Can You Use Frozen Bananas for Baking?
If you only have frozen bananas on hand, you can definitely use those instead of fresh ones. You must thaw them first, and keep in mind that they will release a liquid as they melt– but don’t discard that! I do that by using a mix of almond butter and a gluten-free flour blend. Nut butters can act as a flour replacement in baking (try my Flourless Peanut Butter Muffins if you don’t believe me), so adding it here works as a source of healthy fat and added fiber.
Don’t be tempted to swap the almond butter for something like real butter or oil, as you’ll be missing out on the necessary fiber that it adds to the recipe. You can replace it with peanut butter or sunflower seed butter, if you prefer. You can make these muffins as-is, or sprinkle some extra add-ins over the top. My kids love it when I add a few mini chocolate chips, but for a sugar-free option try adding in some chopped walnuts or pecans. The texture of these muffins is unbelievable. They are super fluffy, and will leave you feeling satisfied for hours thanks to the extra fiber and healthy fat.
Thawed frozen bananas will look mushy and unappealing, but they will taste taste great in this recipe. (Check out my How to Freeze Bananas tutorial if you need any tips on freezing them properly.) Add the mushy banana, along with any liquid they release, into the mixing bowl and continue as directed.
Which is the Best Gluten-Free Flour?
My favorite gluten-free flour so far is King Arthur’s gluten-free all-purpose flour. (Not to be confused with their cup-for-cup blend, which I don’t like quite as much.) It has the least noticeable “gluten-free flour” taste to me, with no xanthum gum, and it’s also widely available. I bought my most recent bag at Target! I’ve also tested this recipe wtih Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour blend. The raw batter didn’t taste as good to me in that batch, but the baked muffins were still totally delicious. Having tested this recipe with two different brands of gluten-free flour, I’m fairly confident that any other dedicated gluten-free flour blend will work well in this recipe. (I have not tested this recipe with a single flour, like oat flour or almond flour yet, but I will report back if I do. I have a feeling that it will work better with the blend, as written.)
These Gluten-Free Banana Muffins are egg-free and oil-free, so they are naturally vegan. Try using sunflower seed butter or tahini if you need to make them nut-free, too. I hope you’ll enjoy them!
More Banana Recipes
If you need more ways to use up your ripe bananas, try one of the following recipes. They are a hit in my home, so I hope you’ll enjoy them, too!
Banana Ice Cream Vegan & Gluten-Free Banana Bread Almond Flour Banana Bread Coconut Flour Banana Bread Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Banana Egg Pancakes Strawberry Banana Smoothie
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think! And if you try something different, I’d love to hear how that works out for you, too. We can all benefit from your experience! – Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite muffin flavor? Let me know if you have any requests!
