Gluten Free Banana Muffins

I love having muffins around the house. Something we can grab on the go or just snack on during the day.

This is my favorite recipe because it tastes like normal food and it even stays good for a few days. Most gluten free food does not taste nearly as good the next day. I just ate one of these from the batch I made Friday, so 4 days ago. It was a little dry compared to fresh, but it still tastes great!

2 cups gluten free flour (see below)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
2 cups ripe bananas (4-5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
Optional- 1/2cup nuts chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the dry ingredients (first 3) in a small bowl and briefly stir or sift.
I use my standup kitchen aid mixer, but a hand mixer would work great too. In a mixer or large bowl, mix the bananas until they are super smashed. Try not to leave too many chunks, it tastes better that way. Add in the eggs and mix well, make sure all the yolks are broken. Add the other wet ingredients- sugar, applesauce, oil, vanilla. Briefly stir. Add dry and mix until everything is combined.

Spray two 8x4 inch loaf pans, or muffin tins, or line tin with papers so you don't have to wash in between baking. This will make 36 muffins. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. 35-45 minutes for the bread, about 18-20 minutes for the muffins. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing the loaves from the pans (if you can stand it, I usually can't!)

Notes-
Flour
(you can use an all-purpose if you'd like, or just play around with different combos. I like 1/2c almond flour, 1 cup rice, 1/2c mix of whatever I have on hand (tapioca, soy, sorghum, cornstarch). The almond is a must for me because I love the slight nuttiness and texture it gives. Just make sure the total amount you use is 2 cups).
I used pear sauce instead of applesauce this last time and really liked it. I generally use unsweetened applesauce. Sometimes I'll replace a little of the oil with extra applesauce.
If I am feeling like being a little healthier I also use stevia in place of the sugar, but I prefer the taste the real sugar gives. I'm sure sugar in the raw would be great for this recipe.
Hope you enjoy these as much as my family does!