Name: Classic Gluten Free Banana Muffins | Easy, One-Bowl Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 1/3 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend ((I used Better Batter)); 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it); 1/3 cup cornstarch; 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled); 3 eggs (at room temperature); 1 cup buttermilk (at room temperature); 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 2 cups mashed ripe bananas ((from about 4 medium to large bananas))

5 from 37 votes

Prep Time : 10 minutes

Cook Time : 20 minutes

Make these gluten free banana muffins for a healthy breakfast, snack, or dessert. You need just one bowl and about 20 minutes to bake these perfect gf banana muffins.

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Moist, tender, and fluffy gluten free banana muffins in the classic style, made with plenty of mashed ripe bananas and buttermilk for the perfect texture.

Best of all, these are also easy gluten free banana muffins. Seriously, for these yummy treats, you only need one bowl and about 20 minutes.

The difference between gluten free banana muffins and gf banana bread

Banana bread is not banana muffins. Either that sounds completely crazy to you, or you're rolling your eyes because it's so obvious. Either way, allow me to explain why I have separate recipes for each, and consider each essential.

My recipe for gluten free banana bread calls for sour cream in the batter. It's a lovely recipe, perfect in its simplicity.

I've been making that banana bread recipe, in one version or another, with nearly-overripe bananas for over a decade. I highly recommend your giving it a try.

But if you want perfect gluten free banana muffins, you can't just use a banana bread recipe and bake the batter in a muffin tin— believe me, gluten free banana bread muffins just don't translate!

There are a few changes you need to make, and they’re worth it for the ideal grab-and-go gluten free breakfast (or lunch, or dessert!)

Why this is a better gluten free banana muffin recipe

This recipe for easy gluten free banana muffins calls for buttermilk, which is considerably thinner than sour cream, of course. Both buttermilk and sour cream will tenderize the heck out of your baked goods, but buttermilk has more liquid.

If you tried to make my already-tender banana bread recipe with buttermilk, it would sort of cave in on itself during baking, and be rather difficult to slice. But muffins, being the miniature quickbreads they are, can handle that extra moisture.

Sometimes when I bake banana muffins, I even place a thin slice of banana baked right on the top of the batter in each well. It adds some extra moisture, so plan to bake the muffins for another couple of minutes. But these little workhorses can handle it!

How to make these gluten free banana muffins—tips and tricks

When I shared my recipe for easy mix-in gluten free muffins, we talked about how that's the perfect “plain” muffin recipe. It can easily handle mix-ins that don't add extra moisture, like raisins and chocolate chips—or even a crumble topping (the best!).

Recipes like this for banana muffins or a blueberry muffin recipe are different, and need their own special recipe. Adding bananas or blueberries just changes the moisture balance a ton.

This recipe is easily made in one bowl. That's part of the reason that it specifies butter that's been melted and cooled, rather than at room temperature.

That allows the wet ingredients to be added one at a time into the dry ingredients. There's no reason for the wet ingredients to be mixed separately first.

Instead, simply place the dry and granulated ingredients (flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar) in a large bowl. Whisk to combine them.

Take a spoon and create a well in the center so that the wet ingredients don't just sit on top when they're added. Then, add the butter, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and mashed bananas.

You'll add those wet ingredients one on top of the other in the well. Mix the batter until it's just combined. It will be thick, but soft.

Use a greased or lined muffin tin for these gf muffins

You can bake these muffins in a tin that is simply greased. I usually prefer to bake muffins in a tin that is lined with greaseproof liners.

The top photo in this post is of the muffins when made without a liner. They bake into a slightly higher dome shape when you use a liner.

Achieving uniformly sized gluten free banana muffins

Making sure that your grain free banana muffins are each the same size is the best way to ensure even cooking — you don't want some to be overcooked and dry while others are still mushy in the middle.

To make sure I fill each muffin cup with the right amount of batter, I use the large-size OXO cookie scoop. You can also use an ice cream scoop or measuring spoon to make sure you divide that batter equally.

Temperature is everything for baking the best gluten free banana muffins

As with all baking, the temperature of your ingredients makes all the difference when making banana muffins. All of your ingredients in this recipe should be at room temperature, or they won’t combine properly.

I’ve only specified the temperature of the wet ingredients like butter, eggs, and buttermilk since those are the ingredients that are stored in the refrigerator to prevent spoiling. The butter in this recipe is melted and then cooled to prevent cooking the eggs.

If you’ve forgotten to leave your eggs out on the counter to warm to room temperature, there’s an easy fix. Just place them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water and allow them to sit for about 15 minutes.

If your buttermilk is cold, try microwaving it in 15-second intervals in the microwave, stirring in between to prevent overheating. If you do overheat the buttermilk, just allow it to cool on the counter for a few minutes until it’s no longer hot to the touch.

Tips about baking with bananas

As long as you have a freezer, never worry about buying too many bananas. Like avocados, bananas ripen and demand to be eaten, or they'll go bad.

But unlike avocados, they can be peeled, sliced and frozen, then stored until you need them. I freeze bananas in a single layer on a lined baking sheet, then pile them into a zip-top bag and return them to the freezer.

Frozen banana chunks are perfect for defrosting to make gluten free banana muffins like these and banana bread. Defrost them on the counter, or in the microwave at 50% power. They'll seem to have a lot more liquid than fresh, mashed bananas, but don't drain them! Just bake with them as is.

Frozen banana chunks make lovely n'ice cream. Don't have any proper, ripe bananas? You can ripen them in a hurry, like this.

Substitutions for the ingredients in these gluten free banana muffins

I've made these muffins dairy-free and corn-free, but never egg-free. Here are my notes and best guesses to help you bake along if you have these other dietary restrictions.

