I’m participating in National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) which means I’m blogging every day of November, 2013!
I am really particular about my bananas. I love snacking on ones that are just on the verge of ripeness, but once they hit that ripe to slightly overripe phase? Blech: they kind of gross me out. So most of the bananas I buy end up being frozen to put into smoothies, or I let them blacken. Then I make banana bread or muffins.
I have been eyeing a recipe for Coconut Cocoa Banana Muffins over on the lovely blog Food Loves Writing for a while now. Yesterday I was going to make those muffins but then I realized I was out of eggs (yes, even those of us with chickens find ourselves without eggs sometimes!). So I decided to change up the muffins a bit and make them vegan, and to leave out the cocoa and coconut since my family really prefers simple to embellished when it comes to baked goods.
These vegan banana muffins really are exceedingly simple to make, and they are delicious! They have wonderful banana flavor and a dense texture I really like. I used Florida Crystals Demerara Cane Sugar to sweeten them, but you can use any type of granulated sugar, including organic cane sugar or coconut sugar, in yours. I tossed bittersweet, fair-trade chocolate chips into 1/3 of the batter, but accept my apologies for not measuring exactly how much I used (I am a terrible food blogger sometimes!) If you prefer to make these with an egg and butter, they won’t be vegan (but they will be yummy). We’ve been enjoying them with a smear of organic peanut butter on top.
Be sure to check out all of Shanna’s recipes. I frequently drool over her food and her writing! Speaking of her writing, she wrote one of the most beautiful ebooks I have read: it’s called Written Together: A Story of Beginnings, in the Kitchen and Beyond. I read it a few months ago and absolutely loved it…you will love it, too!
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Recipe for Vegan Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- *1 1/2 cups flour I used Jovial Organic Einkorn Flour; I haven't tried these with almond flour but I think it would work well if you need a grain-free alternative
- *1 teaspoon baking powder
- *1 teaspoon baking soda
- *1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- *3-4 medium-large very ripe bananas, mashed (I used 3 1/2 organic, fair-trade bananas)
- *1/2 cup sugar I used Demerara Sugar
- *1 tablespoon ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons water or use 1 egg
- *1/3 cup organic coconut oil melted (or use butter), plus a little more to oil (or butter) the muffin tin
- *chocolate chips- optional I added Equal Exchange bittersweet, fair-trade chocolate chips to 1/3 of the batter; look for Enjoy Life brand if you are vegan and/or gluten free
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- 3. In a large bowl, combine bananas, sugar, flax and water mixture, and melted coconut oil. Rub a standard muffin tin with melted coconut oil (or use paper liners). Fold the flour mixture into the banana mixture, and mix until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips, if using.
- 4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan.