Just like Banana Nut Vitatop muffins in flavor, but this copycat version is made gluten free and low carb with no sugar added!
I hate to disappoint people. I always want to help my friends when I can and I love to participate and watch everything my kids are doing. I'm a hands on momma. I don't want to miss anything. But if you follow my blog you know right now I'm in the middle of a cookbook deadline, my first deadline ever and I've only got two weeks to get this done. I have no idea what will happen if I don't and I certainly don't want to find it. This has been the single most difficult thing I think I've done in my life, especially with 3 kids, homeschooling, volunteering with scouts, trying to keep up recipes for the blog and a full schedule of activities every day and night for the kids.
This past weekend I worked from 7 am until 7 pm on Saturday and a good majority of the day after church on Sunday. This cookbook deadline is looming over my head and I honestly just want to finish it sooner than later. This coming weekend is a cubscout camping trip which depending on how far along I am I might just have to skip. And the weekend before the cookbook is due is a Black Belt test for my oldest and Father's day, obviously those are things I just can not skip. Figuring out how to say no to things my kids are involved with or volunteering has always been a challenge for me. Like I said I hate to see disappointment in my children's faces or in my friends. I have a need to please and it can be a curse in a way.
I'm having to learn to say no and accept a sad face when I say I can't make it to that soccer game or softball game like I had to do over the weekend, but it's for a greater cause and I keep reminding myself it's only a temporary season and it won't be forever. Sacrificing certain things for the sake of my sanity is most important at this time or at least that's what I keep telling myself anyway.
BUT my passion is cooking. I wouldn't have a blog if I didn't love to cook. I love to feed my family healthy food and surprise them with goodies that are still good for them. Cooking is a stress relief for me. I NEED TO COOK. So although this week and next will be a trying time and quick meals will be a must and the hubby will be putting in overtime with kid duties and dinner, I did manage to make these quick banana bread muffin tops I've been wanting to make forever. We had some ripe bananas and I knew this would be an easy recipe to pull off and make without sugar or gluten.
They're almost like a soft oatmeal banana cookie is what my picky teen said. The first batch I made with unsweetened applesauce instead of banana, and they were like my apple oatmeal muffin recipe. So if you have allergies to banana, applesauce is always an option. You can add chopped nuts to these and they will completely resemble the banana nut vitatop muffin you might know of. The first batch I made I added different toppings, some with chopped pecans, some with chocolate chips and I left some plain.
You can certainly eat two, but the portion for the nutrition info is for one. I like to spread some peanut butter over the top of mine. Cream cheese and jelly would also work nicely too. Or eat too because for just 78 calories and low carbs, why not!
Soft, light, fluffy and healthy to boot, can't beat that!
Below you can see how you can easily just top each one with anything you like, just like my Personalized Baked Oatmeal recipe that went viral. The sky's the limit. Have you seen the amount of comments with so many varieties of toppings people share about those? If not, you should totally check it out, amazing. Some of them blow away my typical toppings of just raisins or chocolate chips or dried cranberries. Trail mix is also a great one to add.
I think the best part about this recipe is the fact it takes so little time to make it. Prepare it within 10 minutes and bake for 20, done!
These were a win with my picky teen and hubby, daughter, and little man. I made two batches and they were gone by the next day! That makes me happy. Feeding my family something healthy like this for breakfast or a snack is why I even have a blog and why I'm even blessed to be writing a cookbook. I'm going to focus not on the panic of it all, but the amazing opportunity I've been given to share my recipes with so many. Showing others that a life free of refined sugars due to allergies or choice doesn't have to be torture. Yes today I will focus on that and continue on one step at a time. 🙂
Brenda's Notes:
- If you have an allergy to bananas or just don't like them, sub the 1 cup with unsweetened applesauce.
- You can use whatever milk you like to make it dairy free if needed.
- If you don't have a whoopee pie pan or muffin top pan just place 12 mound of batter onto a silpat lined baking pan. I'm guessing it's about a ¼ cup of batter or just a tad more for 12 muffins. Please let me know if you try it that way and how much it was.
- If you are gluten free, make sure your rolled oats are certified as gluten free. I used Bob's Red Mill.
Copycat Banana Bread Vitatop Muffins {Gluten Free}
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats certified gluten free
- ½ cup flaxseed ground
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon liquid vanilla stevia
- ½ cup milk 1%
- 2 ripe bananas mashed, about 1 cup
- Optional toppings: sugar free chocolate chips chopped pecans, dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk together the first 5 ingredients and set aside.
- In another bowl whisk the eggs, vanilla extract, stevia and milk.
- Add the mashed bananas to the wet mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour the wet into the dry mixture and stir just to incorporate.
- Spray a muffin top pan or whoopie pie pan with nonstick cooking spray or grease with coconut oil.
- Pour batter evenly into pan and add additional toppings if desired.
- Bake 20 minutes.
- Cool slightly then remove from pan and place onto a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Judy
Can you suggest anything besides Stevia? That stuff is Not for everyone; gives me migraines.
Brenda
I also use Swerve which is a great alternative as well.
Carleen Finkke
Brenda, I'm a little confused about the flaxseed. Is it a 1/2 cup of whole flaxseed then you ground it or is it a 1/2 cup of grounded flaxseed? After reading some of the comments above I got a little confused. I'm very anxious to try the banana muffin top recipe.
