Keto banana muffins are gluten-free, sugar-free and full of banana flavor. No fake extracts here - it is possible to make low carb banana muffins with real banana! Only 5.4g net carbs per muffin.
I love the sweet, intense flavor of bananas. And while I don't eat them on their own as a snack any more, I still bake with them.
Because if banana is used in moderation, it can be used in keto recipes!
In fact, I have a bunch of banana recipes using real banana on my website. There is my keto banana bread with almond flour, this coconut flour banana bread, keto banana pudding or these healthy banana cookies.
I will always prefer the taste of the real fruit over banana extract. These muffins are moist and soft, so tasty and just perfect as a nutritious breakfast or snack.
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Full of banana flavor
- Soft texture
- Gluten-free and dairy-free
- Low carb and sugar-free
- High in fiber
- Keto friendly - only 5.4g net carbs
- Ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we need for this recipe:
- Banana - must be very ripe, ideally with brown specks on the peel.
- Almond flour - I used ground almonds. For extra-fine almond flour, reduce the amount to 1 ¾ cups or 175 grams
- Flax meal -
- Eggs - should be room temperature
- Unsweetened almond milk
- Coconut oil
- Sugar substitute - I used an erythritol monk fruit sweetener blend, but allulose, xylitol, Swerve or Boacha Sweet would also work.
- Baking powder
- Vanilla extract and cinnamon
Instructions
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients - banana, eggs, almond milk, vanilla and oil in a food processor. You can also use an electric blender and a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients: the ground almonds or almond flour, ground flaxseed, sweetener, baking powder and spices. Option to also add a pinch of salt. Blend until you have a smooth batter.
Step 3: Stir in the optional cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips. I would choose a variety that contains 85% or 90% cocoa solids. Lindt is one of my favourites, as is Montezuma's. Or go for sugar-free chocolate chips such as by Lily's.
Step 4: Fill the batter into a muffin pan with paper liners. My mix made 8 muffins.
Step 5: Bake in the preheated oven until golden on top. You can also test with a toothpick for doneness. If there's no dough sticking to it, the muffins are ready.
Katrins Top Tip
The muffins are very soft when they are hot. This is normal! Almond flour muffins are more fragile than regular muffins since they do not contain gluten. They firm up as they cool down. So, have a little patience before you dig in.
Substitutions
First of all, you can replace the coconut oil with butter.
Also, any type of milk works. I prefer nut milks such as almond milk or hazelnut milk because they are lower in carbs than dairy milk. Coconut milk would be a good option, too.
The flaxseed gives the recipe a rustic flavour. It is possible to use more almond flour instead. In this case, I recommend that you add another egg to the recipe. Flax helps to bind baked goods and without it your low carb banana muffins would be too brittle.
Keto banana nut muffins: Stir in a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans.
I don't recommend that you replace the almond flour with coconut flour. Coconut flour is very different from any other grain free flours. You would have to use a lot less of it (I normally substitute with â…“ the amount because it's much more absorbent). It is also more brittle and you would definitely need more eggs.
Storage
Refrigerator: I always store my muffins in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for a couple of days. Normally they are all gone by then, but they would be absolutely fine in the fridge for about 5-6 days.
Freezer: These muffins also freeze well, for up to 3 months. So, make a double batch and pack in a freezer bag.
Defrosting: Simply defrost one muffin in the microwave (30 seconds is perfect in mine) when you feel like a treat!
FAQ
No, banana is not considered a keto friendly fruit. One medium banana contains 24g of net carbs (source: USDA). On a keto diet, you aim for no more than 25 grams of net carbs for an entire day.
Because the amount of banana per muffin is low. Bananas have a very intense flavor. This recipe uses 1 banana for 8 muffins.
You'll never get close to the taste of proper banana with extract, not to mention the same wonderful moist texture.
More Muffin Recipes
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Recipe
Low Carb Keto Banana Muffins
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 200 g / 2 cups almond flour or ground almonds
- 30 g / ¼ cup flaxseed ground
- 120 g / ½ cup banana very ripe (1 medium banana)
- 2 eggs large
- 120 ml / 4 ounces almond milk ½ cup
- 60 ml / 2 ounces coconut oil ¼ cup
- 3-4 tablespoon granulated sweetener depending on your sweet tooth
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 40 g cacao nibs or sugar free chocolate chips (â…“ cup), optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit.
