Coconut Banana Muffins

     I love morning trips to the beach! This past week has been grey with on and off rain so I was delighted to see the sun peak out today. After a nice swim and visit with a friend I was feeling energized for the second half of my day. The sun didn't last so that helped me get back in the kitchen for one final test batch of muffins.

     Developing this muffin recipe was a real labor of love and a week's worth of determination. As I mentioned previously, when I first began this blog ten months ago, I wanted to rethink the gluten free flours I had been using. A lot of new flours have come on the market since I first started gluten free baking seven years ago which offer better health benefits for baked items. One of the flours I want to work with is coconut flour but have been a bit shy from using it since so many other sites suggest it requires a lot of eggs and sucks up moisture like a sponge. With enough baking science I am optimistic there will be workable alternatives to the use of eggs. I have also been reluctant to tweak a recipe that had been working. If you are a gluten free baker then you know what I mean! Every time you change an ingredient or a ratio something else is going to need adjustment. Baking in general requires exact measurements and gluten free baking requires even more precision. This can turn into expensive experimenting. Luckily, I am feeling a lot more confident now with the science of baking, make smaller test batches and don't add in the extra's like nuts & dried fruits until I am sure the basic recipe works. Lots of patience is required with the process and determination to keep moving forward past the disasters.

     After three disasters and lots of note taking this week, I finally had my 'aaahaa' moment. I had created an all purpose gluten free blend using the typical 50/50 ratio with two gluten free flours and two starches, which resulted in dense, grainy tasting muffins. So I went back to my flour guides and read again about the different characteristics of each flour. I ended up eliminating one of the starches and switched the superfine brown rice flour with coconut flour. It took two more test batches to get the leavening and liquids adjusted. Finally, the muffin I desired, a moist muffin with a light texture! In this case the combination of gluten free flour and starch really mattered. My last batch today was to try out a wheat flour version. Other than the flour no other adjustments were needed!

     Before I could sit down and type up this recipe there needed to be a taste test. I offered the gluten free muffin to my husband, only saying they were coconut banana muffins. Bingo! He said, "I can't tell what you left out or if they are gluten free or not but they really taste good!". He even thought they tasted like they had butter in them. Next I brought the gluten free ones to the beach for my friend and her two children try. The kids ate theirs right up and my friend also liked them. The only difference for me between the gluten free muffin and wheat one was that the wheat one was lighter in texture which is what one could expect.

     One final note on the sugar. The crystallized sugar in this recipe is not only added as a sweetener but also provides structure to the muffins. I would not recommend substituting it with a liquid sweetener. You could get away with using less if you don't want too sweet of a muffin. In the recipe ingredients I listed the brand names I used. You can substitute with different brands but keep in mind the weight measurements.

    HAPPY BAKING!!

Gluten Free Muffins

Wheat Flour Muffins

Coconut Banana Muffins

Makes 6 muffins

Vegan, gluten-dairy-egg free (wheat flour option)
Printable Recipe

I. Choose ONE flour combination (A or B): For best results weigh flours! Use the gram measurements for your brand of flour. For example, you need ¼ cup of coconut flour. I am using Bob’s Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour which ¼ c. equals 28 grams.

A. Dry Ingredients for Gluten Free Flour Mix-

   28g. Bob’s Red Mill organic coconut flour (¼ c.)

   80g. Authentic Foods superfine sorghum flour (½ c.)

   30g. tapioca starch (¼ c.)

   ½ t. xanthan gum

   1 t. baking powder

   ½ t. baking soda

   ¼ t. salt

   ½ c. Wholesome organic sugar 

B. Dry Ingredients for Wheat Flour Mix:

   28g. Bob’s Red Mill organic coconut flour (¼ c.)

   60g. all purpose flour (½ cup)

   1 t. baking powder

   ½ t. baking soda

   ¼ t. salt

   ½ c. Wholesome organic sugar

Wet Ingredients:

4 T. coconut oil (¼ c.), melt if solid

1 EnerG egg replacer*

¼ c. mashed banana (a generous 1/4 cup)

4 T. warm non-dairy milk (plus maybe 2 T. more)

*Mix EnerG egg replacer before adding to wet ingredients. In a small bowl add 2 T. warm water and

1 ½ t. EnerG egg replacer. Whisk until foamy.

Note: Although I haven't done a test batch yet, I imagine other fruit purée's, applesauce or pumpkin would work as substitutes for the mashed banana. 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease 6 muffin tins. I did not use paper liners here as the standard paper liners tend to stick to the muffins. If you want to use liners then make sure they are made with parchment paper. 

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.

3. With a spatula, combine wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Batter will be very thick. If needed, stir in a little more milk, 1 T. at a time, just enough to wet all the dry ingredients.

4. Spoon about 2 ½ T. batter into each muffin tin. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick. Muffins are done when toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Gluten Free mix (above) will be thicker than 

the wheat flour mix (below)

Storage Tips: If muffins are not eaten right away then here is some great ideas for storage from Savvy Eats. 

I placed a sheet of wax paper on a baking sheet, then placed the muffins on top. I put the baking sheet in the freezer for about an hour. Once the muffins were firm, I transferred them to a large Ziplock bag with pieces of wax paper separating them. When I want to eat one, I will place it on a plate and rest it on the counter to thaw at room temperature.