Green Banana Muffins
These muffins are a true staple, but it took quite a few different attempts and adjustments to get the recipe right. I’m very skeptical of any recipe that adds greens because the flavor is inevitably overpowering and off-putting; I’d just rather eat a salad, and then something sweet as a treat instead. However, I do find that these muffins actually hide the spinach, and you get a decent amount in each serving. They’re also sugar-free, gluten-free, and made with thoughtful ingredients that don’t spike your blood sugar. The banana brings the flavor and provides natural sweetness, and they taste so much better than what you’d find at a bakery or coffee shop. If you have kids, they’ll also love the bright green color (but won’t be able to tell that it’s from spinach).
What really helps these muffins shine is letting the batter sit in the fridge overnight. It’s not the most covenient, but absolutely worth it. Another trick is to freeze the spinach - this is something I do regularly, since spinach tends to go bad SO quickly. Freezing the spinach does help to mask the flavor, but you can also use fresh spinach, too.
I make these green banana muffins every month as they’ve become a personal favorite. I hope you enjoy them, too.
green banana muffins
ingredients
Makes 12 muffins
2 cups sifted oat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups spinach (about 1 bag or 6 ounces) - stick the spinach in the freezer a few hours ahead of time to mask the flavor even more.
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup almond milk
1 egg
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (click here for my simple homemade recipe)
1 large or 2 small overripe mashed bananas - the more ripe your bananas are, the stronger the banana flavor will be.
to prepare:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a muffin tin with liners – I like these, which are unbleached.
To start, sift your oat flour, or else you will notice tiny clumps in your batter (and later on, the baked muffins).
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).
Next, in a food processor or blender, run the spinach through until it’s finely chopped/ slightly liquified (about 30-45 seconds). Add in the wet ingredients (maple syrup, almond milk, egg, applesauce, and vanilla) and process until everything is completely pureed.
Pour the wet ingredients ito the dry ingredients, and stir together. Then add in the mashed banana, and stir everything until it’s well combined. The batter will be slightly drier than you may expect (more like brownie batter than cake).
If you can, let the batter chill in the fridge overnight. This helps really bring out the banana flavor and makes a big difference. Just be sure to give your batter a quick stir the next morning before you fill the tins.
Fill your muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 of the way, as these muffins don’t rise much.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool at least 10 minutes, or else the bottom of the muffins may stick to the liners.
The muffins will keep well in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
