This is the best recipe for gluten-free banana muffins. It makes classic, homestyle muffins. For the best flavor and texture, use really overripe bananas. The recipe is naturally dairy-free but if you love buttery muffins, use melted and cooled butter. The easy one-bowl recipe comes together in just minutes!
I love these banana muffins. They’re one of those “You can’t tell this is gluten-free!” recipes. I promise that there isn’t a hint of grittiness that some gluten-free muffins contain.
Since these are so good, I often double the recipe. Just like my gluten-free blueberry muffins, these freeze beautifully. So when I’m in the mood for a muffin–but not in the mood to bake–there’s always a few in the freezer along with gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and a loaf of sandwich bread.
Ingredients.
Bananas. For the best flavor and texture, you really want to use overripe bananas. They’re sweeter and contain more moisture than yellow bananas. It’s easy to tell when bananas are overripe. The skin gets very brown–it can even turn black. And the banana gets soft and mushy.
Substitute: There’s really no substitute for bananas in this recipe. But if you don’t have overripe bananas, use yellow bananas and add two teaspoons of additional brown sugar plus two teaspoons of water or milk.
Dark Brown Sugar. These muffins have a nice sweetness thanks to the dark brown sugar. Use dark brown sugar that’s soft. If it’s gotten hard in the bag, soften it by placing a lightly damp paper towel over the sugar and warm it on low heat in the microwave.
Substitute: Replace the dark brown sugar with either light brown sugar or granulated sugar. I don’t recommend honey or maple syrup for this recipe because it can make the muffins too moist. For sugar-free muffins, use a sugar replacement that’s suitable for baking.
Gluten-Free Flour. I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. It makes great muffins. Use a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan or guar gum. Without it, the muffins can turn out dense.
Substitute: If you don’t want to use a premade gluten-free flour blend, whisk together: 1 ¼ cups white rice flour. ½ cup cornstarch and ¼ cup sweet rice with ½ teaspoon xanthan gum.
Eggs. Two large eggs bring the batter together and give the muffins a nice crumb.
Substitute: Do you want to make these muffins egg-free? Here’s what to do: use a “flax egg”. To make it, whisk together two tablespoons of ground flaxseed and five tablespoons of hot water. Let that sit for about five minutes and then use it like you’d use the egg. By the way, it’s important to use ground flaxseeds. Sometimes the bags are labeled “flaxmeal.” Whole flaxseeds don’t work as well for an egg replacement.
Oil. The oil is an important ingredient in this recipe. It makes the muffins moist and rich, plus it helps keep them fresh. So it’s not an ingredient you want to skip. Use a neutral flavored oil, like vegetable or canola oil.
Substitute: Butter works great in this recipe. To use it, melt the butter and let it cool slightly before adding it to the muffins.
Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt. These three ingredients contribute a lot. The baking soda and baking powder help the muffins to rise and the salt enhances the flavor.
Optional Ingredients.
Chocolate Chips. Banana muffins and chocolate chips go great together. Use regular or mini-chips. Both taste great.
Chopped Nuts. If you love banana-nut muffins, add a cup of your favorite chopped nuts to the batter.
Vanilla Extract. You’ll notice this recipe doesn’t call for vanilla extract. Since the bananas and brown sugar are so flavorful, it doesn’t require it. But if you love vanilla, add a teaspoon of extract along with the eggs, sugar, and oil. It adds a lovely flavor to the muffins.
Cinnamon. For spiced banana muffins, add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon along with the vanilla extract.
How to Make Gluten-Free Banana Muffins: Steps for Success.
This muffin recipe is so easy to make. All you need do is mix the simple batter. Let it rest. And bake the muffins. You got this!
Make the Batter.
You only need one bowl to make this batter. Start by mashing the bananas. Do this with a fork or an electric mixer both work great. Then add the brown sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Mix everything together until it’s almost smooth. If you see a few lumps of bananas, that’s fine.
Stop the mixer and add the remaining ingredients. Stir until a batter forms. This takes about 30 seconds. You’ll notice that the batter is thick. So it’s a good idea to stop the mixer and scrape the bottom of the bowl. A lot of times, there’s a thin layer of flour clinging to the bottom or sides of the bowl. Mix any flour or other ingredients into the batter before you let it rest.
Let the Batter Rest.
A lot of people believe that after they mix a batter they need to get it into the oven as fast as possible or the muffins won’t rise. This isn’t true. As long as the batter contains double-acting baking powder, the batter can rest. And muffins turn out better if it does.
Let’s quickly talk about double-acting baking powder since it’s the key to letting the batter rest. Unlike baking soda, which releases gas once when it interacts with the acid and liquid in a recipe, double-acting baking powder works twice. It first releases gas when it comes in contact with liquid and then again when it’s heated.
If you’re going to let your batter rest, be sure the label says “double-acting.” The good news is that most do.
Resting batter simply means mixing it, covering the bowl, and waiting a little while before baking. But how long should you wait? Good question.
I’ve found that a 30-minute rest gives you the best results. It’s long enough to allow the starches to soften but not so long that a batch of muffins becomes a day-long task.
