Banana Almond Muffins

When was the last time you had a muffin?

muffin

For me, it was when we had breakfast at Ventana. They have gluten-free breads and pastries – when I saw they had apple-cinnamon muffins, I was scary excited.

I love muffins and always seem to forget about them when Iโ€™m at the store. When Iโ€™m baking, I like to make โ€œrealโ€ dessert (like cupcakes or pizookies)- muffins are more like in-betweeners. The browning bananas on the counter were begging to be baked,

bananas

so I made a batch of muffins to freeze and enjoy over the next couple of weeks.

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Banana Almond Muffins

muffin

gluten-free, veganizable

Makes 12

-1 C almond meal

-1 C brown rice flour (or whole wheat)

-1 t cinnamon

-1 t baking powder

-1/8 t nutmeg

-pinch sea salt

-3 ripe, mashed bananas

-6 oz yogurt (or canola oil)

-1 large egg (or flax egg)

-1/4 C honey (or liquid sweetener of choice)

-1 t vanilla extract

-1 t molasses (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350*. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.

3. Add the bananas, egg, yogurt, honey, vanilla and molasses- stir well.

muffin batter

4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

muffins

5. Try to let cool completely so you donโ€™t burn your mouth off. This is where I failed.

muffin and egg

-Amazing topped with protein fluff or nut butter, crumbled onto oats, or plain on-the-go.

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muffin and egg2

While I was making the muffins, I also put together a quick batch of cheesy zucchini bites (using this cheese sauce and sliced zucchini). The original plan was to make kale chips, too, but my lovely bunch of kale had grey bugs crawling into between the leafy crevices. Before I knew the bugs were there, I washed the kale well, tore off chip-sized pieces and was about to pour the cheese sauce on top. I then saw the teeny tiny bugs (maybe the size of a poppyseed) crawling around the sides of the bowl. Any idea what they were? Needless to say, the kale made a quick trip to garbage disposal city.

Speaking of bugs (which made me think of lizards somehow), Bella has become the lizard hunter over here. She goes INSANE for the huge lizards that come out in the spring/summer and chases them in the backyard. Iโ€™m horrified for the day that she catches one.

bell in the grass

She scared me yesterday morning because I let her outside while I was changing Livi, and when I called her to come in, she wouldnโ€™t.

I pulled out the secret weapon:

โ€œBell, want some chicken?โ€

Nothing.

She was finally discovered in a bush, waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting lizard. She picked a lizard over chicken. Thatโ€™s a big deal.

Today, Iโ€™m going to get in a quick HIIT workout and take Livi swimming with some friends and their babies.

swimsuit2

Hope you have a great day and Iโ€™ll see ya later with a Family post!

xoxo

Gina

Muffin love:

Quinoa muffin tops

Protein muffins

Chocolate protein muffins

Chunky apple muffins

Any fave recipes to share? Feel free to link away in the comments!

Something to read:

Bikini yoga workout

Best and worst nuts for health

Wacky food trends

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50 Comments

  1. Suzi @ Confessions of a Fitness Instructor on April 30, 2012 at 11:32 am

    THose muffins look delish, might have to give them a try.

    I am in love with that picture of Bella in the grass ๐Ÿ™‚ and that swimsuit is crazy adorable. Have a good day ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Stephanie @ Legally Blinde on April 30, 2012 at 11:34 am

    Those muffins look amazing, and I LOVE the ingredient list! Definitely bookmarking this recipe ๐Ÿ™‚ Can’t wait to try it out! On a less appetizing note, I used to dog sit for my neighbors when they went on their summer vacation, and their dogs usually liked to bring me a little “present,” usually in the form of a chipmunk they had caught. It was pretty horrifying, especially the first time it happened.

    Ahhh, that swimsuit is SOOO adorable! Have a great time swimming ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Abby on April 30, 2012 at 11:36 am

    Watched Bobby Flay on the today show this morning and thought of you ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2012 at 11:39 am

      i’m watching him right now! swooooooooon

  4. Jen Correa @ Mom's Gotta Run on April 30, 2012 at 11:37 am

    Love the swimsuit! She must look adorable in it! ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Liz @ Tip Top Shape on April 30, 2012 at 11:38 am

    Those look great!! I always forget about muffins, too. They just don’t come to mind when they think about what I want to bake.

  6. Nicole @ Making Good Choices on April 30, 2012 at 11:38 am

    Love the new muffin recipe! I think I have everything to make them too!

  7. Lauren on April 30, 2012 at 11:42 am

    I’ve seen those bugs on Kale before, but don’t know what they are. Let me know if you figure it out.
    Thanks for the muffin reminder. I’ve been in a breakfast rut.

  8. Melissa on April 30, 2012 at 11:45 am

    I think the little grey bugs are probably aphids! On a lighter note, that little swimsuit is adorable ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Maddy on April 30, 2012 at 11:48 am

    Livi’s swimsuit is darling! Those muffins look sooo good. I like using brown rice flour in baked goods. My husband is allergic to nuts so I just limit myself to Justin’s almond butter packets, but I may at some point try experimenting with your recipe using maybe a mix of buckwheat, sorghum, and quinoa flours instead of the almond meal. If you think that would be a baking disaster let me know.

