There’s a new (but not really new) diet in town which everyone is talking about called the Paleolithic Diet or Paleo, for short. Sometimes it’s referred to as the Caveman or Hunter-Gatherer Diet and it focuses on the foods humans ate pre-industrial agriculture. The idea is that our bodies recognize certain foods and haven’t evolved to recognize other newer foods so we should stick to what was eaten during the Paleolithic time to be healthy and fit. The diet allows lean grass-fed and pastured meats, eggs, nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables, coconut, avocado and healthy fats. Easy, right? But the diet does not allow anything processed or refined (like sugar, flour, packaged food), or any grains (wheat, rice, barley, etc.), legumes (beans, lentils), dairy, potatoes or processed oils. I am not encouraging or discouraging this diet, which I think has its pros and cons, but merely giving a quick explanation since I’ve received a few questions about it recently.
As I have noticed more and more people limiting gluten and grains, I have also noticed the increased popularity and use of almond flour, which is finely milled blanched almonds. Almonds, like all nuts and seeds, are gluten-free, low in carbohydrates and high in protein. Whereas nuts and seeds, generally speaking, can be slightly acid-forming, almonds are alkalizing.
A few years ago I found Elana Amsterdam’s great gluten-free website, www.elanaspantry.com, which I think started the almond flour revolution. Elana has since turned paleo, and all her newer recipes follow those guidelines. It’s really because of her website that I was inspired to experiment with almond flour and although I have had mixed results, overall I think it’s awesome once I figured out how to work with it. I think it’s great to add some variety to our diet and I love getting some extra protein into Mr. Picky. Almond flour also comes in handy around Passover, 8 days of no grains or legumes, except Matzoh which can start to get a tad boring after a few days.
I had a really delicious Chocolate Banana Chia Seed muffin at Le Pain Quotidian last year or the year before and I was intent on duplicating it. The muffin was moist with the perfect amount of sweetness and I loved the crunch from the chia seeds. They were kind enough to tell me the ingredients (although not the exact recipe) and I made a tasty version at home with whole wheat pastry flour and maple syrup. The kids thought they were great! When I tried using almond flour in place of the wheat flour, we all went crazy for them. The almond flour version of the muffin was the best — super moist, chocolaty and a little denser, but in a good way. Now when I make these muffins, I always use almond flour!
Before you start substituting almond flour one-for-one for wheat flour, stop right there. It isn’t a perfect substitution. Almond flour has no gluten, but does contain way more fat than wheat flour so there are a few adjustments to be made. I would stop by Elana’s Pantry for a quick lesson on how almond flour works. I also have found that specifically labeled “almond flour” is better than “almond meal” (like Bob’s Red Mill.) Per Elana, I started buying almond flour from Honeyville Grain, which has a very good, fresh product and a very reasonable shipping fee ($4.50 flat rate.
These muffins are not technically Paleo due to the yogurt, although if you can find an unsweetened almond milk yogurt, that would work here. Or you can try making these without the yogurt and just add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, although I have never done it and can’t guarantee the results. I’m really posting these as a great gluten-free, Happy Passover muffin, although I make these all year. In fact I made these recently and Daughter #2 had a few friends over and they inhaled half the batch in 2 minutes. (I’m telling you, if you want the kids to hang out at your house, you need FOOD.) To make this more of a dessert, you can certainly substitute chocolate chips for the diced dates. The chia seeds are fun and obviously nutritious, but there’s less than 1 teaspoon per muffin so it’s not a dealbreaker if you want to omit them.
As always, I love hearing about your experiments in the kitchen and would especially be interested to know about your experience with almond flour or your favorite Passover treats. Once again, I’m on dessert duty for Passover and I’m getting busy right now. This weekend I will be making loads of Macaroons, both plain and dipped in chocolate, the Lemon Ice Torte which I have been making since 1991, and a raw cashew “cheesecake” which I will have to share another time. There is also a recipe on my site for a (vegan) Coconut Tart with Strawberries which is perfect for Passover and Easter. Lots of delicious options!
