w| a Gluten Free Maple Cinnamon Crumble Topping
Growing up, my mom always made banana bread with the super spotty bananas that remained at the end of the week’s haul. I think when I buy bananas now, I subconsciously buy several more than necessary, knowing deep down that in a few days, I’ll have the perfect amount of overly ripe ones to make banana muffins or bread.
You have to have a special appreciation for a fruit that is not only delicious on its own, but one that also transforms into a dream ingredient for warm, aromatic, comforting baked goods once it’s passed its prime for eating alone. I mean, props to Mother Nature - the evolution of bananas, for all intents and purposes, is sheer brilliance.
This recipe, fully gluten free, uses lots of bananas, and because I never supported the idea that the toasty, caramel-y, buttery crumbs on muffins should only be enjoyed on top, the Maple Cinnamon Crumb Topping is pressed down into the partially baked batter. What you'll end up enjoying is bitefuls of warm, maple-y crumbs and chunky pieces of sweet banana. Warning: the aroma traveling from your oven may draw visitors.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 18 muffins
Ingredients
For the Batter:
5 overly ripe bananas
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup coconut sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
½ teaspoon flake salt
2 eggs
1 ½ cups almond flour
1 cup gluten free flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons cookie butter (I swear by Trader Joes Cookie Butter)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
1. Add the bananas to a mixer bowl and mash with a fork until the bananas are mashed but still have lumps.
Add butter, brown sugar, coconut sugar, vanilla, salt, and 1 egg to the bowl. Mix on medium speed until smoothly combined.
2. Add almond flour, gluten free flour, baking soda, baking powder, and remaining egg to the bowl. Mix on medium speed until combined, stopping once or twice throughout to scrape the sides and combine from the bottom with a spatula.
3. Add cookie butter and mix for about 30 seconds until it swirls into the batter.
4. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray or line with cupcake liners. Fill each muffin cup to the very top with the batter (you want the batter to overflow a bit while baking for a big, crumb-filled muffin top!).
5. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. While the muffins begin to bake, prepare the crumb topping (recipe below).
6. Remove the muffins from the oven. Top each muffin generously with the crumb topping, actively pressing some of the crumbs down into the partially baked batter, and leaving the rest on top to bake to a toasty golden brown.
7. Once the crumb topping has been added, return the pan to the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
Enjoy warm, store in an airtight container for up to a week (a week and a half in the fridge), or freeze and store for later!
Ingredients
For the Maple Cinnamon Crumb Topping:
1 ⅓ cups gluten free flour
⅔ cup coconut sugar (can sub w/ brown sugar)
¼ teaspoon flake salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 stick butter, melted
½ teaspoon maple syrup
Directions
1. Add all ingredients to a bowl, and using your hands (this method will give you large, crumbly, magical crumbs), gently mix and work together until everything is combined and large crumbs form. Stop at this point to avoid breaking the crumble apart.