As always, I like to find creative ways to use up our leftover brown bananas. We do smoothies often, so my freezer is well-stocked. We've tried several iterations of banana bread, and this one has the added protein component of chickpea flour. For those who tolerate legumes, this is also a dairy-free and egg-free recipe, making it a vegan lifesaver. You can never have too many bananas!
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add 12 parchment paper muffin liners to a regular size muffin tin or 24 parchment paper liners for a mini muffin tin.
Using a fork, thoroughly mash the three bananas on a plate and pour into a small mixing bowl. Add the melted coconut oil and vanilla, and stir to combine.
Add all dry ingredients except the sliced banana and walnuts to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the wet ingredients and stir thoroughly until a thick batter is formed. Fold in the chopped walnuts, if desired.
Fill the muffin tins 1/2 to 3/4 full of batter. Add 3 slices of banana to the top of each regular sized muffin or 1 slice of banana to the top of each mini muffin.
Bake mini muffins for 22 minute or until set and regular muffins for 32 minutes, checking at 26 minutes with the toothpick test for doneness. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan 15 minutes, then serve. Transfer leftover muffins to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days or freeze.