Are we still baking banana bread? Is that still a thing? Of course it is. I developed this gluten-free banana bread recipe in response to one of the most common questions on my healthy banana bread recipe: “Can I make this with almond flour?”
While my go-to banana bread recipe offers other gluten-free options within the post (including a delicious oat flour option), the almond flour answer is not as straightforward. I think it took me seven tries to get this recipe just right!
This version required several modifications, so I’m sharing it as its own recipe today. I’ll also walk you through how I modified the recipe to work with almond flour, which might be helpful if it’s your preferred flour, or you happen to have a surplus in your pantry.
This banana bread is very tender, moist and decadent. These qualities are natural by-products of using almond flour and additional eggs to hold the bread together. This “bread” almost reminds me of pound cake in texture, and it could definitely pass as banana cake—perhaps you’d like to top it with cream cheese frosting.
While it’s different in texture from my favorite banana bread, this gluten-free banana bread is awesome in its own right. Like the other recipe, it’s easy to mix together—by hand, in one bowl, no less! It’s also naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup. And, I believe it qualifies as paleo as well. Ready to make some?
Grilled bananas is a dessert everyone will rave about! Flavored with maple, cinnamon and nutmeg, they’re even better topped with ice cream. Got a grill? Then you absolutely must try the revelation that is grilled bananas! This grilled spin on the flavors of bananas foster is the perfect end to a dinner on the patio. Grill up some burgers or veggies, then throw on these bananas and you’ve got dessert waiting for you. Each tender bite is flavored with maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. It’s made even more perfect with a little melty vanilla ice cream: restaurant quality with very little effort! Alex and I were skeptical at first of this idea, but at first bite we were sold. Ingredients for grilled bananas There’s only a handful of ingredients you need for big flavor here! This grilled dessert is naturally sweet using pure maple syrup to make a sweetly spiced sauce. Here’s what you need to make grilled bananas: Bananas: Make sure to use bananas that are ripe but still firm. If they’re overly ripe, they’ll become mushy after grilling (which is okay flavor-wise, just not as pretty to look at) Maple syrup: Use pure maple syrup: you could also use […]
Grilled bananas is a dessert everyone will rave about! Flavored with maple, cinnamon and nutmeg, they’re even better topped with ice cream.
Got a grill? Then you absolutely must try the revelation that is grilled bananas! This grilled spin on the flavors of bananas foster is the perfect end to a dinner on the patio. Grill up some burgers or veggies, then throw on these bananas and you’ve got dessert waiting for you. Each tender bite is flavored with maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. It’s made even more perfect with a little melty vanilla ice cream: restaurant quality with very little effort! Alex and I were skeptical at first of this idea, but at first bite we were sold.
Ingredients for grilled bananas
There’s only a handful of ingredients you need for big flavor here! This grilled dessert is naturally sweet using pure maple syrup to make a sweetly spiced sauce. Here’s what you need to make grilled bananas:
Bananas: Make sure to use bananas that are ripe but still firm. If they’re overly ripe, they’ll become mushy after grilling (which is okay flavor-wise, just not as pretty to look at)
Maple syrup: Use pure maple syrup: you could also use honey if desired
Rum: Add in a splash of rum if you like! This channels the bananas foster vibe even more
Cinnamon
Ginger
Nutmeg
Vanilla ice cream: Topping with melty vanilla ice cream takes it to star status
Chopped pecans: Optional, but the toasting crunch adds a finishing touch
How to cut bananas for grilling (leave the peel on!)
Here’s the important part for grilling bananas! Well, two things. Here’s what to know:
Keep the peel on. You’ll grill the banana in the peel: so don’t peel them! The peel acts as a protective barrier, almost like a pan. It keeps the banana together and makes it easy to flip.
Slice lengthwise. Slice the banana in half lengthwise so that it forms two long boat-shaped pieces.
Tips on how to grill bananas
Once you’ve cut your bananas, keeping them in the peel, you’re ready to grill! All you need to know at this point is the grill temperature and approximate timing. Memorize that and then make them on repeat all summer! Here’s what you need to know (or jump right to the recipe):
Preheat a grill to medium high heat: that’s 375 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut the bananas in half with the peel on. See the notes above.
