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    Home » Type » Breads » Muffins

    Honey-Nut Banana Muffins {Gluten-Free; Naturally Sweetened}

    Published: Jan 25, 2012 · Modified: Apr 17, 2022 by Faith · This post may contain affiliate links · 32 Comments

    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

    ½ cup plain yogurt

    ½ cup honey

    ¼ cup canola oil

    2 teaspoons vanilla

    1 cup chickpea/garbanzo bean flour (also called besan)

    1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

    1 teaspoon baking soda

    1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

    ½ teaspoon salt

    ¼ 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 ¾ full.

    Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean, about 12 to 15 minutes.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sunny says

      November 04, 2013 at 9:59 pm

      Would this work with flaxseed "eggs" and dairy-free yogurt?

      Reply
      • Faith says

        November 05, 2013 at 8:19 pm

        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!

        Reply
    2. lara` says

      August 06, 2013 at 9:01 pm

      Could you substitute chick pea flour with coconut flour, or any other flour?

      Reply
      • Faith says

        August 10, 2013 at 6:39 am

        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!

        Reply
    3. FOODESSA says

      February 02, 2012 at 4:49 am

      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)

      Reply
    4. Magic of Spice says

      January 30, 2012 at 10:41 pm

      Wow, these are loaded with goodness! I have never run across Chia Seeds, will have to check out the article :) Beautiful muffins!

      Reply
    5. Daisy@Nevertoosweet says

      January 29, 2012 at 11:30 am

      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

      Reply
    6. grace says

      January 27, 2012 at 6:35 pm

      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!

      Reply
    7. Veronica Miller says

      January 27, 2012 at 4:39 am

      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!

      Reply
    8. Raina says

      January 26, 2012 at 2:49 pm

      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:)

      Reply
    9. Michele | Cooking At Home says

      January 26, 2012 at 6:13 am

      Perfect for an afternoon snack. I must give chia seeds a try.

      Reply
    10. Em (Wine and Butter) says

      January 26, 2012 at 2:05 am

      Im so desperate to get my paws on some chickpea flour - there are so many recipes Im just dying to try!

      Reply
    11. tania@mykitchenstories says

      January 26, 2012 at 12:11 am

      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

      Reply
    12. Kelsey @aslolife says

      January 25, 2012 at 9:50 pm

      Yum! My parents are obsessed with chia seeds, but I haven't quite gotten around to trying them yet, must try soon!

      Reply
    13. BeadedTail says

      January 25, 2012 at 6:02 pm

      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!

      Reply
    14. Monet says

      January 25, 2012 at 5:35 pm

      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!

      Reply
    15. Juliana says

      January 25, 2012 at 5:20 pm

      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 :)

      Reply
    16. coco says

      January 25, 2012 at 3:46 pm

      woooo! almond flour and chickpea flour... i am intrigued by the texture of this! I love how nutritious it is! :)

      Reply
    17. Heidi @ Food Doodles says

      January 25, 2012 at 1:04 pm

      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.

      Reply
    18. mimi says

      January 25, 2012 at 11:53 am

      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

      Reply
    19. Lisa says

      January 25, 2012 at 11:27 am

      These look amazing. I'm a big fan of chia seeds!
      Tea helps me warm up too... :-)

      Reply
    20. Priya says

      January 25, 2012 at 11:05 am

      Wat a prefectly baked treat, looks absolutely stunning and incredible..

      Reply
    21. Alyssa @ Everyday Maven says

      January 25, 2012 at 9:36 am

      What a perfect afternoon treat! Have you tried freezing them?

      Reply
      • Faith says

        January 28, 2012 at 4:31 pm

        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!

        Reply
    22. Katerina says

      January 25, 2012 at 9:28 am

      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!

      Reply
    23. Krista says

      January 25, 2012 at 9:06 am

      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!!

      Reply
    24. Blond Duck says

      January 25, 2012 at 8:40 am

      Could you use wheat flour? Or oat flour?

      Reply
      • Faith says

        January 25, 2012 at 8:50 am

        Duckie, Yup, you could! :)

        Reply
    25. Amanda @ Thinly Sliced Cucumber says

      January 25, 2012 at 7:32 am

      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!

      Reply
    26. Chiara says

      January 25, 2012 at 7:06 am

      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 :)

      Reply
    27. Erica says

      January 25, 2012 at 6:24 am

      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

      Reply
    28. Rosa says

      January 25, 2012 at 6:17 am

      Healthy and surely really delicious!

      Cheers,

      Rosa

      Reply

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