Almond Flour Banana Muffins (great texture, vegan option!)
These almond flour banana muffins have a great texture, with just a little bit of added coconut sugar, and there’s also a vegan option. These paleo banana muffins won’t disappoint!
People loved my almond flour brownies so much that I figured I’d make another almond flour recipe.
And this one is a winner! It took me all these years to post a basic paleo banana muffin recipe because, like I mentioned in my paleo chocolate banana muffins post, paleo muffins are so difficult to get right.
I’ve tried making paleo banana muffins on and off for years, and I thought maybe I was the one with issues. So I tried a bunch of recipes from other people and have to say I didn’t like any of them.
The textures were eggy, soggy and just… bla. But not these!
While they’re not exactly like regular banana muffins, they’re still super delicious, and the texture is great.
If you don’t have almond flour on hand but still want your banana muffins to be gluten-free, try my gluten-free banana bread. Unfortunately, I have no idea of the yield or how long to bake them as muffins. I’m guessing it’d yield 12 muffins, and you’d need to bake them for 15-22 minutes.
I wanted to make these muffins totally banana-sweetened, but they were hardly sweet. So I added two tablespoons of coconut sugar, and that made a difference.
If you want to give these almond flour banana muffins to toddlers, you can go ahead and omit the coconut sugar. Unless they’re already used to sweet stuff, they should be totally happy with them. :)
To make them vegan, I went with my first choice of vegan eggs and used a chia egg. But they were soggy and never baked fully.
I tried again using 1.5 teaspoons less water in the chia egg, and it worked great! Sometimes people complain about how I call for unusual amounts of ingredients.
Like 1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon of flour, water, whatever. And this is why.
Because even small amounts can have a significant impact on the recipe. Especially in paleo baking!
It’s why I usually test a recipe an absurd number of times before posting. Precision, precision, precision. :)
I must say that the vegan version is less appealing than the egg one. You have to smooth the tops of them because they don’t really flatten while baking.
They’re also a little darker brown rather than yellowish brown.
I kept these almond flour banana muffins totally plain, but you can add nuts or chocolate chips. And if you do like nutty muffins, these Walnut Muffins are also made with almond flour and look fantastic.
If you live outside North America, ensure you’re using the correct almond flour. In the UK, almond flour = deoiled almond flour, which is a product that doesn’t even exist in the US.
Or at least it didn’t a few years ago when I looked into it. In Germany, it’s the same. What translates to almond flour = deoiled almond flour.
What you need to get is ground almonds! Ground almonds usually aren’t as fine as almond flour, but it’s what I use without major issues.
Recipes will turn out a little more greasy, but it’s usually not a huge deal. It does make cookies spread a lot more, though!
You can see a side-by-side comparison in my post on paleo gingerbread cookies. It’s a pretty huge difference, huh?
After a year of no new muffin recipes, I seem to be on a muffin posting spree. I’ve got one more coming up, and then it’s on to other good stuff!
I hope you’ll enjoy these muffins!
Questions about how to make these muffins?
Can I use something other than bananas?
I would have to recommend that you find a non-banana muffin recipe if you can’t use bananas.
Can I use a different type of vegan egg?
I’ve only used modified chia eggs so I’m really not sure. I used 2.5 tablespoons of water instead of 3. When I made a regular chia egg, the banana muffins never cooked fully. So I can’t really say about other subs.
Do I have to use coconut sugar?
You could use maple sugar. Or another type of granulated sugar. Not a liquid sweetner.
They weren’t sweet enough for me without the coconut sugar but if you want the muffins to be hardly sweet, you can omit it.
What can I use instead of almond flour?
Almond meal should be fine. Another type of nut flour or meal would likely work but I can’t say for sure without trying it myself.
Coconut flour, a GF baking blend, wheat – nothing else will work in place of almond flour except possibly for other nut flours / meals. And once you have some almond flour, you can also make these delicious-looking Mini Banana Bread Muffins.
Can I bake this as bread?
Using a muffin recipe in a loaf pan doesn’t always work. When it’s a grain-free recipe, especially one that’s just almond flour, it’s even more risky. I haven’t tried it yet and don’t recommend doing it, unless you’re okay with a possibly sunken loaf top and / or a soggy bottom.
Can I add chocolate chips or nuts?
Yes! I’d suggest about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or chopped nuts.
