What’s the key to well-rounded nutrition?
Variety!
And so I try to feed my family a variety of whole grains — not just wheat, wheat, wheat. We are not a gluten-free family, but I use many gluten-free flours when baking muffins, quick breads, pancakes, and waffles. It has opened up a new world for us. A delicious world!
And now, after a lot of reading, finessing, adjusting, and experimenting, I have finally achieved non-crumbly, non-bitter, nutritious gluten-free muffin success. 😉 My family was delighted, and I know you will be too!
Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups sweet brown rice flour *
- 1-1/2 cups gluten-free whole-grain flours combination of **
- 2 cups whole milk kefir or yogurt***
- 2 organic or pastured eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup banana mashed
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons grass-fed butter melted
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3 to 4 tablespoons chia seeds freshly ground
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
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Stir all flours together and mix with the kefir or yogurt.
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Cover bowl and let soak overnight, 8 to 12 hours.
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The next day, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Mix lightly beaten eggs with mashed banana, syrup, vanilla, and melted butter.
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Sprinkle sea salt, baking soda, chia seeds, and shredded coconut over the top of the wet ingredients.
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Stir until just mixed.
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Add chocolate chips and stir until fully incorporated.
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Let muffin batter sit for about 15 to 30 minutes before cooking, so chia seeds have time to fully absorb into the batter.
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Grease muffin pan(s).
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Fill muffin molds about 3/4 of the way.
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Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Recipe Notes
Serve these delicious, nutritionally-robust muffins warm, topped with butter or peanut butter. You can even add banana slices to the top to enhance that banana flavor! Yum!
These muffins freeze very well and can be easily reheated on a cookie sheet at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. They're perfect for a warm, easy breakfast or snack!
For fun variations, try replacing chocolate chips with chopped nuts, dried fruit, or diced apples!
*Or here's whole grain so you can grind your own.
**I use 1/2 cup millet, 1/2 cup buckwheat, and 1/2 cup corn or amaranth.
***Make your own yogurt.
Does gluten-free baking (or baking, in general) intimidate you? I’d love to hear about your (baking and eating) experience with these chocolate chip banana muffins!
Looking for help cooking around allergies or food sensitivities? You need our Allergy-Free Cooking eCourse. More info is here.
...without giving up the foods you love or spending all day in the kitchen!
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How crucial is the shredded coconut? Is there something else one could substitute if they don’t like the texture of coconut.
Hi Holly, I would call the shredded coconut *noncrucial.* It does add flavor, texture, and may even hold the muffins up a bit better. However, if you don’t want to use shredded coconut, you could substitute with rolled oats. The rolled oats may add a bit of desired ‘chunky’ texture. Otherwise, I would say just omit the coconut altogether. And let me know how your muffins turn out! God bless, Jenna 🙂
What is the purpose of the chai seeds?
Hello Martha, thanks for chiming in.
They are chia seeds, not chai seeds (maybe you meant to write chia!).
From my kitchen experience and reading, chia seeds act to bind gluten-free baked goods together better. Some people even use them in place of ‘gums’ like guar gum and zanthan gum. If you don’t have, or don’t have access to, chia seeds, you could try flax seeds.
I haven’t tried that myself, but I’m thinking it might be a reasonable replacement. Hope this helps.
God bless, Jenna 🙂
Whoops! Meant to write xanthan, not zanthan!
This is encouraging and sounds so good! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your comment, Sarah. I hope you enjoy the muffins! God bless, Jenna
when you soak the flours do you refrigerate? Or let sit out on the counter? Thanks. These sound delicious!