Soft and tender Gluten Free Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins yield a subtle and delicious almond flavor. Mini chocolate chips make these muffins a real treat!
What do you do when you buy a Costco sized tub of almond butter and turns out no one in your house really likes almond butter but you???
I have two solutions:
- Eat almond butter by the spoonful until you’re so full of creamy goodness that it starts bulging out of your nostrils, ears, mouth, and other openings… OR
- Use the almond butter to make some pretty dang delicious, light, fluffy, moist, soft, tender, AND chocolaty Gluten Free Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins.
I don’t know about your preference, but I would much rather take the latter. Not that I don’t still eat a spoonful of almond butter here and there.
I’m always looking for ways to use up my overly ripe bananas; seeing as how I LOVE bananas and buy them like there is no tomorrow. In fact, that is another food that I feel like my family should enjoy as much as I do. I am always trying to shove bananas down my kids’ throats just because I find them so yummy.
Actually, Emry is to the point now that every morning she asks me for cereal, “But I no want bananas!” I may be verging on scarring her for life by making her eat bananas. She probably has nightmares every night of giant toddler-eating bananas that are chasing her through a river of peanut butter (another food I have repeatedly tried to get her to eat).
BUT, put a slice of freshly baked banana bread in front of Emry and she is a happy camper. It may have slightly to do with the loads of sugar or occasional chocolate chips that I add to the batter. Yes, somehow to a carb addicted 2-year old, bananas are much more delicious when baked into a loaf or muffin.
I, however, get sick of making the same old thing OVER and OVER again, so after my third batch of banana muffins in a month, I wanted to switch things up a bit.
Ripe bananas…
Lonely jar of almond butter…
Mini chocolate chips…
Why yes! A perfect muffin combo while at the same time pawning off some not so favorite foods to my children in one delicious, slightly healthy treat.
I use the term “slightly healthy” very loosely. As in, there is about 1/2 cup less sugar in these muffins than average banana bread, and the almond butter replaces what would be an additional 1/2 cup of butter or shortening in more traditional banana bread recipes. Sooooo, thus makes them slightly healthy. Right???
In addition to the almond butter, I also added some pure almond extract to the batter for some extra almond flavor. Feel free to omit this ingredient if you are not an almond fan, but I think It’s the perfect compliment against the dark chocolate. I mean we all love dark chocolate and almonds!
What’s interesting is that the flavor of these muffins is EVEN BETTER as they sit for a few hours. It’s like all the flavors marry and decide that instead of just liking each other, they LOVE each other and you’re tastebuds are lucky enough to be invited to the wedding.
Ahhhh! Speaking of wedding. I almost forgot! BIG NEWS…
…my baby brother is getting MARRIED!!! And I love his new fiance. She is just a doll. Plus, she pinned me down and gave me brand new beautiful eye lashes that I never have to put makeup on. So, yeah, she’s really won me over. Actually, they’ve been best friends for almost 8 years and I’ve always liked her. Yay for them!
Anywho, back to muffins. Just like every other muffin I describe on this blog; they are light, fluffy, soft, tender, moist, and oh so satisfying. A real treat indeed.
So the next time you have some ripe bananas hanging around just dying for a little attention, try a new twist on your typical banana bread. Make yourself (and maybe your family…just maybe) some Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins. You won’t be disappointed.
What other recipes have you tried using ripe bananas?
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- ½ cup almond butter
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas (about 2)
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- ¾ cup potato starch
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- ¼ cup sweet sorghum flour
- ¼ cup gluten free oat flour
- 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whip together butter and almond butter. Add honey and brown sugar and cream on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs one and a time until incorporated. Add mashed bananas, almond extract, and vanilla extract and mix on low until evenly incorporated.
- In a separate smaller mixing bowl, sift together salt, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, sorghum flour, and gluten free oat flour.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix on low until smooth. Add 1 cup of semi-sweet mini chocolate chips and fold into batter.
- Fill muffin tins ⅔ way full and bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until tops spring back at touch of a finger and toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean with few crumbs.
- Immediately remove muffins from muffin tins and allow to cool on cooling rack. Serve slightly warm.