Brenda
I used whole flax and ground it myself but you can certainly purchase ground and use a 1/2 cup.
Michelle
I made these in a regular muffin pan and they turned out great! I had a question about the milk though. Most 1% milk has about 12 g of sugar in it. Is there a particular brand that you use that is sugar free? Do you think unsweetened almond milk is better to use in these recipes? I have read so much controversy over milk, just curious about your opinion. Thank you!
Brenda
I would use the unsweetened almond milk if my youngest didn't have a tree nut allergy. I use the 1% because I have it in my fridge since my teen drinks it. I don't use 1% to drink as I am dairy intolerant but in baked goods it doesn't bother me. The sugar in milk is naturally made, not added so I really don't have a problem using it for my family. Other options would be to use coconut milk or rice or goat milk.
MPaula
I don't have a muffin top pan. You don't think these would spread too much just on a pan? I might try putting large mason jar ring on the baking sheet and putting the batter in them. If I don't have enough I will put them loose. I need 1 more banana, though 🙂
Brenda
I made whoopie pies in this pan but didn't like how they came out to perfect so I just plopped them on a baking sheet in mounds and they came out better looking. I thin these would be just like that. BUt I do like the mason jar rim idea!
Tracy
Could I leave out the flaxseed? Or substitute it? I have chia seeds? I am definitely not advanced enough in the kitchen to grind my own...
Coleen @ The Redhead Baker
These would be perfect to send with my son for his daycare's Snack Share Wednesday!
Brenda
Awesome! My little man said these were so good they didn't even need chocolate chips, so that says a lot, hope your son loves them!
Angie | Big Bear's Wife
I saw Vitatop Muffins in the store the other day and almost got some but I'd much rather make them at home!! WOW!
Brenda
Thanks Angie!
Jessica (Savory Experiments)
These look phenomenal- perfect way to start the morning!
Marly
Looks so healthy and delicious!
KDKeen
Can you tell me how many degrees to set the oven to?
Brenda
Wow! Can't believe I forgot that step! All fixed now, 350, thanks for catching that!
natalie sharp
Can I use steel cut oats instead of rolled?
Brenda
They would need to be soaked and I think you'd need more liquids or they might be very dense.
Charlotte Moore
Look so good, but I have never had a muffin top.
Brenda
Hope you try it Charlotte and let me know what you think!
Nutmeg Nanny
Gah! How did I not know there was a muffin top pan? These look amazing!
Brenda
My mom had one first and I said the same thing!
Susan
Muffin tops are the best! I know it's a stressful time but you can get it done, you wouldn't have this cookbook to write if your publishers didn't have faith in you and your kids will understand, maybe not now but in a few months when everything is in print they will and they will be proud!
Brenda
Thanks so much Susan!
Paula - bell'alimento
I'm sure I'd need to make a double batch of these too!
Amanda @the_kitcheneer
This is totally something I would make in my home! I love healthy recipes and incorporate it in all my cooking! I also LOVE banana flavored anything! YUM!
Brenda
Thanks Amanda!
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes
Love how quick and easy these are to make! I JUST bought a muffin top pan and haven't used it yet. This looks like a great first time use for it!!
Kim (Feed Me, Seymour)
I love these! They look like little dessert cakes!
Claire Gallam
Sign me up!!
merle
haven't bought the liquid stevia just yet - what's the sub for packets or powdered? thanks, these look delish!
Brenda
Here's my conversion chart for you, https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/stevia-differences-in-liquid-packets-powdered-pure-a-stevia-conversion-chart/
Sarah Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella)
I am totally with you on hating to disappoint people. I am a Girl Scout leader, but travel a lot for work and recently a meeting conflicted with a trip, so I moved heaven and earth to make it back in time for the meeting. Still, sometimes you just have to say no, right? We cannot be everywhere at every time (which is why I said no to chaperoning field trips this year -- I volunteer a lot, but couldn't fit that in too). Best wishes with your deadline. And these look delicious for a perfect on the go meal!
Brenda
Thanks so much Sarah, it's nice to know I'm not alone in this struggle!
Meredith in sock monkey slippers
Looks like a fabulous breakfast on the go! Love this and will be making this for my family soon.
Brenda
Thanks Meredith!
Jenny
you should never buy grounded flaxseeds.
and if you ground them yourself, they should never be in some heat.
it destroys the oils in them and makes the oils transfat.
Brenda
HI Jenny I purchase the seeds and grind them in a coffee grinder. Here's an article from Livestrong sharing that it is safe to cook with flaxseed.:http://www.livestrong.com/article/533140-does-flaxseed-lose-nutrition-when-it-is-cooked/
Brenda
Here's a part of the article, "The fat in flaxseed is known as alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA. ALA is an omega-3 fatty acid, important to brain development and function and crucial to the prevention of heart disease. The ALA in flaxseed withstands temperatures involved in baking – meaning that muffins and breads with ground flaxseed can still offer this heart-healthy fat."
Colleen (Souffle Bombay)
Love muffin tops! These look delish!
Brenda
thank you!
christine
I love a recipe like this that comes together so quickly. Well done.
Brenda
thanks!