These almond flour banana muffins yield moist, fluffy muffins with the perfect tender crumb. I love how smoothly they come together!
Looking for more almond flour recipes? Try my almond flour cookies, almond flour cupcakes, and almond flour mug cake next.
This may be controversial, but I actually prefer NOT to bake with traditional flour, and almond flour is my favorite substitute. Its naturally sweet, slightly nutty flavor complements baked treats, and my almond flour banana muffin recipe is the perfect example.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- The perfect use for brown bananas. Move aside almond flour banana bread; these muffins are where it’s at!
- Naturally diet-friendly. Not only are these gluten-free banana muffins, but they’re gluten-free AND paleo. You can even make them vegan with a straightforward swap.
- Easy to customize. I like my muffins with chocolate chips and walnuts, but you can omit these or add your own mix-ins. The options are limitless.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Tried it a few times. Always turns out great” – Priyanka
Ingredients needed
- Almond flour. Either blanched almond flour or almond meal can be used. I prefer the blanched variety, as it yields a lighter and fluffier muffin.
- Baking powder and baking soda. A combination of the two is used for stability and to also give a little rise and depth.
- Salt. Just a touch to bring out the sweetness of all the other ingredients.
- Bananas. The riper the bananas are, the sweeter the muffins will be!
- Eggs. Room temperature.
- Maple syrup. Gives the muffins some natural sweetness. Agave nectar or honey can also be used.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any good muffin recipe!
- Flaked almonds and chocolate chips. Optional but highly recommended. n
How to make banana muffins with almond flour
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners and lightly grease them with coconut oil or cooking spray.
Step 2- Mix ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a high-speed blender or bowl, add the bananas, egg, maple syrup, and vanilla and blend or mash until smooth.
Step 3- Combine dry and wet ingredients. Add the mashed banana mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. If using chocolate chips, stir them through.
Step 4- Bake. Pour the batter into the muffin pan and sprinkle flaked almonds on top. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the muffins are golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe tips and variations
- Make them vegan. Swap each egg for one flax egg, which you can make by combining 1 tablespoon of flax seeds with 3 tablespoons of water. This is the only egg substitute I tried, and I cannot vouch for others.
- Be careful not to overmix. Even almond flour can easily get overmixed, so only whisk the ingredients until they’re fully combined.
- Cover them with foil. If your muffins begin to turn golden on top before they’re fully cooked, lightly cover them with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes in the oven.
- Make them sweeter. These muffins are lightly sweetened with bananas and a touch of maple syrup, but if you prefer sweeter muffins, sprinkle the tops with brown sugar before baking or dust them with powdered sugar after they’re out of the oven.
- Switch up the mix-ins. Try chopped pecans, raisins, or a dash of cinnamon.
Storage instructions
To store: If you intend to enjoy the muffins within three days, they can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container. If you’d like them to keep longer, store them in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.
To freeze: Place the muffins in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Frequently asked questions
Muffins made with almond flour can sometimes sink if they weren’t baked for long enough, if too much moisture was added, or if the rising agents aren’t fresh.
Almond flour won’t rise because it doesn’t have gluten or rising agents, so it’s important to add a rising agent (like baking soda, baking powder, or eggs) to help it rise.
More baked goods with almond flour
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Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners and lightly spray with coconut oil. Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well. In a high speed blender, add your bananas, egg, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, and blend until smooth.
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Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Fold through the chocolate chips if using. Distribute the batter into the muffin liners and top with flaked almonds. Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes or until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.
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Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
TO FREEZE: Place the muffins in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Recipe loosely adapted from here.
Serving: 1servingCalories: 161kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 5gFat: 10gSodium: 88mgPotassium: 143mgFiber: 3gVitamin A: 44IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 13g
Originally published February 2021, updated and republished April 2024
