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Paleo Mini Banana Muffins :: Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Kid Friendly & Easy Prep!

January 27, 2018

Head out the door with fast prep Paleo mini banana muffins, packed with filling, nutritious ingredients to fuel your little ones for the day!

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Third kid in, and I’m still learning…!

I am definitely not one to pretend that I have this motherhood thing all figured out. How could you when each child is so individually different and beautiful? Certain lessons pass from one kid to the next, making little aspects of subsequent kiddos added to the mix run a bit smoother, but for the most part, I still take one day at a time figuring this thing out just like everyone else!

My how my mornings have changed!

One routine that looks quite different from my first born in the toddler/preschooler years to my third born is breakfast. Sure, the nutrition is still there, and my standards for quality, nutrient dense meals still remains my number 1 priority, but the mornings themselves just look different. With that first and even the second kid, there was time to help with getting those last few bites down by helping feed them a little if there was an appointment or work to attend. I dare say our mornings were pretty laid back. Even though I worked outside the home during those days, overall there were just fewer distractions and it made for easier meals.

Little hands, little bellies…and busy mornings

The youngest in my house has had to tag along for school drop offs, appointments, and after school activities and play dates since the day she was born. She basically was groomed to go with the flow, but we still struggle with this age that can be pokey at the breakfast table – especially when the big sisters have to be to school by 8:15. There are mornings she sleeps in, and I’m literally popping her from bed to the car seat in her jammies, and other mornings where she has it in her head she is going to play instead of eat when she gets up in the morning – and darn it I’m going to let her do that because she’s 4!

It never fails on those mornings though…she will remind me how hungry she was right as we are loading up the van for school 😉

Mini muffins to the rescue!

One of the reasons breakfast cookies are such a popular and abundant recipe selection on my blog, is because they were my go-to for my youngest for on the go breakfast. I recently saw some mini muffin pans for sale, however, and I thought I might mix things up a little and try some muffins. Larger muffins tend to get pretty messy, or in those smaller ages, sometimes they eat half of a large muffin and don’t need the rest. I never thought to try mini muffins – and it has been on of those lessons learned on this third kid that has really been a life saver!

Priorities…

Because of our busier schedule, my kitchen routine has also evolved a bit with more kids. When babies are home and you are pretty “stuck” at home, it is really easy to have kitchen time almost daily. I really don’t have that privilege anymore, and so prep days are vital, and I need food that can be made in big batches to eat throughout the week or freeze to pull out easy on a busy morning. With that said, here are the goals I had for the development of these muffins!

  • Nourishing ingredients
  • *Minimal* ingredient list (less than 10 ingredients)
  • No fuss prep (batter is done and in the muffin tin in the time it takes the oven to pre-heat!)
  • Keep well on the counter for a few days
  • Freeze-able
  • Pack well in school lunchboxes (because I might as well make these bad boys do double time as not only an option for a school morning, but as a quick add-in for lunchboxes!)
  • Taste good!

But what about filling up the older kids?

I’m all about making each meal fit for every kid in the house – you don’t need to be in the kitchen all day, dear momma.

I am also finding that as the kiddos get older, they ebb and flow in and out of times of what feels like you can never keep them full! Bottomless pits if you will! During times like these (that can also happen with toddlers by the way!), just be sure to have other options around to add to their bowl or plate of food. The muffins are part of the meal. Easy sides like hard boiled eggs, breakfasts meats (bacon, sausage, jerky, or even meat from dinner last night), yogurt, smoothies, etc are just as easy to add to the meal and will fill growth spurting kids up easily.

Mini muffin breakfast side items {that are fast!}

These little muffins are a great source of fiber (coconut flour) and fat (coconut flour, healthy oil, and eggs), but unless you want the whole pan gone in one shot, here are some fast side items to balance out the plate.

  • Eggs (hard boiled eggs can be made ahead of time on a prep day – I make a dozen at a time for easy pull out snacks or breakfast)
  • Raw milk or coconut milk tonics (this is a fatty blend of nourishing ingredients – the recipe I use is in my cookbook Nourished Beginnings)
  • Yogurt or coconut yogurt
  • Breakfast meat (sausage, bacon, jerky, or even whatever meat was served for dinner last night)
  • Green smoothies

Batching & Freezing Tips

I am loving my 48-cup mini muffin tin! This recipe fills between 36 and 40 of the mini muffin cups, so if you have 2 of these muffin trays, you could definitely double up and put them in at the same time. To freeze the muffins, let them cool completely, and put them into a freezer bag to freeze. They can pull out to the lunchboxes and thaw by lunchtime, or you can leave them out the night before to be ready to go in the morning.

