Giada De Laurentiis Says This Is the 'Best Banana Bread Muffin of Your Life,' & It's Also Gluten-free

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There must be something in the air (maybe everyone’s New Year’s resolutions?) because we feel like we’re getting this message from pretty much all of our favorite food celebs right now: eat. your. breakfast. First, Martha Stewart shared her recipe for breakfast cookies so good, you might want to scarf one down for dessert, too, and now Giada De Laurentiis has a recipe that’ll make you eager to get up in the morning. “Ready to try the best banana bread muffind of your life?” she asked on Instagram, and we answered with a resounding YES! De Laurentiis’ recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and packed with fiber, protein, and healthy fats…and did we mention there’s a few chocolate chips thrown in for good measure?

A post shared by Giadzy (@thegiadzy)

In the past, De Laurentiis has said “I really like a carb in the morning,” and we’re much the same. But though these muffins do have plenty of healthy carbs to keep your energy up all morning (and pair wonderfully with a hot cup of coffee), they’ve also got plenty of protein, too, thanks to the inclusion of almond butter, almond flour, and an egg.

Courtesy of Rodale Books.

Since it’s a gluten-free recipe, almond flour is one of the bases for these muffins. We like almond flour from King Arthur, which is finely ground and not gritty.

Courtesy of King Arthur.

De Laurentiis also calls for fine white rice flour, which helps add a bit of chew to the muffins, and to hold everything together.

Courtesy of Naturtonix.

These gluten-free banana muffins are seasoned with vanilla and cinnamon, with a scant handful of dark chocolate chips thrown in for good measure. The bitterness of the chocolate helps counteract the sweetness of the bananas, and let’s be honest — it’s always fun to eat chocolate for breakfast. There are lots of health benefits to chocolate, too, so add a few extra if you feel like it.

The muffins that come out of the oven are fragrant with cinnamon and bananas, have a mildly nutty flavor that’s super-satisfying, and are dotted through with melted pockets of bittersweet chocolate. No offense to our pillows, but we just might be willing to abandon our beds a few minutes early in the morning if it meant extra time to enjoy one of these gluten-free banana muffins before the day gets going.

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