This gluten free banana muffins recipe uses a combination of almond flour, coconut flour and flax seed meal to create sweet and tender banana muffins that are also low-carb and refined sugar free! Sprinkle in a generous amount of stevia-sweetened chocolate chips, dark chocolate or walnuts for extra yum in every bite.
The great thing about these almond flour banana muffins? The recipe only calls for two overripe bananas total. The bananas paired with granulated monk fruit sweetener add the perfect amount of sweetness, without any refined sugar.
By using a minimum amount of banana and swapping in monk fruit sweetener for sugar, you can create incredible low carb and gluten-free banana muffins for an easy breakfast, snack and everything in between.
Similar to my keto banana bread recipe and healthy banana cookies, this almond flour banana muffins recipe is low-carb, refined sugar free and dairy-free.
why this recipe works
I've been baking these a lot lately, partly because everyone in our house enjoys them. It might just become a "greatist hit" in your kitchen, too.
Perhaps it's the fact that it's a simple, one-bowl recipe that is ready for the oven in just a few minutes. Or that the banana chocolate chip muffins are tender and hearty and lightly sweetened. Or maybe you're just looking for a way to use a couple of overripe bananas (and there are always overripe bananas, right?). For me, it's all of the above.
These almond flour banana muffins are:
- gluten-free and dairy-free
- sweetened with monk fruit which keeps them low-glycemic and low-carb / keto friendly
- quick and easy to make with just a few simple ingredients
They're a filling breakfast, healthy snack, delicious treat... call them whatever you like.
My kids enjoy them in their lunchbox and if there's another lunch item I can slide into the very basic/semi-boring lunch I pack them, I'm sold. Almond flour banana muffins all day, every day. 😉
the ingredient list
To achieve a gluten-free and low-carb banana muffin, we're using a gluten free flour blend that consists of a mix of blanched almond flour, coconut flour and ground flax seed meal. All are low-carb ingredients. All work together to create the best almond flour banana muffin texture!
Monk fruit sweetener keeps these muffins low-carb and even keto diet friendly for some.
You will need:
- overripe bananas (you'll only need two)
- eggs
- granulated monkfruit sweetener (I prefer Lakanto's Golden or Brown sweetener- affiliate links)
- vanilla extract
- olive oil
- unsweetened almond milk
- blanched almond flour (Bob's Red Mill makes a great superfine almond flour)
- coconut flour
- baking powder, aluminum-free (not baking soda)
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- ground flax seed meal
- salt
- sugar-free chocolate chips (affiliate) or a chopped bar
how to make them
The great thing about this recipe is that you can use a bowl and whisk, a stand-up mixer or an electric hand mixer!
While the recipe for these almond flour banana muffins is really simple and straightforward, pay extra close attention to the baking technique.
I really recommend baking the muffins for the first five minutes with a big burst of heat, then lowering the temp for the remaining bake time. It helps activate the baking powder even more and gives these muffins more height and a lighter texture. (If you've ever made any of my keto or low-carb muffin recipes, this technique will be familiar).
For even more helpful tips on making muffins, you can check out this lemon drizzle muffin recipe from Prepare and Serve! Many of the same principles apply to keto muffin recipes, too.
To make these gluten-free muffins, follow the steps below and be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to view the entire recipe card.
In a large mixing bowl, mash two bananas with a fork. Stir in the eggs, monk fruit sweetener, vanilla and oil into the mashed bananas.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (or combine them first in a medium bowl, then pour them in). Mix until smooth.
Fold the chocolate chips/chunks into the muffin batter. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin liners and divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups.
Bake, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack for a few minutes to cool.
recipe tips for the best results
For the best banana almond flour muffins, a few quick tips...
- Using an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into the muffin tins is a great way to get muffins that are equal in size. Fill the muffin cups about ¾ of the way full.
- Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature (or covered with plastic wrap) for up to five days.