Almond Flour Banana Muffins (great texture, vegan option!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (230 grams) mashed bananas this was 2 medium bananas
- 2 large eggs 50 grams each out of shell; or 2 modified chia eggs for vegan, see notes
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (22 grams) coconut sugar very tightly packed
- 1 1/3 cups (133 grams) almond flour see notes
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with 8 muffin liners. I recommend silicone liners as these muffins stick a bit to paper ones. If you have to use paper, then waiting a few hours after baking helps make removing the liners easier.
- Add the mashed bananas, eggs, vanilla and coconut sugar to a large mixing bowl, and stir until combined.1 cup (230 grams) mashed bananas, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons (22 grams) coconut sugar
- In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry mix to the wet and stir just until combined.1 1/3 cups (133 grams) almond flour, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- Spoon the batter into the muffin liners, filling them 2/3 full.
- Bake for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. These muffins are best after they’ve rested for a few hours.
- Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature. These are very moist so I don’t recommend keeping them at room temp so long. You can also refrigerate for 5 days or freeze for 2 months.
Notes
- To make the 2 modified chia eggs for this recipe, use 2 tablespoons ground chia seeds + 5 tablespoons water. Mix together until goopy like an egg.
- Almond flour is called ground almonds in some countries.
- The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.
Nutrition
Categories:
Breakfast and Brunch, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Gluten-free Vegan Recipes, Grain-free, Muffins, Special Diets, Vegan,
This is my FAVORITE banana muffin recipe!! I love how clean the ingredients are and how moist the muffins turned out. I can’t wait to eat more tomorrow morning!
Aww, yay! I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks a bunch for your feedback. :)
Wow amazing muffin recipe, super moist and delicious thanks so much for sharing this recipe ????.
You’re welcome! I’m glad that you enjoyed it. :) Thanks for your feedback!
These banana muffins were amazing!! It’s so hard to find truly healthy muffin recipes for my kids, but this one was absolutely perfect!
I’m really happy that your kids liked them! Thanks for the feedback. :)
These turned out so fluffy! I appreciate the use of healthier coconut sugar and I love baking with almond flour, love the texture it gives.
I totally agree! And I’m glad you liked them. :) Thanks for your comment!
Wow the texture on these muffins is the bomb. They look fantastic and now I am craving one with a cup of coffee! Well done!
Thanks so much! :)
This is such an easy recipe. We loved these and they vanished the moment they were out of the oven. Hahaha!!’n
Woohoo! Glad to hear that. Thanks for your feedback!
This is the perfect almond banana muffin recipe for right now so thank you very much as I have saved to this next weekend.
This is the perfect apple muffin recipe for right now so thank you very much as I have saved to this next weekend.
I have a new obsession with trying new recipes with almond flour. These Banana Muffins look amazing and I will be trying them soon. These look perfect!
I hope that you’ll enjoy them! :)
Move over banana bread! These little muffins look utterly delicious! Love the rise on them and the texture looks just spot on! Simply beautiful, really excited to be baking these tonight!
These look so delicious . . and, I’m not even going to regret saying . .. moist! So moist, lol! which is actually always a rarity in a Paleo muffin, so thanks for sharing this one.
Thank you, Erin, for all your hard work developing these recipes… following your instructions they always turn out and….They are always delicious! We are So thankful for your recipes!
Hi Jen! You’re welcome for the recipes. :) It’s always great to hear from you. I hope you’ll get to try these muffins out! Thanks a bunch for your nice comment and I hope you’re having a nice, cozy fall. :)
Ohmygoodness. These were SO easy and SO delicious. I doubled the batch (’cause six kids), and before I knew it, I’d eaten three of them… haha! Definitely keeping these in my breakfast menu lineup!
Haha. Nothing wrong with that! ;) I’m so glad that you enjoyed them and I loved that you doubled them right off the bat. That’s very trusting. ???? Thanks for your feedback and confidence!
The perfect texture and just sweet enough. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for your feedback. :)
Wow they look wonderfully moist! And I love that they use coconut sugar as well. Can’t wait to try.
I hope that you’ll love them as much as we do!
wow, what a lovely recipe. Perfect colour and texture of the muffins. They look so soft and spongy. Healthy and easy recipe. will try soon.
I hope that you’ll like them! Would love to hear how it goes. :)
So fluffy and delicious! These are perfect with my morning coffee.
I’m glad you like them! Thanks for your feedback. :)
The texture of these look so good. I have had some hit or miss recipes with almond flour and coconut flour. I beed to make this for our two great granddaughters that are spending the night. I actually did make them banana bread last week with coconut flour and it turned out really good.
I am so glad I can eat whole wheat foods. HA!!
Haha. Well I think my almond flour and coconut flour recipes are really good. ;) I hope they’ll enjoy the muffins!