EASY Moist Perfect Gluten-Free Banana Muffins

This easy recipe for Moist gluten-free banana muffins for light, fluffy muffins are perfectly sweet without being sugary, making them a great breakfast option or a tasty after-school treat.

This flavorful, moist, gluten-free banana muffin recipe is perfect for a leisurely breakfast or a delicious snack! Also, it’s full of rich banana flavor and perfect for the whole family on a busy morning. We love our gluten-free muffins and quick bread recipes around here such as Easy Moist Gluten-Free Banana Bread or Pumpkin Bread with Maple Icing.

What Makes This Banana Muffin Recipe Special?

• They are light and not too sugary
• Full of rich banana flavor
• Perfect for an after-school snack or lunchbox treat
• Delicious with butter, cream cheese or peanut butter!

Ingredients for Banana Muffins

Full Recipe and Instructions in Recipe Card

2 cups gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour (256 g) (We used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp sea salt

1 rounded cup ripe mashed bananas (about 3 small bananas, 280 g)

1/2 cup (120ml) avocado oil or canola oil

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed (85 g)

2 large eggs

1/4 cup (60ml) milk, dairy or alternative

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Ingredient Notes

Add a 1/2 cup of Chocolate Chips

Add 1/2 Cup of chopped Walnuts

How To Make Gluten-Free Banana Muffins

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a muffin tin with silicone liners and set aside.
2. Combine the dry ingredients (except for the brown sugar) in a large bowl and whisk until evenly dispersed.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until there are no large lumps. Measure out one rounded cup of mashed bananas and discard any excess. Return the mashed banana to the large mixing bowl.
4. Add the wet ingredients – banana mixture (oil, eggs, milk and vanilla extract) and brown sugar to the large bowl with the mashed banana. Whisk together until the brown sugar fully dissolves, and everything is well incorporated.
5. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula. Continue to stir until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
6. Using a 2-ounce scoop or spoon, divide the batter between the paper muffin liners or muffin cups.
7. Place the muffins in the preheated oven and set a timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350 F, leaving the muffins in the oven, and bake for another 15-17 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick in the center of a muffin and have it come out cleanly.
8. Remove the banana muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the muffin tin for at least 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove and store uncovered at room temperature until thoroughly cooled.

Ingredient Notes and Possible Substitutions

• gluten-free 1:1 All-Purpose Flour – Select a gluten-free flour that clearly states on the package that it measures 1:1 with normal flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour. There may be slight variations using a different brand because each brand contains a different ratio of gluten-free flours.
• Mashed Banana – I highly encourage you to weigh or measure this ingredient instead of just mashing 3 bananas and calling it good. Too much banana can make the muffins too dense and moist, while too little can make them dry and lack in flavor and sweetness. One full and rounded cup (about 280 grams) works perfectly in this recipe. If your bananas are not overripe, you will want to add more sugar to compensate.
• Sea Salt – Sea salt is slightly less salty than regular table salt; however, either can be used in this recipe.
• Avocado Oil – I chose avocado oil for this recipe because of its neutral flavor. Feel free to substitute any neutral-flavored cooking oil, melted coconut oil or melted butter for the fat in this recipe.
• Brown Sugar – I used brown sugar in this recipe because gluten-free flour doesn’t brown as well as regular flour when baking and the brown sugar keeps the muffins from looking too pale. You can use regular granulated sugar or coconut sugar (to make thus recipe refined sugar-free) in place of brown sugar. These muffins are lightly sweetened (only ½ cup of sugar and bananas are used to sweeten the whole recipe). You can also add a little more sugar (up to another ½ cup) if you prefer your muffins more cakey and sweet.
• Eggs – I tested flax eggs as an egg replacement and ½ cup of aquafaba from chickpeas. Both work to bind, but I wouldn’t consider either a suitable substitute in this recipe. Both options made the muffins incredibly dense and rubbery.
• Milk – Any dairy milk can work for this recipe
• If you prefer sweeter muffins, you can add up to an additional ½ cup of sugar to the recipe. This will make the muffins more like cake. You could also top them with turbinado sugar for a bakery-style muffin.
• Mix in walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips for added flavor and texture.
• Because this recipe relies on the bananas for a lot of the sweetness, overripe bananas are essential.
• Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop with a release makes for easy and even measuring when scooping the batter into the muffin wells.