But what if you don’t have 30 minutes to wait? For this recipe, it’s fine. The muffins still rise and turn out really well. They might not be as tender but if you’re in a rush, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Prepare and Fill the Muffin Pan.
This recipe makes about 16 standard-size muffins. I say “about” because the size of muffin pans varies depending on the manufacturer. You might get 15 muffins if your pan is large or 18 if it’s smaller.
To prevent the muffins from sticking to the pan, I like to line the pan with paper liners. It makes it so easy to get the muffins out of the pan. If you want to skip the paper liners, grease each muffin cavity lightly with oil to prevent the muffins from sticking. Do this even if your muffin pan is nonstick.
As an added layer of protection from the muffins sticking, I spray the top of the pan with nonstick cooking spray. This way, if the muffin batter overflows, it won’t stick to the top of the pan.
Fill each muffin cup about ⅔ full. I like to use a muffin scoop to do this because it makes the task so quick. If you don’t have one, use a ¼ cup measuring spoon.
Bake Until Brown.
These muffins take about 22 minutes to bake. Baking time varies depending on your oven and the size of the pan. Check the muffins for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. Testing the center is important. The outside of the muffins bake faster than the center. Always aim the toothpick for the very center of the muffin. If you hit the bottom of the pan, you’ve gone too far down.
Since gluten-free baked goods have a slightly denser crumb than wheat baked goods, some folks like to use a thermometer to test for doneness. If you prefer to use a thermometer, you want the temperature to reach 203℉ to 205℉.
Cool on a Rack.
If you learn one thing about gluten-free baking from me, I hope it’s this: use a cooling rack. Hot baked goods contain a lot of steam. And if they’re allowed to cool in the pan, things can get soggy or gummy. There are a few exceptions, like gluten-free coffee cake, but most things do better when cooled on a wire rack.
When the muffins are done, remove the pan from the oven. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about five minutes. Then transfer the hot muffins to a cooling rack. This allows steam to easily escape and keeps the muffins from getting soggy on the bottom.
How to Freeze Gluten-Free Banana Muffins.
Gluten-free muffins freeze really well as long as you follow a few steps.
- Let the muffins cool. You don’t want to freeze warm muffins. When muffins are warm, they contain a lot of extra moisture. If you pop them in the freezer, this moisture turns to ice crystals. When the muffins thaw, you’ll notice they’re soggy and dry. It’s easy to avoid this! Just let the muffins cool completely before you freeze them.
- Use a freezer container. Place the muffins in a freezer bag or container. This keeps them from drying out in the freeze.
- Freeze for up to three months. For the best texture, freeze the muffins for up to three months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, remove the muffins from the freezer. Allow them to thaw at room temperature.
Gluten-Free Banana Muffins
These gluten-free banana muffins are tender, moist, and really easy-to-make. You'll need three large bananas for this recipe. For the best flavor and texture, use overripe bananas. They're sweet and add a
Ingredients
- 3 medium very ripe bananas (about 15 ounces; 425 grams)
- ¾ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar (5 ½ ounces; 155 grams)
- ½ cup oil or (1 stick) butter, melted and slightly cooled (4 ounces; 113 grams)
- 2 large eggs, whisked (about 4 ounces; 113 grams)
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (9 ounces/ 260 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips, optional (3 ounces; 85 grams)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, optional (3 ounces, 85 grams)
Instructions
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In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher. Add brown sugar, oil, and eggs. Add the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined. Add chocolate chips and nuts if using. Fill prepared muffin cups ⅔ with batter.
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Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for 30 minutes. (This step is optional. It makes the muffins more tender and helps them to rise more.)
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Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease or line 16 standard size muffins cups with paper liners.
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Bake for about 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes; remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
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Store, wrapped, on the counter for up to three days or freeze for up to three months.
Recipe Notes
Ingredient Substitutions.
Gluten-Free Flour Blend. If you prefer to mix your own flour, use 1 ¼ cups white rice flour, ½ cup cornstarch, ¼ cup sweet rice, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Whisk together. Use in place of the premade flour blend.
Dark Brown Sugar. Use an equal amount of light brown sugar or granulated sugar. Muffins made with granulated sugar bake up a little lighter than those made with brown sugar.
Eggs. Replace the two eggs with a flax egg. To make it: stir together two tablespoons of ground flaxseed and five tablespoons of hot water. Let the mixture sit for five minutes. It will thicken during this time. Add it to the recipe along with the brown sugar and oil.
Oil. Melted butter is a great substitute for the oil. Melt one stick (4 ounces) of butter and allow it to cool slightly before adding it to the batter.
Katie Fuselier says
These were delicious! Very moist! I used 2 bananas since that is all I had and dairy free chocolate chips,. I substituted 1/2 cup of almond flour (25%) for the gluten free flour. I added a teaspoon of vanilla, avocado oil(chosen foods high heat), and sprinkled turbinado sugar on top prior to baking! These were truly the best we’ve ever had for gluten and dairy free!
