Grain-Free Banana Muffins

MAKES 9 MUFFINS · VEGETARIAN, GF, DF

Whole-grain, fiber-rich muffins and quick breads are a staple in my house. They are easy to pull together and freeze beautifully. But standard wheat flour muffins don’t have the protein I desire for a hearty breakfast. So, I turn more often to nut-based batters to start the day. These muffins became a fast favorite with my students and their families. As opposed to grain-based muffins, these stay fresh for up to a week in the refrigerator.

1 cup creamy, unsweetened, unsalted almond butter, raw or roasted (see below for nut-free tip)

¼ cup pure Grade A maple syrup

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup very ripe mashed bananas (2 to 3 bananas)

Optional add-ins: ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, raisins, fresh cranberries or blueberries, diced fresh banana, DF chocolate chips or raw cacao nibs

Optional toppings: shredded coconut, pumpkin seeds, sliced banana, pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with nine unbleached parchment liners.

2. Place all the ingredients, except the optional add-ins and optional toppings, in a food processor and blend until completely smooth and well combined.

3. Stir in your choice of optional add-ins. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. You will be filling the cups almost up to the top. Sprinkle the tops with your choice of optional toppings. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until just set and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with dry crumbs.

image Espresso-chip muffins: Add 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder and an additional ⅛ teaspoon of salt. Omit the nutmeg. Stir ⅓ cup of DF chocolate chips into the mixture.

image Blueberry: Stir ⅓ cup of fresh blueberries into the mixture.

image Peanut butter: Sub an equal amount of unsalted, unsweetened peanut butter for the almond butter.

TIP: To make these nut- and peanut-free, you can substitute an equal amount of unsweetened, unsalted sunflower seed butter. But, there’s a compound in sunflower seeds that will react to the baking soda and turn the muffins bright green. They are completely edible, but the color may be shocking if you’re not expecting it.