These homemade mini gluten free banana muffins are moist, tender and perfect for snacking, just like Little Bites but GF!
What makes these mini gluten free banana muffins special
I love our recipe for classic gluten free banana muffins, but it's just not the same as this recipe, even if you made that recipe in a miniature muffin tin. In that classic recipe, like in our gluten free banana bread, we use mashed bananas in the batter, which means lovely little bits of banana after baking.
We do have lots of recipes for baking gluten free with bananas. Think of cakes, quick breads, and plenty of muffins.
When I'm looking to copycat a packaged product, I always start with the manufacturer's ingredient list. Sometimes, that reveals the smartest ingredient innovations. Like the banana puree that is the very first ingredient on the Entenmann's Little Bites Banana Muffins package.
Pureeing bananas gives these mini gluten free banana muffins a seriously deep banana flavor and even takes the place of some of the fat in the recipe. And if you keep chopped bananas in your freezer at all times like I do (just take ripe bananas, peel and slice them into a large pieces, freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet and then pile into a zip-top bag when they're frozen solid), all you have to do is defrost and puree them and you can have these muffins at a moment's notice.
How to make these mini muffins as standard size
Whenever I share a recipe for something miniature, you ask if you can make the same recipe in a standard size. Of course the answer is yes, but I often have to guess at the proper baking time. Except this time, I tested them as full-sized muffins and I have some tips.
When I made this same recipe, without changing a thing, into a full-sized muffin in a standard 12-cup muffin tin, it only made 9 muffins for me, not 12. That's largely a function of the relative size of my muffin tins, but I thought it was worth mentioning since I'd prefer 12 truly full-sized muffins to 12 skimpy ones.
If your standard muffin tin has wells that are on the smaller side, you may get 12 proper muffins out of this recipe. But if you'd like to be sure, try scaling the recipe up a bit. Here, to make 12 proper muffins, I increased each ingredient like this:
- 200 grams chopped bananas
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (70 g) oil
- 3 eggs (150 g, weighed out of shell)
- 2 tablespoons (42 g) molasses
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour
- 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (45 g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
The recipe instructions are otherwise the same, just with a different balance of ingredients. Enjoy!
Ingredients and substitutions
Since this recipe is already naturally dairy-free, there's no need to have that conversation! Here are my best ideas for how to avoid other potential allergens:
Egg-free: Since there are two eggs in this mini muffins recipe, you should be able to replace each of them with a “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel). Add the chia eggs to the other wet ingredients, and process them as instructed for the eggs.
Cornstarch: If your all purpose gluten free flour is a high-starch blend like Cup4Cup or my mock Cup4Cup, in place of cornstarch, use an equal amount of additional all purpose gluten free flour blend, by weight. If you're using a blend like Better Batter, and you'd like to make your recipe corn-free, you can replace the cornstarch with arrowroot or even potato starch.
Mini Gluten Free Banana Muffins
Ingredients
1 1/2 medium ripe banana, peeled and chopped (150 g)
3 tablespoons (42 g) neutral oil (like grapeseed or vegetable oil)
2 eggs (100 g, weighed out of shell), at room temperature
1 tablespoon (21 g) unsulphured molasses
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (158 g) all purpose gluten free flour (I used Better Batter)
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
1/4 cup (36 g) cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease the wells of a standard 24-cup miniature muffin tin and set it aside.
In a blender or food processor, place the banana, oil, eggs, molasses, and vanilla, and blend or process until smooth. Set the wet ingredients aside. In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar, and whisk to combine well. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients, scraping the inside of the blender or food processor to ensure you are including all of the wet ingredients. Stir to combine. The batter will be thick but smooth. Divide the batter among the prepared wells of the miniature muffin tin, filling each well nearly full. Shake the pan back and forth to even out the batter in each well.
Place the baking tin in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the muffins spring back when pressed gently in the center and they’re lightly golden brown around the edges (about 14 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 5 Â minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Originally published on the blog in 2015. Some photos, video, and some text new; recipe adapted slightly for simplicity and to make naturally dairy-free.
Sonya Simmons says
These are so good! Usually gluten free isn’t appealing to others who don’t have sensitivity, I wouldn’t know these were gluten free if I hadn’t made them myself! The whole family loved them. As you said, they make 9 muffins, perfect size. Picture perfect. This will be my favorite recipe for muffins now.
