Vegan/Gluten-Free Banana Crunch Muffins
Author: Ezzio & Asia Lavarello
Banana Muffins have always been one of my favorite breakfasty snacks/desserts since I was a little kid. I used to go to town on the Little Bites banana muffins. Actually, I’d probably still destroy them if someone offered them to me now.
For those of us not trying to rain on our hot girl summer parade eating case for breakfast on the regular, I made these bad boys. I wanted the banana nut muffin taste, plus the smug rush I get from making something vegan *and* gluten free. These have an awesome nutty flavor and great texture that will let you sneak these into your next brunch without anyone being any the wiser.
Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas
2 TBS flax seeds + 5 TBS water
2 TBS chia seeds
3 TBS agave nectar
3 TBS almond milk or other non-dairy milk (try our homemade almond milk recipe!)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract paste or almond extract
1 cup whole or sliced almonds
2/3 cup brown rice flour or rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Streusel Topping
1/3 cup pecans
1/3 cup rolled oats
2 TBS brown rice flour or oat flour
2 TBS coconut sugar or brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 TBS coconut oil
Maldon sea salt for finishing
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin with paper or silicone liners or by using cooking spray.
Using a high-speed blender, grind almonds until they create a fine powder, just a few seconds. Remove to a small bowl. In the same blender, grind flax seeds until they form a fine powder, then add water and blend until combined. This is your flax egg. Set aside in a small bowl to rest and thicken. If you’re using rolled oats, grind the oats in the blender until they form a fine powder and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, use a potato masher or fork to mash the ripe bananas until completely smooth. Add the rest of the muffin ingredients and gently fold with a rubber spatula until combined. Pro tip: measure out all of your ingredients first and have them ready to go next to your mixing bowl to make this a super fast recipe.
Use two spoons to fill the muffin cups 2/3 of the way full (resist the urge to overfill, remember they’ll have a topping). Combine the dry ingredients for the streusel together until completely combined, then add the coconut oil. Top each muffin with streusel.
Bake in 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove and top with Maldon or other flaky sea salt while still hot. Remove muffins from tin and allow to cool at least 10 minutes if using paper cups to prevent sticking. Eat them up and enjoy the fancy healthy brunch vibes!
