Oil-Free Flour-Free Muffins

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Known for their spongy, springy density and sweet, earthy flavor, these Oil-Free Flour-Free Muffins are a comforting breakfast or snack option! The ground cinnamon and coconut sugar confidently complement the mashed banana and applesauce. The overall effect is soft, both in flavor and texture! {Gluten-Free + Dairy-Free}

Just as Charles Dickens needed us to believe Marley was dead before we began A Christmas Carol, so too do I need you to believe I do not like overripe bananas. I even tried a ripened banana recently just to see if anything had changed. I’m here to report, nope, PASS ME BY with your banana bread-friendly bananas. I simply cannot do it. I like my bananas closer to green than not. Like Dickens and Marley, I need you to know this about me and bananas before we jump into today’s Oil-Free Flour-Free Muffins recipe.

Because why? Because when my stepmother made gluten-free muffins using mashed banana, I thought for sure I wouldn’t like them. But she can make or bake just about anything. So I decided to try JUST ONE, and a whole batch later, K-Hubs and I were not only hooked but we were also OBSESSED.

I promptly went home and made batches myself. Naturally, I couldn’t get mine to turn out as well as my stepmother’s. She made her’s from Bren Did’s recipe for Healthy Oatmeal Muffins. But I did finagle my way through ingredients and steps to come up with a recipe that meets our family’s needs and does a pretty solid job of matching what my stepmother (and Bren, if we’re being honest here) came up with.

So before you throw out those mushy, browning bananas, make these Oil-Free Flour-Free Muffins instead! I’ll show you how!

These Oil-Free Flour Free Muffins are

• Spongy and dense, with a spring to them
• Softly sweet
• Earthy and comforting
• Full of warming flavors like maple and spice

Fun fact: If it’s quiet, and you listen closely, you can hear the spring in this muffin’s step when you take a bite. K-Hubs also notes for the record the banana flavor isn’t overpowering. I agree. Each ingredient works in tandem with the others. It’s a cohesive ensemble cast.

Ingredients for Oil-Free Flour-Free Muffins

• Gluten-free oatmeal. We’ve used gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats (first fave) and sprouted rolled oats (second fave). The old-fashioned rolled oats produce a softer, smoother texture, whereas the sprouted oats are thicker and stickier with a more distinctive flavor.
• Baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Add these to the ground flour.
• Ground cinnamon and coconut sugar. This dynamic duo brings these muffins alive. So don’t forget to add them. But not too much because this isn’t a cinnamon-y muffin. You could breakfast or snack on these just as easily in June as you could November. 
• Mashed banana and unsweetened applesauce. I found that about 3/4 cup ripe bananas and approximately 1/2 cup applesauce provides the right balance between flavor and moisture levels. This way your muffins are neither flat in flavor nor crumbly or mushy. I also say “about” and “approximately” because there is a little wiggle room. If you end up with a little more or less than, you’re probably still in good stead. No need to throw out the batch.
• Eggs. I used two medium eggs.
• 100% pure maple syrup. This sweetener is right at home with the bananas and applesauce and brought out the warming cinnamon and coconut sugar flavors without overpowering the recipe. It was our first fave option. You can also use agave nectar or 100% pure honey, if you’d like.
• Almond milk. We use unsweetened vanilla. Regular milk, rice milk, and oat milk should also work. If using coconut milk, then make sure it isn’t the full-fat version from a can because that may be too thick.
• Vanilla. Add generous amounts. Your tastebuds will thank you.

How to make Oil-Free Flour-Free Muffins

• Set oven to 350 degrees. Then add the old-fashioned rolled oats to a high-speed blender and mix until it becomes a coarse, crumbly consistency. Pour the ground oatmeal into a mixing bowl and add the baking powder, baking soda, coconut sugar, ground cinnamon, and sea salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl blend the mashed banana and applesauce together. Next add the eggs, continuing to mix until the ingredients are evenly blended. Stream in the maple syrup and almond milk and add the vanilla.
• Next add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until well combined.
• Then let the mixture sit at least 20 minutes to thicken. While the mixture is thickening, line a muffin tin with cups, every other one. Fill the empty wells with water so they don’t scorch during the baking process. When the batter has thickened, generously fill each muffin cup with batter.
• Bake for about 20-21 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and set on the counter to cool for several minutes before handling. The muffins will be quite soft until they’ve had a chance to cool and set.
• Store muffins in an airtight container for about a week.

Oil-Free Flour-Free Muffins tips

• Use thicker muffin cups. I like using aluminum cups or aluminum cups with a thick paper center. These cups are less likely than regular, thin muffin cups, to stick to the muffins.
• For better rise in your muffins, don’t crowd the muffin tin. Although the process takes longer, because you leave some muffin wells empty each time, filling every other muffin slot allows the heat to evenly cascade over the muffins. This gives them room to rise. As for the empty slots? Fill them with water so they don’t scorch.
• Generously fill each muffin cup. I use an ice cream scoop to fill mine. And I’m pretty generous with amounts. The muffins will rise during baking and then dip as they cool, so there’s little worry about a messy oven or muffin tin. But I have found it’s not a good idea to overfill the ice cream scoop itself. The batter is thin enough that scooping large dollops at a time IS messy. So, I fill each cup with a little bit of batter and then go back around a second or third time, adding more until each cup is full.
• Definitely let them cool before handling. These soft, spongy muffins are incredible. A family-favorite in our house. But they are also slightly fragile when they first come out of the oven. If you try to peel the paper from the muffin too soon, then you’ll be left with a big mess and very little muffin. I have not tried silicone muffin cups or greasing the muffin tin and pouring directly into the wells. But if you don’t want to use paper or aluminum cups, then those are additional options.

