Almond Flour Banana Muffins are an easy way to use up any ripe bananas you have on hand. They have a tender, fluffy texture and are naturally gluten-free!
Inspired by my almond flour banana bread, this nourishing recipe comes together in 1 bowl. It’s the perfect grain-free and dairy-free after-school snack or breakfast on the go.
If you’re trying to cut back on white flour or grains in general, you’ll love these paleo banana muffins!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This banana muffin recipe calls for blanched almond flour, which is different than almond meal. Almond meal is made from ground almonds that have their skins on, so almond meal contains brown flecks and creates a denser, heavier baked good.
Use blanched almond flour for a lighter, fluffier muffin!
Overripe bananas are also perfect for this recipe, because the more brown spots they have, the sweeter the muffins will be. I use olive oil because it’s easy to measure, but you can also use melted coconut oil, if you prefer.
If you’d like to stir in some chopped nuts for added texture, or chocolate chips for extra sweetness, these muffins are easy to customize. However, don’t use flax eggs in this recipe to make them vegan– they will be too mushy!
Check out my vegan gluten-free banana muffins instead, which are already egg-free.
How to Make Almond Flour Banana Muffins
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin pan with 12 muffin liners. In a large mixing bowl, use a form to mash the bananas until they look relatively smooth.
To the large bowl of mashed bananas add the wet ingredients, including maple syrup, eggs, and oil.
Stir well, then add the dry ingredients including almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until the batter looks smooth.
Fold in any add-ins you like, such as dark chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or pecans, then divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups.
Bake at 350ºF until the tops of the muffins feel firm in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of the muffin to make sure it comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool in the muffin tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. (The muffins are moist, so transferring them will prevent the bottoms of the muffins from getting soggy.)
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Muffins left at room temperature overnight may develop a sticky texture on the outside, so keeping these chilled is best.
If you want to make a big batch, these also freeze well! Store muffins in an airtight container for up to 6 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight before serving again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Grain-free muffins can sink if you don’t bake them long enough, if they have too much oil or moisture added, or if your baking powder isn’t fresh. This recipe calls for only 1 tablespoon of oil since almond flour is already rich in healthy fats.
You can make homemade almond flour by blending blanched almonds in a blender or food processor until finely ground.
Yes, but you won’t need as much. You can use a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda for every egg in a recipe, so just 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda will work here.
You can swap the cinnamon in this recipe for vanilla extract, or even substitute the mashed banana for pumpkin puree or applesauce, instead. Keep in mind that substitutions may alter your results slightly. For example, pumpkin isn’t as sweet as banana, so you may want to add more sweetener in that case.
Honey can be used in place of maple syrup, but the flavor will be slightly more noticeable in that case. In my experience, using coconut sugar may make the muffins more mushy in texture.
Looking for more banana muffin recipes? Try Banana Oat Muffins, Healthy Banana Muffins (made with oat flour), or Peanut Butter Banana Muffins for another grain-free option.
Almond Flour Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (optional add-ins)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin pan with 12 parchment muffin liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until they look relatively smooth, with no large chunks remaining. The more ripe the bananas are, the sweeter the muffins will be.
- Add in the eggs, maple syrup, and olive oil and stir well. Then add in the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until the batter looks smooth, then fold in any optional add-ins, like walnuts or chocolate chips.
- Scoop the batter using a ¼ cup measure into the prepared muffin cups. Once the batter has been evenly divided among the cups, bake the muffins at 350ºF for 25 minutes, or until the centers feel firm to the touch.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The muffins will be very fragile while warm but will firm up as they cool. Leftover muffins should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. (Don't leave them out at room temperature overnight or they will develop a sticky texture on the outside.)
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this almond flour banana muffin recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!
Would frozen bananas be appropriate? Too much moisture?
These turned out perfect, and they were a hit in my house! My four-year-old had a fit when I told her she’d have to wait until tomorrow to have a third muffin!
This recipe was absolutely wonderful. The perfect combination of sweetness and moisture. Everyone in the family enjoyed them. They are exceptionally delicious the day after served right from the fridge.
These were delicious and kids loved them too. Bonus!!!