Spiced Banana And Walnut Gluten Free Muffins
These gluten free muffins are basically three of my top foodie obsessions in one: banana + cinnamon + chocolate.
For the past two years I thought I was intolerant to bananas so I avoided them like the plague. Turns out, I had parasites and bananas had nothing to do with it. That means my favourite fruit is firmly back in my life, can I get a yaaasssss!
Naturally, I have been OD-ing on them: smoothie bowls, nice cream, paleo porridge, pancakes, dipped in nut butter, drizzled with dark chocolate… I’ve even managed to successfully sneak a couple of nanas (that’s bananas, not not grannies) into this recipe.
What Makes These Gluten Free Muffins So Great?
These stud muffins are more than just a tasty treat. They are packed with healthy fats for plump, glowing skin, fibre for healthy digestion, anti-oxidants to fight ageing free radicals and anti-inflammatories to reduce inflammation in the body. My two favourite ingredients in these are the walnuts and ceylon cinnamon.
WALNUTS are probably my favourite nuts they are a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin E, polyphenols and polyunsaturated fat which aid brain function, and they act as a prebiotic to feed good gut bacteria.
CINNAMON (especially ceylon, a.k.a ‘true’ cinnamon) is a powerful anti-oxidant (so much so that it can used as a natural food preservative), it can help lower blood sugar levels (which is why I add it to all my sweet treats and sprinkle it on fruit) and it has anti-microbial properties helping to fight unwanted fungi, viruses and bacteria.
Oh, and did I mention these spiced walnut muffins are:
- Paleo
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Refined sugar free
- Can be adapted to be vegan
What Gluten Free Flour Is Best For Muffins?
In these gluten free muffins I have used coconut four and plant based protein powder. My favourite flours for baking cakes and muffins are almond flour, oat flour, and coconut flour. You can also use buckwheat, chestnut, or rice flours. If you are on a tight budget you can use an all purpose gluten free flour mix from your supermarket.
Ingredients
Makes 8 muffins
½ cup coconut flour
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
½ tsp bicarb of soda
3 large eggs
(or flax eggs)*
¼ cup melted coconut oil
(+ extra for greasing cases)
¼ cup coconut sugar
2 ripe bananas mashed
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
3 tbsp almond milk
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
¼ cup walnuts
TOPPINGS
8 walnuts
Pinch cinnamon/mixed spice
2-3 heaped tbsp cacao powder
1 tsp maca powder
(optional)
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
Pinch pink salt
Coconut sugar/honey/maple
(sweeten to your taste)
Few tbsp warm water
*1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water = 1 egg. I’d try 2 tbsp flaxseed + 5 tbsp water for this recipe. Let the flax and water sit for 10 minutes to thicken and form a gel like consistency.
Method
1. Preheat oven 180°C & grease 8 muffin cases with coconut oil.
2. Mash/ blend the bananas in a bowl until smooth.
3. Add the eggs, oil, milk, sugar & mix together.
4. Add flour, protein powder, salt, spice, bicarb & nuts. Mix to combine. TIP: Go with your instincts here; if the mixture seems to dry add more milk, it it’s too wet add more flour.
5. Spoon the mixture into muffin cases & transfer to the oven. Bake for approx 20 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean.
6. Make the chocolate frosting by adding the cacao, maca, salt, oil and sweetener to a bowl. Mix and gradually add a tbsp(s) of water to achieve a spoonable but still thick consistency.
7. Transfer the chocolate frosting to the fridge until your muffins are ready.
8. Once cooked, allow the muffins to cool before decorating with a dollop of frosting, a dusting of spice and a walnut.
9. Enjoy! As with most bakes, these are best eaten within 4 days and kept in an air tight container. I kept mine in the fridge to keep the frosting firm.
