For some time now I have been aware that many people prefer gluten-free diets, and finally decided to try my hand at baking with gluten-free flour, skeptical though I was. I have not tasted many vegan or gluten-free baked goods on the market that actually tasted good.

Knowing that I did not want to take the time to mix my own blend, I bought a package of Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose flour blend, and set to work. The resulting banana muffins were amazingly delicious and tender!

The instructions on the flour bag suggested using guar gum as an emulsifying agent, to replace the gluten in flour, which holds everything together. I did not have guar gum, so I tried a bit of tahini with excellent results. A non-dairy variation follows.

Fresh Banana Muffins

2 large eggs
vanilla yogurt thinned with 2-3 Tbsp. almond milk, to total ½ cup
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2-1/2 tsp. tahini
1-1/2 cups all-purpose, gluten-free flour
Scant ½ cup brown, maple, or Turbinado sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
3/4 cup chopped raw pecans
1 to 1-1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (2-3 large bananas)

1) In a small bowl or glass measure, beat eggs to combine them, then add yogurt, tahini, and melted butter.

2) In large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Add the butter mixture, stirring until just combined. Add the nuts, then fold in the mashed banana.

3) Oil 12 muffin cups (or line the cups with muffin papers), fill 2/3 full with batter, and bake 18 to 20 minutes at 425º degrees, or until golden and a toothpick comes clean when inserted.

4) Let muffins cool in pan a few minutes before loosening with a knife, then turning them on edge to cool. Eat warm with plenty of butter! These also freeze well if you make large batches.


Vegetarian Variation

2 large eggs
vanilla Soy yogurt thinned slightly with almond milk, to total ½ cup
½ cup coconut oil, melted over low heat and cooled slightly
2-1/2 tsp. tahini
1-1/2 cups all-purpose, gluten-free flour
Scant ½ cup brown, maple, or Turbinado sugar
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
3/4 cup chopped raw pecans
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe banana

Mix and bake as above.

Note: I have not yet tried making these without eggs. Do to the tender nature of the muffins already, I’m concerned that without eggs, the muffins would not hold together sufficiently. If you want to try it yourself: for every egg, substitute 3 tablespoons tahini plus 2 tablespoons water. I have used this blend effectively in zucchini bread, however I was also using regular wheat flour for that loaf.