baking banana muffins in the oven has to be one of my favourite smells in the world. as the bananas begin to caramelize, an intoxicating, sweet aroma fills the room and brings me right back to early memories of the first thing I ever baked. this version is extra fibrous and filled with all the good stuff, for when you’ve been eating too much take-out and need a gut cleansing. perfect for an on-the-go breakfast or as a snack any time of day. sometimes, we sub the bananas with pumpkin or apple purée to mix it up. best served with a knob of salted butter.
*if gluten is not an issue, replace gluten-free flour with all-purpose and omit xanthan gum
Makes 12 standard-sized muffins
Ingredients
3/4 cup gf flour (ATK’s flour blend is our go to, or trader joe’s gluten free AP)
3/4 cup cane or white sugar
1/2 cup gf oats
1/4 cup flax meal
1 1/2 tsps. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
a few grates of nutmeg (optional)
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup dried fruit of choice (raisins, chopped dates, chopped apricots, cranberries, currants, blueberries etc.)
1/2 cup nuts or seeds of choice (pepitas, sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, chopped pistachios, chopped pecans, chopped walnuts etc.)
2 ripe medium bananas (~236g), mashed
2 eggs, beaten or a mixture of 2 tbsps. flax meal + 6 tbsps. water (let sit for 5 minutes before combining with everything else)
1/2 cup (dairy-free) plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (if using plain yogurt)
1/4 cup avocado or olive oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Combine the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl from gf flour to nuts.
In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, eggs, yogurt, and oil.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and fold to incorporate.
Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin-liners or grease with coconut oil (spray if you have it).
Portion out the batter and bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Serve with butter or butter flavoured coconut oil. Muffins can be stored in the freezer and defrosted at room temperature before reheating in the microwave or (toaster) oven.