  10. Theresa on April 30, 2012 at 11:48 am

    My dog, Chloe (she’s a Jack Russell Terrier), loves to hunt lizards in our backyard. She even likes to eat them too. Yucky. I have to admit, it’s funny to see her getting ready to pounce on her “prey.”

  11. Hillary on April 30, 2012 at 11:49 am

    I cannot even stand how cute Olivia’s swimsuit is!

  12. Lisa @ Fresh Spinach on April 30, 2012 at 11:59 am

    That swimsuit is all kinds of adorable!
    I wouldn’t worry too much about Bella and the lizards. My parents dog catches a few every year. It’s disgusting because she likes to throw them around and roll on them. But once she realizes its dead, she’s done playing. Barbaric, yes, but apparently very fun for a dog,
    The kale from my dads backyard sometimes has those bugs on the leaves. Gross!

  13. Erin @ Girl Gone Veggie on April 30, 2012 at 11:59 am

    That bathing suit is so cute!! And Andy is the same was as Bella is with lizards, except for bunnies. He goes crazy and paws at the window until we take him outside so he can chase them. Thankfully he never caught one, I don’t think he’d know what to do if he did, probably wait for it to run so he could chase it again. ;p

  14. Catalina @ Cake with Love on April 30, 2012 at 12:01 pm

    I love the ingredients in these muffins, I bet these are delicious!! Have a great week!!

  15. madison @ toldinvain on April 30, 2012 at 12:02 pm

    I want those muffins! can you explain almond meal? is it possible to make at home?

    enjoy your workout!!

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2012 at 12:15 pm

      you can definitely make it as home- just grind up almonds in the food processor or vitamix

  16. Candice on April 30, 2012 at 12:06 pm

    Love the adorable baby swimsuit!

  17. Becca on April 30, 2012 at 12:10 pm

    That bathing suit has to be one of the cutest things I have seen! I love banana muffins. Also banana chocolate chip muffins are pretty fantastic ๐Ÿ™‚
    Hopefully Bella will never actually catch a lizard! I think I would freak out. Haha.

  18. Laura @ She Eats Well on April 30, 2012 at 12:11 pm

    That bathing suit is RIDICULOUS. So freaking cute. And thanks for the muffin recipe! I am always looking for gluten-free muffins and love that you can freeze them (as well as smother them in AB).

  19. Tori on April 30, 2012 at 12:14 pm

    That is quite possibly the cutest swimsuit I’ve ever seen ๐Ÿ™‚

  20. Annette @ FitnessPerks on April 30, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    YUMMY!!! I love muffins too. SO delicious ๐Ÿ™‚

  21. kara on April 30, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    bella is adorable. and i cannot handle that swimsuit! enjoy the day!

  22. Melissa on April 30, 2012 at 12:38 pm

    Hi Gina,
    I rarely comment, but the post you wrote about Bikram was really interesting. I was wondering if you could give a range of the calories you typically burn doing zumba (which I’m sure depends on your class that day)?
    Thanks and Livi is ADORABLE!

  23. Melissa on April 30, 2012 at 12:38 pm

    Hi Gina,
    I rarely comment, but the post you wrote about Bikram was really interesting. I was wondering if you could give a range of the calories you typically burn doing zumba (which I’m sure depends on your class that day)?
    Thanks and Livi is ADORABLE!

  24. Melissa (Better Fit) on April 30, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    Now I’m craving muffins! They look fantastic.

    That’s a really cute swimsuit for Livi!

  25. Brittany on April 30, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    Take pics of Livi swimming!!!! I love watching babies swim!

  26. Sarah on April 30, 2012 at 12:53 pm

    Thanks for the muffin love! (and my nickname is “muffin” so you can take that either way…)

  27. Lauren on April 30, 2012 at 1:03 pm

    I just recently found your blog and had to tell you that I love your cookie cereal recipe! I want to eat it for every meal, no joke. I will be trying the breakfast cookie soon, but it will be hard to top that cereal. Thanks for the recipes!

  28. Abby @ Abz 'n' Oats on April 30, 2012 at 1:06 pm

    Ooh those muffins sound so good! ๐Ÿ™‚ Bella is such a little cutie. She tempts me to buy a puppy so much!

  29. Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed on April 30, 2012 at 1:09 pm

    Omg, you have to post pictures of her in that little suit! It’s so adorable ๐Ÿ˜€

  30. Shaina on April 30, 2012 at 1:10 pm

    Blueberry Quinoa muffins: http://namomste.blogspot.com/2012/02/i-scored-at-grocery-store.html

    Do you think they make Livi’s bathing suit in adult sizes? ADORABLE.

  31. lisag on April 30, 2012 at 1:17 pm

    Please show us a picture of Livi in her swimsuit and sunglasses!

