Ever notice subtle seasonal changes in your eating habits? I don’t just mean the gravitation towards soups in the winter and salads in the summer…these days it seems like I crave something warm and comforting all day long.
Case in point, every day around 3 o’clock in the afternoon I like to make a cup of tea…it keeps me warm on these chilly January days. And of course a little treat along with tea never hurts, right?
I like to serve these muffins with Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey.
These muffins are quite the treat indeed. They’re full of healthy things like almond meal, chickpea flour (don’t worry, you can’t taste the chickpea flour!), and chia seeds, and they’re sweetened with banana and honey.
A Note on Chia Seeds: Yup, these are the same seeds that are used in Chia Pets! But chia seeds are delicious (they have a very nutty flavor) and very healthy (they’re rich in things like omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, protein, and fiber). (For more nutritional information on chia seeds, see Dr. Weil’s article Chia for Health.)
Honey-Nut Banana Muffins {Gluten-Free; Naturally Sweetened}
Yields 18 muffins
1 cup almond meal/flour
1 cup unsweetened, desiccated coconut
2 medium ripe or over-ripe bananas, mashed
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chickpea/garbanzo bean flour (also called besan)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chia seeds
Preheat oven to 400F and line a muffin tray with paper liners.
Toast the almond meal and coconut in a large skillet over medium heat until golden, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool.
Whisk together the banana, eggs, yogurt, honey, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond meal/coconut, chickpea flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and chia seeds. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet, being careful not to over-mix. Fill each muffin well 3/4 full.
Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean, about 12 to 15 minutes.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Would this work with flaxseed “eggs” and dairy-free yogurt?
Sunny, I haven’t tried this recipe with flaxseed eggs and dairy-free yogurt; if you’ve had success substituting these ingredients before, you might want to give it a try to see if how it turns out in this recipe. Hope you enjoy it if you decide to make it!
Could you substitute chick pea flour with coconut flour, or any other flour?
Hi Lara, I haven’t tried this recipe experimenting with other flours, but it could work if you want to play around with the recipe. Chickpea flour absorbs slightly more moisture than all-purpose wheat flour, and coconut flour absorbs quite a bit more moisture than all-purpose wheat flour, so that is a good thing to know starting out. If you want to use coconut flour, I’d start off using a bit less than the amount of chickpea flour that the recipe calls for (maybe around half the amount and gradually add more as necessary). Hope this helps!
I make GF baking a priority…well at least in principal, I try my best. Not all (without xathum gum) turns out well. I really try to avoid anything not natural.
I’ll be giving this muffin a try…ingredients seem just right for a very tasty treat ;o)
Thanks Faith.
Ciao for now,
Claudia
P.S. glad to have had your last re-visit…you were missed ;o)
Wow, these are loaded with goodness! I have never run across Chia Seeds, will have to check out the article :) Beautiful muffins!
I know what you mean Faith! Its pretty chilly here in Hong Kong too so i’ve been drinking a lot of ginger tea :)
Hmmm these muffins sound guilt free to me hehe and honey is so good for you :P I’m just making excuses to continue having treats :D
so fluffy, and so health-conscious friendly! chia seeds are becoming more and more popular and i’m quite tempted to try them for myself!
You’ve been having a lot of fun with your besan-I’ve seen it in several of your recipes lately! Are you doing a g/f experiment right now to see if you feel better without it in your diet? Thanks for a recipe that has chia seeds-I have a bag I’ve only used a little out of–i need to have some fun with it and these muffins sound perfect!
I am the same way; I feel so cold that I drink tea in the afternoon and want something sweet to go with it. These muffins sound wonderful. I really need to eat more healthy things like these. I have heard about the chia seeds but never tried. Looking forward to trying these:)
Perfect for an afternoon snack. I must give chia seeds a try.
Im so desperate to get my paws on some chickpea flour – there are so many recipes Im just dying to try!
They do look lovely faith as with all the things you cook, but im just not good with no sugar and stuff!. I wish you could just make them for me
Yum! My parents are obsessed with chia seeds, but I haven’t quite gotten around to trying them yet, must try soon!
I have been eating gluten free things for a short time now and am struggling terribly because I’m missing things like these muffins. You just saved me Faith! :) Thank you!
Yes! Like you, I’ve been craving warm and comforting foods…especially when the afternoon munchies hit! Thank you for sharing such a delicious treat. I love how these are sweetened with honey and banana. I hope you have a great day!
Faith, these muffins look great, like the honey and the banana…so interesting that you used chickpea flour and chia seed.
Hope you are having a fantastic week :)
woooo! almond flour and chickpea flour… i am intrigued by the texture of this! I love how nutritious it is! :)
These look like my kind of muffins! They look delicious. I’ve been seeing chia seeds more in baking lately – can’t wait to try it. I usually just make puddings with it or sprinkle it over cereal or oatmeal.
You’ve packed a lot of healthy ingredients in to those muffins. It’s nice to have a treat that actually might be good for you.
Mimi
These look amazing. I’m a big fan of chia seeds!
Tea helps me warm up too… :-)
Wat a prefectly baked treat, looks absolutely stunning and incredible..
What a perfect afternoon treat! Have you tried freezing them?
Alyssa, I haven’t tried freezing them, but I did individually wrap them and keep them at room temp for about 3 days, and then keep them in the fridge for about 5 days after that and they were fine. If you freeze them, let me know how they hold up!
I have the same urge as you Fauth only a little later around 5 to 6 in the afternoon! They would be the perfect treat for me too!
I’ve fallen off the baking wagon since having to go gluten free. These sound so tasty and I have all the ingredients so I’ll be book marking this for sure!!
Could you use wheat flour? Or oat flour?
Duckie, Yup, you could! :)
These muffins sound amazing- and healthy! I had no idea that chia seeds were the same ones that they used in chia pets- how funny. I have seen them popping up everywhere lately. So far I have only used them to make a delicious pudding, but I think it’s time to branch out and make some baked goods using these nutty little seeds. These muffins may just be the perfect recipe to start with!
I love these muffins! I’ve recently had a muffin epic fail, but I think it’s time for me to get back on the saddle :)
Yum! I’ve had a bag of chickpea flour for almost 6 months…and I hadn’t figured out what I wanted to do with it. These muffins sound perfect. Now I just need to get some chia
Healthy and surely really delicious!
Cheers,
Rosa