My love for muffins has been going strong for 26 years now and has no intention of slowing. It all started with the crumb-top blueberry muffins my grandma would make for the grandkids.
I’d wake up early in a messy-haired daze and eagerly round the corner to the kitchen to always find a plate of fresh baked muffins on the counter. My grandma is the best at food, period. I’d heat up two jumbo-sized gems and slather them in butter. Breakfast of champions, I tell you.
The only bad thing about muffins – besides the fact that you always want two or three – is that they can often be carb- and sugar-heavy.
In recent years, though, I’ve experimented a ton with making these breakfast stars a bit healthier, and I succeeded with recipes like my vegan banana nut muffins for 2, and sweet potato almond butter muffins, among others.
This banana almond meal variety is certainly on the healthier side, too, but full of flavor and nutty texture.
Besides being gluten-free and vegan, these muffins are also extremely low in sugar with just a few tablespoons of natural sweetener – such as agave or maple syrup. Gluten-free “flours” like oat flour and almond meal keep these GF-friendly. And they’re insanely moist and flavorful thanks to the mashed banana. Kind of perfect in the muffin world, if you ask me. Plus, just 1 bowl required? Party on.
Straight out of the oven these are PERFECTION slathered in a little almond butter and sliced banana. (Honey for non-vegans is a must).
They aren’t overwhelmingly heavy or sweet, making them a great post-workout snack or light breakfast to get your metabolism churning first thing in the morning. I enjoyed mine as an afternoon snack to tide me over between meals. They’d even make a great after-dinner “dessert.” These muffins can do no wrong.
But seriously, the almond butter, banana, honey suggestion? DO IIIIITTTTT.
NOTE: Recipe updated January 8, 2016 to include: increased baking time, emphasis on cooling, as well as emphasis on using almond meal ground from raw almonds (not pre-ground store-bought). Also, these muffins are meant to retain their moisture even after cooling. If you’re looking for a more crumbly muffin, check out these Vegan GF Banana Muffins!
Banana Almond Meal Muffins (Gluten-Free + Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 batches flax eggs (or sub 2 small eggs if not vegan // 2 Tbsp (14 g) flaxseed meal + 5 Tbsp (75 ml) water as original recipe is written)
- 2 medium ripe bananas
- 3 Tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened vanilla or plain almond milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup almond meal (ground from raw almonds – not almond flour or pre-ground store-bought)
- 2/3 scant cup oat flour (ground from GF oats)
TOPPINGS optional
- Chopped nuts
- Rolled oats
- Crumb topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a muffin tin with 8 paper liners (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
- In a large bowl, prepare flax egg by mixing flaxseed + water and letting rest for a few minutes.
- Next add bananas and mash. Add agave, baking powder, vanilla, almond milk and stir.
- Add almond meal and oat flour and stir once more. Taste to see if it needs more sweetener. I added a touch more because I prefer sweeter muffins.
- Bake for 30-40 (+) minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and they become somewhat firm to the touch with a little give. They should appear golden brown on top.
- Remove and let rest in pan for 5 minutes. Then let cool completely on a cooling rack. They can be tender when they’re warm. (I even found that they are better after cooling overnight.)
- Store in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for several days. Freeze for longer storage.
Notes
Nutrition (1 of 8 servings)
Muffin love continued…
Vegan Blueberry Muffin Pancakes
Vegan GF Blueberry Muffins for 2
Vegan Banana Nut Muffins for 2
Vegan Pumpkin Apple Muffins
Vegan Banana Nut Muffin Pancakes
Donna Danvers says
I was out of a bunch of ingredients but was really craving muffins. I swapped out buckwheat flour for oats, cashew yogurt for nut milk, and date powder for maple syrup. I was afraid they would turn out like hockey pucks so I added a 1/2 tsp of baking soda, and 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar. I am in no way, shape, or form, a baker, so I was really just throwing darts in the dark. They turned out great! Oh..I also added lots of blueberries, and topped them with coconut shreads. Lastly I sweetened some of the yogurt with the date powder for a dipç or drizzle. Thanks for such a yummy and versatile recipe.