Can I use other oats in this recipe?

This recipe works best with old-fashioned rolled oats and seed oats. Other options, including steel cut oats, aren’t a great fit in this recipe.

What if I have some leftover mashed banana or applesauce?

I have found that adding a little more or less of the banana and applesauce isn’t a huge deal. For example, I ended up with almost a cup of banana from 1 1/2 bananas because they were larger. If I liked ripe banana, I might have just eaten the excess and included only the 3/4 cup needed. But since I DON’T like ripe banana (and I didn’t want to throw it away), I included the extra. The muffins were a little softer and sweeter, but the only reason I noticed is because I knew I had added more than usual.

The applesauce keeps the muffins from becoming too soft, as I learned when I made Paleo Zucchini Bread and Paleo Zucchini Muffins. So if you are just under or over the 1/2-cup mark, then you should be okay. I wouldn’t throw out perfectly good food just because it didn’t measure exactly. This is a pretty flexible muffin recipe, given that it’s oil-free and flour-free!

More baked goods for breakfast and snack time!

I am all about muffins and breads with my coffee. The girls love them for breakfast or as an afterschool snack. K-Hubs enjoys them for breakfast or on the run. Here are the baked goods we come bak to all the time. They are tried, true, and tested in our kitchen!

• Paleo Zucchini Bread
• Cinnamon Swirl Muffins
• Paleo Zucchini Muffins
• Gluten-Free Honey Muffins

Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. I’m glad you’re here! 🩷

Oil-Free Flour-Free Muffins

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Known for their spongy, springy density and sweet, earthy flavor, these Oil-Free Flour-Free Muffins are a comforting breakfast or snack option! The ground cinnamon and coconut sugar confidently complement the mashed banana and applesauce. The overall effect is soft, both in flavor and texture! {Gluten-Free + Dairy-Free}

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Sit Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 14 muffins 1x
• Category: Baked Goods
• Method: Oven
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Dry ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of sea salt

Wet ingredients:

• 3/4 cup mashed ripened bananas
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 medium eggs
• 1/3 cup 100% pure maple syrup
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Set oven to 350 degrees. Then add the old-fashioned rolled oats to a high-speed blender and mix until it becomes a coarse, crumbly consistency. Pour the ground oatmeal into a mixing bowl and add the baking powder, baking soda, coconut sugar, ground cinnamon, and sea salt. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl blend the mashed banana and applesauce together. Next add the eggs, continuing to mix until the ingredients are evenly blended. Stream in the maple syrup and almond milk and add the vanilla.
3. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until well combined.
4. Next let the mixture sit at least 20 minutes to thicken. While the mixture is thickening, line a muffin tin with cups, every other one. Fill the empty wells with water so they don’t scorch during the baking process. When the batter has thickened, generously fill each muffin cup with batter.
5. Bake for about 20-21 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and set on the counter to cool for several minutes before handling. The muffins will be quite soft until they’ve had a chance to cool and set.
6. Store muffins in an airtight container for about a week.

Notes

• If you come up short on either banana or applesauce, you can sub extra of one to make up the difference for the other. What you need is 1 1/4 total cups between the two. 
• When grinding the gluten-free oats the goal is to blend them so they no longer resemble oats but haven’t turned to mush yet. This usually means a LOW setting for a minute or so. If you find some oats aren’t breaking down, then increase the speed slightly. See the images in the blog post for reference. 
• Use thicker muffin cups. I like using aluminum cups or aluminum cups with a thick paper center. These cups are less likely than regular, thin muffin cups, to stick to the muffins. For better rise in your muffins, don’t crowd the muffin tin. Although the process takes longer, because you leave some muffin wells empty each time, filling every other muffin slot allows the heat to evenly cascade over the muffins. This gives them room to rise. As for the empty slots? Fill them with water so they don’t scorch.
• Generously fill each muffin cup. I use an ice cream scoop to fill mine. And I’m pretty generous with amounts. The muffins will rise during baking and then dip as they cool, so there’s little worry about a messy oven. But I have found it’s not a good idea to overfill the scoop itself. The batter is thin enough that scooping large dollops at a time IS messy. So, I fill each cup with a little bit of batter and then go back around a second or third time, adding more batter until each cup is full.
• Definitely let them cool before handling. These soft, spongy muffins are incredible. A family-favorite in our house. But they are also slightly fragile when they first come out of the oven. If you try to peel the paper from the muffin too soon, then you’ll be left with a big mess and very little muffin. I have not tried silicone muffin cups or greasing the muffin tin and pouring directly into the wells. But if you don’t want to use paper or aluminum cups, then those are additional options.