Easy Banana Protein Muffins

These healthy and delicious gluten free vegan banana protein muffins are packed with plant-based protein, are subtly sweet, super moist, and perfect for nutritious snacking any day of the week, any time of day! 

three stacked banana muffins

Protein Banana Muffins for Everyday Snacking

 

Generally speaking, most muffins you’ll find at the grocery store, any fast-food establishment, or even a local bakery (with some exceptions) are about as nutritionally beneficial  as a donut. It’s a sad truth my friends. They are loaded with sugar, often contain refined flours, and usually have enough calories to feed a small army. 

Luckily, in our own kitchens we are able to transform the often deceitful muffin into a delicious and healthy version like these protein-packed gluten free banana muffins that are vegan, naturally sweetened, and incredibly moist. 

Making Muffins Gluten Free

 

When it comes to creating healthy gluten-free muffins at home, I like to consider several aspects. The flour, the allergen-friendly aspect, the sweetener, and adding a little fat and protein for blood sugar balancing and satiety 

I love experimenting with gluten free flours whether it be a nut-based flour like almond or hazelnut, coconut flour, all-purpose blends like the one I used in this recipe, or even totally flour-free! I find if you want the most traditional texture, going with an all-purpose gluten free flour blend is best as you can essentially turn any muffin recipe you find into a gluten free version by simply substituting the flour (so long as it’s a 1-to-1 baking blend!)

stack of three banana muffins

Using Natural Sweetener in Muffin Recipes

 

As I mentioned before, traditional muffins are often loaded with refined sugars, so it’s nice to use an unrefined alternative to prevent blood sugar spikes and prevent sugar cravings. My favourite alternatives are:

  • raw honey
  • coconut nectar
  • pure maple syrup
  • coconut palm sugar
  • dates
  • stevia
  • brown rice syrup

There’s a lot of research that now shows how refined sugars can negatively affect health in many ways so I do my best to limit my own refined sugar intake to every now and then, rather than all the time. It’s also important to pay attention to how your own body reacts to refined sugar intake. For me I often get headaches, moody, and find it makes me crave even more sugar! 

Making The Banana Muffins Vegan & Adding Protein

To keep these gluten free banana muffins vegan friendly I didn’t add egg, as the banana works as a good binder in the recipe so the egg isn’t necessary. Alternatively if you are making muffins that don’t have banana and call for egg, you can make a flax egg using 1 tablespoon of ground flax and 3 tablespoons of water to replace 1 egg in the recipe.

For the protein I went with a plant-based vanilla protein powder, Orgain brand which I prefer because of the fine texture and subtle flavour, but you can choose whichever protein powder you desire. It’s important to remember that all protein powders have a bit of a different taste and texture so the more subtle the taste and finer (less gritty) of a texture in the protein powder you choose, the better. 

It’s also a good idea to choose a plant-based protein powder that does not contain any added artificial sweeteners or flavours. The more natural, the better! Aside from the natural ingredients list in Orgain vanilla protein powder, I also like that the vanilla flavour is not overpowering. In these gluten free banana muffins, the banana flavour shines through just as it should.

Do I Need To Use Protein Powder?

You can always choose to omit the protein powder if you wish but I recommend it because adding protein is a great way to balance out the other macronutrients (carbohydrates and fats) in the muffins.

If you do omit the powder, simply add an extra 1/4 cup of gluten-free flour in it’s place! 

banana muffins on a wood tray with banana slices

What is your favourite flavour of muffin? Do you often get the traditional ones from the store or bakeries, or do you prefer to bake your own homemade muffins? Tell me about it in the comments and be sure to pin the photo below the recipe to save these muffins for later and of course, are the love! 

three stacked banana muffins

Vegan Protein Gluten Free Banana Muffins

Yield: 9
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes

Delicious gluten free muffins that are vegan, packed with protein, naturally sweetened and wonderfully nutritious!

Ingredients

  • 3 medium very ripe bananas
  • 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
  • 2 tablespoons coconut nectar or raw honey
  • 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if this is already in your gluten free flour blend)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup your favourite plant-based vanilla powder (I use Orgain Brand, I cannot vouch for the texture/taste if using other brands in this recipe!)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup naturally sweetened gluten-free granola of choice (optional)
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter for slathering the muffins (optional) 🙂

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Grease a muffin tray using coconut oil or non-stick spray, or use muffin liners (I grease my muffin liners to prevent sticking as well).
  3. Mash bananas in a bowl and add in the coconut palm sugar and coconut nectar (or honey).
  4. In another bowl, add the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, protein powder, cinnamon, and salt and mix well to combine.
  5. Add the wet banana mixture to the flour mixture and fold in until all is well combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Working quickly, fill 9 of the muffin cups in the greased muffin tray about 3/4 full of the muffin batter.
  7. If using, top the batter evenly with the granola, about 1/2 tablespoon over each.
  8. Bake the muffins in oven for 12-13 minutes or until a toothpick pulls clean.
  9. Set aside to cool completely.
  10. Once cooled, slather with peanut butter or other nut butter and enjoy!

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More of my Favourite Gluten Free Muffin Recipes:

P.S. If you love this recipe you have to try my Best-Ever High Protein Banana Bread recipe!

Author: Christal Sczebel

Christal is the creator of Nutrition in the Kitch. She's a Certified Nutritional Consultant, twice published author, gluten and dairy free recipe developer, food photographer, speaker, wife, and mama. Christal loves good food, all things wellness, and loves to travel. Her wellness philosophy is centred around balance and sustainable health, life's way too short for boring diets and restriction!

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