Yay! We’re so glad the muffins turned out well with those modifications. Thank you for sharing, Donna! xo
Kirsty says
I make these muffins every week for my kids. I’ve put berries, chocolate chips, and nuts in them and all options are delicious. I use store bought almond flour and homemade oat flour. They taste amazing!
Yum, love all your variations! Thank you for sharing, Kirsty! xo
Alicia says
These turned out delicious! Our whole family enjoyed them, our toddler especially. I used almond flour in place of almond meal, as it is what I had on hand. The muffins had a moist, fluffy texture in spite of this change. While we usually prefer vegan baking recipes, I did add 2 eggs in place of the flax eggs. I also added frozen blueberries dusted with almond flour, to reduce the chance of them sinking in the batter. We will be keeping this recipe on file to make in the future. Thank you for another great recipe!
Thank you for sharing, Alicia. We’re so glad the whole family enjoyed them! xo
Keira says
Oats are NOT gluten free! I wish Americans would please, please, please stop titling their recipes with oats as gluten free. I’ve spent hours looking for gluten free muffin recipes only for them all to contain oats. I know it is tricky because America counts oats as “gluten free” but they really are not and someone could get sick.
Hi Keira, We can understand where you’re coming from and apologize for the difficulty in finding oat-free recipes! We know how hard that can be. There are certified gluten-free oats available in the US, such as Bob’s Red Mill which are processed in a 100% gluten-free facility and tested for gluten using ELISA testing. However, we understand there is differing guidance between countries/medical professionals on whether oats are safe for celiac disease. Here are a couple oat-free muffin recipes if you’re interested: 1-Bowl Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins (Vegan) and 1-Bowl Blackberry Cornmeal Muffins (see notes section for GF recommendation).
Lex says
Gluten free oats are available in all the counties I’ve lived in which includes the UK. For those who only have a mild gluten intolerance regular oats should be fine, for coeliacs make sure to check the packaging.
Kristen says
These were delicious—especially with mini chocolate chips added in. I used Bob’s Red Mill almond flour and it worked great.
As the recipe says, let the muffins cool completely. That solves the sticking cupcake liner complaint. And they definitely do not needed salt or spices. They’re terrific as is!
Whoop! Chocolate chips are always welcome :) Thanks so much for sharing, Kristen! xoxo
Mamta says
Hi, why have you emphasised not to use pre ground store bought almond meal? I used Bob’s red mill Natural almond flour made from WHOLE ALMONDS and the recipe turned out nice.
That’s great, Mamta! Thanks for sharing your experience! Some brands can be too fine in texture which could make the muffins dry.
Frances says
Great flavor and very customizable – I added some pecans and cinnamon to mine. Just a warning – grease your muffin wrappers, people!! I lost about half the muffin to the wrappers,
We’re so glad you enjoyed it overall, Frances! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Nic says
I have been making these for a few months now as they’re great for my son’s lunchboxes! I make a batch and put them in the freezer once cool. I’ll take one out the night before packing it in his lunchbox. He really enjoys them and I love knowing they are pretty wholesome.
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you both enjoy them. Thank you for sharing! xo
Courtney says
I’ve made these several times now because it’s such a great way to use up overripe bananas and I always have the ingredients on hand! I modify the batch size to make 6 muffins because I have a half sized muffin pan and it fits great in the toaster oven. The first several times I made them I had a hard time with them cooking through. I assumed it had a little too much banana, so recently I’ve been using 1 medium banana (instead of 1.5 called for in a batch for 6 muffins), I increased the baking powder to 1 tsp, and added a little more flax meal. I used store bought almond flour, ground oats and added a pinch of salt and cinnamon and they have been turning out great at about 30 minutes! The batter is a lot thicker with these modifications and I think the consistency helps it to fully bake through. I did find that they browned much more quickly when I used honey instead of maple syrup, so something to look out for. Yum!
Amazing! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Courtney! xo
Anna says
Can you use frozen bananas?
