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Have overripe bananas? Make these moist Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Cinnamon Muffins! They are great to have for a quick breakfast or healthy dessert!
What is Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Cinnamon Muffins made of?
The key ingredients in making these banana cinnamon muffins include the following:
- Karuna’s Banana and Cinnamon Whole Plant Smoothie. This drink is naturally sweetened, therefore, lessening the amount of sugar you will need to add plus it boosts the banana and cinnamon flavor.
- Bananas: Kind of goes without saying right? Bananas are there for flavor however, bananas also serve as a moisture component you would normally get from the yolk of eggs.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This is added for it’s leavening enhancing properties helping your muffins rise.
- The CORRECT Gluten-Free Flour Blend. I use Bobs Red Mill, All Purpose Baking Flour 1 to 1 (the one with the light blue label in the blue bag NOT the red label). This is the only gluten-free flour I recommend for this recipe. Read Substitution, Cook, and Storage Tips in this blog post below for more information about this.
How to Eat these Banana Cinnamon Muffins?
When I make these muffins I like eating them in the following ways:
- Heating up some Karuna’s Banana and Cinnamon Whole Plant Smoothie (for a hot cocoa feel) and serving it alongside my muffins with a good book for a warm cozy breakfast.
- I top them with my Date Caramel Sauce recipe. OMG, it’s so that way!
- Spreading my muffins with peanut butter and jam particularly homemade jams like Strawberry Chia Jam or Blackberry Jam Recipe.
- They are also really good spread with just regular vegan butter or my Crockpot Apple Butter recipe.
- As a dessert, they are super delicious served along aside some Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream!
- I also like eating them with my favorite vegan yogurt for a more filling breakfast or snack!
How to Make GF Vegan Banana Cinnamon Muffins?
*Please read detailed and printable recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
Prep Your Ingredients
- First, make your “vegan egg” by mixing together egg replacer or ground flaxseed and water. (Photo 1)
- Next, make your vegan buttermilk by mixing Karuna Banana Cinnamon Whole Plant Smoothie with apple cider vinegar. (Photo 2)
- Third, make your crumb topping (skip this step if you are not making). In a medium bowl add in your walnuts, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and vegan butter. (Photo 3)
- Using a fork (or your hands) and mix together until your mixture forms a crumble like consistency. (Photo 4)
Bake Your Muffins
- In a large bowl assemble your wet ingredients; mashed bananas, melted butter, applesauce, vegan egg, and vegan buttermilk. Mix very well. (Photo 1)
- In a separate large bowl, add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, sea salt, and organic cane sugar. Mix together well. (Photo 2)
- Add your wet mixture into your dry mixture and mix gently until just combined being sure to NOT overmix. Spoon into muffin tins, dividing evenly into 12 muffins and top with your streusel topping. (Photo 3 & 4)
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Remove from heat and allow muffins to cool before removing from pan. Top your muffins with Date Caramel Sauce or eat them as is! (Photo 5 & 6)
Substitution, Cook, and Storage Tips
- Not gluten-free? Just use regular all-purpose white flour or preferably spelt flour, sprouted wheat flour, or whole wheat flour.
- I use Bobs Red Mill, All Purpose Baking Flour 1 to 1 (the one with the light blue label in the blue bag NOT the red label). It is important to know that not all gluten-free flour blends are created equal when it comes to vegan baking. This is the only gluten-free flour I recommend for this recipe.
- Other all-purpose gluten-free flour blends I’ve had success with are Trader Joes and Bobs Red Mill, All Purpose Flour (red label). BUT if you are using these substitutes, you will need to add xanthan gum to it so that your batter will bind together for optimal texture. I cannot guarantee the success of the recipe using another brand or blend.
- Please DO NOT use single gluten-free flours like coconut flour, rice flour, almond flour, etc. Those will NOT work in this recipe.
- The Crumb Topping is optional but does add a nice additional sweetness and flavor to these muffins. You can top with walnuts if you like or nothing at all.
- Banana Cinnamon Muffins will keep a room temperature covered for up to 48 hours, in the refrigerator covered for up to 5 -7 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Vegan With Curves Ingredient
Bananas are the Vegan With Curves star ingredient of this recipe. Bananas are a “curvy carbohydrate” staple commonly featured on this blog and faithfully used in vegan weight gain smoothies. Not only is a good source of healthy carbohydrates (30 grams per medium banana), but also a good source of potassium and Vitamin B-6.
To make this more weight loss (waste/weight release friendly) you could:
- Omit the crumb topping to lessen sugar content (which will lessen the number of calories you have in your muffins)
- Use a sugar substitute like monkfruit or erythritol.
- Don’t top them with Date Caramel Sauce. Instead, eat them with fruit.
- Watch your portions! Don’t eat 5 at a time. (Tho it will be hard not too lol). 1 muffin = 1 serving.
