Oil-free peanut butter banana muffins

Oil-free peanut butter banana muffins

oilfree peanut butter banana muffins

Hope your week has been peachy, guys? I’m very happy to say that I have just put the first week of braces behind me and I am beginning to feel better about my decision to get them done! It was such a pain, but not in the ways I was expecting, which is why I felt so low about the whole thing, I think. I was expecting pain, physical pain and while there was a bit of that, I’ve only had to take pain killers on two occasions so it wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected.

What I was not expecting was how utterly miserable the eating experience was going to be. I started hating meal times – something totally unheard of before as I love food and usually as soon as I finish one meal, I am really looking forward to my next…which is why I ended up doing THIS for a living, I guess. And I started fretting that I will not be able to come up with new recipes and the blog will die a slow death. I felt so unenthusiastic about food that it felt like a lie telling you how much I love my next recipe and I didn’t think I would be able to keep it up.

Luckily, I am feeling much better about it all. I managed to have a bit of pasta yesterday and I also had these soft peanut butter banana muffins, which I baked for a guest and they were nice to eat once I broke them up with my hands first. I have also started seeing a difference in my teeth already, which is astounding and immensely motivating at this point. My bottom front teeth, which were only slightly crooked are pretty much straight already and my top front tooth, which bothered me my entire life has also shifted enough that floss goes in much more easily now. They are small wins, but they gave me a mental boost I really needed and I’m grateful.

I try to learn from Duncan who, while not always Mr Yoda, is generally more patient about big things in life than I am. I like when he tells me ‘patience, grasshopper!’ as I know that he knows that I am about to fall into despair, lose interest and hop off to the next best thing. While he can be refreshingly silly at times, he is wise when it counts. I am grateful for him.

So recipewise, I thought you might enjoy a tray of fluffy and light peanut butter banana muffins as they are really easy to make, contain no oil or margarine, can be sweetened with nothing but dates (if you are into that) and make for a perfect vegan (and gluten-free if need be) weekend treat. They travel well too so if the sunshine is out in your part of the world, pack them up with a couple sandwiches and go on a hike in nature – that will make them taste ten times better – promise!

oilfree peanut butter banana muffins making

oilfree peanut butter banana muffins batter

oilfree peanut butter banana muffins plate

oilfree peanut butter banana muffins side

makes
12
PREP
15 min
COOKING
30 min
makes
12
PREPARATION
15 min
COOKING
30 min
INGREDIENTS
WET INGREDIENTS

  • 120 ml / ½ cup maple syrup* OR 250 g / 8.8 oz dates, pitted and soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes
  • 150 g / ¾ cup peanut butter** (I used 100% peanuts one)
  • 450 g / 2 cups mashed up overripe bananas (approx. 700 g / 25 oz in skins – depends on size)
  • 2 tsp lemon, lime juice or neutral vinegar

DRY INGREDIENTS

  • 180 g / 1½ cups all purpose wheat flour or tested GF flour mix (I use this one)
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • 1-1½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp fine sea salt

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

  • 100 g / 3.5 oz vegan chocolate chips or vegan chocolate, chopped
  • 100 g / 3.5 oz pecans or other nuts, chopped
METHOD
  1. Warm up the oven to 180° C / 355° F (or 160° C / 320° F on a fan setting) and line a muffin tray with paper liners or grease with a little oil.
  2. IF USING DATES instead of maple syrup, squeeze the excess moisture out of the soaked dates and place them in a food processor with peanut butter, bananas, 2 tbsp hot water and lemon juice. Process until smooth.
  3. IF USING MAPLE SYRUP, loosen up peanut butter by gradually mixing it with maple syrup and 30 ml / 2 tbsp of water, using a fork. Add well mashed up bananas and lemon juice (or alternative) until the mixture looks uniform.
  4. Place a sieve over the wet ingredients and sift in (recommended but not necessary) the dry ingredients, folding them in gently just until there are no flour pockets left.
  5. Stir chocolate or nuts through the batter if using, reserving some to decorate the tops.
  6. Divide the batter between 12 cupcakes using a spoon. Decorate with chocolate or chopped nuts if using.
  7. Bake for about 25-27 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out fairly clean. Remove from the oven. Brush with with a little maple syrup while the cupcakes are still hot to give the tops a nice shine, if you wish. Let the cupcakes cool down completely before eating (they will appear undercooked while warm).