Hi Anna, frozen bananas can contribute more moisture to the muffins (not in a good way). If you use them, we’d suggest defrosting first and draining out any excess liquid. Hope that helps!
Tanna says
My husband and I LOVE this recipe. It is moist and delicious and turns out perfect every time. We double the recipe and use a cake pan and cook 50 minutes – yummy! Thank you for such a treat!
We’re so glad to hear it, Tanna! Thank you for sharing! xo
Natalie says
These are delicious and wholesome. Second time I have cooked them in two days.
Woohoo! We love to hear this. Thanks for the lovely review, Natalie! xo
Rachael G says
I followed the directions but the center wouldn’t cook. I even baked an extra 15 min but needed to take out to avoid burning. It’s just mushy and batter consistency in the middle. Any idea what went wrong?
Hi Rachael, sorry to hear that happened! Is it possible you used bananas that were on the larger side? Or did you modify the flours at all? It sounds like there may have been too much moisture.
Suzanne says
Can I add fresh blueberries to the batter? Would I need to compensate for the extra moisture by adding more flour ?
Hi Suzanne, We haven’t tried that, but it might work. Maybe just another tablespoon of oat flour? Let us know how it goes!
Aimee B says
These are AMAZING!!! So soft and so delicious! I used honey as the sweetener and they are probably the best banana bread/muffins I’ve ever tasted! THANK YOU!!
Woohoo! Thanks for the kind review, Aimee! xo
Julianne says
I made these muffins the other night and they are fabulous!! I used packaged almond meal from Trader Joes, eggs, honey, and cow’s milk (I’m not vegan and I already had the packaged almond meal!) and I added in 1 tsp of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg, and about 1/2 cup of cacao nibs into the batter and oh my goodness. So so good. I baked mine for exactly 30 minutes and they were perfect.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Julianne! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Krista says
This recipe was great. I did add cinnamon and nutmeg as the other comments suggested. I threw in some flax seeds and chia seeds to boost the omega-3 factor and topped them with hazelnuts. They are tasty!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Krista!
Leah says
Could I use the wet almond pulp, and just add less almond milk?
Hi Leah, we don’t think the texture would be pleasant, but let us know if you try!
Tori says
I found this recipe because I wanted to find another way to use the pulp from making almond milk. It turned out really good with texture and taste! I used eggs, 2 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, and a little less milk than called for. I also added raisins. Took about the same amount of time to cook and I’m glad to have a yummy muffin recipe to use up the pulp! P.S. It was day old pulp that was moist but very squeezed out so as dry as such pulp can get from being squeezed for almond milk then sitting in a jar in the fridge😊👍
Amazing! Thank you for sharing your experience, Tori! xo
Stacy says
My sweet-tooth has been out of control lately, and these turned out to be a nice substitute for the cookies I’ve been gorging on. I used only the amount of maple syrup recommended, and they were just sweet enough. One-bowl, very simple to whip up. I’ll definitely be making more.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Stacy! Thanks so much for sharing!
Be says
Do you have exact measurements for the amount of banana? Thanks.
Roughly 1 1/2 cups. (1 banana generally yields 3/4 cup mashed, depending on the size.)
Desa says
What would happen to the muffins if I used store bought almond flour?
Hi Desa, almond flour tends to be more absorbent, so we’d suggest using slightly less. Let us know if you try it!
erika says
just to be clear…is this recipe to be made with the wet almond pulp? Or the oven-dried almond pulp that results in almond meal? Thanks and I love your recipes and how simple they are.
Dry almond meal (not wet pulp)!
Nikki says
Added 2 tsp of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. Too bland without it. Don’t need more sweetener with more seasoning.
Stacey says
Just made these with the kids and YUM! I used coconut flour instead of oat flour and worked perfectly. Thanks for the recipe!
We’re so glad they turned out well! Thanks for sharing, Stacey!
Angie says
I like these muffins, but every time I make them, I find them a little dry/not moist. Any suggestions? I don’t have this problem with any of your other muffins (carrot, pumpkin). Thanks!
