Banana Almond Flour Muffins

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These banana almond flour muffins are an easy-to-make breakfast or dessert that’s gluten-free, low in carbs, and vegan! With just 10 simple ingredients, they’re tender, moist, and just the right amount of sweet. Serve them as-is, or with your favorite toppings.

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• Refined sugar-free: Maple syrup and bananas are the only sweeteners in these muffins. No refined sugar is required!
• Diet-friendly: Low carb, vegan, and gluten-free, this recipe is easily adapted to be paleo and keto as well. It’s suitable for almost any dietary preference.
• Texture: Each bite is tender, moist, and perfectly sweet. Don’t be afraid of using almond flour in your baked goods — it still yields delicious results.
• Flavorful: Just because it’s healthy, doesn’t mean this recipe skimps on taste. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how incredible banana almond flour muffins are!

If you enjoy healthier-for-you treats, you should really check out our pumpkin banana muffins, vegan banana bread, vegan double chocolate muffins, blueberry donuts, and gorditas de nata.

🧁 What are banana almond flour muffins?

Banana almond flour muffins are a refined sugar and gluten-free baked item geared towards those who enjoy desserts but are still health conscious with ingredients. Who doesn’t want to have their cake and eat it too, right?

If it scares you that almond flour and bananas make up the bulk of these muffins, we urge you to try the recipe out first!

Almond flour can be notoriously challenging to bake with, which is why we made our recipe easy to follow. Even if you’re not well-versed in gluten-free baking, you’ll be able to whip up a batch in no time!

These muffins have an excellent taste and texture that goes along with their incredible nutritional profile, so we know you’ll soon be baking them over and over again.

🤔 Almond flour vs almond meal

Almond meal and flour are both made from ground almonds and are popularly used in gluten-free, low-carb, keto, and paleo recipes. Although similar, they are actually two unique products with their own uses:

• Almond meal: Made by grinding whole, unpeeled almonds, resulting in a coarser texture with tiny brown specks throughout. Due to the presence of skins, the flavor is slightly more bitter.
• Almond flour: Made from blanched (skinless) almonds, and ground into smaller granules. The end result is a milder taste with a finer, almost powdery, texture.

While it’s possible to use the two interchangeably, almond flour is better for sweet, delicate recipes, and almond meal works best in savory recipes.

🌱 Are banana almond flour muffins vegan?

Many almond flour muffin recipes are not vegan-friendly due to the addition of eggs, butter, or milk.

This recipe ditches all the dairy and eggs, making use of mashed banana, vegan buttermilk, and coconut oil to help create a light, moist, and tender texture.

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

• Almond flour: The best choice for banana almond flour muffins is almond flour, but almond meal will absolutely work too. The texture may just be a little coarser.
• Baking soda & powder: Since almond flour is slightly denser than all-purpose flour, we’ll be using both leavening agents to give the muffins lift.
• Cinnamon: For a sweet and warming flavor, our go-to choice is Ceylon (true) cinnamon. Although, you can experiment with nutmeg, allspice, clove, or pumpkin spice too.
• Salt: Salt plays an important role to enhance the flavors of the other ingredients. Don’t skip it in your baking!
• Maple syrup: For a more natural way to sweeten the muffins, maple syrup, coconut nectar, and agave are all great options.
• Mashed banana: Added both as an egg substitute and a healthy sweetener. Make sure your banana is extra spotty for the best flavor and texture!
• Vegan buttermilk: Provides an acid for the baking soda to react with, creating light and tender muffins.
• Coconut oil: Regular or refined coconut oil both work to provide richness and structure. You can also use vegan butter or more mashed banana for an oil-free option.
• Vanilla: We always recommend splurging on pure vanilla extract over artificial, but both will work for this recipe. 
• Chocolate chips: Although optional, dark chocolate chips add sweet, rich, and creamy notes throughout the muffins. You can replace them with raisins or nuts, or omit them completely.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make almond flour banana muffins

Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, then lightly grease or spray a muffin tin with oil or vegan butter. Whisk the almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients

In another large bowl, add the syrup and mashed banana. Beat together with a hand mixer or stand mixer until the mixture is smooth. Add the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla and mix for another minute to incorporate.

