Gluten free banana muffins are a healthy and quick breakfast! Made with simple ingredients, soft, buttery, and spiced with cinnamon. Dairy free option included!
Quicker and easier than my banana bread, these gluten free banana muffins are so delicious! All the flavor of traditional banana bread mixed into an easy to bake muffin that takes half the time.
This recipe is quick and easy, plus it’s really healthy. You can easily make it dairy free. It's my family's favorite way to use up some overripe bananas. It makes for an easy breakfast or delicious snack.
Free from: Wheat, gluten, dairy (optional), casein (optional), soy, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, celery, corn (optional), sesame, mustard, lupin, sulfites, and more
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Why You’ll love these gluten free banana muffins
- Quick and easy recipe with simple ingredients you can find at the local grocery store.
- Super moist and delicious! Even on day 3 and 4 these muffins were soft.
- Easier to make than gluten-free banana bread
Ingredients
Here is a quick look at what you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Bananas - The more ripe your bananas are the better! I like to use bananas with a good amount of spots on them, but they haven’t quite turned all the way dark brown. The more ripe they are, the sweeter the final muffin will be!
- Melted Butter - Melting the butter helps the fats to evenly be distributed in the dry ingredients. I find that melting the butter in gluten free baking keeps the muffins softer and more moist for longer. That’s because the fats of the butter are coating more of the flour, resulting in a fluffier muffin.
- Gluten free flour - There are so many types of gluten-free flour blends available now. I always reach for King Arthur Measure for Measure and get great results. Make sure you use one with xanthan gum. Stay away from using just a single ingredient flour like only rice flour or coconut flour. These muffins are made to be baked with a blended flour.
- You’ll also need: Baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk.
Allergy substitutions
If you are avoiding dairy, you can still make these muffins! Replace the butter for the non-dairy butter of your choice. I love “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” sticks or Earth Balance sticks. Country Crock and Mikoyos also make great plant-based options. No matter what kind you choose, make sure that you use a stick butter as the kind from the tub has a different fat:water ratio.
If you are avoiding corn, make sure that the vanilla extract and baking powder are corn free.
Instructions
For the full instructions, complete with measurements, please see the recipe card below!
Start by preheating your oven to 425F and lining a muffin tray with muffin cups. I find that parchment paper liners are the best for gluten free baking as they don’t stick!
In a large bowl, mash your bananas with a fork or potato masher. Set those aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk and sift together the dry ingredients: Gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set this aside while you mix up the wet ingredients.
In a medium to large bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk.
Tip! If you need a great way to warm up a couple of eggs to room temperature quickly, place the eggs in the shells in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. That should gently warm the eggs right up!
Now it’s time to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Carefully add the dry to the wet. I like to start with the whisk and then switch to a spatula at this point so that I can scrape the sides of the bowl as I’m mixing.
Transfer the batter to your prepared muffin tray and fill each about ¾ of the way full. I like to use an ice cream scoop so I know all my muffins are the same size.
Using a trick I learned from Sally’s Baking, we first bake these at a high temperature of 425F. This helps the batter to rise up in the muffin tin. Then we lower the temperature to 350F and bake longer to cook the muffin. This technique makes for the best high rise muffins!
The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into them comes out clean.
Let the muffins rest for 5 minutes in the hot tray, then let them cool on a wire rack until fully cooled.
As with all things gluten free, these are best and won’t stick to the paper after they are completely cooled!
Enjoy!
Variations
These banana muffins are perfect for adding in some mix-ins for bonus flavors. Some easy ideas are:
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup walnuts or almonds
- 1 cup blueberries
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of oats on top of each muffin before baking
- Add in 3 tablespoons of almond butter or sunflower seed butter to the wet ingredients for a protein boost!
FAQ
Can you make these refined sugar free?
While I haven’t made them this way, I believe using a raw sugar (turbino sugar) or a coconut sugar would work in these muffins. I don’t recommend using pure maple syrup as that is a liquid and not a sugar like brown sugar.
Can you make these dairy free?
Yes! Use your favorite plant-based butter of choice to substitute the dairy butter. In place of milk, use your favorite non-dairy milk. Fun fact, for these photos, I used rice milk in the recipe!
Can I make mini muffins with this recipe?
Yes! Use a mini muffin pan and line with small muffin liners. Bake at just 350F for 12-14 minutes.
How to Store
These muffins last a long time thanks to the combo of banana and butter!
Countertop: Store muffins in an airtight container on the countertop for 3 days.
Fridge: Store muffins in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Store muffins in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Allow them 12 hours in the fridge to defrost before serving.
More muffin recipes to love
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Recipe
Equipment
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- mixing bowls
- mixing spoons
- whisk
- Spatula
- Muffin liners
- muffin tray
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 bananas mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
- 8 tablespoons butter melted
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons milk of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a 12 count muffin tray with liners or spray with a nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher. Add the remaining wet ingredients of the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Now, add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined. I like to use a spatula to really make sure the sides and bottom of the bowl have incorporated all the ingredients.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared liners and fill ¾ to almost full.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, without removing the muffins from the oven, turn the oven temperature to 350°F and set the timer for 18-20 minutes. Don’t open the oven door and don’t remove the muffins from the oven once they go in until you are ready to test them for doneness.
- Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center pulls out clean.
- Let the muffins rest in the hot tray for 5 minutes before removing them and letting them finish cooling on a wire rack.
- Enjoy!
Notes
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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