Thank you
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you so much for letting me know how well they worked out, Sonya! I’m so glad everyone loved them, and I hope you’ll never accept a gluten free recipe that people who aren’t GF won’t eat!
Katie says
If I need to make them two days ahead of time, will they keep? Should I refrigerate them or keep them out? Also, do they freeze well? Thanks!
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Katie, they’ll keep for sure, but I think they’d keep best if you froze them. I don’t like to refrigerate muffins, really, since the refrigerator tends to dry them out. And they freeze great! Just defrost on the counter at room temperature or for a few seconds in the microwave right before serving.
Mary says
Can you substitute applesauce for some of the oil? Have done this with banana bread and had no complaints.
Also, what is the best substitute for at least part of the sugar?
Thank you – cannot wait to try these!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid I really don’t recommend that, Mary, since applesauce isn’t a fat. Maybe you’d prefer one of the Weight Watchers’-style recipes here on the blog?
Julie L says
I discovered these just over the summer when my bananas were ripening at an alarming rate. Now they’re another favorite. I love being able to say, “yes,” when the children ask if they can have one while I’m making dinner; it’s not too much so it won’t spoil their appetite. I was about to make a double batch when I noticed this newly tweaked version- I love making muffins with oil- but a also added a pinch of cardamom and a handful of dried blueberries just to switch things up a bit. I also replaced half of the sugar with lakanto monkfruit sweetener. Another beautiful bin of love from the oven and miles of smiles from the children. Thanks for the video! They are always so helpful!
Helen S. says
Have you ever substituted applesauce for the bananas?
For one reason or another I can no longer eat bananas.
Nicole Hunn says
I really don’t recommend making this recipe with anything other than bananas, Helen. Instead, please have a look around the site (use the search function) for another muffin recipe that suits your needs!
Vicka says
Hi Nicole, this is my daughter’s favorite breakfast, I make it every week! Now I can even make it in standard size (I didn’t make standard because it didn’t come out in 12). For the mini muffin, I notice the banana increased 10g, will it make the batter a bit more liquid? Mine has always been very thick, much thicker than the batter in your video? Thanks.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Vicka, I increased the banana a tiny bit because I changed the amount and type of fat. For me, the consistency of the batter is the same. If yours is thicker, assuming you’re measuring by weight (since you asked about 10 grams more banana!), I’d take a look at your flour blend and whether or not you’re making any substitutions. It could also be the temperature of your ingredients, or how much you’re mixing the batter or letting it sit. But if the recipe is turning out, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. :)
krisit says
I am making these for this Mom’s campout this weekend. There are a bunch of GFers. So the morning will be nice with these. Just a note, I use my hand held mixer (like for smoothies) and puree the bananas in a bowl. Much easier than getting out my food processor or even the blender. These are delish Nikki!!!!
sam says
Great recipe! The first GF one I’ve tried that has been easy with awesome results. I don’t have a mixer & the scale battery is dead so I guestimated with cups & tablespoons, also had to sub some ingredients… And they’re perfect! Thank You. Can’t wait to try more xxx
Lynn Elliott says
We love banana, and that they freeze, but at what point should you not use the banana’s? Some of mine in the freezer look really dark. Thanks for all your wonderful
Recipes.
Nicole Hunn says
Oh yay, Tracy! I can’t wait to hear you how like it!!
Michelle says
I LOVE your banana muffin recipes- the crumb one and the nutella one especially, so I can’t wait to try these! Thank you!!
Nicole Hunn says
I really think you’ll love them, Michelle. I think they might even take first place. :)
Mare Masterson says
I always have banana in the freezer! Now I just need mini muffin pans. I never saw the need for them until this recipe!
Jennifer S. says
beautiful!
Nicole Hunn says
Aw, thanks, Jennifer!!
Liz says
I have all your books in Kindle–they’re awesome! Going to try these banana muffins today. Thanks!
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you, Liz!
Lucy says
Yum, have a few frozen bananas :)
So I ordered the Better Batter flour from the States and picked it up yesterday…yea!
Ordered the book and thermometer from Amazon Canada, won’t arrive until May 7th…say what? Wanted to save a few $$ since the Canadian $ is low, now I’m paying the price….
I should have listened to my old man…
I have a little break today, the fruit trees won’t arrive until late this afternoon. So in the kitchen you’ll find me :)
Kitchen is my domain, my old man can’t boil water to save his life…. this maybe a conspiracy…
Have a great day Nicole :)