Brush the tops with the maple syrup and spices.
Grill cut side down for 3 to 4 minutes, until you get those lovely char marks.
Flip and grill cut side up for 4 to 5 minutes. This finishes the cooking.
Use a spoon to scoop the bananas out of the peels. Garnish and enjoy!
Add toasted pecans or glazed pecans
Top these grilled bananas with vanilla ice cream for a showy, restaurant-style dessert! We also like using chopped pecans to add a satisfying crunch. You can use plain pecans for this. But if you’re looking for big wow factor, here are a few other options:
Toasted pecans: Simply heating pecans in a skillet for a few minutes brings out a beautiful nutty flavor. You can taste the difference! Go to How to Toast Pecans.
Maple glazed pecans: Even better, glaze your pecans with maple syrup so they have a sweet, crunchy coating. Go to Glazed Pecans.
Toppings for grilled bananas
Topping the grilled bananas is the fun part! While we loved it as specified, here are some more topping ideas:
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit).
In a small bowl, stir the maple syrup, oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
Leaving the peel on, slice off the stem of the banana peel. Then slice the banana in half lengthwise.
Brush the cut side of the bananas with 1/2 of the maple syrup mixture.
Grill cut side down for 3 to 4 minutes until grill marks appear. Flip and cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes until softened.
To serve, scoop the bananas out of their peels with a spoon. Stir the maple mixture, then drizzle it over the tops. Serve with ice cream and chopped pecans.
Notes
*Step up the flavors and add 1 tablespoon rum to the mix as well!
Category:Dessert
Method:Grilled
Cuisine:American
Keywords: Grilled Bananas, How to grill bananas
More banana recipes
There are so many ways to use bananas, from bread to muffins to pancakes! Here are some favorite banana recipes:
Healthy Banana Bread Muffins These healthy muffins are made mostly of oats and bananas, blended together in a blender. A fan fave!
Banana Oatmeal Pancakes Wholesome and so delicious! They’re mostly with oats so they’re filling and full of nutrients.
Perfect Banana Smoothie The perfect banana smoothie! It’s got just the right creamy texture and beautifully banana-forward flavor.
Sometimes you just need something indulgent and you need it fast: Enter, this red velvet smoothie. It captures the flavors and colors of red velvet cake but with wholesome ingredients like banana, beets, cocoa powder, and dates. Swoon!
Just 5 minutes, …
Sometimes you just need something indulgent and you need it fast: Enter, this red velvet smoothie. It captures the flavors and colors of red velvet cake but with wholesome ingredients like banana, beets, cocoa powder, and dates. Swoon!
Just 5 minutes, 1 blender, and 6 ingredients required for this incredibly satisfying smoothie inspired by red velvet cake. Red velvet cake is a Southern dish that originated in the 1800s.
When I was in college I worked in a movie theater diner, and my absolute favorite part of my shift was when the restaurant closed. We got to turn up the music (we had a jukebox that had really good songs on it), dance around while cleaning, laugh with …
When I was in college I worked in a movie theater diner, and my absolute favorite part of my shift was when the restaurant closed. We got to turn up the music (we had a jukebox that had really good songs on it), dance around while cleaning, laugh with coworkers about the ups and downs of our shift, and finally eat some food after all the patrons left.
My friend Katie was a server, and I managed the dessert counter (are we surprised?).
While I don’t drink much coffee these days, when I do, it’s decaf cold brew as it’s less acidic and lower caffeine, making it easier on the nervous system and stomach.
In a quest to find a more decadent way to enjoy cold brew, we created this show-sto…
While I don’t drink much coffee these days, when I do, it’s decaf cold brew as it’s less acidic and lower caffeine, making it easier on the nervous system and stomach.
In a quest to find a more decadent way to enjoy cold brew, we created this show-stopping 5-ingredient smoothie that’s naturally sweetened, customizable, and reminiscent of a chocolate coffee milkshake. Swoon! Let us show you how it’s done.