Print Recipe
5 from 14 votes

Paleo Mini Banana Muffins

Head out the door with fast prep Paleo mini banana muffins, packed with filling, nutritious ingredients to fuel your little ones for the day!
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time12 mins
Total Time17 mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gluten-free banana muffin recipe, gluten-free banana muffins, Paleo banana muffins
Servings: 48 mini muffins
Author: Renee - www.raisinggenerationnourished.com

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Put the bananas in a medium mixing bowl and mash them with the back of a fork until smooth. Add the rest of the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, coconut sugar, & vanilla) and blend with hand beaters for 1 minute until smooth and creamy.
  • Add the flours, baking soda, and salt and blend to combine until smooth.
  • Scoop the batter into a mini muffin pan. I like to use this safe avocado oil spray to lightly grease the tin before scooping. You could use mini muffin liners or butter - I find the spray faster for so many little muffins. I get about 36 mini muffins out of this batter.
  • Bake the mini muffins at 375 degrees for 12 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Let the mini muffins cool for a couple minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack. The muffins hold up really nice and are ready to eat in a just a few minutes of cooling! To freeze the muffins, let them cool completely and then toss them in a freezer bag to freeze.

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57 Comments

  • Reply Jean January 29, 2018 at 1:38 pm

    Perfect mini muffins for those mini hands! These are so cute and I love the simplicity of the recipe.

  • Reply Karen January 29, 2018 at 4:05 pm

    5 stars
    Made these this morning – they were great! It was my first time cooking with coconut and tapioca flour so I was amazed at how much liquid was needed but they were perfect out of the oven. I was worried about my older son not liking the texture or it being not sweet enough so I dropped one of the Enjoy Life chocolate chunks in about half of them. It turns out they don’t need anything and are great as-is!

    • Reply Renee Kohley February 6, 2018 at 11:25 am

      Great Karen! Thank you for sharing!

  • Reply Michele January 30, 2018 at 11:08 am

    I’m going to have to try these. My kids have to be at the bus stop by 7 am, so it’s ALWAYS a struggle in the morning to get them fed and ready. We’ve done your breakfast cookies and we often just reheat pancakes or waffles, but these muffins sound like a nice change!

  • Reply Holley @ ThePrimalDesire.com January 30, 2018 at 6:34 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe looks quick and easy, and mini muffins are amazing, they make me feel like a giant! Great for a post gym snack or breakfast on the run!

  • Reply Melissa @Real Nutritious Living January 31, 2018 at 9:06 pm

    These make me so sad to be allergic to banana!

    • Reply Maggie February 2, 2018 at 8:40 am

      I went through a super weird season of being allergic to banana – debilitating stomach aches (which I know have with mangoes for some sad reason). I did notice that if the banana was baked into something, I was totally fine! So weird. That season lasted about 4-5 years and now I’m fine with bananas again. I just don’t understand what happened there. So weird.

  • Reply Katja February 1, 2018 at 12:31 pm

    5 stars
    Your recipes are always so family-friendly. My little one is going to LOVE these. 🙂

  • Reply Tina February 1, 2018 at 10:07 pm

    Yum! What a healthy and yummy breakfast!

  • Reply Kari - Get Inspired Everyday! February 1, 2018 at 11:28 pm

    5 stars
    Having healthy options on hand is a game changer, and it definitely helps us even though we don’t even have kids! Sometimes you need a last minute, but still nutritious breakfast on the go!

  • Reply STACEY February 2, 2018 at 11:57 am

    5 stars
    These look wonderful and so perfect for mornings or after-school munchies. My teenage boy could probably inhale a dozen, lol

  • Reply Taesha Butler (The Natural Nurturer) February 4, 2018 at 8:45 am

    5 stars
    I love to make a good mini muffin for my daughter’s shared class snack! And the fact that these are nut free makes them a must-make!

  • Reply Easy Prep Ahead Meal Plans @ 20 Dishes February 4, 2018 at 4:17 pm

    5 stars
    These are a perfect grab and go snack!

  • Reply cristina February 4, 2018 at 9:57 pm

    5 stars
    THese look amazing, I know jack will love them and they’re nut free so we can pack them in his lunch!

  • Reply Jo Romero February 5, 2018 at 6:36 am

    Just pinned these to make with the kids – they’d be fantastic for packed lunches, too. Thanks for al great recipe!

  • Reply Becky Winkler February 5, 2018 at 3:35 pm

    Yum! Love a simple muffin that lets its wholesome ingredients shine!

  • Reply Jenessa February 7, 2018 at 4:03 pm

    5 stars
    These are the best paleo banana muffins I have made. I don’t tend to like coconut flour baked goods because they can be dry and can give me gas (haha!), but these are wonderful. My husband didn’t even know they were GF until I told him. I subbed applesauce for the sugar and they were great! My baby loves them.

    • Reply Renee Kohley February 10, 2018 at 2:06 pm

      Love that Jenessa! Thank you for sharing!

  • Reply Emily @ Recipes to Nourish February 10, 2018 at 2:34 pm

    5 stars
    These are so cute and perfect! I need to get a mini muffin pan like yours so I can make these. I know my Tiny Love would LOVE these muffins!

  • Reply Margret February 18, 2018 at 2:28 pm

    I know you have a lot of egg free recipes, we love your oatmeal muffins! Do you have one similar to this that is egg free? I’m guessing 4 eggs is too much to substitute.

    • Reply Renee Kohley March 15, 2018 at 10:55 am

      Hi Margret! Yes, I think egg subs would be tough in this recipe. You could do the oatmeal muffins in these mini muffin tins and use banana for the fruit and that would work well.

