Nutty Banana Nut Muffins are NUTS!  Completely bonkers, over-the-top NUTTY!  They’re actually good for you, too.  What?!  There is no-way possible for a Banana Muffin to taste great and be healthy, right?  

Right.  Well… there is one exception… If your muffins are these wonderful, gluten-free, high-fiber Nutty Banana Nut Muffins then it is more than possible ~ these muffins taste great!  And Nutty Banana Nut Muffins are made with healthy, high-protein almond and coconut flour, a boatload of bananas then topped with crunchy, nutritious walnuts.  Wow!  

What a powerful way to start your morning!  Now picture this… 

Your day starts as it always does… Bringggg!  You glare at the alarm clock with an irritated groan; but TODAY you decide to do something different…  
You sleepily reach for a Nutty Banana Nut Muffin.  SHA-ZAM!  Your day has transformed itself into a wonderful, nutterly fantastic  day!

It could happen!  Well, it could!  New scenario…

You share your Nutty Banana Nut Muffin with that person you had been hoping to know better.  They take one bite… They look deep into your eyes… 

Gosh!  These muffins are nutty!  Let’s enjoy some!

Nutty Dry Mix Ingredients:
2  3/4 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1  1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Banana Mix Ingredients:
1  3/4 cups pureed banana (about 4 very ripe bananas)
7 Medjool dates, pitted 
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or other light oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs 

Nut Topping:
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar (optional) 

Powdered-Sugar Drizzle Icing:  Optional.  See recipe below 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  
Line cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake papers. 

1.  Stir dry ingredients together with a whisk in a large mixing bowl.   

2.  In a food processor combine Bananas, (don’t overfill your measuring cup) Medjool Dates,
Oil, Vanilla and Eggs.  
Whirl until smooth. 
Pour over the dry ingredients 
and stir until mixed.

3.  Spoon the batter into the paper-lined cupcake/muffin pan.  Sprinkle each muffin with Nut Topping.  Bake until golden brown, approximately 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick when inserted comes out clean.  Makes 12 medium-sized muffins. 

 Question:  What does a “very ripe banana” look like and why do the bananas need to be fully ripened?

Fully ripe bananas are not only speckled with brown spots; the banana skin should also be quite brown.  As the banana turns dark it develops natural sugar and flavor which is wonderful for baking. 

Now, you may be wondering what would happen if you did use a yellow banana (or a green-tipped banana) instead of a fully ripened banana.  What would happen is; your banana muffin would have no banana flavor!  (Eeeek!) 

Sugar-Free:  You may notice that the only sweetener in the Nutty Banana Nut Muffin batter is banana puree and dates ~ it is essential to use fully ripened bananas or these (delicious) gluten-free muffins won’t taste sweet enough.  If you desire to have a completely sugar-free muffin; eliminate the brown sugar in the topping.  

• I find that most people are used to more sweetness in their muffins and enjoy the brown sugar.  My Gorgeous Man likes the Brown Sugar and the Powdered-Sugar Drizzle Icing on top of his muffin.

Question:  What are Medjool Dates?
Medjool dates are large, very moist, luscious dates with a tiny pit.  I am in love with Medjool dates.  Dates provide essential vitamins and minerals.  Did you know that just 5 – 6 dates can provide 3 grams of dietary fiber?  However, the best part about Medjool dates is that they taste fabulous.

Question:  I am having a Tea Party/Brunch and would like to serve Nutty Banana Nut Muffins.  What can I do to make them look extra festive and pretty?

Here are two ideas:
1)  Bake the muffins in mini-cupcake pans.

 Note: You will need to reduce the baking time; check muffins at 
20 minutes.  

Mini-muffins are adorable!  And they are a host/hostess “best friend” because you get double the amount of muffins.  Each beautiful, mini-muffin is also lower in calories since they are smaller – Simply Fabulous Dah’ling!

2)  Drizzle each muffin with Powdered-Sugar Drizzle Icing; so easy and festive.  This Icing takes about 15 seconds to mix up and everyone will think you are 
ever so clever.  

Powdered-Sugar Drizzle Icing

1 cup sifted Powdered Sugar
1/8 teaspoon pure Vanilla extract
Milk (or cream) of your choice

In a small mixing bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla and just enough milk to make a thin icing to drizzle over the muffins.  I usually drizzle the icing from the tip of a spoon in a random manner, but you can do drizzle the icing in a beautiful pattern if you desire.  These are YOUR muffins!