Chocolate Banana Almond Flour Muffins with Chia Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups blanched almond flour, not almond meal – I use Honeyville
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons of chia seeds + 1 Tablespoon for muffin tops
- ½ cup diced pitted dates, about 7 dates (easier to dice when they’re cold) (optional, or ½ cup chocolate chips)
- 4 Tablespoons melted unrefined coconut oil
- 4 Tablespoons whole unsweetened yogurt
- 1/3 cup 100% pure maple syrup or honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with unbleached parchment liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and 2 Tablespoons chia seeds. Add dates and break up pieces so they don’t stick together.
- In a blender, combine coconut oil, yogurt, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla.
- Pour wet mixture into bowl with dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in mashed bananas.
- Divide the batter into the prepared pan. (An ice cream scoop makes this job easy.) Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
These are so delicious! I just started a fast from all refined sugar on the 13th, and this helped kill my craving without breaking my fast! I subbed coconut flour and added a scoop of protein powder. They’re a tad dry, but super good! Thank you so much for this recipe 🙂
Glad you liked them! Just for the next time, coconut flour isn’t a perfect one-for-one sub with any kind of flour. It is really heavy and absorbent, so that is definitely why these turned out a tad dry. Otherwise, these muffins are super moist. Scoop of protein powder is an awesome idea!
These are delicious! I, too, swapped out flax for chia seeds. Many thanks, and I look forward to trying more recipes on this site.
Great to hear, Donna! Thank you and I can’t wait to hear what you make next!
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I actually only had almond meal in my pantry so i sifted it and just used that. I also added 2 scoops of protein powder for extra boost of protein and used flaxseeds instead of chia seeds as thats all i had at the time. I omitted the dates. It turned out wonderful and i thank you so much for the inspiration!
What great substitutions! Thanks for sharing, Mai 🙂
Made these last week– incredible. Seriously delicious, the best of the almond flour muffins I have made recently! My three year old loved them and so did I. Would the recipe work without banana? Would I need to substitute anything?
That’s so great to hear! If you take out the banana, you remove some sweetness and some moisture, so you just need to replace them. I haven’t made these without banana, but I wonder if you can sub a little applesauce and little extra maple syrup? I would start there. Let me know if you try the recipe without — very curious!
Banana also acts like gluten in baked goods, it keeps things together just like apple sauce. you could sub with other puree fruit or veg or even finely shredded.
with muffins and quick breads use 1:1 ration of flour to liquid. liquid means cream,yogurt , milk and/or fruit or veg pure/shredded. and you wont go wrong.
i’ve been gluten,yeast,dairy and sugar free for over a year now. i cant wait to try this recipe
I’m so grateful to have your input! Thank you so much for lending your expertise, Ioanna! 🙂
I am planning to make theses muffins but I don’t eat chocolate. Would you suggest I substitute something for it or simply omit it? Also, for any of the non-dairy people who may have tried adding the apple cider vinegar, did they happen to mention if they used one or two teaspoonfuls as you suggested?
Cari
You can substitute an equal amount of almond flour for the cocoa powder. I would go with 2 teaspoons of ACV. Let me know if you try it!
Great. Thank you for writing that. I’ll definitely check to this site to see what’s new and recommend my acquaintenances about it.
Hi Pamela,
What can I substitute the yogurt with to keep the meal all dairy free?
Thanks!
Have you ever used a non-dairy yogurt like coconut or almond? You can try that or perhaps drop the yogurt altogether and add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. I haven’t tried that, but I make other almond flour muffins without yogurt so I have a feeling it would work out, just not 100%.
Hi Pamela,
Is there anything I can substitute the yogurt with in order to keep the meal all dairy free?
Thanks!
I can’t eat dairy. Can you recommend a substitute for the yogurt?
I bet soy yogurt or coconut yogurt would work fine. If they’re already sweetened, you may want to cut back on the maple syrup a tad. But I mentioned in the post, that you might even be able to drop the yogurt and add a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar. Let me know if you try it!
you could also sub the yogurt for coconut milk or soy milk and add a tbs or 2 of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
Ok,
Just made them on 4 tbs of soy milk and 1tbs of lemon juice.
Beautiful and rose well.
Fantastic! Great to hear.
I love using almond flour and this is the one I currently am using at home. I mix it with oat flour in my recipes and it works beautifully as a substitute for wheat flour.
Thanks for your comment, Liz! If you check back here, please let me know do you do half oat flour and half almond flour substituted for an equal amount of wheat and no other adjustments? No xanthan gum or less fat? Totally curious!