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Maple-Sweetened Banana Muffins (Gluten-Free)

Name: Maple-Sweetened Banana Muffins (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients: ½ cup maple syrup; ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce; 2 eggs; 1 cup mashed extremely ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas or 3 medium); ¼ cup milk; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 2 cups oat flour; ½ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more to sprinkle on top; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour; ¼ cup coconut oil (melted); ½ cup chocolate chips; Trail Mix: ½ cup mix-ins like nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, unsweetened coconut flakes or dried fruit

It doesn’t get much better than these Healthy Maple-Sweetened Banana Muffins! They’re light, fluffy and naturally sweetened. They take just minutes to make and are perfect for quick breakfasts and snacks.

These Maple-Sweetened Banana Muffins are healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast.

These are the best Banana Muffins and are a great way to use your overripe bananas. Soft, buttery and delicious, they’re easy to make—one bowl, no need for a mixer!

We’ve had so many questions about turning our Banana Bread into muffins, so here you go—your guide to the best banana muffins ever! These muffins are quicker and more convenient than banana bread, easily portable and taste just as good. With half the calories, these muffins serve as a delicious breakfast OR dessert. They have loads of flavor and are sweetened with maple syrup, making them refined sugar-free.

Easily customizable

These muffins are a great family recipe because they can be customized to everyone’s liking. If your kiddos love chocolate but you love nuts, top half the muffins with chocolate shavings and the other half with crushed walnuts.

Why overripe bananas?

Brown, overripe bananas are used in banana bread because they’re naturally sweeter, making them perfect for muffins. In the ripening process, the starches in the banana begin to convert to sugar. So don’t throw away those bananas with brown spots. As long as they’re not moldy, there’s no such thing as too-ripe bananas for banana bread.

Can you freeze overripe bananas for later use?

If you have overripe bananas and aren’t ready to use them, toss them in a Ziploc bag with the peel on and freeze them for later. When you’re ready to use them, thaw them completely at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight. Frozen bananas tend to release more moisture, so you’ll need to peel them and then lightly pat them dry with paper towels to remove excess liquid.

How to ripen bananas quickly at home

If your bananas aren’t extremely ripe, here’s what to do!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place bananas on a tray or on aluminum foil, peel on, and bake for 6-12 minutes (depending on how ripe the bananas are to begin with). Monitor the bananas and when the peel is dark black they are ready to go!

How to mash your banana (four options):

Use a fork to mash pieces of bananas until soft.
Use a potato masher to mash banana until soft.
Put them in a Ziploc bag and squish them to desired consistency.
Add chunks of banana to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat to desired consistency.

What is arrowroot flour and why use it?

Arrowroot flour is derived from the root of a plant that grows in tropical climates.

Starches, like arrowroot flour, are essential ingredients when it comes to baking gluten-free goods because they bind the ingredients together and create a lighter and fluffier result (which is especially difficult in gluten-free baking). Our go-to brand is Bob’s Red Mill.

Why use arrowroot flour instead of cornstarch?

Cornstarch can be used as a substitute for arrowroot flour in most recipes 1:1, but there are a variety of reasons why we prefer arrowroot flour over cornstarch:

Arrowroot flour contains more dietary fiber, calcium, vitamins and minerals.
Arrowroot flour is more sensitive to your digestive system.
Arrowroot flour is minimally processed, whereas cornstarch is generally a highly processed ingredient made from genetically modified corn.
Unlike cornstarch, arrowroot flour leaves no taste or color.
Arrowroot flour is gluten-free.

Freezer-friendly

If you frequent FULLforLife, you know we’re a huge fan of batch cooking whenever possible. At this point, we make double batches of 75 percent of our recipes to simplify the weeks to come. While the ingredients are out and the dishes are dirty, why not make more to freeze for future breakfasts, snacks and desserts? These delicious muffins are a HUGE hit in our home and something our girls request regularly. If you open up our freezer, you’re bound to find some.

To freeze these banana muffins, let them cool completely, then freeze them in a large Ziploc bag. To eat them, thaw on the counter at room temperature (takes about 45 minutes) OR thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.

Don't have oat flour? Quickly make your own!

We use oat flour in many of our baked goods recipes. Oat flour is a nutrient-packed whole-grain flour that is naturally gluten-free. It works wonderfully in a variety of recipes to boost nutrition and flavor.

Making it is very simple! Add old-fashioned oats to a blender or food processor and blend them until they reach a fine, flour-like consistency. For a step-by-step guide including the recipe and tips, check out How to Make Oat Flour.

Did you make this recipe?

If you make these Maple-Sweetened Banana Muffins, we would love to hear how they turned out! Leave a comment below sharing what your family thought of them. We love hearing from you and your ideas inspire us all! Don’t forget to tag @fullforlifegal on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! 🌟

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Maple-Sweetened Banana Muffins (Gluten-Free)

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Author: [email protected]
Yield: 12 muffins 1x

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Description

These muffins have loads of flavor. The delightful aroma will fill your house and remind you of how your grandma used to bake. The best part—you can enjoy this for a delicious breakfast, dessert or snack.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 12-count muffin pan.
In a large bowl, beat the egg, maple syrup and applesauce together with a whisk. Add mashed banana, milk and vanilla. Whisk until combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the oat flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and arrowroot flour.
Sprinkle dry ingredients onto the wet. Add melted oil. After adding melted oil, fold to combine. Be careful not to overmix.
If you’re adding in any additions, gently fold them into the batter.
Spoon the batter into each muffin tin, filling them all the way to the top (scooping the batter with a 1/4 cup measuring cup will yield 12 muffins exactly). Lightly sprinkle the top of the batter with cinnamon.
Bake for 26-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Typically, if you don’t have any mix-ins, your muffins will be done around 26 minutes; if you add mix-ins, it generally takes a little longer, 28-30 minutes.
Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes. Use a butter knife to loosen the muffins from the pan. Carefully transfer muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

Storage Tip

Because these muffins don’t contain refined ingredients or preservatives, they will only last 2 to 3 days at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can defrost individual muffins in the refrigerator overnight or by letting them rest at room temperature. Lightly toast and enjoy warm or eat it cold, straight out of the fridge!

Notes

We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.

Always check for FfL-friendly ingredients.

Substitutions

Dairy-free: Substitute milk with dairy-free milk such as almond milk.

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Maple-Sweetened Banana Muffins (Gluten-Free)