- Mix the banana, eggs, almond milk, vanilla and oil in a food processor or with a blender.
- Add the dry ingredients: the ground almonds, ground flaxseed, erythritol, baking powder and spices. Blend until thoroughly combined
- Lastly, stir in the cacao nibs (or chopped dark chocolate)
- Fill into a muffin tin lined with paper cups. If you don't have any to hand, make sure the tin is really well greased. My mix made 8 muffins, but I did "try" the dough quite a few times. Yours might yield 9!
- Bake at 180 degrees 25-30 minutes or until browned on top. You can also test with a cocktail stick or a knife - if they come out dry, the muffins are done.
Erika
Hi 🙂 I’m trying your recipe today but I want to add 3 bananas total. Would I need to adjust anything else in the recipe to account for 2 extra bananas?
Katrin
Hi Erika,
I think the recipe will still work - banana muffin/bread recipes tend to be quite forgiving... maybe it will be a bit fudgier. You could increase the baking powder to 1 1/2- 2 tsp to give it an extra bit of rise and use a little less milk.
Erika
Ok thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly!! 🙂
Sally manton
I really enjoyed your muffins but can always taste the coconut oil which I dont like. Could I swap this for butter? If so how much would you try? Thankyou
Katrin
Of course you can, just use the same amount of butter.
Elizabeth
I used honey
Ruth K
I made them with Lily dark chocolate chips and the recipe yielded 24 mini muffins. Baked them in well-greased silicone trays and they popped out easily. Delicious!
Marci
Hi I am just starting this recipe and adjusting to make 24 muffins. However, the conversion of ingredients is not correct. Be aware of this. 4ounces tripled should be 12 ounces. The metric conversion is correct but NOT the imperial version.Also, imperial and metric conversions are used throughout. Would be helpful if it was consistent throughout the recipe, rather than going back and forth.
Will comment after the taste test!
MArci
Was able to adjust ingredient measurements and the muffins turned out delicious! Yum! Added some very tiny bits of dark chocolate crumb on top of baked muffins while still hot. Melted beautifully! Best low-carb muffin recipe I've tried!
Katrin
Hi Marci, the recipe plugin I'm using can only convert the first set of numbers, not the second... sorry about this. Glad you like the recipe!
Mandy
Really delicious and fluffy muffins. Thank you!! I supplemented the flaxseed with spelt flour and also added chopped up apple.
John
Trying this one for the first time, there is vanilla listed in the ingredients, bit not mentioned anywhere in the method, also it says 1 tbsp of baking powder, that seems like a LOT, should this be 1tsp?
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi John, I've added the vanilla to the method, thanks. I think you're probably fine using between 1 1/2 to 2 tsp of baking powder if you don't want to use the entire amount. In my last muffins - these keto blueberry muffins - I used 1 1/2 tsp, but the flour amount was smaller.
Helen Morris
These are great !!! Made them exactly as per recipe and they were delicious, moist and healthy !!
Ems
How do you store the muffins that aren't inhaled? Kitchen counter or refrigerator? Thanks!
Katrin
Fridge is always the better option - though 1 day on the counter in a tin should be no problem 🙂
Ursula Metselaar
Hi Katrin.
Your recipes look inspirational. Do you have any which might have a low fat content (for those under doctor's orders!), please?
Katrin
Hi Ursula, I don't really watch my fat intake as it's the stuff that keeps me full because I've reduced my carbs. However, in terms of baking you should look out for coconut flour recipes and avoid the almond flour ones - almond flour has a much higher fat content. I think you'd like my 3 ingredient crepes (we all love them!), which you can fill with anything you like, sweet or savoury. Also try my blueberry jam (with the crepes perhaps??), not an ounce of fat in sight and so easy and yummy. Or my Moroccan cauliflower rice, it's a super-delicious light lunch or dinner.
April
Thanks for the conversions for those of us in USA. My husband is a Londoner, trying to switch to LCHF, and your recipes are GLORIOUS! Thanks!!
Katrin
This is 180 Celsius - 356 Fahrenheit
Stacy W
It would be great if you could amend your recipe to include this information. The original states nothing of being a U.K. conversion and had I not read the comments right after putting the pan in the oven I would have had a much different outcome for mine with such a different temperature.