Banana Muffins – Gluten Free and Dairy Free

This week was so long and I worked way more than normal so this weekend I just wanted to enjoy my yard and my kitchen.  On Saturday I spent a blissful hour at Lowes shopping for new plants.  I came home with seed starter, some seedlings for the veggie garden and several new tropicals for the house.  I posted a ton of photos in my Instagram stories if you want a sneak peek of those.  I planted a cucumber seedling and some strawberries in the backyard garden.  I raked my new garden beds clear of old mulch and fertilized all the indoor tropicals.  I even planted an herb garden next to my front porch (photos to come).

Today, I wanted to go outside but it was cold and windy.  I decided to stay indoors and bake.  The kids and I need snacks throughout the week that are gluten-free, healthy and filling.  I used to make muffins all the time but fell out of the habit after my celiac diagnosis.  I stopped baking until I learned how to bake gluten-free.  I’ve discovered that gluten-free baked goods are often far moister than regular wheat baked goods.  They are also healthier, and I don’t need to eat as much to feel satisfied.  For some reason, gluten-free baked foods fill me up a lot faster.

To be totally honest I didn’t think the kids would like these.  Gavin has told me repeatedly that he doesn’t like bananas however I figured that if the kids didn’t eat them than I would take them to work and share with my other GF friends.  Unfortunately for my friends, Gavin has decided they are awesome and wants to eat them all.

These muffins are super moist but hold together perfectly.  They didn’t even come apart when I pulled the wrapper off.  They definitely taste like banana and I would love to eat two of these warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, dairy free of course!  For now, I’ll settle for bringing a couple to work and storing the rest for this week.  If there are any left by the end of the night…

Gluten-Free Banana Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

• 2 medium/large bananas, smashed
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons of honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil (melted)
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/3 cup oat flour
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Take out two medium-sized bowls.  Line a muffin tin with baking cups.
2. Combine wet ingredients in one bowl and dry ingredients in the other bowl.  Stir each well.
3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
4. Spoon the batter equally into the baking cups and bake for 18-20 minutes.
5. Top with cream cheese frosting, or vanilla ice cream or just enjoy as a sweet yet healthy snack on the go!