How to make gluten free dairy free banana muffins

To make this recipe dairy-free, you have to replace both the butter and the buttermilk. For the butter, my favorite substitute in this recipe is virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled.

I like triple-filtered coconut oil (I buy mine at Trader Joe's) because it doesn't have any coconut flavor. I love coconut, but that's not the flavor we're going for in this recipe.

For the buttermilk, my favorite way to substitute it is by mixing 1/2 cup (about 130 grams) dairy-free plain yogurt with 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) nondairy milk. In fact, when I don't have buttermilk on hand, that's the dairy substitute I use, and it works great.

Can you make gluten free banana muffins without eggs?

Making this recipe egg-free is a tough one, as there are 3 whole eggs in the recipe. Once a recipe has more than 2 eggs in it, my confidence in the likely success of using an egg replacer decreases.

You can try using one “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel) in place of each egg. I'm honestly just not that optimistic that it will work that well.

Vegan gluten free banana muffins

Follow the above suggestions for replacing the dairy and eggs, and you'll end up with vegan and gluten free banana muffins. However, note that with so much substitution, I can't guarantee these will come out close to the way I make them. You may need to experiment to suit your taste.

How to make gluten free corn free banana muffins

The cornstarch in this recipe is added, rather than just adding more all purpose gluten free flour, because it adds tenderness and lightness to the recipe. It helps keep the muffins tender and not heavy, even though there are 4 mashed bananas in the batter.

You can easily replace the cornstarch with an equal amount of arrowroot. I've also made it with potato starch in place of cornstarch, in a pinch, and had no issues.

If you're using a higher starch flour blend like Cup4Cup, replace the cornstarch with more Cup4Cup. Just measure by weight.

Gluten free banana muffins recipe variations

As with my easy mix-in gluten free (plain) muffins, these gf banana muffins can handle mix ins with no problem, so long as they don't add extra moisture. Here are some of my favorite variations.

Gluten free banana chocolate chip muffins

Is there anything that chocolate chips can't make better? I'm sure there is, but let's not waste time on that.

If you'd like to add a bit of chocolatey goodness to your muffins, reach for those chocolate chips. Add one half of a cup to the batter, but also save some chocolate chips to add to the top of each muffin before popping into the oven.

Gluten free banana nut muffins

When I'm craving nuts in my muffins, I typically turn this recipe into gluten free banana walnut muffins. As with the chocolate chips, I add one half of a cup to the batter and reserve some extras for sprinkling on top.

You can also make these with pecans if they're your nut of choice, or maybe raisins, or maybe something else — let me know if you experiment!

Gluten free banana muffin toppings

I love tons of banana flavor, but when I want classic gluten free banana muffins with just a little something extra, I go for toppings. It's so easy to sprinkle on as much or as little as you'd like, and you can even make plain muffins and topped muffins for a mixed crowd or a little variation throughout the week.

As long as you choose a dry topping, the sky's the limit. Some things I've tried include shredded coconut (interesting flavor combo with the bananas), chopped nuts (walnuts are my favorite), coarse sea salt (not too much, just enough for that zing of flavor), and peanut butter drizzle (when I want a little more sweetness).

Craving a gluten free banana cupcake? Okay, I'll admit these don't have the same consistency as a traditional cupcake, but add just a little bit of vanilla frosting on top, and I promise that you won't mind the difference at all.

Storing your gluten free banana muffins

You can store leftover muffins for up to 10 days, so feel free to make a big batch to enjoy throughout the week.

To store muffins, make sure they're completely cooled first. Transfer them to an airtight container, such as a zip-top bag, and leave on the counter at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you store them in the fridge, they'll keep for up to 10 days.

Freezing gluten free banana muffins

You can freeze muffins for an even longer shelf life ; they'll last about 2 months this way. Wrap each banana gluten free muffin in plastic or aluminum foil to help with freezer burn and prevent sticking, and then store them all in a zip-top bag.

When you're ready for muffins, just leave them on the counter for a few hours to thaw out. If you're in a rush, you can also throw them into the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds each.

FAQs

Are banana muffins gluten free?

They are when you follow my recipe! But if you're following a traditional recipe or buying them premade from the store, the answer is typically no. That's because most recipes use non-gluten free flour.

Can I use frozen bananas in this banana muffin recipe?

Absolutely! Just be sure they're completely thawed before adding them into the mix. Also note that your frozen bananas may exude water as they thaw; throw it and the bananas into the mix to maintain the right level of moisture.

Can I modify this recipe to make gluten free chocolate chip banana muffins?

Of course! It takes just seconds to turn these into gluten free banana chocolate chip muffins — all you have to do is add chocolate chips to the batter.

I like to use about 1/2 cup; it's just the right amount to keep from being overwhelming. I also like to save extra chocolate chips for sprinkling on top for a prettier presentation.

If you don't want too much extra sweetness, consider topping your muffins with a few mini chocolate chips rather than mixing them in. You can also use dairy free chocolate chips if you're avoiding milk.

What's the best gluten free flour for banana muffins?

For my recipe, it's Better Batter classic gluten free flour blend (or my mock Better Batter recipe). I've made these gluten free banana muffins so many times using this blend, and they always come out perfectly!

Can I use a different gluten free flour blend?

For the best results, I highly recommend sticking with Better Batter gluten free flour.

Of course, if you like to experiment, give it a try! A word of caution: I don't recommend using straight coconut flour in this recipe as it absorbs tons of moisture; your muffins will turn out dense and crumbly.

You can try a flour mixture made up of almond flour, coconut flour, and/or oat flour, but it may take a while (if ever) to find the right proportions.

How to make gluten free banana muffins, step by step

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