- If you'd like to add a bit more structure to the muffins, you can add a ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum. This is a gluten-free binder and thickener that is often used in gluten-free and low-carb baking. It isn't as necessary for this gluten free banana muffins recipe because the bananas and eggs work well, but xanthan gum will help prevent an almond flour muffin from being too crumbly.
- I do not recommend substituting the eggs for flax eggs. Low-carb and keto flour blends almost always require real eggs for structure and binding.
- Make sure your almond flour is blanched finely-ground. Almond meal is different- it is much more coarse in texture and isn't pre-blanched to remove the almond skins.
substitutions
- Sweeteners: If you're mainly looking for a gluten free banana muffins recipe and you don't need these to be low-glycemic, you can substitute the monk fruit sweetener for brown sugar, coconut sugar or a few tablespoons of pure maple syrup.
- Add-ins: This gluten-free banana muffin recipe is easy to adapt with your favorite add-ins. Toss in some chopped walnuts or pecans instead of chocolate or go with an equal mix of both.
- Oil: Feel free to substitute the olive oil with coconut, avocado oil or melted butter. To use coconut oil, make sure your eggs are at room temperature, otherwise the cold eggs will cause the oil to harden up and make a lumpy batter.
These fluffy banana muffins make a delicious snack and are a favorite way to use up browning bananas. There's something irresistible about a fresh batch of muffins and these healthy muffins are delicious, sweet treats that will always hit the spot.
you might also love
- This almond flour banana bread recipe only uses one banana total (no extract here!) and still has a sweet banana flavor.
- Keto chocolate zucchini muffins have an amazing, chocolate-y flavor and the perfect texture! They're gluten-free, dairy free and low-carb.
- This pumpkin almond flour muffins recipe is another one to try if you enjoy delicious, healthy snacks. Tender muffins flavored with pumpkin and spices makes a sweet treat you'll love.
Gluten-Free Banana Muffins with Almond Flour (Low-Carb)
Only two bananas are required to make these delicious and tender gluten-free banana muffins! They have a sweet banana flavor and are studded with chocolate. They're refined sugar free, dairy free and low carb.
Ingredients
- 2 overripe bananas, mashed
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup loosely packed Brown Monkfruit Sweetener ](lakanto.sjv.io/9WPdm5){nofollow="false"}
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 2 cups almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons flax seed meal
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup sugar-free chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. (This is higher than normal, but you'll lower it after the first 5 minutes of baking). Line a muffin pan with parchment paper muffin liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork (a potato masher works well too). If using an electric mixer, you can beat the bananas until they're mashed.
- Add the eggs, sweetener, vanilla, olive oil and almond milk. Stir the banana mixture until well combined.
- Add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, flax seed meal and salt to the bowl. Gently mix the dry ingredients with a whisk, then gradually incorporate the wet mixture. Mix until smooth.
- Fold in the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate.
- Scoop the batter into the muffin cups (an ice cream scoop is perfect for this), filling them about ¾ of the way full.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 400°F. (Set a timer!) Lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for 15-18 minutes or until done.
Notes
- The initial blast of heat will give you taller muffins. I recommend setting a timer for 5 minutes since it's so easy to forget about lowering the temperature!
- Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature (or covered with plastic wrap) for up to five days.
- If you'd like to add a bit more structure to the muffins, you can add a ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum. This is a gluten-free binder and thickener that is often used in gluten-free and low-carb baking.
- Brown monk fruit sweetener can be substituted for classic or golden (or another similar blend). If you don't need these to be low-glycemic, you can substitute the same amount of brown sugar, coconut sugar, or a few tablespoons of maple syrup (sweeten to taste).
- Coconut oil, avocado oil or melted butter will all work well for this recipe. If using coconut oil, make sure your eggs are at room temperature, otherwise the cold eggs will cause the oil to harden up and create lumps in the batter.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 164Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 25mgCarbohydrates: 13gNet Carbohydrates: 9gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 4g
This nutritional information is approximate and is provided for convenience as a courtesy.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!