Step 3: Combine the batter

Transfer the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix the batter until just combined. Since almond flour is quite delicate, you don’t want to overmix it too much.

Step 4: Divide the batter

Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Don’t fill the cups much past ¾ of the way full.

Step 5: Bake the muffins

Bake your muffins until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Happy eating!

If you have questions about these banana almond flour muffins, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

☕️ What to serve with muffins

What goes better with freshly baked goods than a warm coffee or tea beverage? Pair your banana almond flour muffins with one of these drinks:

• Dirty chai latte: Masala chai infused with bold coffee and dairy-free milk.
• Hokkaido milk tea: Japanese-inspired tea made with creamy plant-based ingredients.
• Champurrado: Thick, rich, and warming Mexican chocolate beverage.
• Oolong milk tea: Made with a base of oolong tea, milk, brown sugar, and boba.
• Taro milk tea: A vibrant purple boba featuring taro root and jasmine tea.

🧈 How to eat banana almond flour muffins

Similar to regular muffins, banana almond flour muffins make a delicious snack or treat on their own.

If you’re feeling like something more indulgent, slice one open and smear each half with a healthy dose of vegan butter and jam, jelly, strawberry compote, or blueberry compote! It’s a revelation.

🌡️ Storage & reheating

The great thing about banana almond flour muffins is they can be made ahead of time for quick snacks and breakfasts all week long! Follow these storage tips to keep them fresh:

• Room temperature: If you’re intending to eat them within a few days, you can store banana almond flour muffins in an airtight container on the countertop for up to 3 days.
• Fridge: For anything longer than 3 days, we recommend storing them in the fridge. Stored in an airtight container, they will last about a week.
• Freezer: Transfer the fully cooled muffins to a freezer-safe bag or container, and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: If they’re from the countertop or fridge, microwave your muffins in 10-20 second increments until completely warmed through. If frozen, thaw them in the fridge overnight, then reheat them the same as above.

♻️ Variations

• Chocolate: We personally love the addition of dark chocolate chips in our muffins, but try mixing and matching different combinations like vegan milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, or cacao nibs.
• Chopped nuts: Make banana nut muffins with chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, or macadamia nuts.
• Dried fruit: For a healthier option, add different dried fruits like raisins, dried cranberries, apricots, dates, dried blueberries, or dried apples.
• Fresh fruit: Use fresh or unthawed frozen blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries in place of some or all of the chocolate chips.
• Sugar-free: For a sugar-free option, replace the sweetener with more banana, or sugar replacements like stevia and monk fruit.
• Homemade almond flour: For a more economical option, make your own almond flour. Blend blanched almonds on high for 10-15 seconds, or until they reach a fine powder.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Non-stick: Rub a little vegan butter or spray some cooking oil in the muffin tins prior to baking them. This will prevent the muffins from sticking to the pans.
• Cover if needed: The overall baking time may vary depending on the pan and oven used. If they are browning on the top too quickly before being done in the center, cover them lightly with foil while they finish baking.
• Weigh the ingredients: For the most accurate results, ensure you use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients. Otherwise, the results will vary. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, we suggest using the scoop and level method for measuring the flour.
• Use ripe bananas: For the sweetest flavor, remember to use very spotty or brown bananas. This also helps create a smooth banana puree.
• Stir by hand: Almond flour is more delicate than other flours, so it’s best to gently stir it by hand until just incorporated with the other ingredients.

💬 FAQ

🍴 More baking recipes

If you enjoyed these banana almond flour muffins, be sure to check out some more baking recipes like these:

• Chocolate gluten-free mug cake: A single-serving cake that’s rich, moist, and full of chocolate flavor.
• Chocolate chip mug cake: Simple, indulgent, and easy to make.
• Peach cobbler with cake mix: A sweet, juicy dessert that’s great for any occasion.
• Vegan snickerdoodles: A plant-based version of this popular cookie.
• Vegan pumpkin bread: Showcasing warming spices and a moist, tender crumb.