Other Banana Inspired Recipes You’ll Love
More Gluten-Free Vegan Bakery Recipes
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Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Cinnamon Muffins
Ingredients
Vegan Egg
- 1 tablespoon vegan egg replacer or ground flaxseed
- 2 tablespoon water
Vegan Buttermilk
- ¾ cup Karuna’s Banana and Cinnamon Whole Plant Smoothie see notes
- 1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Optional Crumb Topping
- ¼ cup walnuts, crushed
- ¼ cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoon vegan butter or coconut oil, melted
Muffins
- 3 medium very ripe bananas, smashed see notes
- ⅓ cup vegan butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon applesauce
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose gluten-free flour, level see notes
- 2 ¼ teaspoon baking powder, level
- 1 teaspoon baking soda, level
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder, level
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup organic cane sugar (plus 1 additional tablespoon), level
Optional Topping
Instructions
Vegan “Egg”, “Buttermilk”, and Crumb Topping
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and spray a muffin tray with non-stick spray. Or you can add muffin/cupcake to your muffin tray for easier clean-up. Set aside.
- For your vegan egg, grab a small dish, mix together egg replacer or ground flaxseed and water. Set aside. The mixture will thicken up as it sits into a gel-like consistency.
- Next, make your vegan buttermilk. In a liquid measuring cup, pour in Karuna Banana Cinnamon Whole Plant Smoothie. Add in your apple cider vinegar and mix together slightly. Set aside.
- Now for the crumb topping, (if you are making it). In a medium bowl add in your walnuts, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and vegan butter. Using a fork (or your hand and mix together until your mixture forms a crumble like consistency. Set aside.
Muffins
- In a large glass bowl, smash very ripened bananas using a fork or potato masher.
- Add in melted butter, applesauce, vegan egg, and vegan buttermilk to the mashed bananas and mix very well.
- In a separate bowl, add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, sea salt, and organic cane sugar. Mix together well.
- Add your wet mixture into your dry mixture and mix gently until just combined. DO NOT over mix your batter. It’s even okay to have a few dry flour spots. Your batter should be thick and have some elasticity.
- Spoon into muffin tins, dividing evenly into 12 muffins. Take your crumb topping and place them over each muffin evenly. Kind of gently press them into the batter. This is so when your muffins bake, the topping won’t crumble and fall off your muffin.
- Bake for 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Remove from heat and allow muffins to cool before removing from pan.
- Top your muffins with Date Caramel Sauce or eat them as is! You can also serve these with vegan butter, peanut butter (or any other nut butter), or even some delicious Crockpot Apple Butter. They taste the best when served warm
- Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 48 hours or in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 7 days. They can last in the freezer up to 1 month in a large size freezer bag or container covered. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm up in the microwave.
Video
Notes
- KEY BAKING TIP: When I say “level” as a measurement, that means that the top of what you’re measuring is flat; no flour/sugar goes above the top of the measuring cup or measuring spoon. DO NOT skip the apple cider vinegar (or you can use white vinegar) to ensure your muffins will rise.
- NON DAIRY MILK: You can find Karuna in many participating retail stores throughout the nation. Please use the Store Locator to find out where they are sold in your area. If you’re unable to source this beverage, you may substitute with your choice of nondairy milk.
- FLOUR: Not gluten-free? Just use regular all-purpose flour or preferably spelt flour, sprouted wheat flour, or whole wheat flour.
- GLUTEN FREE FLOURS: I used Bobs Red Mill, All Purpose Baking Flour 1 to 1 (blue label). This is the only gluten-free flour I recommend for this recipe. Trader Joes All Purpose Flour and Bobs Red Mill, All Purpose Flour (red label) can work if you add ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum to it. Please DO NOT use single gluten-free flours like coconut flour, rice flour, almond flour, etc for this recipe.
- OPTIONAL: The Cumb Topping is optional but does add a nice additional sweetness and flavor to these muffins. You can top with walnuts if you like or nothing at all.
- ADDITIONS & OTHER SUBSITITONS: Be sure to use very ripe bananas. Ripe bananas are very sweet (they are more sugar than starch) which lessens the need for adding too much sugar and it gives a nice strong banana flavor. You can get creative by folding in pecans, blueberries, walnuts, almonds, vegan chocolate chips, or even raisins!
Nutrition
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© Gina Marie Hoskins. Vegan With Curves. All Rights Reserved. Unless noted otherwise, all images, recipes, & content are copyright protected and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. My images and written content are NOT to be used without prior permission. Read full Copyright Disclosure.
© Gina Marie Hoskins. Vegan With Curves. All Rights Reserved. Unless noted otherwise, all images, recipes, & content are copyright protected and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. My images and written content are NOT to be used without prior permission. Read full Copyright Disclosure.
Lawrence
How to substitute all the sugar in the crumble? And which flour can use to substitute the recommended flour?
Gina Marie
You can omit the crumble or use the recommended sugars listed in the blog post. You can also use the recommended substitute flours listed in the blog post.
Danielle
I just tried this recipe and they are sooooo moist! I didn’t have Karuna (where do I find it)? So I used almond milk. Mine aren’t gluten free either as I couldn’t find that flour but they still were fantastic! They aren’t overly sweet which I find healthier and liked a lot. Will make this my go to muffin recipe! 😁
Gina Marie
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them! You can find Karuna drinks at your local Whole Foods. Be sure to use the store locator I mentioned in the recipe notes!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)
I’ve been adding more vegan recipes to my arsenal and this one is definitely being added for breakfast