These soft, rustic muffins are incredibly delicious. They have quinoa flour, buckwheat and nuts for texture, they come together quickly and can be frozen. They're always great for breakfast, tea time or as a snack.
![Whole banana muffin in opened paper liner on wooden table. More muffins and pan in background.](https://vintagekitchennotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/banana-chocolate-chip-muffins-gf.jpeg)
After a few days, they were still perfect
There are never enough or too many banana bread and muffins in my opinion.
These muffins scream breakfast from every crumb, with an unexpected aftertaste from the quinoa flour, and the sweet crunch of pecans and dark chocolate pieces.
These fall along those lines because they're gluten-free, with quinoa flour and nuts.
I tend to share healthier recipes, like banana walnut muffins and the most amazing chocolate chip banana bread with some whole wheat flour.
Alternative flours
Gluten-free baking involves different grain flours that can be coarse, fine, or superfine. The type of milling affects the texture of the crumb.
- Quinoa flour: the grain is milling pretty fine and is the one we use today.
- Buckwheat flour: even though it has the word wheat in the title, it's gluten-free.
- Ground nuts or nut flour: I use pecans, but almond flour is very easily available and works very well.
Troubleshooting common issues
- Overmixing the batter can cause the muffins to become tough and dense. Combine the ingredients; don't beat or overmix.
- Using the wrong type of flour can affect the texture of the muffins.
- Using cold ingredients: they can cause the batter to not mix well and be lumpy. Using ingredients at room temperature is important unless otherwise specified in the recipe.
- Not greasing the muffin tin properly can cause the muffins to stick to the pan and be difficult to remove. If not using paper liners, use baking spray or soft butter.
- Overbaking the muffins can cause them to become dry and hard. Check the muffins a few minutes before the end of the suggested baking time with a cake tester or toothpick, and remove them from the oven as soon as they are cooked through.
Related recipes you might like:
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PrintBanana Quinoa Muffins (GF)
These soft but rustic muffins are incredibly delicious! They have quinoa flour, buckwheat and nuts for texture, they come together quickly and can be frozen. They're always great for breakfast, tea time or as a snack.
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz pecans, toasted
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup organic or muscovado sugar
- ½ cup tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or use the same amount of oil)
- ¼ cup plain yogurt, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup buckwheat flour
- 1 cup quinoa flour
- ½ cup ground pecans (or ground almonds or loosely measured almond flour)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 medium, very ripe)
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF /180ºC.
- Line (or butter/spray) a 12 muffin pan with paper liners.
- Ground pecans. Or chop them if you want more texture.
- In a large bowl beat eggs and sugar for 2 or 3 minutes.
- Add butter, yogurt, and vanilla and mix well.
- In a bowl, mix buckwheat and quinoa flours, ground pecans, salt, baking powder, and soda, and add to the wet ingredients. Give it a few stirs, but leave some dry spots.
- Add the banana puree, pecans, and chopped chocolate and mix just until combined.
- Fill muffin liners, dividing evenly.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool on a wire rack.
- Store leftovers covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
Notes
Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use a thermometer inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Other flours: to substitute quinoa flour, you can use amaranth flour or millet flour instead of quinoa. They all have different flavors. Some rice flour can be substituted for part of the buckwheat flour.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Adapted from La Tartine Gourmande, by Beatrice Peltre
Christine @ 24 Carrot Kitchen says
These muffins look tasty. I recently bought coconut flour and want to try it soon. I have not used buckwheat or quinoa flour, but have seen it at Whole Foods. I would love to try them.
Your pilot story brought back memories of a plane ride I took awhile back in a small plane. 🙂