Banana Almond Muffins

For the past four years, I have lived with either no kitchen (my Freshman year dorm) or with a very small and cramped apartment kitchen. While I love to cook and bake, it is difficult to feel inspired when confined to a small space. However, one of the perks of moving in with my aunt is that she has a gorgeous and large kitchen where I can spread out and try out new recipes.

Last Saturday, I had to work at a training session as part of my internship. For the 15 or so women we had attend the session, we provided fruit and coffee for them to enjoy. At the end, we were left with a ton of leftover bananas so I took a few home, with the intention of baking something this week.

For whatever reason, I had muffins stuck in my mind and went on a hunt for some inspiration. Apparently I did not have to go far! I actually tweaked my Whole Wheat Banana Bread recipe a little, added a couple of ingredients, and voila… muffins were made!

They are not overly sweet like a muffin you would get at Starbucks or your local bakery, but the flavor of the banana really does shine through.

Banana Almond Muffins

Adapted from my Whole Wheat Banana Bread

A lighter but still flavorful take on your favorite banana muffin. Adjust the sweetness to your liking by adding or subtracting sugar and agave. These can be made gluten free by substituting almond flour for all purpose flour and using certified gluten free oats.

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Assembly/ Cook Time: 25-35 minutes

Serving Size: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 large bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 T sugar (scant measuring)
• 1 T agave or honey (scant measuring)
• 1 egg white (or whole egg if you prefer)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup oats, processed into a flour (or oat flour)
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour (substitutions include white wheat flour or almond flour)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. warm water
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• Oats for sprinkling
• Cinnamon for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until no large pieces remain.
3. Add in applesauce, sugar, agave, egg white, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
4. In a food processor or blender, process oats into a fine flour.
5. In a separate bowl, combine cinnamon, oat flour, all purpose flour, and salt.
6. Add dry into wet. Mix together until just combined.
7. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and water. Add to batter.
8. Add almonds into batter.
9. Pour batter into muffin tins (about 2/3 of the way full). Garnish with oats and cinnamon.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until center comes out clean.
11. Allow to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

I’ve already had a few of them and I can already tell that I will be making them again. I am also thinking about bringing one or two along with me during my next long ride. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (from MyFitnessPal)- Calories: 85, Fat: 2g, Protein: 2g, Carbohydrates: 17g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar 8g.

What is your favorite type of muffin and/ or bread? I love banana bread/ muffins, but I also love blueberry!