Name: Banana Nut Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: WFPB
Ingredients: 3 large ripe bananas; 1/2 cup date sugar; 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax seeds mixed with 2.5 tbsp of water); 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce; 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (sub oat flour for a gluten-free option); 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; 1/2 tsp vanilla powder (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract); 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Jump to Recipe

Here comes fall and I’m so excited! I love the changing colours, the brisk mornings and any excuse to pull out the cozy sweaters and blankets. Nothing quite says cozy like a cup of hot tea and a baked treat to go with it. These banana nut muffins make the perfect accompaniment to your warm and cozy beverage. So, curl up with one of these and enjoy.

These muffins are made oil-free, completely whole food plant-based (WFPB) and vegan. They make a great afternoon treat or even a quick on-the-go breakfast.

Inspiration

I love to bake. I grew up in a family where both my mom and dad were quite good in the kitchen. So, as I got old enough, I really enjoyed the process of cooking. Baking, however, quickly became my favourite. Whether it had something to do with my sweet tooth or the reactions of others as they took a bite of something sweet and delicious, baking just kind of became my jam.

So, these days, it doesn’t take more than some ripe bananas on the countertop to inspire me to get back into the kitchen and bake something delicious. That is exactly where the inspiration for this recipe came from.

I’ve always got bananas on my counter in varying stages of ripeness. We like the eat the yellow ones, freeze the spotty ones for nice cream or milkshakes, and use the extra ripe ones for baking.

I had some extra ripe bananas on my counter that I hadn’t frozen in time, so I’d slated them for baking. I wasn’t in the mood for banana bread (even though it’s totally delicious) so I got to thinking of other options. I happened to be craving muffins at the time, so that definitely factored into the decision. I hadn’t yet created a whole food plant-based (WFPB) version of a banana nut muffin, so this was the perfect time.

I’m quite happy with how they turned out. Soft and tender without any added oil. My family loves them and I hope yours does too.

Ingredients

Simple ingredients make up this delicious treat. To make these banana nut muffins you will need:

Ripe bananas

Whole wheat flour (or oat flour for gluten-free option)

Chopped walnuts or pecans

Applesauce

Date sugar (or coconut sugar)

Flax egg (ground flax seeds + water)

Baking powder

Baking soda

Vanilla powder (or pure vanilla extract)

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Salt

Making Banana Nut Muffins

First, you’ll want to pre-heat your oven to 350° F and line a muffin pan with muffin cups. I love to use reusable silicone muffin cups. They’re pretty economical and seem to last forever. I’ve had mine for years.

Then, roughly chop your walnuts or pecans and set them aside.

To make your flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds (flax meal) with 2.5 tablespoons of water. Let this sit for a few minutes to thicken.

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla powder. Give it a little mix. If you are using pure vanilla extract, save it to add to the bowl of wet ingredients.

In another mixing bowl, mash your ripe bananas. I used 3 large bananas for this recipe. If yours are on the smaller side, you may want to use an extra half of a banana.

Add the applesauce, date sugar and flax egg to the mashed bananas and mix well.

Add the banana mixture to your bowl of dry ingredients and mix until combined. Be careful not to overmix or your muffins will turn out dense and hard. Then, gently fold in your chopped nuts.

Divide your batter among the 12 muffin cups. Roughly ¼ cup of batter per cup to make a dozen muffins.

Pop them into your 350°F oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. You can tell they are done by gently pushing down on the top of the muffin. If it gently springs back, they are done. If it leaves a dent where you poked, give them some more time in the oven.

Serve with a hot beverage for a cozy, comforting snack.

Banana Nut Muffins

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

These banana nut muffins are soft, tender and delicious. All the things you love in a muffin without added oils or refined sugars.

Ingredients

3 large ripe bananas
1/2 cup date sugar
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax seeds mixed with 2.5 tbsp of water)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (sub oat flour for a gluten-free option)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla powder (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F

2. Line a muffin tin with paper or silicone muffin cups.

3. In a little prep bowl, make the flax egg by mixing 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds (flax meal) with 2.5 tbsps of water and then set aside to thicken.

4. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla powder to a large mixing bowl. Mix well. (If using vanilla extract, save it for step 6).

5. In another bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork or potato masher.

6. Add the applesauce, date sugar and flax egg to the bowl with the bananas and mix well, until all of the date sugar has been dissolved in the wet ingredients. (Add vanilla extract here, if using)

7. Add the wet mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Don't overmix or your muffins will turn out dense and hard instead of soft and tender.

8. Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups, approximately 1/4 cup of batter for each.

9. Pop the muffin pan in the oven for 20-25 minutes. They are done when the tops bounce back to gentle pressure. If a gentle poke leaves a dent, give them a few more minutes in the oven.