These Paleo Chunky Monkey Muffins are a fun and healthy snack!
Light and fluffy banana muffins are packed with chocolate chips and walnuts.
Not only are they grain-free, gluten-free and dairy-free, but there’s also a vegan option to make them egg-free as well.
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Why this recipe works
I think it was the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream that introduced us to the “chunky monkey” flavor, right? Banana ice cream with chocolate chunks and walnuts was a genius combination.
Since then, there’s all sorts of chunky monkey cookies, cakes and other treats.
But I thought a chunky monkey muffin made a lot of sense. It’s a great way to get a slightly sweet treat in the middle of the day with no sugar crash later.
Instead of regular sugar, we’re using just a bit of pure maple syrup.
And by using almond flour instead of regular flour, these flourless chunky monkey muffins are full of protein, fiber and healthy fats, all of which help make us digest the sugars in maple syrup more slowly (and therefore: no sugar crash).
These are a great kid-friendly treat and would even be great as part of their breakfast!
What you need for Paleo Chunky Monkey Muffins
Ingredients:
- 2 cups superfine blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- 1/4 cup arrowroot starch/flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup mashed bananas (from about 3-4 large bananas)
- 2 eggs, room temperature (or a flax egg to make it vegan, see below)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips, plus more if desired (I use the dairy-free kind from Enjoy Life! or the fully Paleo ones from Hu)
- 1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts, plus more if desired
Equipment:
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 heat-proof small mixing bowl
- a whisk
- a spatula (for stirring, not flipping)
- a muffin pan
- muffin cup liners
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- 1/4 cup ice cream/cookie scoop or measuring cup
How to make Paleo Chunky Monkey Muffins
Step 1: Heat the oven to 350°.
Step 2: Line a muffin pan with muffin cups.
Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk the almond flour, arrowroot, cream of tartar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.
Step 4: In a medium bowl, whisk the mashed bananas, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
Step 5: Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until fully blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
Step 6: Use the 1/4-cup cookie scoop or measuring cup to divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups. Add a few chocolate chips and walnuts on top of each muffin, if you want.
Step 7: Bake the muffins for about 20-25 minutes. Let cool for at least 30 minutes. Then enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
You can use tapioca flour/starch instead of arrowroot flour/starch.
You can use pecans instead of walnuts (or any other nut you like).
I haven’t tried these muffins with honey instead of maple syrup but I think it would be fine.
These muffins keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To freeze them, wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap, then store them in a freezer-safe container or baggie. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Everything about these Paleo Chunky Monkey Muffins happens to be vegan except the eggs. So I tried them using the popular flax egg substitute and was pleasantly surprised that the vegan/egg-free version was just as good!
To make flax eggs:
Mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (or flaxseed meal) with 3 tablespoons water.
Let it rest for 8-10 minutes so it gels into a paste.
And that’s it! Use it in place of the eggs and you’re all set. The muffins might not get quite the same amount of rise as the Paleo version but I found the difference to be minimal.
Other recipes you might like:
- Almond Flour Banana Bread
- Almond Flour Banana Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
- Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
- Gingerbread Muffins
Paleo Chunky Monkey Muffins (vegan option)
Ingredients
- 2 cups superfine blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- ¼ cup arrowroot flour/starch
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup mashed bananas (from about 2-3 large bananas)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature (see below for vegan option)
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chocolate chips, plus more if desired (see below for dairy-free/Paleo recommendations)
- ½ cup chopped, toasted walnuts
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°.
- Line a muffin pan with muffin cups.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the mashed bananas, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until fully blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Using a ¼-cup cookie scoop or measuring cup, divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups. Add a few chocolate chips and/or walnuts on top of each muffin, if you want.
- Bake the muffins for about 20-25 minutes. Let cool for at least 30 minutes. Then enjoy!
Notes
You can use pecans instead of walnuts (or any other nut you like).
I haven’t tried these muffins with honey instead of maple syrup but I think it would be fine. Make ahead and storage: These muffins keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze them, wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap, then store them in a freezer-safe container or baggie. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. How to make these into Vegan Chunky Monkey Muffins: Mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (or flaxseed meal) with 3 tablespoons water.
Let it rest for 8-10 minutes so it gels into a paste. Use it in place of the eggs. The muffins might not get quite the same amount of rise as the Paleo version but the difference is minimal.
Bridget says
You say to whisk in the cooled coconut oil but it’s not listed in the ingredients. How much did you use?
Thank you!
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Hi Bridget,
You’re right, my mistake! That was from an earlier draft of the recipe when I thought it needed coconut oil. I actually removed the coconut oil from the recipe because it doesn’t need it but forgot to change those instructions. I’ll fix this right now – thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Bridget says
Oops! I guessed at 1/4 cup.
They’re a little like underbaked cookies (soooo good).
But now I know for next time.
Thanks for your response!
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Sorry for the confusion – glad they still taste good!
ChihYu says
There’s nothing better than a moist and delicious muffin! Love that each bite is full of chocolatey, nutty banana goodness! And thank you for the vegan option!
Janessa says
Yum, these muffins look excellent! A perfect healthy snack. I’m going to make them tonight. Thank you for the vegan option recipe notes.
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
I hope you like them!
Shelby says
I never would have thought to add creme of tartar to muffins but they came out so delicious!
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
It reacts with the baking soda to help the muffins rise. So glad you like them!