Hi Angie, we’d say add a little more banana and that should help!
natalie says
So. I accidentally forgot my flax egg thickening in the fridge BUT for any of you without flax, they still turned out pretty good!!
Great! Thanks for sharing, Natalie!
Ninon Burgy says
Do you use almond meal or pulp.
If I want to use almond meal after making milk (so the leftover pulp) should I add more almond milk? How much. (As you said “ Note: One of the reasons we like to use almond meal is it can be made from the leftover pulp from making Homemade Almond Milk! When subbing Almond Meal made from Almond Pulp in a recipe that calls for almond meal, you may need to slightly increase the amount of oil or liquid to add back in moisture that gets lost in the process of making almond milk.“)
How many cups / ounces / Grams are 2 bananas ?
Hi Ninon, yes, we’d suggest adding a bit more almond milk- perhaps a tablespoon or two? 2 medium bananas are ~236 grams. Hope that helps!
Ninon Burgy says
Thank you for your quick response. Have you tried to make this as well as a (banana) bread?
So you don’t suggest to add baking soda and apple cider vinegar because it’s without gluten. ?
Hi Ninon, you can find our gluten-free vegan banana bread recipe here.
Erica says
I doubled the recipe using 3 large eggs and the batter was almost like a cookie dough consistency for me… is this the way it should look? Or should the batter be runny when it’s put in the oven?
Hi Erica, it sounds like it was too thick. It sounds like there were too many dry or not enough wet ingredients. Perhaps it needed another egg? See photos for reference. Hope that helps!
Jessi says
I made these muffins as I make alot of your recipes. I absolutely LOVE your recipes. I made one minor adjustment, which was using bagged almond meal instead of almond pulp. I wouldn’t know the difference in flavor or texture being as this was my first time making it and had to use what I had on hand. But they were delicious. Quite moist I must say, but I personally don’t mind it being that my whole goal with eating is to eat as clean and minimally processed as possible. I always have a medley of nut/seed pulps in my freezer so I used that as one of my “frosting” creams as a topping. I added dairy free milk, vanilla ext, ghee, dash of pink salt and maple syrup and used a hand blender to cream it. Spread it to the muffins and topped with pieces of a chocolate bar, goji berries, walnuts and coconut flakes. They turned out even MORE DELISH! I will most certainly post it on my IG and tag you. I’ve always checked your website and recipes in the past but since this whole Covid-19 lockdown, I’ve looked even more bc somehow, I always seem to have mostly all of the ingredients on hand, making life so much easier for me. So for that I thank you! Keep up the great work and content!
Way to be creative! Thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Jessi!
Sophie Wilson says
So So yum!!
I added a bit more ingredients to make 12 muffins! Used coconut flour instead of oat, worked well. Also some dark chocolate mixed in :) delish!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Sophie! Thanks so much for sharing!
Channah Barkhordari says
Loved this recipe, but I did make a few changes…at the end though my biggest issue was that the dough majorly stuck to the liners. Make sure to either add a little of the oil of your choice to the recipe, or at least spray your liners with oil (I use olive oil spray), or not use liners at all and spray your muffin tin directly. I think it would go a long way.
The liners peel off easier if you wait until they cool completely, and especially the next day! Thanks for sharing, Channah!
Venice Topacio says
Hi what could I sub for oat flour pleasee? My boy is allergic to eat :(
Thanks
Hi Venice, perhaps a gluten-free all purpose blend? Let us know if you try it!
Tess Murray says
Super easy to make, topped with pepitas, chopped walnuts and little bit of cinnamon sugar. Will definitely use again!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Tess. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Stacey E says
Passed the picky eater kid test. Delicious, healthy and easy to make. This one is a keeper!
Sharon says
Hi!
These came out delicious but unfortunately rose and deflated. Still tasted really good but have any troubleshooting for deflated muffins?
Thanks!
Check the freshness of your leavening ingredients! Also, these are a denser muffin than most!
Tashi Osborne says
Made these with eggs doubled the batch to have extra. Kids loved them
Alana Clancy says
Hi! Can you add fresh fruit like blueberries into this instead of chopped nuts?