  32. Negar M on April 30, 2012 at 1:27 pm

    Sounds like aphids, they come in more than one color (you have probably seen green ones on rose stems).

    They infest crops, so your kale may be the product of a dishonest farmer trying to make money off a bad season or just an honest mistake.

    I personally wouldn’t buy leafy green veggies from that store for two weeks or so, especially at the DM commissary (in case it was an entire batch of something). That place is a nightmare anyway! I almost got pooped on by a bird in there! Bah.

  33. Kaitlyn @ Keeping up with Kaitlyn on April 30, 2012 at 1:50 pm

    my dog is a “lizard hunter” too! She will drive you crazy with wanting to be let back in and out of the house to go chase them!

  34. Averie @ Averie Cooks on April 30, 2012 at 2:06 pm

    One of my very first blog recipes that was baked and not cookie dough balls or a Vitamix creation ๐Ÿ™‚ were vegan, GF, banana almond muffins! And I made them during the 9 mos we lived in AZ so this post brings me back to those! Yours look awesome!

  35. Mollie on April 30, 2012 at 2:10 pm

    Gina!
    You won’t believe this! I read your post this morning..drooled over the muffins, aww-ed over the bathing suit, and felt really badly for you about the kale (and was grossed out by the bugs!) I just went to make a salad beast for lunch and those bugs were ALL over my romaine-two heads of it! Had to toss it out-now I am having a salad beast minus the lettuce. No idea what they were-but yuck!

  36. Lisa @ Wealth O' Health on April 30, 2012 at 2:21 pm

    I love muffins too. I have a muffin recipe that uses apples, carrots, pecans, and coconut, which I just happen to have in the freezer…YUM!

    I also really like greens, but have never gotten the bitterness out of Kale. Any tips?

  37. Emily @ Glitz Glam Granola on April 30, 2012 at 2:55 pm

    Mmm those muffins sound delicious!! I made a Carrot’s and Cake muffin recipe a few months ago and loved it! I need to bring muffins back into my life! Yuck about the bugs on the kale, I would have been WAY freaked out– bugs scare me, especially around food! And that swimsuit is so, so adorable!

  38. Natasha on April 30, 2012 at 4:07 pm

    Love Livi’s swimsuit!! So adorable! I’ve seen those bugs on kale from stores where I live often. It grosses me out, they are in between every little wrinkle and they are hard to wash off!! It often prevents me from picking up the green goodness ๐Ÿ™

  39. Moni Meals on April 30, 2012 at 6:10 pm

    Oh My goodness, your muffins look sooo devine. So healthy too. Win-win!

    Bella you are just so cute too! So it this swimsuit for Livi as well!

    My fav Recipe is: Moni Guilt-Free Blueberry Muffins:
    http://monicanelsonfitness.com/blog/meals/fruit-treats/guilt-free-blueberry-muffins/

  40. Brittany @ Delights and Delectables on April 30, 2012 at 7:44 pm

    These look great! I am going to make these for my hubby since I’m going to be gone this weekend!

  41. Maura @ My Healthy 'Ohana on April 30, 2012 at 8:43 pm

    I love the color and style of Livi’s swimsuit, she’s going to look so cute in it! Where did you get it? I love the swimsuits from Gymboree, especially the ones that are like rash guards on the top…the coverage is great and they’re SPF 50, perfect for our sunny days in Vegas!

  42. Cate on May 1, 2012 at 4:42 am

    yuck on the bugs. you may want to call the store where you bought it and let them know.

    cute on the swimsuit. little kid clothes are so adorable. i’m sure oliva looked darling ๐Ÿ™‚

  43. Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin on May 1, 2012 at 6:06 am

    Eww I’ve never seen those bugs on kale before… I hope I haven’t been eating them! I’m going to start inspecting my kale from now on! ๐Ÿ˜›

  44. char eats greens on May 1, 2012 at 10:12 am

    I love anything banana, but just hate waiting for the bananas to brown. Especially when my hubby goes through bananas like crazy, so they never have a chance to get brown enough that he’d reject them haha!

  45. jayme on May 1, 2012 at 5:56 pm

    Just made the muffins, and altered the recipe a bit:

    Used only 2 bananas (all I had)
    Used no honey, just 1 tsp of maple syrup
    Used about 1/4 cup chic chips
    Used 1 cup almond flour and 1 cup Pamela’s GF Baking Mix

    I would like to try to make them grain free next time, but love the fluffiness of them!
    DELICIOUS!

    ๐Ÿ™‚

    They are really moist and delicious!

    • Fitnessista on May 1, 2012 at 6:17 pm

      yayyyyy ๐Ÿ™‚ i’m so glad you liked them!

  46. Jennifer on May 8, 2012 at 10:13 pm

    I made the banana muffins tonight and they are delicious!!!

  47. Kate on June 14, 2012 at 11:32 am

    I pinned your banana almond muffin recipe! ๐Ÿ™‚

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