip this one rather than try to substitute.
Oh, these look yummy! And so easy to make! I’m about to embark on the GAPS diet myself, so it’s great to have some simpler options available. I’m just wondering what you mean when you say ‘vanilla’. Is it essence, powder, or something else?
It’s homemade extract. Though it’s not legal, we’ve used store bought while on GAPS before 🙂
Funny, I was just searching the web for a good banana muffin recipe! This one looks yummy but I can’t have eggs 🙁
🙁 Have you made egg-free muffins before? I’d be curious to know how that’s done.
no not yet! but i did find a recipe for Zucchini muffins that is egg free and I think it is gaps too…
i will definitely let you know if they turn out well and share the recipe 🙂 I was thinking it would translate into banana muffins too…we will see!
sorry to post so many times lol…i was just looking at the recipe and it looks like they just sub applesauce for eggs? I would rather just have eggs though 🙁
please post the zucchini muffin recipe! I’m not at the stage of being able to handle eggs yet either :/ I’ve tried replacing egg with applesauce with success in the past 🙂
@ Sara 21/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup apple sauce 1/8 cup honey 1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda (optional) 2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground cloves and 1 cup grated zucchini (you can also ass nuts, vanilla, flaxseeds, ect)
bake at 350 for 20-25 mins, makes 12 muffins
These look delicious! I’m going to try making them soon. Wondering if you could freeze these? I’ve never tried freezing my muffins made with coconut flour.
I’ve never tried. If you do please let me know how it works out!
These turned out great! Wish I had more bananas & coconut flour to make a 2nd batch 😀
We’re making this recipe for the first time on Thursday evening for my hubby to take to the office. I’m definitely interested in learning if they freeze well. 🙂
Wow, you’re sending them to the office even though you’ve never tried them? That’s a lot of trust! I’m glad this is one of my best recipes, lol!
Lol — what better way to test out a recipe for the first time, right? lol We’re going to bake them up Thursday evening, and of course, sample them ourselves just as soon as they’re cool enough to touch! lol
Mmmmm, my tummy’s rumbling! Banana + coconut flour = YUM
Looks like I know what we’re having after naptime! 🙂
They are so delicious I don’t share mine! Yes, they freeze well.
THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!
This recipe is a.w.e.s.o.m.e! Only 3 eggs w.coconut flour is remarkable & a huge success!
Yours is the -ONLY- recipe I’ve tried that has worked & these taste exactly like “regular” banana-nut bread/muffins! Winner!
Can’t wait for more brown bananers! 😉
Ahhhh, I love hearing that! thank you for coming back to let me know!
Hi, just to tell you that I made your recipe tonight (with a few adaptations) and it tasted amazing!
Regards from Portugal
Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know, Ana! I’m SO GLAD you liked them!
banana quiona muffins
yum!~ thank you
Beth Salwaechter – I hope you like them as much as we do!
Beth Salwaechter – I hope you like them as much as we do!
This is what will be for breakfast (brunch?) today. Guess I better get off FB and get cooking!
Mellanie Gray Sheppard – You only need five minutes and than you can come back! 🙂
Just baked a batch. Yes, it was quick and easy, but they were pretty bland and kind of custard-like. Amazingly, my 22 month old son ate them (although I had to top them with butter and maple syrup). This is the fourth recipe I have tried that is grain free and none have been very good. I wonder if I am doing something wrong or if these recipes are an acquired taste…
It could be a lot of things, Jill! I’m not very “exact” as a baker, so this recipe call for two bananas instead of an exact number of cups, etc. I tend to use large bananas so that the muffins are nice and sweet, so that could account for why you liked them more with syrup. If more cinnamon/nutmeg suits your tastes by all means add it in! As far as the custard texture goes, that’s just partly the way this recipe works. It shouldn’t be too overwhelming though unless there was too much egg in the batter. Like I said, not an exact science here, but we like them!
Thanks for the reply. I have read elsewhere the custard consistency could be too many eggs; it is a balance of getting enough moisture for the coconut flour without the “eggy” taste/texture. I will keep experimenting…
I love love love your website!
Thank you!
My son has Crohn’s… (we treat it holistically) We officially start GAPS te 1st of June…. Getting my feet we while reading and taking in all of the information… THis recipe is FANTASTIC! Big hit with the hubby and both of my boys! Thanks so much… Really enjoying your website too…. Thanks for adding inspiration, Mommypotamus!
Thanks for introducing me to the world of coconut flour!! It was so nice to eat a baked good!!
I think this recipe might be a keeper, as long as the bananas don’t feen my candida. Well see…..
Yummy at any rate!!
So glad you liked the recipe, Suzanne! Hope you get to enjoy them for a long time 🙂
I love your site, recipes, and YOU!!!!!! You inspire me in the kitchen, and as a mom. Thank you! Serious question though, do you have a print button for your recipes??? Maybe I am just missing it? Thank you for everything you do!
Awww, thank you Erin! This comment totally made my day. 🙂 I don’t have a print button but since you asked I will ask Daddypotamus if we can get one!
Hey Heather! I just made these and they were delish!! I noticed you had nutmeg and cinnamon in the ingredients but not in the directions. I assumed they went in with the first round of mixing. Didn’t know if you wanted to update that.
So glad to have found you and can’t wait to poke around some more 🙂
Oh! These look so yummy! My son has a sensitivity to honey- can I use the same amount of maple syrup instead? Thanks for posting this recipe.
I thought I’d make a comment on making muffins.Instead of using honey or maple syrup I just increase the amount of very ripe bananas to cover the amount of sweetener needed. to make 12 muffins I use the 1 cup mashed bananas plus 1/4 cup ripe bananas. It takes care of the quick absorbing honey and maple syrup. That keeps the GI much lower.
