Gluten-Free Almond Banana Muffins

Post by Molly

Recently, my world was rocked by the idea of using almond meal as a flour substitute. Too often, gluten-free baked goods just don’t cut it. Lack of the glue-like compound that holds the ingredients together can make for a crumbly, mushy, or just down right disappointing snack. And while I recognize that certain pastries are just better off as they are (a gluten-free croissant is blasphemous), a hearty substitute like almond meal can turn your most basic baked good into something healthier, easier to digest, and even delicious.

I used almond meal fully in place of flour here, but feel free to combine with ½ cup whole-wheat, buckwheat, chickpea, or other flour of your liking for a denser consistency. Almond meal is sold in bulk at most health-food stores, and at Trader Joe’s. You can also grind up your own almonds in a food processor if you’re feeling ambitious. And as far as bananas go, the older, the better. As soon as my bananas start to spot, I like to peel them, bag them, and throw them in the freezer so they’re ready to be tossed in the blender for a smoothie, thawed out for banana bread, blitzed with some peanut butter for pseudo-ice cream, or used as a key ingredient for this gluten-free breakfast treat. No matter how you slice it, bananas make for a perfect Tupp Up all year round.

Prep: 15 mins. | Bake: 20 mins. | Serves: 12 regular or 24 mini 

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 3 cups almond meal
• 1 ¼ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 3 eggs, whisked
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey
• ¼ cup ricotta or plain yogurt (can omit for vegan)
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• ¼ cup coconut oil or butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ¼ cup chopped almonds (optional)

WHAT YOU DO:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Lightly grease one regular or two mini muffin tins.
• Sift all dry ingredients in a bowl.
• Whisk wet ingredients together in a separate bowl.
• Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined.
• Fill each muffin cup, and if using, sprinkle with chopped almonds.
• Bake on top rack for 20 minutes.
• Enjoy with blackberry jam, almond butter, or plain.