Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Spending a little more time at home and having to cook EVERY. SINGLE. MEAL. has stretched my imagination and quite honestly, my behavior skills, too.

I've been making the same banana chocolate chip muffins for quite a few years, because the peeps love them. Since the middle age body gluten free revolt began, I haven't been able to enjoy them. I have a thing for breakfast. What I really want are recipes that everyone will eat. It's definitely too much work to duplicate everything gluten into a gluten free option as well (not to mention the cost).

I have tried quite a few recipes and they still come out grainy and gross. Until yesterday!

Last summer, my mom found PremiumGoldFlax products at a market in ND. You know how we love to share simple products that work! I have tried quiet a few of their products and have had great success. Free delivery when you order online and stock up, too!

One of my discoveries during my baking experiments has been that these gluten free flours are heavy. Many of them tend to be a little more gritty. And, they need some help to be all that they can be.

For this recipe, I replaced my regular (wheat) flour with the Baking & Pizza Flour. I also added a little Zanthan gum and sour cream. Why? Binding. Wheat flour tends to have a smoother consistency. Gluten is also a binder. It traps the beautiful gases that make our baked goods rise. It gives our goodies their togetherness, but with a soft, fluffy, chewy texture. Let me tell you how much I miss gluten!

I've also found that if your recipe calls for baking soda or baking powder, you need a little bit more. Not a LOT more (poof!), but just enough to get that heavier dough rising.

I've also found that adding sour cream or room temperature cream cheese can help to bind the ingredients together if your dough is grainy (you'll know - your baked goods will be grainy, too). It's all about the proteins friends, that bind us together.


GLUTEN FREE BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS
3 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons regular cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (not needed if your flour mix already has this in it)
2 cups gluten free flour mix (Baking & Pizza Flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of cinnamon
1/2 to 1 cup mini chocolate chips (regular also work) - add last

Mix the dry ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix. Add the chocolate chips. Fill muffin tins almost to the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

(Depending on the flour you use, you may need to bake a little longer - watch for brown tops that are fluffed up with no soft spots).


BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS (with gluten)
3 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of cinnamon
1/2 to 1 cup mini chocolate chips (regular also work) - add last

Mix the dry ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix. Add the chocolate chips. Fill muffin tins almost to the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.


Make mouths happy and serve them warm.

Enjoy! XO