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January 17, 2017

Easy Gluten-Free Banana Muffins and Pancakes

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Thank you to Simple Mills for sponsoring this post! Matt and I loved their products so much I already bought more of everything they sent us for this review. 🙂

Hello my friends! Over the past few weeks, I’ve been sharing pictures of muffins and pancakes that Matt and I have been enjoying and saying the recipes were coming. Well, get pumped, because the time is now and you’ll be excited to know they couldn’t be easier. 🙂

IMG_0705

As you guys know, Matt is gluten free right now per doctor’s orders (more on that in this post in case you missed it), and the two things he’s missed the most are pancakes and banana muffins. So when Simple Mills reached out to me about a partnership for the new year, I was really excited as they make high quality baking mixes that are all gluten free and made without any artificial preservatives or additives. Three cheers for making nutritious eating simpler!

gluten free banana muffins from box mix

Before saying yes to working together, I of course took a look at their ingredient lists online to make sure it was a good fit, and was really excited by what I saw. All whole, real food – and quality ones at that! How had I not heard of this company before?! Their products are all gluten free, grain free, corn free, soy free, and non-GMO.

simple mills review

Could we make muffins and pancakes without a mix? Yes, of course. But to be honest, I LOVE having a fast and easy solution that either of us can throw together without spending hours in the kitchen. True story: the day the box with our samples arrived I came home one night to find Matt had already busted into it to make a batch of muffins using their banana muffin mix. He was so excited!

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Making the muffins using their mix is really easy – all you have to add is water (or milk), eggs, and a little oil. Matt and I have now made 4 batches of these muffins (no, seriously – we ate our way through them so quickly!) in the past few weeks and in our opinion we have perfected the add-ins, so I wanted to share. 🙂

healthy gluten free banana muffins ingredients

Here’s what we added to the banana muffin mix per the package instructions:

  • 1 cup whole milk (instead of the suggested water – milk adds more protein to the mix, and makes them tastier in our opinion. A non-dairy alternative would also work here)
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted butter or another oil would also work here)
  • 2 eggs

You can leave it at that or add in some fun extra additions! Here was our favorite combination:

  • 1/3 cup walnuts (for crunch and more healthy fat! slivered almonds would also be good here)
  • 1/3 cup rolled oats (for fiber and chewy texture)
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds (nutrition powerhouses, holla)
  • an additional 1/3 cup of whole milk to make up for all the additions

Plus some extra rolled oats to sprinkle on top because it makes the muffins look pretty. 🙂 Long time readers will remember I started doing this to my muffins way back in 2010 and haven’t stopped since!

rolled oats on muffins

Et voila! Nutritious and delicious muffins, at your service.

simple mills muffin mix review

As I said at the start of the post, we loved the banana muffin mix so much that I already bought 3 more boxes of it on Amazon! We need to make another batch this week – it was so nice having the muffins on hand for an easy portable breakfast or healthy snack that both of us really enjoyed.

As for the pancake & waffle mix, it’s also awesome! Pancakes are one thing we almost never make from scratch at our house for whatever reason – seems like a lot of work for just one meal, maybe? We followed the instructions on the box except for using whole milk again instead of water, and also throwing some chia seeds in the mix (about 2 tablespoons)!

gluten free pancake mix review

Matt and I both thought these were better than normal pancakes – so flavorful! We made a big batch of them and I’ve been enjoying the leftovers topped with a little nut butter as my pre-run/workout fuel. Perfect!

So – regardless of whether you are gluten free, give Simple Mills a shot! I think you’ll love their nutritious products just as much as we do. In addition to the Banana Muffin Mix and the Pancake & Waffle Mix, they also offer a Pumpkin Muffin Mix, Artisan Bread Mix, Pizza Dough Mix, Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, Vanilla Cake Mix, Chocolate Muffin & Cake Mix, an assortment of almond flour-based gluten free crackers (already made for you – I’m excited to try the cheddar crackers)! AND they have frosting for the cake mixes, too, made from organic coconut oil, organic & sustainably sourced palm shortening, and monk fruit extract (a sweetener that is made from the subtropical melon). Whew! So much goodness! When I bought us more of the banana muffin mix and the pancake mix I also picked up a box of the regular bread mix, pumpkin muffin mix, and cheddar crackers – excited to try those too!

simple mills banana muffin mix review

You can find Simple Mills products on Amazon or at Whole Foods, Target, Sprouts, and SimpleMills.com. For more, see their store locator!

And lastly, Simple Mills is hosting a #SimpleStart giveaway this month to encourage everyone to kick their days off in a healthy way – but simply. 🙂 One winner will receive one of each of their products plus a Fitbit Charge 2. Head to their blog to learn how to enter!

Have you tried Simple Mills before? And if not, which product would you most like to try?

- anne
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15 comments
  • Karen January 17, 2017 · 10:38AM:
    I love Simple Mills. The pancakes are our favorite. And the cheddar crackers are a little too easy to eat the whole box in one sitting. The frosting is delicious but takes some finesse to spread. I'm glad you've found them - they've made going gluten and grain free so easy.
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 17, 2017 · 10:58AM:
      I'm glad to hear you're a fan, too! I was really surprised I hadn't heard of them before - so excited to try more of their stuff!
      Reply
  • Heather @ Polyglot Jot
    January 17, 2017 · 5:53PM:
    I've seen this brand in Target but haven't tried it yet. Sounds like it's yummy! I also like that the dry ingredients dont contain buttermilk or milk powder which is often the case with GF pancake mixes--and I cant have dairy.
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 18, 2017 · 2:02PM:
      Definitely try it and let me know what you think! :)
      Reply
  • Colleen January 17, 2017 · 7:53PM:
    so no guar gum or xanthan gum in any of the mixes?wow - most every gluten free mix or flour mix that I find has that, am impressed! Am going to have to try the crackers!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 18, 2017 · 2:00PM:
      Yep, they are all gum free!
      Reply
  • Morgana January 20, 2017 · 10:56AM:
    As soon as Anne posted about Simple Mills muffin and pancake mixes I knew I had to buy some! I love making my own muffins, but sometimes I don't have enough time in my crazy schedule to bake everything from scratch. It's refreshing to find a mix that doesn't contain a bunch of junk. "Healthy" mixes tend to be full of additives and I love how simple Simple Mills mixes are! My three muffin mix boxes just arrived yesterday and I'm going to make some this weekend. Thanks Anne for once again introducing me to an awesome product!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 20, 2017 · 10:58AM:
      Yay, I hope you love the muffins as much as we have! :)
      Reply
  • Kelli @ Hungry Hobby
    January 23, 2017 · 10:47AM:
    The first time I tried Simple Mills was in a Food for Love box and I was hooked! We don't do gluten in our house because of my hubby so it's nice to find a convenient wholesome product. I don't mind baking but sometimes it is REALLY nice to just have the mix already made for you instead of throwing together from scratch. I like to cook but I'm all about convenience as long as it doesn't sacrifice quality!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 23, 2017 · 11:07AM:
      Totally agree re: convenience when it doesn't sacrifice quality!
      Reply
  • Helene January 25, 2017 · 2:35PM:
    Made the Simple Mills banana nut muffins this morning with no add-ins to get a taste for the base. I've tried many 'box' mixes in the past with mixed results. These are by far the best I have tasted. Very happy that 'cornstarch' is not the main ingredient. Thanks Anne. Your recommendations are always the best!!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 25, 2017 · 2:39PM:
      Thank you Helene - so glad it was a hit! :)
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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anne mauney

I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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