Sure! But you may want to compensate with additional flour since they will add moisture. Let us know how it goes!
Inbal says
Hi! Looks wonderful.
Little question: can I use regular flour instead of oat flour?
+ would chocolate chip / dark chocolate pieces work there? Many thanks
Hi Inbal, We haven’t tried all purpose flour in this recipe, but it might work! We think chocolate chips would be delicious! Let us know if you try it!
Rebecca I says
I figured out the muffins I made last time were the 1-Bowl Vegan Banana Nut Muffins. Very similar ingredients to this one. Both delicious, I’m sure. I like reading about all the substitutions people have tried. Nice that the recipes lend themselves to this. Thank you.
So glad to hear you were able to figure out the dilemma! Thanks for the update!
Rebecca Isaac says
I made this recipe a while back, maybe a year ago, and loved it. I wrote down the recipe. Now it looks like you have changed the amounts/proportions of the recipe. For example: when I wrote it, it said “1-batch flaxseed egg, 3 med ripe bananas…” Now it says, “2-batches flaxseed eggs, 2 med ripe bananas…” and a few other changes, such as “oat flour” instead of gluten free flour blend and gluten free oats. Many different measurements. I am confused now, which recipe to make.
Can you please help.
Thank you.
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca, we wonder if the recipe you made previously was this one: https://minimalistbaker.com/1-bowl-vegan-banana-nut-muffins-gf/
Gerrie says
As always, a delicious and easy recipe from Dana- thank you so much!! I love that this recipe is highly adaptable and flexible. For example, I sub 1/3 of the almond meal with walnut meal and sub 1/4 of the oat flour with plant-based protein powder. Worked v well xx
We’re so glad it turned out well for you, Gerrie! Thanks for sharing!
Marianne says
I made these yesterday and they turned out great. I used a single batch of the recipe to make 11 muffins in silicone baking cups. I used 2 medium eggs and also added 1/8 tsp salt. I will probably use a little less maple syrup next time, or maybe use agave syrup instead. I also think my bananas may have been on the larger side. It would help a lot if American recipes were to include weight measurements for more accurate (and consistent) results. After measuring my ingredients in cups, I weighed them to make recreating these muffins easier next time. That way, I can grind the exact amounts of almonds and oats that I need for the recipe. I used 120 grams of almond meal, 75 grams of oat flour and 250 grams of banana.
Alyssa Moore says
Best recipe I’ve found for these! Subbed 100% pure pumpkin flour for oat flour (only because I had purchased it once at Whole Foods since I was curious and did not have oats on-hand). Very moist. Love love! Even my husband who is not GF loved it!
Gee says
These muffins came out good. I used canned simple coconut milk instead of almond milk. After looking back at the ingredients, I realized I used 1 scant cup of oat flour (when it was supposed to be 2/3 scant cup). Luckily, this recipe was forgiving, as is most of the other recipes I’ve tried on your site. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing!
Courtney says
Easy and delicious! I made 6 cupcakes (silicone pan) and a mini loaf (metal pan). All rose and goldened beautifully. Delicious and perfectly moist. I will definitely be making again!
For the batch of 8 (after reading the various reviews – much thanks to all!)
I subbed: 2 lg chicken eggs, Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour for Almond Meal and Simple Truth Coconut Milk for Almond Milk. I also mixed wet and dry ingredients separately before combining.
Additions: 1/2 tsp + salt to taste, 1 tsp Saigon cinnamon, 1/4 of a honey crisp apple with peel (tiny cubes), 3 handfuls of Bob’s Red Mill (Quick) Rolled Oats, sprinkle of cane sugar.
Topped with: crunchy peanut butter, roasted pecan pieces & rolled oats
May try: slightly larger apple pieces, or adding the pecans into the batter next time around and topping with apple butter or honey.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Courtney. Thanks for sharing your experience!
bec says
any recommendations for making oat free??
Hmm, perhaps try a gluten-free blend? Or coconut flour?