NOTES
*You can use agave nectar or brown rice syrup instead.

**If you are allergic or do not enjoy peanut butter, you can use other natural nut or seed butter instead.

This recipe is based on my earlier peanut butter banana bread recipe that can be found here.

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NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
295
15%
sugars
20 g
22%
fats
15 g
21%
saturates
3 g
16%
proteins
6 g
12%
carbs
39 g
15%
*per muffin
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4.9
18 reviews, 24 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Micki:
Hi Ania, is there anything I'd have to modify if I used wholegrain hulled wheat flour? As far as liquid ingredients are concerned, e.g.? Thanks for your help 🤗
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Micki,
    You may need more moisture as wholegrain flour is usually more thirsty but it's hard for me to say how much exactly. If the mixture feels dry, I would maybe add 2 tbsp water or, alternatively, keep the liquids the same and take them out of the oven sooner. Hope you'll enjoy these. Ania
Sonia B:
I just made the soaked date version of these, and they are fantastic! A perfect addition to this week's meal prep. Bonus: the water from soaking the dates was delicious! I collected it in a glass instead of draining the dates over the sink.
I love that you use scale measurements - that makes it so much easier not to dirty up extra measuring cups, and I know my recipe will turn out just like yours. Thank you!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw thank you for your kind words, Sonia! I'm so happy you enjoyed these and I could not agree more, weight measurements is the way to go as far as baking is concerned. x Ania
Deborah Marsden:
A very good versatile recipe you can put any flavours you like in. I've been making these for a couple of years now. I use my silicone muffin tray for ease of removal i don't use paper holders.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, Deborah! I am delighted to hear that this recipe has been serving you well and thank you for taking the time to let me know - much appreciated. I haven't got a silicone muffin tray yet but thanks for the reminder to get one. x Ania
Elizabeth Crewe:
No matter how much I change them, your recipes always turn out perfectly!
I have insulin resistance, so I can't each sugary foods... but I still love a fluffy muffin now and again.
So, I switched the bananas for baked sweet potatoes and the maple syrup for a 50-50 mix of water and a vanilla protein mix. I also used green buckwheat and oat flour as my gf flour. The result was a moist but fluffy, perfectly, cinnamony winter comfort-food. Thank you Ania!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, Elizabeth! I am delighted to hear that (it must be a difficult thing to navigate) although it sounds like you deserve as much credit as I do - successful swaps require good baking instincs!! Thank you for taking the time to review this recipe - I really appreciate it as it helps me reach more people with my food. x Ania
Wendy:
Yummy muffins! I almost always make oatmeal muffins so this was a nice FLUFFY change. I always double the amount of cinnamon in a recipe but I also substitute with the Pumpkin Pie Spice mix, it's the perfect balance of yummy spices.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Glad you enjoyed these, Wendy! x Ania
Joanna Davey:
Loved making and eating these today, Ania - thank you! It's taken me ages to do any vegan baking after a few 'gluey' and rubbery attempts early on in my vegan journey, but having now made these and also your chocolate muffins, which were also excellent, and Nigella's sumptuous chocolate cake successfully too, I'm feeling much more confident and happy to share the outcomes with non-vegan friends.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, that's so nice to hear, Joanna! Yes, vegan baking can be a bit tricky at the beginning but totally worth mastering. People I give my cakes to have no idea they are vegan, I never hear any complaints ;) x Ania
Hi,
Thank you for sharing this recipe with us! The muffins were wonderfully fluffy and so delicious- can't wait to make them again!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, I'm delighted to hear that you enjoyed them so much. And thanks so much for taking the time to review this recipe, I really appreciate it. x Ania
Hannah:
Such a delicious recipe! My friend almost died from an anaphylactic episode, but everyone else enjoyed the mix of peanut and banana. Will definitely not make again because of *trauma* but very tasty! I used the maple syrup version, gave it a lovely sweetness! (Only giving 4 stars because my friend is still in the intensive care unit, sorry)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Hannah,
    I'm glad to hear that you loved these so much, but obviously very sorry to hear about your friend, I hope she/he feels better soon. Ania
Maria:
If I make min muffins how long should I cook them?
Thanks
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Maria,
    It's difficult for me to say without knowing what size exactly. I would start checking them after 15 minutes. Hope this helps. Ania
