These Almond Flour Banana Muffins are delicately sweet and super moist, with pops of chocolate chip goodness and crunchy walnuts. This one-bowl muffin recipe is ready in under 30 minutes, and it's gluten-free, dairy-free, and easily made vegan, too!
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My girls and I have been on a quest to try healthier variations of our most beloved treats, such as these whole-wheat banana muffins and almond flour blueberry muffins, in which we replace all-purpose flour with whole-grain or alternate flours for added fiber and nutrients.
I've been using almond flour in my baking lately, so I wanted to try out my banana bread recipe with it. And I think I nailed it with this one! It took me a few tries to get the consistency right, but now these almond flour banana chocolate chip muffins have become a regular in our home.
Let's take a detailed look at how we made them healthier!
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Healthy Banana Muffins with Almond Flour
I like to call these banana muffins healthy for several reasons. They are:
- Gluten-Free - made entirely with almond flour.
- Dairy-Free - no dairy in this recipe, just make sure to purchase dairy-free chocolate chips, too.
- Oil-Free - almond flour is packed with natural oils, so no additional oil is required.
- Refined Sugar-Free - We sweeten these muffins with maple syrup, a natural, unrefined sweetener.
- Refined Flour-Free - no all-purpose flour makes this a relatively lower-carb recipe, too.
- Easily made Vegan - the recipe requires two eggs, but those can be replaced with a vegan egg replacer or two flax eggs (see instructions below).
Maple Syrup vs. Regular Sugar: According to Healthline, maple syrup naturally contains more antioxidants and minerals than table sugar and has a lower glycemic index (54 vs. 65).
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
All it takes is a few simple ingredients to make these banana muffins with almond flour!
- Bananas: Overripe bananas are essential for this recipe because they help sweeten the muffins and reduce the amount of added sugar.
- Almond Flour: Blanched almond flour and super-fine almond flour are both great options for this recipe. You can use almond meal, but the result will be a bit more dense.
- Eggs: Room-temperature eggs help bind the batter. To make vegan almond flour banana muffins, use egg replacer or flax eggs (Instructions included below).
- Maple Syrup: Dark or light maple syrup both work.
- Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet or bittersweet morsels will do. Search for a dairy-free variety to keep this recipe completely dairy-free. To lower the carbs, use sugar-free chocolate chips made with sugar alcohol.
- Chopped Walnuts: Optional, but highly recommended! They add that extra unique buttery crunch factor.
No oil required: Because almond flour already contains so much fat (it is ground nuts, after all!), this muffin recipe does not require oil.
Egg Substitute: To replace 1 large egg, mix 1 tablespoon of flaxmeal with 3 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit till it thickens and becomes gelatinous. Alternatively, use ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce.
Almond Flour vs Almond Meal
There is a slight difference between these two flours. In the simplest terms, almond flour is made from blanched almonds, whereas almond meal is made from almonds with their skin still on.
Check out Almond Flour Pancakes for an in-depth look into these two flours.
How To Make Almond Flour Banana Muffins
Let's see how to make almond flour muffins from scratch. Here are the step-by-step instructions and photos:
- Mash bananas: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, add peeled ripe bananas and mash them well using a fork or electric beater. The consistency should be like a puree with a few small chunks.
- Add wet ingredients: Stir in maple syrup, vanilla extract and eggs. Beat until smooth.
- Stir in dry ingredients: Add almond flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add chocolate chips: Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- And nuts: If adding chopped walnuts, fold them in.
- Fill muffin tin and bake: Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners. Using an ice cream scoop, fill the muffin tray evenly. Place the tray in the middle rack and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. If not, pop them back in for another 1-2 minutes.
- Cool: Remove the tray and let it cool for 10 minutes. Then, transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool.
Note: For the best taste and texture, cool completely before eating. If you don't wait for them to cool, they might be crumbly and a bit greasy.
Try a Variation
Almond Flour Banana Bread: You can turn the same batter into gluten-free banana bread with almond flour. Follow steps 1-5. Pour the batter into a greased 4 x 8 inch loaf pan (1 pound pan) and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Check by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done! If not, put it back for another 3-5 minutes, depending on how wet the toothpick is.
Vegan Almond Flour Banana Muffins: You can easily make this recipe vegan by substituting the eggs for a vegan egg replacer, such as Bob's Red Mill.
Alternatively, make a flax egg by mixing 2 tablespoons of flax meal with 6 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit until it thickens and becomes gelatinous.
Note: Do check the ingredients in the chocolate chips to ensure they don't contain dairy.
