I LOVE warm, sweet, soft banana bread, don’t you?! It’s a childhood favorite and reminds me of being at my grandmother’s house.
My gluten-free banana bread recipe incorporates amaranth, an ancient grain that offers protein, healthy carbs, fiber and lots of micronutrients.
Amaranth is kind of a toothsome grain, reminding me of farro or wheat berry. You don’t use the whole seed grain in this gluten free banana muffin recipe, but instead amaranth flour. I like to make my own amaranth flour in my blender using popped amaranth – it’s ready to make into a light, versatile, gluten-free flour right out of the bag. It’s also tasty for snacking right out of the bag or sprinkling on salads or yogurt for extra nutrition.
Pro Tips:
- Ripe bananas make the tastiest, sweetest, moistest banana bread muffins. I keep my peeled ripe bananas in the freezer, ready to defrost for quick bread recipe like this banana amaranth flour recipe.
- Some products may be swapped. For example, use the milk of your choice whether that be dairy, almond, oat or whatever. Also, the sugar can be swapped out for a cup-to-cup equivalent. For example, 1 cup of coconut sugar, 1 cup of brown sugar, or 1 cup of stevia baking blend, etc. Don’t use liquid sweetener drops or products with very little volume as it will through the proportions of your recipe off and it will be too wet.
- While making this easy muffin recipe, make extra amaranth-oat flour and set aside for use in your next batch OR to use as a gluten-free flour substitute for pancakes, waffles and other baked goods.
Amaranth Banana Bread Muffins are so delicious – tender, moist and sweet! Before baking I love to top mine with extra goodies like dried fruit, nuts and seeds — shredded coconut and chocolate chips would be yummy too!
Recipe adapted from Amaranthy.com (you can save 20% there with my code FITFORK20 )
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission from sales that are used to help offset operating costs for The Fit Fork.
Looking for an easy quick bread muffin that’s gluten-freeand packs extra fiber and protein? Check out these Banana Bread Muffins madewith “flour” that’s created simply by pulsing popped amaranth and rolled oats inthe blender! Also, use an alternative sweetener to moderate the carbs – still sosweet, tender and delicious! A favorite for breakfast – even serve warm withice cream for dessert!
- 2 cups popped amaranth from Amaranthy or amaranth flour
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 tablespoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 3 medium ripe bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tablespoon milk of choice
- 1 cup sugar of choice or 1 cup-for-cup equivalent sweetener
- 1/4 cup dried fruit of choice optional
- 1/4 cup unsalted nuts and/or seeds of choice optional
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Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a standard loaf pan or jumbo 6-count muffin tin.
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Add popped amaranth and rolled oats to blender, blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes until a medium-fine flour forms. Pulse in baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
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In large bowl, mash together bananas, eggs, butter, milk, vanilla and sugar.
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Empty banana mixture into the blender filled with dry ingredients. Incorporate dry and wet slightly with spatula then pulse, scraping down sides as needed, until thick batter has formed. *Mixture should be thick, but if not blending well add a 1-2 tbsp. more milk.
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Divide in muffin tins. Top with nuts, seeds and dried fruit.
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Bake approx. 45 minutes in loaf pan and 30 minutes in jumbo muffin tins. Test for doneness by inserting toothpick into center and it pulls clean. Remove from oven, cool in pan for 15 minutes. Store leftovers in fridge.