In the process of conducting our blender review, we came upon the challenge of banana ice cream (also called “nice cream”), which can be tricky if you don’t know what you’re doing! Think chunky ice cream, runny ice cream, blender fatigue, a…
In the process of conducting our blender review, we came upon the challenge of banana ice cream (also called “nice cream”), which can be tricky if you don’t know what you’re doing! Think chunky ice cream, runny ice cream, blender fatigue, and everything in between.
We learned a lot in the process, which we’ve distilled here in this ULTIMATE Guide to Banana Ice Cream, plus 10 easy and delicious flavors to try!
Wow is all we can say about these chocolate banana muffins! They’re dark chocolaty with a light crunch on top and a moist interior. Imagine: a bite that’s perfectly chocolaty, crunchy on the top and moist on the inside. Yes, these chocolate banana muffins are calling you! They’re the perfect texture, not too rich and just sweet enough. This recipe happened by chance when I was searching for a banana bread recipe using two bananas. We turned our Chocolate Banana Bread into muffins and topped it with crunchy turbinado sugar. Now, these muffins have become one of our favorite banana recipes…ever. Made with just 2 bananas! Ever had only 2 solitary bananas with peels blackening on your counter? The other day, I had this exact problem (if you could call it that!). Most banana bread and muffin recipes call for 3 to 4 bananas, like our Healthy Banana Muffins. All you need is 1 cup of mashed bananas to make these muffins: which is usually about what we have leftover. Ingredients for chocolate banana muffins These muffins turns out rich and chocolatey, with just the right texture and flavor. They remind me of a muffin I used to get as […]
Wow is all we can say about these chocolate banana muffins! They’re dark chocolaty with a light crunch on top and a moist interior.
Imagine: a bite that’s perfectly chocolaty, crunchy on the top and moist on the inside. Yes, these chocolate banana muffins are calling you! They’re the perfect texture, not too rich and just sweet enough. This recipe happened by chance when I was searching for a banana bread recipe using two bananas. We turned our Chocolate Banana Bread into muffins and topped it with crunchy turbinado sugar. Now, these muffins have become one of our favorite banana recipes…ever.
Made with just 2 bananas!
Ever had only 2 solitary bananas with peels blackening on your counter? The other day, I had this exact problem (if you could call it that!). Most banana bread and muffin recipes call for 3 to 4 bananas, like our Healthy Banana Muffins. All you need is 1 cup of mashed bananas to make these muffins: which is usually about what we have leftover.
Ingredients for chocolate banana muffins
These muffins turns out rich and chocolatey, with just the right texture and flavor. They remind me of a muffin I used to get as a kid at my favorite salad bar: so they’ve got the nostalgia factor, too. Here’s what you need for these chocolate banana muffins:
1 cup mashed bananas: 2 large or 3 small
Butter
Flour
Brown sugar (& turbinado sugar, for sprinkling)
Egg
Dutch process cocoa powder (or regular)
Baking soda, vanilla & salt
What’s Dutch process cocoa powder?
The cocoa powder in these chocolate banana muffins is special: it’s Dutch process cocoa powder. This type is like a dark chocolate version of cocoa powder. It’s been treated with an alkali to make it pH neutral, which gives it a darker color and milder flavor. Why use it here? It’s the key to making these muffins ultra chocolaty.
Where to buy it? You should be able to find dark chocolate or Dutch process cocoa powder at your local grocery store, next to the regular cocoa powder. You can also find Dutch process cocoa powder online. Here are the two brands we’ve used and liked: Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder or Ghiradelli Dutch Process Cocoa Powder.
The best part about these chocolate banana muffins? The lightly crunchy tops! Turbinado sugar is raw sugar with large, light brown crystals. It’s less processed than refined white sugar and tastes more like brown sugar. It’s great for topping baked goods because the large crystals make a nice crunch and a glittery look.
If you don’t have turbinado sugar on hand, that’s ok too! Simply use a light sprinkle of brown sugar. It won’t have quite the same sparkle but it still tastes good.
