I have a feeling these are the last days of summer.
It’s a bit cooler, days seem shorter.
Still, I foresee many more weeks of mostly outdoor play, which is something that makes my mother-heart happy.
Yesterday the kids spent the better part of the afternoon jumping on the trampoline, playing on the swing set. By midafternoon, their lunch of steamed brocolli, brown rice, & Fieldroast had long worn off. Hyrum & Asher were begging for “something to eat.” I had plenty of ripe bananas, sugary sweet, flecked with brown spots all over.
Banana bread? No.
“Banana cupcakes,” Hyrum suggested.
I struck a compromise. Banana muffins.
I pulled out this dusty ol’ recipe (circa a few years ago) & revamped it. Made it gluten free, thanks to some flours I received from Bob’s Red Mill.
(Note: A Bob’s Red Mill giveaway of these flours & others, coming up later today.)
In this recipe, I use Bob’s gluten-free all purpose baking flour & Bob’s amaranth flour. In my old recipe, I grind my own flour from amaranth seed using my Blendtec. Since amaranth is a harder-to-find grain, already milled amaranth flour may be your best option if you’re using it in baked goods. Amaranth is gluten-free grain (actually a seed, similar to quinoa in that way), that is high in protein. It’s one of my favorite cooked breakfast cereals & like adding a 1/4 c. or so to pancakes or waffles to add a nutty, rich flavor.
I like how versatile the all purpose flour is. You can use it cup for cup to replace white flour & you don’t have to worry about adding any fillers or gums.
That said, I don’t like it in everything. I tried it in my first batch of chocolate chip cookies, but decided I didn’t like the slight aftertaste of fava bean flour (one of the flours in the mix) mixed with the taste of chocolate chips, so I opted for a combination of Bob’s white rice flour & almond meal instead (a beautiful combo).
In combination with the right ingredients, the all purpose flour works like a charm. In this recipe, I like it paired with the nutty amaranth flour which complements the sweetness from the bananas & applesauce.
I know, I have a lot of photos of little fingers grabbing treats.
It’s funny, because if I had it my way, I would demand cleaner shots without all the grabby hands, but this is real life. I bring out the treats, & every little body comes flocking, anxious to have the first bite.
Gluten-free, vegan banana amaranth muffins. Amaranth flour gives these goods a nutty, earthy flavor. Perfect for breakfast on-the-go. Or as the case may be, an afternoon snack.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c. Bob's Red Mill all-purpose gluten-free flour
- 1/2 c. Bob's Red Mill amaranth flour
- 1 c. organic evaporated cane juice
- 1 c. stevia in the raw (or an additional c. of sugar)
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. butter extract (optional; btw, it's vegan)
- 2 c. applesauce
- 2 c. mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium/large bananas)
- 3/4 c. walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Lightly spray non-stick muffin tin.
- Sift dry ingredients.
- Mix wet ingredients.
- Combine.
- Gently stir in 1/2 c. chopped walnuts.
- Pour batter into muffin tins.
- Sprinkle 1 tsp. chopped walnuts on top of each muffin.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the muffins pass the toothpick test.
- Remove from oven & cool on cookie rack for 10-15 minutes.
- Once completely cool, freeze leftovers, or store in air-tight container for 2-3 days.
Additional nutrition info, per muffin: Without walnuts: 4 g fiber, 25 g sugar, 3 g protein, 100 mg salt, 47 g carbs. Adding walnuts adds .5 g fiber, 1 g protein.
Looking for more vegan, gluten-free healthy recipes?
Check out Diet, Dessert, & Dogs blog Wellness Weekend where you’ll find this recipe & many others. Also shared at Cybele Pascal.
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