To be honest with you, muffins don’t really excite me…until I made THESE peanut butter banana muffins! They’re so good that you might even take them for banana bread. Not only are they incredibly moist and delicious, but they’re also gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free!
This post is sponsored by Wholesome Sweeteners and all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Butternut Bakery possible!
The secret to incredibly moist peanut butter banana muffins
The key to getting moist peanut butter banana muffins is all in the banana (duh) and peanut butter. Of course, the banana is a given because it’s known for creating a delicious soft texture in desserts. But it’s how much you add to the muffins that matters.
When I first tested this recipe, I added precisely 1 cup of mashed banana. It made a delicious batch of peanut butter banana muffins, but I thought they could still be a bit more moist. So for the second batch, I added a heaping cup of mashed banana which is about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons. It made a world of a difference!
The texture was much softer and the muffins stayed moist for longer compared to the first batch. They’re even on par with my extra extra moist chocolate chip banana bread…which is saying a lot!
But let’s not forget about to real MVP in these banana muffins. The peanut butter is what really brings this recipe together. It’s all about the type of peanut butter you use because regular Jif or Skippy just isn’t going to cut it.
The peanut butter most people are used to is the one that holds its shape when you scoop it out of the jar. In baking, this type of peanut butter definitely has a time and a place. For example, since the oil content is much lower, it works great in things like cookies, pies, bars…basically anything that you wouldn’t typically add oil to.
But for these muffins, it’s very important to use drippy natural peanut butter made with just peanuts. It helps create a dense and moist muffin because of it’s smooth texture and high oil content. Not only that, but the flavor is much stronger so you can definitely taste the peanut butter in this recipe.
Most grocery stores carry this type of nut butter nowadays, you just have to make sure to read the ingredients. It can contain salt as well. If you’re struggling to find one with JUST peanuts, instead go for a jar that has a pool of oil sitting at the top. When you turn the jar, the peanut butter should slide all around. That’s how you know it’s that perfect “drippy” consistency for these peanut butter banana muffins.
How to make peanut butter banana muffins healthy
Oh, did I mention these are completely GUILT free too? Not only are we using a natural peanut butter with zero additives, but these muffins also contain organic ingredients for natural sweetness.
Whenever I plan to make a refined sugar free recipe, I always grab my Organic Coconut Palm Sugar and Raw Unfiltered Honey by Wholesome. They bake so well, especially because the coconut sugar granules are almost the exact same as regular sugar and it’s a simple 1-to-1 replacement.
The honey is also just flat out HONEY and nothing else. No additives, no chemicals, just ethically sourced honey in an easy squeeze tube. It’s all I ever use!
Case in point, Wholesome coconut sugar and honey easily turn this into a healthy peanut butter banana muffin recipe. They both add natural sweetness and are completely unrefined, so you know exactly what’s going into these muffins.
And because I love baking with these two ingredients, I also have these refined sugar free recipes for healthier scotcheroos made with zero corn syrup and paleo sweet potato brownies…both using the Wholesome Coconut Sugar and Raw Unfiltered Honey. Told ya I can’t get enough of them!
How to make perfect gluten free peanut butter banana muffins
The two ingredients that make these banana muffins gluten free are all-purpose gluten free flour and gluten free quick oats. They’re both very easy to find at your local grocery store and are even easier to bake with.
For starters, make sure you use a gluten free flour that has xanthan gum already mixed in. If you can’t find one or already have a gluten free flour you’d like to use, just add 3/4 tsp xanthan gum to the dry ingredients in this recipe.
The xanthan gum helps to bind and mimic the elasticity of gluten. Without it, the muffins could turn out too crumbly and flat when baked.
Although gluten free all-purpose flour makes gluten free baking easy, I’ve found that it can sometimes lend a sandy-like texture in desserts.
To avoid that issue in these gluten free peanut butter banana muffins, I’ve also added gluten free quick oats. I prefer quick oats as opposed to old fashioned oats because they seamlessly blend into the batter. You aren’t left with any chewy oat pieces so each bite of these muffins is soft and fluffy.
But make sure to use oats that are certified gluten free. Most oats are milled in a facility that also produce gluten grains so there could be some cross contamination.
How long do peanut butter banana muffins keep?
As I mentioned before, the little extra bit of banana makes a huge difference in the longevity of these muffins. I found myself eating these DAYS after and they were still just as moist as they were when fresh. Which is very tough to achieve in muffin recipes due to the ratio of wet to dry ingredients.
These muffins will keep for about 5 days in an air tight container at room temperature. I prefer room temp because they keep that same moist and soft texture without having to heat them up.
For even longer, keep them in the fridge for 7-10 days. If you prefer a chilled muffin, then just grab and go. If not, pop them in the microwave for about 15 seconds and they’ll be good as new.
Although…these muffins really won’t last that long. One bite and everyone is hooked!
For more banana dessert recipes, check out my:
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (reader favorite)
- Banana Coffee Cake
- Banana Bread Cheesecake Cups (gluten free & dairy free)
- Cinnamon Banana Bread
- Banana Scones
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and comment below if you make these Peanut Butter Banana Muffins. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
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Peanut Butter Banana Muffins (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 muffins 1x
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baked
Description
These peanut butter banana muffins are not only incredibly moist and delicious, but they’re also gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose gluten free baking flour (one with xanthan gum)
- 1/4 cup gluten free quick oats
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt (omit if using salted peanut butter)
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp mashed banana (about 3 medium bananas)
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter (where the only ingredient is peanuts)
- 1/4 cup Wholesome Organic Coconut Palm Sugar
- 3 tbsp Wholesome Organic Raw Unfiltered Honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with 10 liners.
- Whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the banana, peanut butter, coconut sugar, and honey.
- Once smooth, mix in the eggs and vanilla.
- Fold in the dry ingredients and then the chocolate chips.
- Evenly distribute the batter between 10 liners, filled almost all the way to the top. Sprinkle on some extra chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for about 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Let them cool to room temperature before eating. They also stay moist for up to 5 days when stored in an air tight container at room temperature.
Keywords: peanut butter banana muffins, banana muffins, gluten free muffins, dairy free muffins
The photos make me want to grab a muffin right off my screen! They sound fantastic and I know my banana and peanut butter loving family would love these. Thanks for a great recipe Jenna!
Thank you Tasia! That’s exactly what I was hoping for 🙂
I’m OBSESSED with these muffins! Cannot wait to make them this holiday weekend!
★★★★★
This recipe looks amazing!
I just wanted to know, if I can’t get flour with xanthan gum, can I add the xanthan gum separately? How much would that be for 1x scale?
Yes you can! Add 1 tsp of xanthan gum for every 1 cup of flour.
This recipe looks great! Especially for all my gluten free friends who I always want to bake for. Would it change anything if I use regular sugar, peanut butter, and honey? (Besides no longer being refined sugar free)
Yep you can use regular sugar!
I don’t need to eat gluten free, but this recipe sounds great. Can I just use regular flour instead of the gluten free flour with xanthum gum?
Yep that should be fine!