Most banana muffins are dense and heavy- these are the complete opposite! Light, fluffy bursting with just the right amount of banana flavor. Even without eggs these are the fluffiest banana muffins you probably have ever had. The crumb topping is optional these muffins are great with or without. But it really does add that perfect finishing touch.

HOW TO MAKE THEM SUGAR FREE

Here’s the deal with sugar free sweeteners.. some have and after taste & some don’t. Only the granulated cup for cup blends are meant for baking- so please only use one of them.

Erythritol and xylitol (which is what most bags of sugar free sugar are made from- look at their labels. They market them as if they are different and they all work exactly the same for the most part.) have a bit of an icy after taste and you can avoid that by using less. I would start with 1/2 cup in your batter and give it a taste to see If you need more. Less is more - I promise.

If you opt for Alluose that has left of an after taste as you may be able to get away with using that one cup for cup with good results.

How to make them CORN FREE

Off the top of my head every single one of my recipes is corn free- except for one ingredient. Double Acting Baking Powder. There are brands of corn free baking powder are easier to find. But double acting corn free is trickier. A lovely member of the club told me about THIS product. You can also order it directly from the Bakewell website. Its called “starch free double acting baking powder”.

If you cant get your hands on a double acting version, don’t stress just use what you have. What is the difference between regular and double? It’s pretty straight forward. Regular contains only one acid that begins to do its thing the moment it comes into contact with liquid. As long as you are mixing and then baking right away this isn’t a big deal. Which is the case for things like muffins, pancakes and quickbread.

Double contains TWO acids instead of one. The first acid is the same as regular, the second is an acid that reacts only to heat. This means it doesn’t activate until its sitting in your hot oven. My preference is double for this reason it gives more assurance that the recipe will rise perfectly every time.

Using other gluten free all purpose flour blends

The bad news is that there isn’t truly a gluten free measure for measure flour or cup for cup. Its a marketing ploy. There are blends that work decent in place but never exactly. Each and every blend is totally different. For example I LOVE better batter - but in this recipe it would make for some seriously gummy muffins. I chose King Arthur as its lower in gum and therefore I knew my muffins would end up soft, light and delicate.

So of course you are welcome to experiment. But please keep in mind that there are no guarantees. Any change means the recipe will change.

Expandex

These muffins are special because of the magic of expandex. It is a modified form of tapioca starch that was formulated to improve gluten free baking. The word Modified tends to worry people- so let me explain further. Essentially they studied tapioca and removed portions of it leaving only the parts that would allow for it to cause amazing elasticity (aka its name) in gluten free recipes. This flour allows me to get an incredible rise with everything I use it in. It traps the air bubbles in the dough just like regular flour with gluten does! Its honestly incredible. If you eat any processed or store bought foods you have eaten many forms of modified starch. Its nothing new- its just semi new to the home baker. Its non gmo and I typically get it from the brand Judee’s on amazon. Under no conditions can you sub it out for another regular starch.

Outside of the US there is a product called Ultratex 3 I have not worked with it but from what I understand its comparable! I would use that in the exact same quantity as the expandex amount that I call for.

Fluffy Banana Nut Crumb Bakery Style Muffins

Yield: 10-12

Author: Brittany Angell

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Most banana muffins are dense and heavy- these are the opposite! Light, fluffy bursting with just the right amount of banana flavor. Even without eggs these are the fluffiest banana muffins you probably have ever had. The crumb topping is optional these muffins are great with or without. But it really does add that perfect finishing touch.

Ingredients

143 grams Banana (About 1 1/2 Bananas)
78 grams water
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
80 grams Mild Flavored Oil (Avocado or Vegetable ect.)
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
3/4 Tsp Salt
171 grams Gluten Free King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour
32 Grams Expandex
150 grams Organic Cane Sugar
2 Tsp Double Acting Baking Powder
3/4 cup chopped raw & unsalted pecans or walnuts

Crumb Topping (optional)

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar or Coconut Palm Sugar
1/2 Cup King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (raw unsalted)
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Salt
4 Tbsp Melted Butter (regular or dairy free) OR Mild Flavored Oil.

Instructions

Set the oven wrack to the center section. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tray with 10-12 baking cups (double lined). 10 for larger muffins or up to 12 for standard sized muffins. Set aside.
Add to the bowl the banana, water, lemon juice, oil & vanilla. Mash until completely smooth & pureed together . ( I used an immersion blender to make this step quick and easy).
Add in the remaining ingredients except the nuts. Mix until a smooth batter forms. Stir in the nuts. Divide the batter between 10-12 muffin tins. If only 10 the batter will come 2/3 or a bit higher in the cups.
Bake 20-21 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick or knife come out clean. Store in a sealed bag or container at room temperature or freeze for another day.