CHOCOLATE BANANA PROTEIN MUFFINS (gluten-free, vegan*)

makes about 24 mini muffins

2 ripe bananas, peeled

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup agave, honey, maple syrup or other thick liquid sweetener **honey is not vegan

2 Tablespoons coconut sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons raw cacao powder

2 Tablespoons carob powder

1/4 cup brown rice protein powder*

{mixed ingredients}

1.5 cups gluten free flour (I used a free-hand mixture of garbanzo bean, cassava/tapioca starch and quinoa flours)

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1.  Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Line a mini-muffin tin with mini baking cups (I useeco-friendly If You Care brand unbleached, chlorine-freeones that I purchase at the co-op Sevananda).

2.  In a high speed blender, add “blended ingredients” and whip until well-blended.  I usually mix the first 3 ingredients together before adding the rest and let the mixture sit for 3-5 minutes or more so that the sugars can react with the baking soda (they normally react with the gluten which is lacking).  You will notice that the mixture changes in texture and gets a bit fluffy.  That’s a good thing that will help with the consistency of the muffins.

3.  Measure out your gluten-free floursand add the wet mixture from the blender.  You only want to stir the ingredients about 15 times.  Don’t overmix the wet and dry mixtures, it will ruin your muffins! Add 1/4 cup of almond milk or coconut milk and mix another 5-ish times, just so the flour is lightly mixed in.  The dough should be wet and a teeny bit runny.

4. Drop about 1 Tablespoon of the mixture into each cup.  Mine usually starts out clean then gets sloppy as I get towards the end.  Use a spatula to scrap out the rest of the batter.  Sometimes I add the leftover to a big glass pyrex dish and make a mega muffin or sometimes make smaller muffins and a couple large ones.   

5. Bake for 23-28 minutes on the center rack.  Your oven may take longer depending on how it cooks things (our oven is pretty fast).  Check your muffins by inserting a toothpick- it should come out clean.

6. Remove from tin and let them cool before gobbling.  Store in a sealed container on the counter for a day max, then in the refrigerator for a week or freezer for 2-3 months.  Mine never ever last that long so I honestly don’t know how long they would last in the freezer but let me know!