  • Reply RS March 3, 2018 at 5:04 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for all your great recipes. Although i only eat a plant based diet, i enjoy your granola and grain free recipes.
    Do you have a suggestion of what i can switch out for the tapioca flour (i don’t use it at all). Also, i don’t use eggs either. i use, flax, chia, and sometimes psyllium husks, pureed fruit etc. Any suggestions for this recipe?

    thank you

    • Reply Renee Kohley March 15, 2018 at 10:50 am

      You’re welcome!

      Cassava flour or potato starch should swap for the tapioca ok – the starches keep it soft. I don’t think the egg subs will work in a recipe with this many eggs – they will bind ok, but definitely won’t puff up like a muffin.

  • Reply Gluten Free Mini Pancake Muffins :: Easy Prep, 8 Ingredient Batter Too! - Raising Generation Nourished March 17, 2018 at 12:42 pm

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  • Reply Debra E March 27, 2018 at 4:13 pm

    So I had a question about the muffin pan you are using. I see you don’t use liners. Does the non-stick pan not bother you or is it a case of just using what you can and not worrying about it? For so long I have heard that non-stick products were not healthy and I have a kitchen that is 99% free of it. But the mini muffins intrigue me and I wonder if my youngest would start liking muffins again if she had something little and cute like these.

  • Reply Carrie April 16, 2018 at 12:26 pm

    I had Bobs Redmill gluten free 1:1 flour on hand so i used that instead and hey turned out perfect!

  • Reply shirley sellinger April 19, 2018 at 9:30 pm

    I just made these and they are a hit!! I don’t usually review unless something is totally awesome (or terrible;-). This recipe is a keeper! I made exactly though it took two large bananas to make 2/3 cup. I sprinkled dairy free chips on top and we all love them in this picky family…thank you!:)

  • Reply Gluten Free Mini Pumpkin Muffins :: Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free - Raising Generation Nourished October 16, 2018 at 12:09 pm

    […] For those of you who have been around here long enough, you know that the girls love taking the Paleo Mini Banana Muffins to school – a lot! (See my hashtag #rgnschoollunch to see how we pack them!). Since banana and […]

  • Reply Ashley January 6, 2019 at 8:58 pm

    Is there something I can sub for the coconut flour? I am allergic 😞

    • Reply Renee Kohley January 10, 2019 at 10:49 am

      Hi Ashley! I’m sure you could, but I haven’t played around with anything specifically. Whatever you try, you may want to increase the amount – coconut flour us super absorbent so you only need to use a little bit – anything else you might need to use more.

  • Reply Courtney January 10, 2019 at 12:26 pm

    5 stars
    I love these muffins! Any reason why this would not work as a loaf?

    • Reply Renee Kohley January 14, 2019 at 1:17 pm

      Hi Courtney! I’m not sure how it would work! Will need a longer cook time – might be worth trying!

  • Reply Coconut Flour: Baking Tips, Substitutions and Recipes - Nourished Kitchen January 21, 2019 at 3:01 pm

    […] Paleo Mini Banana Muffins are delightful and nourishing choice for breakfast. […]

  • Reply Amber March 9, 2019 at 1:02 pm

    Could you replace the flours with the Namaste Gluten Free flour like you did with breakfast cookies?

    • Reply Renee Kohley March 16, 2019 at 11:00 am

      Hi Amber – muffins bake up differently than breakfast cookies. This would work but you will have to play around with the amount of flour to get the right texture since these flours behave quite differently in baking 🙂

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  • Reply Raia April 8, 2019 at 5:16 pm

    5 stars
    These sound so simple! I just got a mini muffin tin and I think these will be perfect for its maiden voyage to the oven. 🙂

  • Reply Jean April 9, 2019 at 7:06 pm

    5 stars
    Oh yum, these are the cutest! SO perfect for little hands and I love any form of baked goods with bananas.

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  • Reply Rachel F May 10, 2021 at 11:05 pm

    I just can’t even begin to tell you how thankful I am for your recipes!! Having allergen-friendly, nutrient dense, delicious, easy meal ideas is a literal gold mine!! I have yet to have one of your recipes not turn out perfectly. Thank you so, so much!!

    • Reply Renee Kohley May 13, 2021 at 9:59 am

      Hi Rachel! Thank you for taking the time to say that – makes my day!

  • Reply Bakery Style Banana Bread Breakfast Muffins :: Gluten Free & Dairy Free - Raising Generation Nourished January 20, 2022 at 4:34 pm

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  • Reply Joelle February 21, 2022 at 4:00 am

    I made these today and they’re delicious, I added cinnamon and my son LOVED them! Thank you

    • Reply Renee Kohley February 22, 2022 at 9:23 am

      Hi Joelle! I’m so glad to hear that!

  • Reply Jodi Alig January 22, 2023 at 2:08 pm

    My 4 and 2 year old gobbled these up! We love all of your recipes. Thanks for taking the time to post healthy food ideas that a busy mom can easily incorporate into our weekly menu!

    • Reply Renee Kohley January 23, 2023 at 10:30 am

      You’re welcome Jodi! I’m so glad they loved them!

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