Start your morning with healthy, crunchy gluten-free banana muffins

Muffins can turn out dry, and they can sometimes end up including more not-so-healthy ingredients than you think. This recipe offers a nutritional bonus from quinoa (yes, quinoa!) for a treat you’ll love.

Nothing says delicious like moist muffins with a sweet and crunchy topping. This recipe for gluten-free buttermilk, banana and quinoa muffins with crumble topping has an extra bit of added goodness: quinoa (it’s high in fiber, protein and iron). Never fear, because these muffins are anything but bland or dry.

Note: Gluten can be found in many different foods and products, from ketchup to soy sauce to candy and seasonings. While SheKnows tries to ensure that these recipes are gluten-free, carefully read the ingredient labels of all food and food products you use for these recipes to ensure they are also gluten-free.

Gluten-free buttermilk, banana and quinoa muffins with crumble topping recipe

Quinoa adds moisture to these muffins and a dose of good nutrition to the mix that doesn’t take away from the flavor. I included walnuts in the batter and in the crumble topping. You can omit them from the batter if you like, but I think they add great texture to the crumble topping. This recipe also calls for buttermilk (for moist, fluffy muffins), but if you don’t have any on hand, then you can make your own. Just add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk, and then let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes before using it.

Yields 16

Prep time: 10 minutes | Bake time: 24 minutes | Rest time: 10 minutes | Total time: 44 minutes

Ingredients:

For the muffins

• 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1-1/2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 medium bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For the crumble topping

• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes

Directions:

For the muffins

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 16 muffin cups with paper or silicone liners. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, vegetable oil and honey. Mix until smooth. Add the brown sugar, and mix well. Add the quinoa, buttermilk and banana to the bowl, and mix to combine.
4. A little at a time, add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring until combined. Fold in the walnuts.
5. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups, about 3/4 of the way to the top.

For the crumble topping

1. To a small bowl, add all the ingredients, and mix with a fork. Use your fingers to incorporate the butter into smaller pieces.
2. Evenly divide the mixture, and spoon over the tops of the muffin batter.
3. Bake the muffins for 18 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean.
4. Allow the muffins to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy these healthy, tasty muffins.

More gluten-free recipes

Grilled steak salad with blue cheese and caramelized onions
Gluten-free pear and sunflower seed muffins with honey-cream frosting
Gluten-free seasoned shrimp and guacamole sopes