Banana bread recipes seem to be all the rage this month… and I’m here for it. As much as I LOVE a good loaf, these ultra-moist, grain-free muffins might be even better!

A perfect grain-free on-the-go breakfast

Are chocolate covered muffins breakfast or dessert? That’s the real question here…

The line between breakfast and dessert is extremely blurred for me, and I plan on keeping it that way! I couldn’t imagine ending a meal without something sweet- especially when that “something sweet” happens to also be made with nourishing, wholesome ingredients! How could I resist?

These muffins work so well as a meal prep option, too. They still taste great out of the fridge and are super portable- making it an easy option to grab as you’re running out the door. As a college student, rushed mornings happen to be a regular occurrence for me… oops!

Starting my day off healthy

This is very important to me, especially since beginning my journey on the specific carbohydrate diet to help manage my ulcerative colitis symptoms. My body is more sensitive to refined sugar and processed ingredients than ever before…

As a lover of all things sweet, I knew I had to create a version of a muffin that I could eat in the morning and feel energized and ready to take on the rest of my day.

Using walnut flour in this recipe makes these muffins a great source of antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids (ALA), and polyphenols (which help fight inflammation).

It was also important to me to create a banana recipe without refined sugar. Refined sugar and processed carbohydrate have been shown in many studies to increase the ratio of bad to good bacteria in the gut. The natural sugar found in ripe bananas seems to be enough to make these muffins just sweet enough while still letting the nutty flavors of the walnuts and dark chocolate come through as well! If you prefer a sweeter muffin, I recommend adding a squeeze of honey.

Ingredients

very ripe bananas

eggs

grass-fed butter

vanilla extract

almond milk

walnut flour (I used Nature’s Eats brand)

coconut flour

cinnamon

baking soda

baking powder

salt

chocolate chips (optional, remove to make the muffins scd-friendly!)

Substitutions/ Modifications

Experiment with different nut flours! Let your imagination run wild here- although I adore the flavor of walnuts combined with bananas.

The chocolate chips can be replaced with whatever other add-ins you have on hand. Chopped nuts, raisins, or coconut flakes would all be delicious options. Have fun with it!

The eggs can be replaced with flax eggs, although the muffins will be slightly more dense.

The butter can be replaced with coconut oil.

Tips

I used a cookie scoop to scoop out the batter. Highly recommend! It gives these muffins the perfect rounded tops to resemble bakery muffins. YUM.

Turn on your favorite Saturday morning music, stay in your pj’s, and grab a cup of coffee to enjoy these muffins fresh out of the oven!

Any leftover muffins can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container.