Gluten Free Vegan Banana Muffins

This is the most baking I've done in a long time. Maybe because I'm still nursing Rhys and hungry ALL the time, or maybe because banana muffins just sound really good ALL the time. Probably a little of both.

I'm going to keep this post short and sweet...just like these muffins :)

These guys keep making an appearance in our house and I'm not mad about it. They are vegan, gluten-free, and full of banana deliciousness! I bought some gluten-free all purpose flour for a project I worked on a month or so ago and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I don't have a gluten allergy and also don't have anything against gluten at all BUT I do like to switch up ingredients and foods I eat so lately we have had a bag of gluten-free flour that I use every once in a while for Sunday pancakes...and these banana muffins. If you don't have gluten-free flour, no worries! They are also delicious made with spelt flour or whole wheat flour. I especially love spelt flour because it has more protein and yields a bit of a softer texture than regular whole wheat flour.

How many times do you look over at your fruit basket (or wherever you keep your bananas) and see that you your bananas are past the point of no return? Super speckled, lots of brown/black, and at the point where they look inedible? We go through a lot of bananas in our house - and fast - but every once in a while, we have bananas that get pretty ugly. Except guess what? Those are the PERFECT bananas for these muffins. They provide extra sweetness and so much yummy banana flavor.

These muffins are quick, easy, and full of nourishing (and yummy!) ingredients. Scott and I gobble them up, and I'm sure Rhys will love them when he starts eating muffins, too :) I think I've been making a subconscious effort to leave a few bananas in our fruit basket to get niiiiiiiicccceee and ripe so I always have the ingredients to make them. And if you don't have super ripe bananas, don't worry - you can still make these! You might need to add a teeny tiny bit more sugar to make them sweeter, but you might not. It totally depends on your preference. Scott loves them warmed with a little Earth Balance butter and I love them warmed with a little peanut butter (PB banana combo for life). Regardless of how you like to eat them, you really can't go wrong.

Gluten-free Vegan Banana Muffins

| Makes 12 |

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 6 Tbsp water
2 large banana, peeled
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond flour
1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour *I like Bob's Red Mill
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup rolled oats

Instructions

Combine the flaxseed meal with water in a small bowl. Stir and let rest for about 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line a muffin pan with 12 liners.
In a medium bowl, mash the bananas very well.
Next, stir in the flax eggs (flaxseed + water), coconut sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla.
Add the almond flour, gluten-free flour, baking soda, salt and oats and mix until well combined.
Divide the muffin mixture between all 12 cups.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly.
Serve warm and enjoy!

xoxo,

Lauren