The Dreadful Baker says
Not being a baker but a cook, I did the usual screw around with the recipe thing not always with the best results.I added frozen raspberries with a bit of flour on them, cut the entire recipe in half, one banana, had to add an extra egg, used 3/4 cup coconut flour and 1/4 cup almond flour, little bit of walnuts, raisins and shredded coconut. Held my breath and prayed. They came out really weird, ugly, Dark, not raised a whole hell of a lot. Delicious in a very strange way. Don’t do this.
Elizabeth says
To the Dreadful Baker,
This comment delighted me. Coconut flour is why the muffins came out with a weird texture. It absorbs liquids like crazy and prevents rise. (I know because I wrote an entire book that used only coconut and almond flours.) I imagine that the muffins were a bit dense and damp.
Thanks for being a good sport about the ingredient subs.
JM says
I made these for the first time. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out awesome. Even my husband couldn’t tell they were gluten free. The baking time posted was correct for my oven. Thank you for posting.
Allison says
These turned out great. I cut the sugar to 1/2 cup, subbed 1/2cup almond flour and added 1 tsp vanilla. Moist, sweet enough and delicious!
Erinn says
These are absolutely delicious! I cut the sugar back to half cup because that’s all I had left. Added a tsp of vanilla and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. So good, even my kids love them.
Janet DeGraw says
Great recipe! My grandkids gobbled them up. I was surprised by the amount of liquid at first, and thought maybe they’d be a bit mushy – not at all! They are the perfect balance of fully cooked texture with great moistness! Thanks for sharing! The banana flavor rang out beautifully. I’ve been cooking gluten-free since 1989 (yes, 1989), and this is the best banana nut muffin recipe I’ve ever used!
Elizabeth says
Oh, yay!!!
Mary M McCullough says
Great recipe use it exactly as written. So nice to have a recipe come out right.
Jenny L Bergez says
This my second time making these. First time followed the recipe, added walnuts. Perfect!!
This time I made them for a friend with a white sugar allergy who loves chocolate chips. Added Lily’s dark chocolate baking chips (Stevia sweetened) and turned them into minis! 24 mini muffins, adjusted the cook time to 10 minutes and it is exactly right.
I will definitely be experimenting more with recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
GF DF living says
I made these muffins today, using the exact recipe, opting for avocado oil to remain both dairy free and gluten free. The gluten free flour I had on hand was King Arthur’s measure for measure Gluten Free flour. I also added walnuts. These are moist and delicious; they certainly don’t taste gluten free. So happy I found this recipe!
Lisa says
Delish! I added about a half cup of coarse ground almond flour to use up what I had in my pantry and adjusted the gluten free flour accordingly but kept the rest of the ingredients as listed.
I’ll definitely make these muffins again and again. Thanks for the recipe!
Shannon says
I absolutely love this recipe! So easy and delicious!! I make it every time I have some very ripe bananas! Sometimes I add organic vanilla yogurt with the bananas to add to the moistness, but I try not to eat dairy. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Sam says
Just made these to use up some aging bananas on the counter. I added some vanilla and cinnamon (because both flavors play so nicely with banana bread!) and did use mostly white sugar since I had only a few tbsp of brown left. I did what some others suggested and only used 1/2 cup sugar, and they came out AMAZING. Certainly don’t taste gluten- or dairy-free! I’ve already had to promise my toddler one to go with her dinner to get her to stop begging, lol. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Tan Hall says
Love this recipe second time making it. I always have extra batter so I made a mini loaf as well as 15 muffins.
I used walnuts in half
Debbie says
I made them today. They turned out amazing. Only substituted brown sugar for honey. And added a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg. And sprinkled some dried coconut and walnut pieces in top.
Joan Lower says
Awesome recipe! They came out great! My oven only took about 13 minutes. Thank you
Radha Maheshwary says
Can we replace egg
Any other substitute for egg
Want a eggless recepie
Patty says
These turned out wonderfully. The only way I know they are gluten free is in the grainier texture. Great flavor. I used this recipe but for the oil I used coconut. I also added cinnamon and vanilla. Next time I may add a bit more moisture and coconut as I love coconut. Now I want to figure out how to make Mango muffins!
Angela says
These came out perfect!! I used Pillsbury Gluten free flour and baked for 20 mins. I am usually terrible at baking but after trying your biscuits and loving them, I got brave and decided to try these! I might be a baker after all!!! Delicious!!
Sharon Barker says
These are/were excellent. Light and fluffy. Not heavy at all. I just used the walnuts since I like banana muffins to sing their own praises.
KAO says
I’m very new to gluten free baking and this recipe turned out amazing. Fluffy, moist muffins that no one knew were gluten and dairy free. I followed the recipe except reducing the sugar to 1/2 added 1 tsp vanilla and added enjoy life chocolate chips.
MLe says
Super easy, super yummy! We cut the sugar to 1/2 cup and added a 1/4 cup applesauce, substituted a 1/4 cup of tapioca flour in the 1-1 flour and maple extract for vanilla, added walnuts & craisins and finished them off with buttercream frosting. A total home run…half of them are already gone:-) Thank you for sharing!!