From the roundup: 24 Easy School Snack Recipes Kids Will Actually Eat
These almond flour banana muffins take about ten minutes to pull together, and the hardest part is remembering to let them cool before you peel them out of the tin. I learned that the hard way. Almond flour muffins are fragile when hot and fall apart if you rush it, so the ten-minute rest in the pan is not optional.
The batter comes together in one bowl with no mixer. Mash the bananas, whisk in the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla, then stir in the dry ingredients. It will look thin and loose compared to a standard muffin batter, which is normal. Do not add more almond flour. They bake at 350 for 20 to 22 minutes and firm up as they cool.
I make these on Sunday and freeze the whole batch. Three of my kids take one in their lunchbox most mornings, and it thaws on its own by snack time. One batch of twelve, no refined sugar, no gluten, and they actually hold together when packed.
Why you will love this
- One bowl and no mixer, so cleanup takes about two minutes
- Naturally sweetened with ripe bananas and a small amount of maple syrup, no refined sugar
- Gluten-free without any specialty blends or gums, just blanched almond flour
- Freeze individually and thaw in a lunchbox, which makes weekday mornings much easier
- Dense enough to survive being packed without crumbling, which not all muffins manage
Tips for success
- Use blanched almond flour, not almond meal. Almond meal is coarser and will make the muffins gritty and flat. The bag should say blanched or superfine.
- Start checking at 20 minutes with a toothpick. Almond flour muffins go from done to dry fast, and 22 minutes is the ceiling, not the target.
- Grease the tin well even if you use liners. Almond flour batters are sticky and will bond to a thin paper liner if the cup underneath is not also greased.
- Let them cool in the tin for a full ten minutes before moving them. They look done but are still fragile inside when hot, and pulling them early means broken muffins.
Common questions
- Can I use almond meal instead of almond flour? No, the texture will be dense and grainy. Blanched almond flour is what makes these work.
- My muffins sank in the middle. Did I overbake or underbake? Usually underbaking. Let them go the full 20 to 22 minutes and check with a toothpick before pulling.
- Can I double the batch? Yes. Use two muffin tins and rotate them halfway through baking so both pans cook evenly.
- Are these sweet enough without extra sugar? If your bananas are very spotty and soft, yes. Under-ripe bananas will give you a bland muffin, so wait until the peels are mostly brown.
Substitutions
Swap the maple syrup for the same amount of honey if that is what you have. For a vegan version, replace each egg with a flax egg: one tablespoon of ground flaxseed stirred into three tablespoons of water, rested for five minutes until it gels. The texture is slightly denser but still holds together. Coconut sugar can replace the maple syrup if you prefer a dry sweetener, though the batter will be a little thicker.
For mix-ins, mini chocolate chips or chopped walnuts both work well stirred in at the end. Start with a quarter cup so the muffins still hold their shape. If you are making these for a nut-free lunchbox, sunflower seed flour can technically substitute for almond flour at a one-to-one ratio, though the flavor is earthier and the color turns greenish from the baking soda. It works, but it is not the same muffin.
Make-ahead and storage
Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or in the refrigerator for up to five days. They firm up in the fridge, so let them sit out for a few minutes or warm them for about 15 seconds in the microwave before eating.
To freeze, wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap, then place them all in a zip freezer bag. They keep well for up to two months. Pull one out the night before or pack it straight from the freezer in a lunchbox. It will be thawed and ready to eat within two to three hours at room temperature.
Almond Flour Banana Muffins
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease each cup well with coconut oil or nonstick spray.
- Peel the bananas and place them in a large mixing bowl. Mash thoroughly with a fork until almost no lumps remain. The more ripe they are, the easier this goes and the sweeter your muffins will be.
- Add the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla to the mashed banana. Whisk everything together until well combined, about 30 seconds.
- Add the almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon if using. Stir with a spatula until a smooth batter forms. It will look thinner and looser than regular muffin batter. That is completely normal with almond flour, so do not add more flour.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Tap the tin gently on the counter once to settle the batter.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Start checking at 20 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin. It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Almond flour muffins can dry out quickly past this point so do not wait too long.
- Remove the tin from the oven and let the muffins cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They firm up as they cool and are much easier to handle once fully cooled.
Notes
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