Mini Apple Cider Banana Bread Muffins

These bite-sized Mini Apple Cider Banana Bread Muffins are the perfect grab-n-go healthy breakfast or pop-in-your-mouth snack! These gluten-free, vegan mini muffins are made with bananas and oat flour flavored with apple cider, apple pie spice, and cinnamon. Coconut sugar is used to keep these mini muffins naturally sweetened.

I’ve recipe tested some version of apple cider banana bread three times. The first time I made a banana bread loaf and while I was waiting for it to cool to slice it, my dog ate it…. 😳 Yes, the whole loaf! LOL I managed to get a photo of the whole loaf before he woofed it down. Bad doggie!

The second time I made banana bread breakfast cookies, and while those did turn out pretty good, they were a little bit too chewy and my husband said they tasted like muffin tops instead of cookies.

Third time’s a charm, right?! So I decided to go with muffins- but mini because they’re so cute! Who doesn’t love a cute mini-sized muffin?! Here we are with a winner- Mini Apple Cider Banana Bread Muffins.

The Gluten-Free & Vegan Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

Flaxseed meal. We’re going to combine 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal and 2 tablespoons of water to create a flax “egg” to use in these muffins. I love using flaxseed meal as an egg replacement in my vegan baking because it allows the baked goods to remain fluffy and helps it bind together, while also adding some fiber.

Oat flour. Using gluten-free oat flour in these mini muffins allowed them to turn out so light and airy. They are the perfect muffin texture, I am honestly surprised at how soft and moist these mini muffins are! You will need 1½ cups of oat flour.

Coconut sugar. To keep these banana bread muffins refined sugar free, I decided to use coconut sugar to sweeten them. I love using coconut sugar in baking because it offers just the right amount of sweetness without leaving a coconut flavor. This muffin recipe calls for ½ cup of coconut sugar.

Apple pie spice. Spicing the banana bread muffin batter with apple pie spice just enhances the flavor of the apple cider and really makes these little gems so fragrant while they’re baking! You will need 2 teaspoons of apple pie spice (read below for more on this ingredient).

Cinnamon. I love cinnamon! There is most likely cinnamon included in the apple pie spice, but I am adding an additional ½ teaspoon and it was the perfect addition.

Baking soda. Using baking soda helps the muffins to rise perfectly creating those muffin tops we all love so much! 🤗

Salt. Using salt helps to bring out the sweetness in the muffins.

Wet Ingredients

Bananas. You will need 3 very ripe medium-sized bananas for these banana bread muffins. When you mash them, it will be equivalent to about 1 cup of mashed banana.

Apple cider. Apple cider not only brings some flavor and sweetness to this recipe, but its acidity also helps the muffins to rise when combined with the baking soda. Read below for an apple cider ingredient swap.

Avocado oil. You only need ¼ cup of avocado oil to use in these muffins. Just a touch of oil also contributes to the soft texture. See below for substitutions.

Vanilla. I love using pure vanilla extract in most of my baked goods. You will need 1 teaspoon.

How To Make These Mini Muffins

These Mini Apple Cider Banana Bread Muffins are so easy to make! First, combine the flaxseed meal and water together in a small bowl and allow it to sit and “gel” up while you make the rest of the banana bread batter.

Next, add the dry ingredients to a medium-large bowl and whisk to combine.

Mash the bananas and vanilla in a separate bowl.

Then add the smashed bananas to the bowl with the flour mixture.

Add the apple cider, flax egg, and avocado oil and fold the batter with a spatula until all of the ingredients are combined and no dry flour remains. Don’t overmix, lumps are ok!

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the batter to rest while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan.

Once the oven is preheated, spoon the batter into each muffin cavity to the top, but not overflowing. Bake the muffins for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.

Allow the muffins to cool completely before enjoying for the best texture. You can store these mini muffins on the counter loosely covered for up to 2 days and then transfer to an airtight container and keep them stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Ingredient Variations

Make your own apple pie spice.

Apple pie spice mostly consists of a combination of cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves. I used The Spice House Apple Pie Spice, but any should work great. If you can’t find apple pie spice at your local grocery store, feel free to purchase the individual spices used to create an apple pie spice and combine them using a homemade apple pie spice recipe. You can Google an apple pie spice recipe, or look on Pinterest.

Swap apple juice for the apple cider.

If you can’t find apple cider in your area or if you’d like to make these muffins any time of the year other than Fall, haha, then you can certainly use apple juice instead of the apple cider.

Use coconut oil or grapeseed oil in place of the avocado oil.

I find avocado oil to be perfect in vegan and gluten-free baking, but I have used coconut oil and grapeseed oil which also work well. Basically, you just want to use a neutral tasting, light oil.

FAQ

Can I make a loaf from this recipe?

While I did originally make a loaf, the recipe was slightly different. That being said, it should work but I have not tried it with this exact recipe. The loaf won’t be very large, and it will definitely need to bake longer, but feel free to try it and let me know how it goes!

Would regular muffins work instead of mini?

I would bet you could make regular-sized muffins from this recipe. I have not tested it, and you’ll will need to bake them longer than the mini muffins. Make sure a toothpick comes out clean to ensure they are baked through.

Let me know what you think about this easy breakfast muffin recipe down below in the comments section as well as giving it a five rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ so that others can discover these delicious Mini Apple Cider Banana Bread Muffins! Be sure to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make them!

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