Serving Suggestion
These banana muffins are the perfect 'grab-and-go' breakfast or snack for the girls. And one that I don't feel guilty about! 🙂
You can make them ahead of time and add them to your breakfast or brunch spread. Serve them all on their own or enjoy them with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
Storage & Freezer Instructions
Store in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for up to 3 days. If you'd like them to last longer, store them in the fridge for up to 1 week.
To freeze, place the muffins in a freezer-safe plastic storage bag, label, date, and freeze for up to 6 months.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Use super ripe, brown-speckled bananas. Riper bananas mean tastier banana muffins with less sugar.
- You can use almond meal instead of almond flour. The batter will have the brown specs from the skin of the almonds and the bread will be slightly more dense.
- For slightly less sweet muffins, reduce the maple syrup to 2 or 3 tablespoons.
- Add different kinds of mix-ins to enhance the flavor. For example, feel free to add ½ cup of chopped pecans instead of walnuts, white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, peanut butter chips, or blueberries.
- For best results, cool completely before enjoying. If you don't wait for them to cool, they might be crumbly and a bit greasy.
- Store in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze, seal tight in a plastic storage bag, label, date and freeze for up to 6 months.
FAQ
Yes! Almond flour packs in much more nutrition, protein, and fiber than regular white flour. It is certainly a favorite of those following a paleo, gluten-free, or low-carb lifestyle.
The oven may not be hot enough! Make sure to keep the oven door closed throughout the baking time - no peaking!
I do not recommend replacing the almond flour with coconut flour due to coconut flour's super absorbent ability. Stick to either almond flour or almond meal.
Almond flour is more moist than wheat flour and doesn't have the same binding abilities. In most baking recipes, almond flour can replace all-purpose flour at a 1:1 ratio with adjustments in eggs and rising agents to reach the right consistency.
Popular Almond Flour Recipes
- Almond Flour Pancakes
- Almond Flour Brownies
- Nutella Mug Cake
- Badam Halwa (Almond Pudding)
- Carrot Burfi (Carrot Fudge)
- Almond Spice Cookies
📖 Recipe
Almond Flour Banana Muffins (Gluten-Free)
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Video
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 bananas (over-ripe) peeled and mashed (about 1 cup)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1½ cups almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chips
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
Almond Flour Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, add peeled ripe bananas and mash them well using a fork or electric beater. The consistency should be like a puree with a few small chunks.
- Stir in maple syrup, vanilla extract and eggs. Beat until smooth.
- Add almond flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and mix until fully incorporated.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- If adding chopped walnuts, fold them in.
- Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners. Using an ice cream scoop, fill the muffin tray evenly. Place the tray in the middle rack and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. If not, pop them back in for another 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the tray and cool for 10 minutes. After that, transfer the muffins to a wire rack for cooling. For best taste and texture, cool completely before eating.
Almond Flour Banana Bread
- Follow steps 1-5. Pour batter in a greased 4 x 8 inch loaf pan (1 pound pan) and bake for 30-35 minutes. Check by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done! If not, put it back for another 3-5 minutes depending on how wet the toothpick was.
Notes
- Use super ripe, brown speckled bananas. Riper bananas means tastier banana muffins with less sugar.
- You can use almond meal instead of almond flour. The batter will have the brown specs from the skin of the almonds and the bread will be slightly more dense.
- For slightly less sweeter muffins, reduce the maple syrup to 2 or 3 tablespoons.
- Add different kinds of mix-ins to enhance the flavor. Feel free to add ½ cup chopped pecans instead of walnuts, white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, peanut butter chips or blueberries.
- For best results cool completely before enjoying. They might be crumbly and a bit greasy if you don't wait for them to cool.
- Store in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze, seal tight in a plastic storage bag, label, date and freeze for up to 6 months.
M Schwarz says
Made these on a whim and wowww— these will be on permanent rotation going forward
Aneesha Gupta says
That's awesome! My girls love these muffins too!
Baker Aker says
Delicious, moist, and they taste better than regular banana muffins! I made mini muffins and added 2 tbs of coconut oil just to ensure they’re not dry. Took about 10-12 mins.
Aneesha Gupta says
That sounds wonderful! I'm so glad you enjoyed these muffins.
Stephanie says
These were great!!
Aneesha Gupta says
Thank you Stephanie 🙏🏼
Rachel says
Would this be able to be converted to a loaf as opposed to muffins?
Aneesha says
Hi Rachael, yes this can be turned into a loaf. The detailed instructions are mentioned in the recipe card. You'd have to bake it for 30-35 mins. I hope you enjoy it!
Liz says
These were delicious!! The recipe was easy to follow! Thank you!
Aneesha says
Hi Liz, thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe!