Paleo Banana Nut Muffins
262 Comments
Updated Nov 03, 2022
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Paleo banana nut muffins make for a healthy way to start the day. They’re light and fluffy, moist and delicious, gluten-free and dairy-free. These paleo banana muffins are easy to make (only takes one bowl) and will quickly disappear before your eyes.
Paleo Banana Muffins
Friends, I feel like this is a bit of a cheater recipe. In all honesty, it’s simply my Paleo Banana Bread recipe plus chopped nuts and baked in a muffin tin rather than a loaf pan. But sometimes a muffin is just more convenient, don’t you agree?
My Paleo Banana Bread recipe has been a reader favorite for several years so I knew I didn’t have to do much tweaking with that recipe.
Not surprising, these Paleo Banana Nut Muffins have proven to be just as delicious as my banana bread. And bonus – they’re even easier and faster to make.
One thing you’ll probably notice right off the bat as well is that they’re light, fluffy and raised up. They’re not dense and flat on top, like most paleo banana muffin recipes. Yet, they’re still incredibly moist on the inside.
Paleo Banana Muffins – with or without Nuts
This is a simple paleo banana muffin recipe and you can choose to make it with or without chopped nuts. I used a combination of walnuts and pecans in this recipe, but you can choose one or the other or forgo nuts altogether. You could even add in chocolate chips for a sweeter treat.
How to Make Paleo Banana Nut Muffins
I love that this is an easy one bowl recipe and comes together fast. Just add all of the ingredients – mashed bananas, almond flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, eggs and butter (or coconut oil), honey and vanilla extract to a bowl.
Use a hand blender to blend everything together for about 30 seconds until you’ve got a lovely batter, then stir in the nuts. Seperate the batter evenly between a 12 muffin-pan and sprinkle a little extra chopped nuts on top to make them extra nutty.
Pop the muffin pan in your 350 degree fahrenheit oven and bake for 22-25 minutes or until the top is just slightly golden. Let them cool for a minute (if you can wait that long), then enjoy!
More Paleo Quickbread & Muffin Recipes You’ll Love
- Paleo Blueberry Muffins
- Paleo Banana Bread
- Paleo Zucchini Bread
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Paleo Pumpkin Bread
Paleo Banana Nut Muffins
Description
Ingredients
- 2-3 ripe bananas, approx 1 1/4 cups mashed
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, with extra for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- Mash the bananas with a fork in a mixing bowl. Add all of the other ingredients to the mixing bowl, except the nuts.
- Use a hand mixer on medium speed to blend all the ingredients together for 30 seconds. Add the chopped nuts and stir together.
- Line a muffin tin with muffin cups and evenly divide the batter between 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle a little extra chopped nuts on top.
- Bake the muffins for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and they’re lightly golden on top.
Lisa’s Tips
- Make sure to use super fine almond flour for the best texture. This is the brand I use.
Nutrition
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Excellent muffins! Just the right amount of sweetness and the banana-walnut combination was wonderful.
Hi Beth – The walnut gives just the right amount of crunch! Glad you enjoyed this one :)
I’m out of tapioca starch and I was wondering if I could use arrowroot instead?
Hi Betsy – yes, that should work fine.
It says 251.2 kcal. How do you convert kcal to cal in your recipes? Appreciate it!
Hi there – Kcal is the same amount as calories :)
These muffins are delicious Lisa- thank you for your recipes! I substituted tapioca flour (hard to find it in Geneva) with coconut flour, maybe that’s why the texture came out slightly different from the ones shown here, but they taste lovely! This one is a keeper
Hi Chandrani – Coconut flour is a bit more absorbent, which will change the texture. But, I’m glad you were still able to make these muffins!
These muffins are unbelievably great! Thank you Lisa!
Hi Diane – So glad you loved these muffins! :)
Thank you Lisa for all your hard (fun) work, developing great recipes! These muffins are the bomb!!! Just what my family was looking for…
Hi there – Wonderful! Glad to hear you and your family loved these muffins :)
Love these muffins! I’m an avid at home baker & have tried many recipes – gluten free & otherwise. They were a little darker then I expected but tasted excellent.
Hi Kemi – So happy you enjoyed these muffins! It could have turned out a bit darker depending on how hot your oven is :)
These fellows live in my freezer since I found this recipe. I eat them for breakfast, snack or meal on the go. So easy and tasty. I always add some dark chocolate, since I am somewhat of a chocolate addict.
Hi Babette – I’m so glad you love this recipe! It’s one of my favorite muffins to make, and I love your addition of dark chocolate chips into this :)
I just want to say that the taste is insane,i’m loving this one.
Hi Raman – Thrilled to hear you are loving these banana muffins! They have definitely been a reader’s favorite :)
Wowowow! Agreed, these are THE BEST grain-free/Paleo muffins I’ve ever had! Subbed the honey for maple syrup, (because that’s what I had), added extra vanilla (as I do with ALL baked goods), but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Sooo happy with the results; this is officially bookmarked! You rock, thanks a bunch for perfecting and sharing this awesome recipe!
Yay! I’m so happy you loved the recipe Holly. And those sound like perfect subs. Enjoy all the muffins!
My work was having a meeting for the start of the quarter and I was asked to being something to snack on. I jumped on the opportunity to introduce my coworkers to these delicious muffins! They were already a snack hit with my family and my coworkers knew why I had been eating these almost everyday. I love that I can freeze them with no worry and will have some on hand :)
Hi Selena – I’m glad these were such a hit with your family and coworkers! :)
I’ve tried so many muffin recipes since going gluten free several years ago, and my family refuses to eat them. BUT. THESE. ARE. THE. BOMB!! My husband said – no joke- “please just make Downshiftology’s muffin recipes from now on.” We all love these. And they freeze well, too!
Hi Becky – The goal is to always make trick people to thinking it tastes like the real thing :)
I’ve made these several times and they are excellent. I’ve also used olive oil and avacado oil instead of butter or coconut oil and they both turned out great too.
Hi Elizabeth – These are definitely a reader’s favorite! Glad you enjoyed these with the minimal substitutes :)
I just made these, and they came out fantastic! Perfectly moist and fluffy. I used coconut oil and maple syrup (instead of the honey). It was pretty sweet, so I may lower the amount of maple syrup next time. I will be making these muffins again for sure.
Hi Alisha – Yay! I’m glad you enjoyed these muffins :) They’ve been a reader’s favorite so far. And yes, sometimes maple syrup can be a bit sweeter than honey!
Hi, What muffins tin and cup liners do you use?
Hi Wei – the muffin tin I have is quite old. And the liners are just plain liners from the supermarket. :)
This recipe just got two more fans all the way from Greece! My goodness, you made our night! I made half the recipe because I have a muffin tray for only 6 muffins and because – to be honest- I wanted to check if the recipe is worth it before making a large batch. Now I m face-palming because “worth it” is an understatement. We loved them, and now i *wish* I had made the full recipe hahah.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I have tried many other paleo muffin recipes, this one is a keeper and I feel like looking around no more ;-)
Hi Angela – I am so happy to hear that! I always try to test my baking recipes to the T and I’m glad you love this recipe :)
Is it possible to use coconut flour in
Place of the tapioca?
Love your recipes!! I appreciate all
the effort you put forth for us
Thank you
JM
Hi Jane – Yes, you can try using coconut flour instead :)
Can I substitute butter with apple sauce? Thank you!
You could certainly try it. :)
Lisa,
I can’t tell you how EXCITED I am about these muffins! Oh, my goodness…they taste amazing and they look beautiful! I’d put them up against anyone’s “regular” muffins and I don ‘t think they would have a clue that they were GF & DF! I have a GF/DF bakery nearby, and I will probably not be using them anymore. Her words, “you don’t even want to know how much SUGAR are in these.” Well, they taste good, but since I’m trying to stay away from sugar (especially refined white) as much as humanly possible, I love that I can control the amount of sweet in these. My bananas were super ripe & sweet, so I tasted the batter and decided that for me, I did not need to add the additional 1/4 c. honey. They are mildly sweet…perfect! My palate has changed radically by eliminating a LOT of sugar (including “healthy” sugars such as coconut sugar, maple syrup, and honey), which is a good thing! I did make a few changes. 1) I added 1 tsp. of baking powder in addition to the 1 tsp. of baking soda. 2) Added 1 tsp. of psyllium husk 3) Omitted 1/4 c. honey. Even w/ these changes…all I can say, is that you’ve made me one HAPPY CAMPER! Thanks so much for all you do and trust me, I will be trying out many more of your recipes!
Hi Terri – I am so happy to hear you loved these paleo muffins! I always want to make sure I create a few recipes that have less sugar in them. I can’t wait for you to try out more of my recipes :)
FABULOUS!!! I used half the sweetener and still sweet. Yummy! Thank you?
Hi Laurie – I’m so glad you loved these muffins, even with half the sugar :)
this looks so yumm. Can’t wait to try it tonight. Thanks for putting the recipe here.
Excited for you to try it! Let me know how it goes :)
I just made these and they turned out perfectly! I always love your recipes, Lisa, becuase I know you are very exact and precise in your measurements when you’re testing them. Which means they always turn out well!! I mean, who would think you’d be able to get almond flour muffins to rise like these do?! Delicious!
Thanks so much Jasmine! I’m thrilled you love the recipe and thanks so much for your kind words. I do test like crazy, but that also means I can enjoy the process (and eat along the way). ;)
Made this recipe for the first time today. Wow! So yummy. Love the nuts in it. Such a good source of vitamins. I really like the coconut in it instead of the butter. Great on the go breakfast. I bet they will freeze well too. Thank you for such a great recipe.
I’m happy you love the muffins Sarah! And yes, they do freeze well. Perfect for a quick breakfast meal prep. :)
These are super easy to meal prep for breakfasts and delicious! Though I usually swap the nuts for chocolate chips :)
I stack them in sets of 4 in mason jars and leave one in the fridge but freeze the rest. They stay perfect even after freezing and thawing!
Yes, they’re one of my favorites to meal prep as well! And smart move on the chocolate chips. Now I think I’ll have to whip up a batch again myself. ;)
Made them. Love them. Making them again tonight.
Hi Christopher – So glad you loved these muffins! Stay tuned for a few more muffin recipes to come this season :)
These muffins are perfection. Absolute perfection. I swapped maple syrup for the honey but otherwise followed the recipe 100%. Added 1/2 cup of pecans … and am now trying not to eat all 12 muffins in one sitting. So many grain free muffins are eggy – and these aren’t – hooray! **eyes muffin tray** okay maybe just ONE more before work … **takes two and flees the scene of the crime … scene of the crumb …**
Haha! I’m so happy you loved the muffins! They are a bit addictive so you do have to watch for that. ;) But thrilled you love the texture as well. I say go ahead and enjoy that second muffin!
If I use a jumbo muffin pan, do I need to double the bake time or keep it the same?
You probably will need to increase the time. It may not be double though, so I’d keep an eye on it.
First time making banana muffins from scratch, and they came out perfect! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Carmen. Enjoy the recipe!
Probably the best paleo muffin recipe I’ve made to date. They are nice and fluffy, filling but not dry and dense, and just overall super tasty. I’m coming straight here for any paleo baking recipes going forward. Never been disappointed. I omitted the honey and added a generous blob of peanut butter (I know not technically paleo but I can’t live without it) and a handful of mini chocolate chips. Superb.
Awww Laura you are so sweet! I’m so glad you loved the muffins and I love that you made it your own with the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Sounds delicious! :)
Absolutely love these muffins! Easy to mix and bake. Wonderful result, good texture. I have used nutmeg to add more taste. Will use raisin the next time. Thank you Lisa for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Julia! Thank you for the kind comments and so happy you enjoyed the banana nut muffins! :)
Made and substituted honey for date syrup which gave it a lower tone. Love these muffins, it’s a keeper!
Awesome, thank you for your kind words! I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins with date syrup! :)
OMG!! THESE. ARE. DELISH!! So glad I found a GF/Paleo recipe that even my husband will eat. Thanks for sharing!!
Yay! I’m so happy you both love them Becky!
Dying to try this. Any recommended substitute for tapioca flour it’s not easily available and is expensive as well for me
You could use arrowroot powder as well, if you can find that. :)
Me again. So you were right about the nutrition info. My cronometer yelled at me about the fat, which made it so delicious, but unfortunately I can’t afford that many fat grams apparently. I gained weight this week so I’m looking for something to blame, LOL. I really would like to keep this recipe and lower the fat. Any ideas? If not, I guess I could just make these for special occasions. It’s so good.
Haha. I’d say keep them for a special occasion as is! ;) But as most of the fat is from the coconut oil and eggs, those would be the items you’d have to play around with in replacing.
Thanks for the tips. I think I figured out a solution! I substituted oat flour for almond flour in cronometer and it resulted in only 8.8 grams of fat and 209 calories. I’ll just sneak the leftover almond pulp in my husband’s smoothie instead. He’ll never know. Anyhow, you’ll have to forgive me for changing your recipe. I’m over 50 and it ain’t easy keeping the middle under control!
One more thing. You are so professional. Don’t laugh but I binge watch some Youtubers that are changing their recipes *while they are shooting it.* One that I watch routinely adds three ingredients at the end “because it doesn’t taste right just yet”. Another one doesn’t post the recipes. Have to pay for that (eye roll). Love what you do!
Aww, thanks so much Joanne! Yes, YouTubers all take very different approaches to their videos. My goal is to keep the content free and make it as helpful as possible. I’m glad you love it! And that’s awesome you found an ingredient tweak that works for you on these paleo banana muffins. Perfect! :) x
This is a fantastic recipe, thanks! I used up some almond pulp from making almond milk. Hopefully the muffins won’t turn green since that’s what happens when I used the pulp in a recipe that had baking soda and powder last time. So far so good. I had a lot of leftover nut snack packages so opened up three of those and threw them in along with some pumpkin seeds. Yum! I had two right out of the oven. I’ll be keeping this recipe.
Awesome! So glad you loved the recipe Joanne! And kudos to you for using up that almond milk pulp. :)
I have made this recipe at least 10 times and it comes out perfect every time! I make these and put them in a large zip lock bag for our busy family to be able to grab on the way out the door for breakfast. My teenage daughter and husband love them. I made some for my brother-in-law who LOVES banana bread and he actually ate them for his dinner one night because he “could not wait until breakfast”. Thanks for sharing this quick, inexpensive and delicious recipe.
Wonderful! So happy you love the recipe and make it again and again! They really are perfect for a healthy grab and go breakfast. :)
This is one of the best gluten free muffins I have ever made. What am I saying? Decidedly the best. Moist, tender, rose up out of their cups. Delicious!
Oh yay! Thanks so much Barbara! I’m thrilled you love these paleo banana nut muffins. :) x
Lisa, I wondered what type of muffin tin pan you suggest. I have had non stick and other kinds of metal but always have problems with sticking whether it’s to the metal or to the paper cup insert.
I just use a standard muffin pan like this one: https://amzn.to/2Wi4rIN
I used a silicone one with no muffin paper or oil and they slid right out easily.
How long can they be stored for at room temp? How do thy stand up to being frozen?
I am looking for a recipe I can make in a large batch and freeze for the little ones. :)
I’d keep them at room temp for a day or so, probably up to a week in the fridge in a sealed container or for several months in the freezer. :)
Hi Lisa! I was wondering if I could alter this recipe to include blueberries? I love your recipes because they taste great and turn out closest to the original glutinous versions, so I was hoping you could help me out or direct me towards a recipe that results in a moist, delicious, airy, blueberry muffin.
Hi Sara – yes, you could absolutely include blueberries in this recipe. I’ll probably be converting it to a blueberry muffin recipe myself in the spring. :)
Dying to try this. Any recommended substitute for tapioca flour it’s not easily available and is expensive as well for me
You could use arrowroot powder. Or use more almond flour in the recipe (though that will change the texture slightly).
Wow. Inspired. Can’t wait to make this!
Thank you xxx
These look delicious ?
Has anyone tried this with a flax egg?
Most of my baked goods that have 1-2 eggs have worked (so far) with a flax or chia egg. I haven’t tried this one yet, but I’m pretty sure it should work. If you try it, let me know how it turns out! :)
Hi Lisa! I baked these muffins today, they are so good! Can the honey be replaced with maple syrup? Thank you!
Yes, absolutely!
They look delicious! Do you think I could use some other flour instead of tapioca? Is it similar to potato/rice/corn flour?
Arrowroot would be a great sub for the tapioca flour.
Hi Lisa, this is a great version of your banana bread. I had used your original recipe to make muffins and they were so good, looking forward to trying it with the nuts/chocolate chips when I get home. To France. I am staying with family in the UK just now. Thanks again for your inspiration and I am so looking forward to what will be coming in 2019. Have a wonderful Christmas, xx
Thanks so much Mary! I’m happy you were already one step ahead of me in turning my banana bread recipe in to muffins. ;) I’m definitely adding chocolate chips to mine next time as well! I wish you a wonderful Christmas! x
This is really amazing…love it a lot
Thanks so much Gideon! Enjoy!
These muffins are so delicious. I love your step by step photos:)
Thanks Ilona! I’m glad the step-by-step photos were helpful. Enjoy the recipe!
These muffins are perfect for breakfast. My family would love these!
Happy to hear that! Hope you enjoy the recipe Juli!
Just gorgeous. I love almond flour in anything and these muffins look perfect!
Thanks Ginny! Almond flour is a great gluten-free flour for baking. Hope you enjoy the muffins!
These would go down a treat in my house, they look super tasty!
They definitely always disappear quickly in my house as well. ;)
Love how simple these muffins are to make. Hard to beat this flavor combo!
Thanks Marisa! And I agree, you can’t go wrong with banana nut muffins. :)
These Banana Muffins look so moist, healthy and delicious. Will make it for tea time this weekend.
Thanks Veena! I hope you enjoy them!