Making gluten-free muffins can have its challenges! Getting the right blend of flours, enough rising power to achieve the perfect contoured muffin tops, and the right balance of liquid to dry ingredients, and that’s all before getting a great flavour and texture. Good news, though, I have perfected a great flour blend for these Banana Date Muffins and have worked out the necessary ratios of wet to dry ingredients to accommodate the properties of gluten-free flours!
I am not a big fan of all-purpose gluten-free flour as the sole flour in a baking product. I find it can leave an unpleasant aftertaste on the palate. For this reason, I most often create my own flour blends based on what product I am making. It takes a lot of experimentation and trial and error to find a pleasing flour combination when mixing different flours. Each gluten-free flour comes with its own properties.
Banana muffins, whether they be wheat-based or gluten-free, can sometimes be tough and have a somewhat dense texture. No one likes a tough muffin! Over the years, I have discovered that adding too much mashed banana can create a tough muffin texture and be too overpowering in banana flavour. Sometimes, less really is more.
These Banana Date Muffins are hearty, perfect for taking along to work or school or enjoying any time, especially with a great cup of coffee.
They are also a great addition to a breakfast tray, especially on weekend mornings!
These muffins can be served at room temperature or heated for mere seconds in the microwave. They are great with a slather of butter and/or your favorite jam or preserve.
[Printable recipe follows at end of post]
Gluten Free Banana Date Muffins
Ingredients:
½ cup gluten free all-purpose flour
2½ tbsp potato starch
¼ cup gluten free oat flour
¼ cup almond flour
½ cup sorghum flour
1¼ tsp xanthan gum
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
½ cup gluten-free quick rolled oats
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
2 tbsp maple syrup
1½ tsp vanilla
3/4 cup mashed banana
½ cup Greek style vanilla yogurt
2 tbsp whole milk
¾ cup chopped dates
Method:
Preheat oven to 475°F.
Prepare 12 muffin cups (each ½-cup capacity) by spraying each muffin cup with cooking spray or greasing individually.
Combine flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, soda, salt, ground flax seeds, and rolled oats together in a large bowl. Whisk ingredients well to combine. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Set aside.
In separate medium-sized bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir in the mashed banana, yogurt, and milk.
Pour wet ingredients into well in dry ingredients. With large spoon, mix ingredients together just until dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Do not overmix. Fold in chopped dates.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling almost to the rim of each cup. Transfer to pre-heated oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 400°F. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until muffins are just firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. Do not overbake or muffins will be dry. Remove from oven and let muffins rest in pans for 5-7 minutes then gently remove from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Yield: 12 muffins
Gluten Free Banana Date Muffins
The perfect tender and moist Gluten-free Banana Date Muffins.
Ingredients
- ½ cup gluten free all-purpose flour
- 2½ tbsp potato starch
- ¼ cup gluten free oat flour
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ½ cup sorghum flour
- 1¼ tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
- ½ cup gluten-free quick rolled oats
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup coconut oil melted and cooled
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1½ tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup mashed banana
- ½ cup Greek style vanilla yogurt
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- ¾ cup chopped dates
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475°F.
- Prepare 12 muffin cups (each ½-cup capacity) by spraying each muffin cup with cooking spray or greasing individually.
Combine flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, soda, salt, ground flax seeds, and rolled oats together in a large bowl. Whisk ingredients well to combine. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- In separate medium-sized bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir in the mashed banana, yogurt, and milk.
- Pour wet ingredients into well in dry ingredients. With large spoon, mix ingredients together just until dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Do not overmix. Fold in chopped dates.
- Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling almost to the rim of each cup. Transfer to pre-heated oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 400°F. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until muffins are just firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. Do not overbake or muffins will be dry. Remove from oven and let muffins rest in pans for 5-7 minutes then gently remove from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes
Yield: 12 muffins
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