Almond Flour Banana Muffins (Gluten Free)

What Makes This Gluten-Free Banana Muffin Recipe So Good?

In 2014, I shared my famous almond flour banana bread. It’s my favorite of all banana bread recipes. The sweet almond flour, paired with honey or maple syrup, and mashed bananas makes that recipe an incredibly moist and delicious bread with the best banana flavor.

At home, we make that famous bread recipe on repeat for a great breakfast and snack or to satisfy a sweet tooth.

But I don’t always have the patience to wait an hour for bread. So I’ve modified my bread recipe to work for traditional muffins. The healthy and fluffy muffins have become a great option for quick grab-and-go breakfasts, snacks, or the lunchbox.

• Quick and Easy: One of the quickest banana bread muffin recipes you’ll ever make! No melting butter or multiple bowls. So fast, so easy!
• One Bowl: From mashing bananas to whisking dry ingredients, this recipe is made with just one large bowl. Minimal dishes, minimal clean up! That’s my kind of recipe.
• Super Moist: One thing I can’t stand is dry muffins. No one has time for that. Almond flour creates incredibly moist banana muffins, all without the need for butter or oil. And the muffins stay moist for days without drying out.
• Natural Sweetness: Typical banana muffins are made with refined sugar, from brown sugar to cane sugar. Instead, this healthy recipe is naturally sweetened with blanched almond flour or almond meal, honey or maple syrup (or stevia for a low-carb option), and ripe bananas.
• Meal-Prep Friendly: Almond flour banana bread muffins freeze perfectly. When you have extra ripe bananas around, whip up a batch of muffins to stash in the freezer.
• Zero Gluten: This bread is 100% gluten free and made with wholesome, real-food ingredients.

Ingredients Needed

To make the best almond flour banana muffins, you’ll need a few simple ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas (the perfect use for overripe bananas; but not too brown and mushy)
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt or a dairy-free yogurt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• 2 Tablespoons arrowroot flour starch 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

What is Arrowroot Starch? Arrowroot is a white, flavorless powder. It’s similar to cornstarch (without the corn) in that it thickens food. Almond flour alone can result in soggy, dense muffins. Arrowroot starch (which is paleo-friendly, gluten free, and vegan) improves the texture of almond flour treats. Arrowroot lasts a long time. Use it to make stir-fry sauce, almond flour chocolate chip cookies, this particular recipe, almond flour waffles, and homemade foundation powder or dry shampoo.

Optional Add-Ins

Option 1: Chocolate Chip Muffins

Add 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips to the batter, stir to combine. Or use cacao nibs.

Or make half the muffins with chocolate chips: spoon half the batter into muffin liners, then add 1/4 cup chocolate chips to the remaining batter, mix, and spoon the batter into the remaining liners.

Option 2: Banana Nut Muffins

Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the batter, stir to combine.

How to Make, Step-By-Step

To start, preheat the oven to 350F. Then follow these steps to make 12 simple banana muffins. You’ll find a printable version of the recipe and instructions in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Mash Bananas

Mash the bananas in a large bowl using a potato masher or fork. You’ll need about 3 medium bananas, totaling about 1 1/4 cups or 320 grams.

Step 2: Add Wet Ingredients

Crack 3 eggs into the bowl and whisk. Add the maple syrup (or honey), yogurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine all the wet ingredients.

Step 3: Add Dry Ingredients

Add the almond flour, arrowroot starch, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Use a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir the ingredients, combining the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.

Step 4: Spoon Muffin Batter Into Muffin Cups

Line a muffin tray with muffin liners. Or, generously grease a muffin tray, if you’d like to avoid muffin liners. Use a cookie scooper or ice cream scooper to scoop the muffin batter from the bowl into the 12 muffin cups.

Step 5: Bake for 18-22 Minutes

Bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes. The time depends on your oven, as every oven can vary depending on the position of the muffin tray, how the heat circulates, etc. Take a look at the muffins around the 18 minute mark. If the tops feel firm with a golden color, the muffins are done. If they still feel soft and jiggly, continue to bake the muffins.

Variations

These healthy muffins can be tweaked to meet specific dietary needs or preferences. Here are a few recipe variations readers have made with success.

Dairy Free

The almond flour creates incredibly moist muffins without the need for butter. The recipe does call for using a small amount of yogurt. If you’re dairy-free, use a plain plant-based yogurt.

Egg Free

Some readers who need an egg substitute have used flax eggs to make the banana bread (this is not a variation I have personally tried). Instead of real eggs, make a flax egg by combining flax seeds and water. How to make your own flax egg (you’ll need 3 flax eggs). This variation may result in flat muffins (a bit more dense).

Sugar Free

Instead of honey or maple syrup, some readers have used 1/4 cup applesauce or 1/2 teaspoon stevia (for a lower-carb option). I haven’t tried these sweetener variations, but readers have experienced good success with these sugar-free substitutions when making the bread recipe.

Banana Bread

Instead of muffins, make bread using a loaf pan. Follow this almond flour banana bread recipe for the best results.

How to Store

Once the muffins cool, store in an airtight container or bag for up to 1 week in the fridge. Eat at room temperature, cold, or reheat in the microwave or a toaster oven.

These delicious muffins are even better (and still moist) the next day. Make this recipe for an easy meal prep breakfast, snack, or dinner side dish (perfect alongside a big salad or bowl of soup).

How to Freeze and Reheat

Freeze the muffins, once fully cool, in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost the muffins on the counter or in the fridge, and enjoy at room temperature, cold, or reheat in the microwave.

Keeping a stock of healthy muffins in the freezer is a great way to have quick snacks, breakfast, or sweet treats and avoid the convenience of processed food.

Serving Suggestions

The fluffy banana muffins are the perfect breakfast side, snack (one of 31 favorite snacks), lunchbox side, or dessert. Here are a few of my favorite foods to serve with muffins…

For Breakfast

• Scrambled Eggs
• Spinach Feta Omelette
• Ham and Cheese Omelette
• Omelet Cups
• Healthy Yogurt Bowls
• Serve a muffin with a homemade chai latte, iced chai tea latte, or pumpkin spice latte.

For Snack

• Top a muffin with butter or your favorite nut butter (like peanut butter)
• Serve with a cheese stick or rolled up turkey
• Enjoy a muffin with a piece of fruit

For Dinner

• Serve as a side dish with a vegetable (frozen roasted vegetables are delicious) and chicken (whole roasted chicken or crispy chicken thighs)
• Serve as a side dish with a bowl of soup
• Serve on the side of a big salad, like Kale and Romain Caesar Salad