Chickpea Banana Muffins (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Flourless gluten-free Chickpea Banana Muffins studded with chocolate chips are a lovely breakfast or snack and even boast some health benefits! Whip up a batch to keep them on hand for easy eating throughout the week.

Chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans) take the place of flour in these magically moist and fluffy chocolate chip-studded banana muffins!

If you like science experiments or turning the magical fruit into something even more magical, these chickpea muffins are the jam to your PB & J…the banana to your bread…they’re essentially made for you.

These muffins are a riff off the Flourless Chickpea Banana Bread recipe I posted last year with just a couple minor adjustments.

In addition to that bread and these muffins, I have an extensive list of bean-based treats. Just have a gander at my Double Chocolate Vegan Black Bean Cookies, Flourless Black Bean Banana Bread, Dark Chocolate Chickpea Brownies, and 6-Ingredient Peanut Butter Chickpea Cookies. 

Amazing how beans and science collide to create sheer art 😉

But let’s chat more about these particular chickpea banana muffins. They are flourless, gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free and dairy-free. 

Not to mention, they are so easy to make! You’ll want to put them on repeat to have them at arm’s reach every day of the week.

Let’s do a deep dive into the ingredients.

Ingredients for Chickpea Banana Muffins:

Garbanzo Beans (aka chickpeas): The base of the chickpea banana muffins! Garbanzo beans take the place of flour in this recipe – you’ll need 1 can of garbanzo beans. Just be sure you drain the liquid from the can first and give them a rinse. It’s okay if there is a small amount of liquid still on the beans but it’s best to pat them dry with a paper towel if you can.

Can you use garbanzo bean flour? This is a common question I receive when I make recipes using whole beans. You can absolutely make banana muffins using garbanzo bean flour, although I haven’t tested it yet. You would want to consult a different recipe that uses garbanzo bean flour in order to ensure you’re getting all of the portions right. 🙂

Ripe Bananas: The banana portion of the banana muffins. In addition to sweetness and banana goodness, banana also provides some structure and moisture to the muffins. 

Make sure you use very ripe bananas with a lot of brown spots for the best results. The browner they are, the sweeter they will make the muffins! You need 1/2 cup of mashed ripe banana, which should be about 1 large ripe banana.

Eggs: Eggs help fluff up the muffins and hold them together. I haven’t tested the recipe using an egg replacer yet, but I imagine aquafaba eggs would work. Flax eggs will make the bread very dense.

Coconut Sugar (or Brown Sugar): In addition to the ripe bananas, we add some cane sugar or coconut sugar to the muffins for added sweetness. Coconut sugar is lower on the glycemic index than regular brown sugar and is also less refined than regular sugar. 

If you don’t have coconut sugar on hand, you can use granulated cane sugar or brown sugar. For a lower sugar version, use your favorite sugar-free granulated sweetener.

Baking Powder, Baking Soda & Cider Vinegar: The leavening agents in the muffins! The combination of baking powder, baking soda, and vinegar helps leaven the muffins. If you don’t have cider vinegar, use lemon juice, lime juice, rice vinegar or any type of edible acidic fluid.

Sea Salt: The flavor enhancer! Sea salt makes the muffins taste sweeter without having to add more sugar. It also gives the muffins a rich, well-rounded flavor.

Chocolate Chips: Because we love studding everything with chocolate, we toss in some chocolate chips. These are optional, but always recommended.

Optional Add Ins: You can add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans if you enjoy banana nut muffins. 

How to Make Chickpea Banana Muffins:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tray with 9 muffin papers (or spray with cooking oil).

Drain the chickpeas into a colander and give them a shake to remove any excess liquid. 

Transfer the beans to a blender (or food processor), along with the rest of the ingredients for the muffins except for the chocolate chips.

Blend until completely smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Fill the muffin papers up ¾ of the way with muffin batter and sprinkle with additional chocolate chips if desired.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the muffins are golden-brown around the edges and test clean.

Allow muffins to cool completely before peeling off the muffin papers to eat.

How to Store Banana Muffins:

Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Any longer than 7 days, transfer the muffins to a zip lock bag and freeze them.

And that’s it! Put these bean muffins on constant rotation and enjoy!

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!

If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo on Instagram and tag @The.Roasted.Root!