Gluten-Free Banana Sunflower Mini Muffins (Vegan, Allergy-Free)

These healthy Gluten-Free Banana Sunflower Mini Muffins are so quick and easy to bake! They’re vegan, allergy-free, naturally sweet, and make for a great nut-free school & kid-friendly breakfast or snack! This muffin bites recipe only take 10 minutes, is great for meal prepping, and keeping in the freezer for those busy days!

Mini muffins are the best! So quick, so easy, they make for a perfect grab-and-go breakfast, lunchbox addition, or afterschool snack! Mini muffin bites that are gluten-free, vegan, allergy-free and naturally sweet are perfect for little hands and hungry bellies! What’s special about these banana sunflower mini muffins is that fact that they’re a nut-free riff on the classic banana nut muffin!

“Nut-Free” Banana Nut Muffins

Who needs nuts anyway? No tree nuts, no peanuts; these are banana SEED muffins! Sunflower seeds are the perfect “nutty” swap to the typical walnuts you’ll find in a classic banana nut muffin. You still get that savory/sweet balance and an even better deep, rich, “nutty” flavor from the sunflower seeds! These banana sunflower mini muffins use both sunflower seed butter and sunflower seeds (you’re getting a double dose!) The actually seeds provide a perfect little crunch directly in the muffins and on top (got to make them pretty, right?)

Ingredients in banana sunflower mini muffins

There are only 8 essential ingredients and 2 others you can choose to use or not! That makes these muffin bites so simple, easy, and quick to pull together! I bet you already have everything you need on hand in your allergy-free pantry (and don’t we all have some overripe, browning bananas we need to use up?)

• Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
• Sorghum Flour (this is optional, you can use all all-purpose)
• Baking Powder
• Bananas
• Sunflower Butter
• Roasted Sunflower Seeds
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla Extract
• Non-Dairy Milk
• Sweetener (I used a touch of erythritol, but you don’t have to include any extra sweetener!)

Roasted vs Raw Sunflower Seeds

Most sunflower seed butters are roasted since that’s what brings out the flavor. Raw sunflower butter wouldn’t have a strong taste at all. The same goes for sunflower seeds by themselves. Raw sunflower seeds are slightly chewy and don’t have a robust taste. I opted to use an unsweetened, unsalted roasted sunflower seed butter and roasted slightly salted sunflower seeds. This gives you the best flavor combo with the super sweet bananas! However, you can use raw butter and seeds, unsalted or salted, whatever you have on hand or prefer!

How to make gluten-free banana sunflower mini muffins

Not only are these little muffins just 8-10 ingredients, but they take only 10 minutes to bake too! A simple mashing of those ripe bananas, mixing of your muffin ingredients, scooping 1 tablespoon of batter into a mini muffin pan, sprinkling a few extra sunflower seeds on top of the unbaked muffins, and then baking at 375°F. Muffins in a flash? I think so! That’s why these muffins are so great for adding to your Sunday meal prep list and having them ready to grab during the week or to freeze and keep a stash of emergency muffin fuel in the freezer that you can defrost as needed!

How to store

Store the baked and cooled banana sunflower mini muffins in an airtight container for 5-6 days for optimal freshness.

How to freeze

You can freeze the baked and cooled mini muffins by freezing them on a baking sheet in a single layer and then putting them in a large freezer-safe bag together. These muffin bites are super small so you can even portion them out into individual baggies with 3-4 muffins in each for a super easy grab-and-go.

How to reheat

If you need them asap from the freezer, you can pop the muffins in the microwave or toaster oven until they are soft and warm. Alternatively, you can pack the frozen muffin bites in a lunchbox or bag and they’ll be defrosted by the time you need them (aka lunchtime!) or bring them to room temperature over a few hours on the counter.

Nutritious breakfast or school snack

These allergy-free muffin bites are perfect for a healthy, nourishing, kid-friendly and toddler breakfast or an easily packable school lunchbox addition! They’re mess-free for long car rides and easy to add to an afterschool snack plate too! In a time when no-nut classrooms are common, sunflower seed power prevails, and that’s nothing to get sad about! Sunflower seeds are such a fantastic food to include in any diet!

Sunflower Seeds are:

• High in Vitamin E – Great for anti-inflammatory properties and cardiovascular health
• Great source of Magnesium – Great for nerves, muscles, blood cells, and digestion
• Source of Selenium – Great for thyroid health
• Contains antioxidants, cholesterol-lowering phytosterols, Vitamin B1, iron, phosphorous, and 4g of fiber per 1/4 cup!
• Healthy source of plant-based protein, about 6g per 1/4 cup, and plant-based fats, about 19g per 1/4 cup.

Pair sunflower seeds with the power of bananas and these gluten-free muffins should be called a superfood! With the bananas high potassium content and natural sweetness, they pair perfectly with the sunflower seeds to give you one wholesome breakfast or snack that will keep you full, fueled, and focused all day! Did you know that sunflower seeds are the FRUIT of the sunflower? Total “fruit” muffin!

Gluten-Free Banana Sunflower Mini Muffins

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Now, these are totally adult-approved too, so try not to eat ALL the mini muffins the moment they come out of the oven! The smell is to die for and the taste is 100%! The tiny size makes them the perfect homemade version of “Little Bites” (the muffin bites of our childhood!), but healthy, unprocessed, gluten-free, vegan, and top allergen-free of course!

More healthy muffin ideas:

• Mini Cornbread Muffins
• Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins
• Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins

So tell me:

+ What’s your favorite seed to swap nuts with?

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