Hilly:
Hiya,
I make these so regularly and as with all your recipes, they ALWAYS turn out well! I've also made these with almond butter and sultanas and today I'm just about to make them with home made raw cashew butter and dried cranberrys... wish me luck! Hoping that you and yours are safe and well. Very best, Hilly & Dave in Norfolk, UK
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thank you so much! I'm delighted to hear that you enjoy these. Yes, they are pretty flexible - cashew butter and cranberries sounds like a delicious twist. We are good, thank you - wishing we could take time off in this amazing weather! Hope you are getting ample of sunshine also! x Ania
Aanchal:
Hey Ania!
This recipe looks great - do you think it would ok to directly replace the maple syrup for date syrup?
Thank you in advance,
Aanchal
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Aanchal,
    Thank you, I'm glad to hear that you like it. I have not tested this but I am 99% sure that yes, it will work just as well - as long as the flavour doesn't bother you (it's quite strong, but then I am pretty sure that the other flavours of banana and PB will conceal it well). Hope that helps! x Ania
Joann:
Wow! Absolutely fantastic!! Made them with dates and dark chocolate....they were a hit!!! Keep the recipes coming.....😀
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, Joann. I will do my best ;) x Ania
Fenton Read-Smith:
Hi, just a quick question. Do you mean soak the dates in water that has been boiled or to boil them the entire time?
Thanks
Fenton
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi,
    I mean the former. Hope that helps! Ania
LiLo:
Those muffins are delectable and so easy to make. I added a heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder and used chocolate c hips. Certainly will make them again and again. They were a great hit..... mmmhhhhh
P.S. Hope you guys are feeling good again. Best wishes
    Ania
    Ania:
    I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed them, LiLo! I'm getting there slowly - this thing is taking its sweet time...hope to be well soon. Stay well! Ania
Shana:
I Made these tonight with my son. We made the maple syrup version and added 50g of roasted pecans and 50g of chopped vegan chocolate. They were scrumptious!! I especially love that they are made with whole wheat flour, and without added fat and un-natural sugar!! Lovely recipe. We will make again and again!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Great to hear, Shana! Thank you for your lovely comment. Ania
Shana:
Loved how easy these were to make and came out perfect!! I mixed in both the chocolate and nuts , which were a perfect combo. We made them to bring for a friend tomorrow ... but my husband and I have already eaten 4!! 🙈 Thank you!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hahaha, I love this - you seem to be a person after my own heart ;) On a more serious note, I am delighted to hear that you and your husband liked them so much and I hope your friend did too (if there were any left...). And thank you for taking the time to review and rate this recipe - much appreciated! x Ania
Rachel:
I made the maple syrup version and they rose beautifully. I decided to add both chocolate and walnuts and they were so tasty! My colleague asked for the recipe after trying one. Thanks Ania!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Yay, I am so pleased to hear that you and your colleague enjoyed them, Rachel! And do I love your style - chocolate and walnuts belong together, don't they? x Ania
Hope:
I cooked the date version today. Absolute perfection, thank you! Totally worth having the oven going on this 30+ degrees summer day. :)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thank you, Hope - that's such a lovely piece of feedback! x Ania
Julie:
These cakes are an absolute gem. So easy to make and taste delicious. All 6 in our house loved them, so will have to triple the recipe next time to have some over the week. I mixed powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla essence and water to a thick paste to coat the top of the muffins. Yum!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you so much, Julie! I am delighted to hear that they were such a success in your household! x Ania
Kirsten Pontarelli:
I made these this morning. One bowl, fast and easy! They are delicious! We used our toaster oven on the bake with fan setting, and they tops got a little crispy (my fault) but so yummy! Thank you for sharing!
    Ania
    Ania:
    I'm delighted to hear that, Kirsten! And thank you for taking the time to let me know that you have enjoyed them. x Ania
ariela:
Thanks for such a wonderful recipe! I'm going to try using almond flour. And what a wonderful substitute for maple syrup! Dates are allowed on my particular diet :)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Great to hear, Ariela! I hope you'll enjoy them, but not entirely sure that almond flour will work without tweaks to the recipe as it's not really a flour so please be aware. My guess is that oat or buckwheat flour may be better substitutes here. Good luck! Ania
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