Raise your hand if you like to sleep in. Yeah…I used to like that, too.
But with two little kids, that rarely happens. Except on Saturdays. On Saturdays, we make sure that there are muffins or cereal out on the counter for the kiddos and they know that they can watch cartoons until mommy and daddy wake up.
Don’t judge. It works. And I get to sleep in until at least 8:30 a.m. with this little hack. I know, that’s practically afternoon when you’re a mom!
Lately, I’ve been relying on muffins – they are so incredibly easy, and both kids love them. Like, hardcore love them to death.
Sure, cereal is yummy, but it does not beat delicious banana muffins that they can polish off in no time flat.
I love these muffins because they are super dense, really tasty, and nutritionally packed. Now, we’re gluten free, but you can easily use regular flour in these if you’re not.
Gluten-Free Banana Muffins
- 18 dates, soaked in warm water
- 2 tablespoons water from dates
- 1 cup gluten-free flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ripe nectarine, pit removed
- 1/8 cup chia seeds
- 1/8 cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup almond meal
- 1 ripe banana
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Soak your dates in warm water for twenty minutes then drain, reserving two tablespoons of the date water.
In a blender, blend the dates and water until a chunky date paste forms.
Add in the banana and nectarine and blend until nearly combined. It’s totally okay to leave the mixture a little chunky-you won’t notice when the muffins have cooked.
Melt your coconut oil (you can use a double boiler or your microwave).
While the coconut oil melts, mix together the flour, almond meal, baking powders and chia seeds in a large bowl.
Pour in the almond milk and coconut oil and stir to combine.
Slowly add the fruit puree from the blender and mix until everything is combined.
Finally, fold in the shredded coconut.
Line a muffin tin with silicone muffin cups and use a cookie scoop to portion out the batter.
Gently press each muffin down with a fork.
Bake for twelve minutes on the middle rack, rotate the pan and bake another eight minutes.
Remove your muffins from the oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days and in the fridge for up to a week.
This recipe also freezes well, and I’ve had them defrost perfectly after a month in the freezer.