Someone asked if you can use maples syrup to replace honey.Yes you can. I do it all the time. Just use equal amounts of maple syrup for honey.
I have a question. Do you have to make coconut milk first before grinding coconut flour?
Yes, you do!
So I have been trying to come up with a healthy grain free snack for my daughters day as snack helper at preschool and am planning to try these but wanted to make mini muffins… Any idea how that would change cooking temp or time?
To make any muffin recipe to mini-muffins, you just reduce the cooking time – usually by 5 or 10 minutes. Just poke every so often with a toothpick, until it comes out clean.
Why would you use raw honey in a recipe that’s cooking at 400 degrees? I think save the good & pricey stuff for actually eating raw.
Wondering what I did wrong– the muffins turned out very grainy and crumbly and did NOT have a smooth uniform texture like the ones in the photo. 🙁 Maybe I will try using a blender instead of my food processor next time… Any thoughts?
I’m not sure, Rachel! My guess would be that perhaps your coconut flour was extra coarse or there wasn’t enough moisture – if your bananas were on the very small side that could be it.
I’ve made this into bread (my muffin tins had an unfortunate paleo egg muffin incident) and it turns out delicious EVERY time! I like to eat it warm with some butter on top and a cup of coffee. Heaven!
I’ve wanted to pin some of your yummy recipes in Pinterest but don’t see the Pinterest icon or pin button on your standard site or FB site. Am I missing something?
Hi Tami! If you hover over a pic in the post it will give you a “Pin It” button 🙂
where do you purchase your salt for cooking? I tried the link above and it was too broad to find on the site.
Hi Kelli, my favorite option is Celtic sea salt. Real Salt is my second 🙂
Is there an alternative to the bananas? My daughter is allergic to bananas and all things related (mangoes, avocados, kiwi, latex, etc.). So many recipes use bananas:(
The bananas are needed for moisture in this recipe. Unfortunately I am not aware of a good substitute, sorry!
You could use pumpkin.
Hello! I am linking to this post next week in a post about keeping birthday party food healthy! Thanks for the great post. Linda Spiker (The Organic Kitchen and fellow VGN’er)
Hello, wondering if you think this would work as a cake? Thanks!
Hey there 🙂
I’m wondering the same thing; ie. how long to cook a cake for and maybe a size cake tin. Thanks! 🙂 x
I am excited to try this recipe. I was wondering if it is ok to soak the walnuts. You think it will affect the texture of the muffins if I do soak the walnuts overnight. I am really making a point to soak all my nuts before we eat them at home.
I soak and dry my walnuts before using them 🙂
Thank you. I’m gonna soak them anyway. I know I need to get in the habit of soaking and dehydrating all my nuts so that they are ready to go when needed. I’ll get there 🙂
Can’t wait to try this! But… Where can I find Teflon-free muffin pans? Any ideas?
made these today and they are yumm! i did add an extra tbsp of honey and about a 1/4 cup of enjoy life chocolate chips.
Just made these! They are delicious! I made both mini (15 mins) and regular muffins (25 mins)! I used 1 cup of mashed banana, maple syrup instead of honey and added some chocolate chips! 🙂 Thank you for the recipe! 🙂
I just made a batch using an older recipe I had laying around, but yours look better, I might have to give those a try!
Id like to use this recipe to make loaf bread instead of muffins. Should i add more egg ans bannana to make it more moist??? Also, can i leave our coconut milk and oil, maybe add more butter instead?
Awesome thank you!! Have you considered a ‘print’ button / widget on your page to nake printing the recipes without all the extra pics etc?? would be great!
Just wanted to mention that I doubled this recipe, but I forgot to double the eggs!! I was worried they wouldn’t turn out, but they were fabulous! Didn’t stick to the muffin paper at all and I didn’t even oil them! I will say that I used plain yogurt instead of milk and subbed a bit of canned pumpkin for one of the bananas. Instead of mixing the walnuts into the batter, I made a coconut sugar/walnut streusel topping 🙂 Def will be making these again. Thanks!!
I just made these. I think they were great! Didn’t taste like coconut like I thought they would. I could smell it, but couldn’t really taste the coconut. Definitely sweet though. I made them into mini-muffins because I have a two year old. The perfect snack size!
hi Just made these. But they did not rise? Can you help with why?
I did put 3 bannans in as they were small.
Thanks
So first of all, this didn’t make as much as I was expecting. Maybe my bananas weren’t big enough? I think if I make these again, I will omit the nutmeg, add another banana, and use maple syrup instead of honey because the honey taste is a little strong for me.
Hi Heather. Been baking gf for some time, but I’m new to grain free baking. I understand coconut flour absorbs lots of liquid. Is there any reason why one of the eggs couldn’t be replaced with additional coconut milk? Most grain free recipes use lots of eggs and I eat eggs in moderation . Thanks for any insight you have!
Hi Arianna, I haven’t tested it with those ratios so I can’t say for sure. The eggs help hold the muffins together so they may become crumbly if the amount used is reduced.
These are my favorite gluten-free muffins to make. The recipe is so simple and versatile! I’ve tried many different nuts and fruit in them and they turn out delicious every time.
I had 3 bananas going bad, so used all 3 and kept other ingredients the same. They are great! And it made 9 muffins for me.
I love this recipe! It is easy to make….just mix ingredients in my vita mix blender, pour the batter into 12 prepared muffin cups, sprinkle with chopped walnuts & bake. It is moist & tasty. I substituted the maple syrup for honey, in fact much less because the ripe bananas are so sweet already. This is a keeper recipe 😊