A while back I tasted an almond flour banana bread at my friend Brianna’s house and let me tell you, it was memorable. I knew a bag of almond flour was on the expensive side so I was waiting for a reason to bake gluten free; well now I have a reason so let’s get started (I promise not to only make gluten free recipes – and I also promise to compare them in flavor to non-gluten free baked goods).Â
First off, gluten-free baked goods almost always lack structure, making them more dense and crumbly. I figured muffins were the way to go over bread because that crumbliness would be pre-portioned and contained in a liner. To be honest, I don’t know why anyone makes breads when they could just make muffins?
The sugar was low, and the (healthy) fats from the coconut oil and the nut flour (almond flour is also pretty high in protein, which is a nice perk) made these the sort of muffins I’d be happy to give my kids and partake of myself. Banana and chocolate is one of my favorite combinations and works very well here. Ok – so here’s my comparison (which might be slightly biased because I just polished off a warm, melty chocolatey muffin five minutes out of the oven). These were awesome! The crumb was definitely tender and soft but it made them seem like they were made with cake flour instead of no flour. So yes – in this case gluten free was comparable in overall deliciousness to a “regular” muffin, though the price tag is higher because of the almond flour. Perfect if/when baking for a potluck as there is ALWAYS a handful of gluten free eaters who will hug you with gratefulness. Disclaimer – these are best when freshly baked!
Almond Flour Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 1 dozen
3 eggs
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3 over-ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. almond flour/meal
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. coconut oil, melted
1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
2. Whisk eggs, vinegar, banana, honey and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl.
3. In a second, larger bowl, whisk almond flour, baking powder, and salt until no lumps remain.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix by hand until almost combined.
5. Add coconut oil and fold gently until evenly mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Divide batter into muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes or until set. Let cool about five minutes in pan and remove to wire rack to cool completely.
