Paleo Chunky Monkey Muffins (vegan option)

grain-free banana muffins with chocolate chips and walnuts in muffin cups in a muffin pan on a cooling rack on a white wooden table

5 from 3 votes

Paleo Chunky Monkey Muffins (vegan option)

These Paleo Chunky Monkey Muffins are a fun and healthy snack or breakfast! You'd never know these slightly sweet treats are full of protein, fiber and healthy fats. Plus they're grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and there's an easy vegan/egg-free option!

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: muffins

Calories: 235kcal

Author: Don Baiocchi

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 large bowl, whisk the almond flour, arrowroot, cream of tartar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.
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

For chocolate chips, I recommend Enjoy Life! for dairy-free chips or Hu for Paleo chips.

You can halve this recipe to make 6 muffins.

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.

Substitutions and variations:
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.

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.

Nutrition