Step them up with chocolate chips
Now: we love these chocolate banana muffins as they are. They’re just sweet enough and taste like a moist, dark chocolate cake. But if you’re one of those people who wants muffins that taste like a cupcake…add some chocolate chips to the batter! It would take them into rich, double chocolaty territory. Or, you could sprinkle them on the top.
Keep this in mind if you do add chocolate chips to the batter. When you go to test doneness with a toothpick, if you hit a chocolate chip it will look artificially gooey. Try pricking with the toothpick again to find a spot without a chocolate chip (or use your best judgement on doneness).
How to store muffins
What’s the best way to store these chocolate banana muffins? It depends on how long you think they’ll be around. Here’s what we recommend:
1 day: Leave the muffins on a cooling rack and cover with a clean, dry dish towel. This helps the texture of the topping intact.
Up to 4 days: Place a paper towel in the bottom of a sealed container, then place the muffins in and place a paper towel on top. The paper towels absorb any moisture, which helps to retain the topping texture.
Longer than 4 days: Freeze these muffins in a sealable container and store up to 3 months.
This chocolate banana muffins recipe is…
Vegetarian. For vegan, use coconut oil and a flax egg (see below).
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place muffin liners in a muffin tin.
Mash the bananas in the bottom of a large bowl, enough for 1 cup. Melt the butter, then whisk it into the bananas along with the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Add to the bowl with the bananas and stir together with a spoon until a sticky dough forms. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar (or lightly with brown sugar).
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes in the muffin tin, then move to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature before serving.
Category:Muffins
Method:Baked
Cuisine:American
Keywords: Chocolate banana muffins
More amazing banana recipes
Bananas are comforting and cozy to bake with, and we’ve got all the banana recipes for you! If you like these muffins, then you’ll love:
Want to make someone’s day? Bake them some banana bread! Just yesterday, I said, “I’m going to bake some banana bread,” and watched a full-grown man’s eyes…
Want to make someone’s day? Bake them some banana bread! Just yesterday, I said, “I’m going to bake some banana bread,” and watched a full-grown man’s eyes light up like a kid’s on Christmas morning.
Banana bread is one of those classic, all-American comfort food recipes that fills the whole house with warmth and makes everything better. Banana bread is magic.
I perfected this banana bread recipe for my cookbook and wanted to share with you here. This recipe has all the hallmarks of classic banana bread—it’s fluffy, moist, infused with sweet banana flavor, and beloved by toddlers and adults alike.
Bonus? This recipe requires just one bowl, a few measuring cups and some basic ingredients.
What started as chocolate tahini banana bread morphed into the fudgiest, most delicious chocolate muffins on the block!
Despite being naturally sweetened (with bananas!) and swirled with tahini, the main flavor is clear: CHOCOLATE.
We love that they’…
What started as chocolate tahini banana bread morphed into the fudgiest, most delicious chocolate muffins on the block!
Despite being naturally sweetened (with bananas!) and swirled with tahini, the main flavor is clear: CHOCOLATE.
We love that they’re refined flour-free, gluten-free, plant-based, refined sugar-free, (oil-free optional), and made in 1 bowl!
These muffins start with making a flax egg. Then add bananas (spotty ones are best) to the mixing bowl and mash with a fork.
I know, I know, you don’t need to tell me that there are already four banana bread recipes on this site, plus four additional banana cakes, and that’s probably enough, right? Genuinely, I believed I was done too, that the Banana Ba…
I know, I know, you don’t need to tell me that there are already fourbananabreadrecipes on this site, plus fouradditionalbananacakes, and that’s probably enough, right? Genuinely, I believed I was done too, that the Banana Baked Goods course at SK University* had been completed. But then a few things happened. After creating the pumpkin bread of my dreams and what I hope will be the last zucchini bread recipe you’ll ever need over the last couple years, it began to bother me that the banana bread recipes on the site lacked what these have: a towering height and a crunchy top that will be hard not to lift off in one giant tile and swiftly coat the underside with salted butter. So, I created one and I’ve been keeping it to myself for over a year because, see above: SK is probably at Banana Bread Capacity. But over the last few weeks of, well, not doing a whole lot else, I can’t help but notice that we’ve all been making a whole lot of banana bread. And I think you might like this one instead.