Recipe Tips for Gluten-Free Banana Muffins

• These banana muffins are wholesome and lightly sweetened. If you prefer sweeter muffins, you can add up to an additional ½ cup of sugar to the recipe. This will make the muffins more like cake. Also, you could top them with turbinado sugar for a bakery-style muffin.
• Mix in walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips for added flavor and texture.
• Because this banana muffin recipe relies heavily on bananas for sweetness, overripe bananas are essential. If you use lightly spotted or yellow bananas, you will want to add more sugar to compensate. I do not recommend trying this recipe with green or bright yellow bananas.
• Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop with a release makes it easy to measure and even scoop the batter into the muffin wells.
• The ‘ spoon and level ‘ method is best when measuring gluten-free flour (or any flour). This involves spooning the flour from the flour sack into the measuring cup and then leveling it off with the back of a butter knife, so it is not packed. An easy alternative is using a kitchen scale (but ensure it is calibrated!).
• When changing the temperature from 375 F to 350 F, there is no need to open the oven door or remove the muffins from the oven. Keep the muffins in the range and allow them to continue to cook; adjust the temp.
• Dark-colored muffin tins promote faster cooking than lightly colored tin or ceramic muffin pans.
• Allow the muffins to cool fully before placing them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Cooled muffins can be stored in a Ziploc bag on the counter.
• Use over-ripe bananas for optimal sweetness!

Frequently Asked Questions

EASY Moist Perfect Gluten-Free Banana Muffins

Save Recipe Recipe Saved

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

This moist gluten-free banana muffin recipe is perfect for an easy breakfast or a delicious snack! It is full of rich banana flavor and perfect for the whole family on a busy morning!

• Author: Sherie Friedlander
• Prep Time: 10 Minutes
• Cook Time: 20 Minutes
• Total Time: 30 Minutes
• Yield: 12 Muffins 1x
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

2 cups gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour (256 g) (your favorite Gluten-free flour blend)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp sea salt

1 rounded cup mashed bananas (about 3 small bananas, 280 g)

1/2 cup (120ml) avocado oil or canola oil

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed (85 g)

2 large eggs

1/4 cup (60ml) milk, dairy or alternative

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Variations and Favorite Mix-Ins with Banana Muffins

Add a 1/2 cup of Chocolate Chips

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a muffin tin with silicone liners and set aside.
2. Combine the dry ingredients (except for the brown sugar) in a large bowl and whisk until evenly dispersed.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until there are no large lumps. Measure out one rounded cup of mashed bananas and discard any excess. Return the mashed banana to the large mixing bowl.
4. Add the wet ingredients – banana mixture (oil, eggs, milk and vanilla extract) and brown sugar to the large bowl with the mashed banana. Whisk together until the brown sugar fully dissolves and everything is well incorporated.
5. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula. Continue to stir until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
6. Using a 2-ounce scoop or spoon, divide the batter between the paper muffin liners or muffin cups.
7. Place the muffins in the preheated oven and set a timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350 F, leaving the muffins in the oven, and bake for another 15-17 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick in the center of a muffin and have it come out cleanly.
8. Remove the banana muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the muffin tin for at least 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove and store uncovered at room temperature until thoroughly cooled.

Notes

• These muffins are wholesome and lightly sweetened. If you prefer sweeter muffins, you can add up to an additional ½ cup of sugar to the recipe. This will make the muffins more like cake. You could also top them with turbinado sugar for a bakery-style muffin.

  Mix in walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips for added flavor and texture.

  Because this recipe relies on the bananas for a lot of the sweetness, overripe bananas are essential. If you are using bananas that are lightly spotted or yellow, you will want to add a little additional sugar to compensate. I do not recommend trying this recipe with green or bright yellow bananas.

  Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop with a release makes for easy and even measuring when scooping the batter into the muffin wells.

  When measuring gluten-free flour (or any flour for that matter), using the ‘spoon and level’ method is best. This involves spooning the flour from the flour sack into the measuring cup and then leveling if off with the back of a butter knife so it is not packed. An easy alternative is using a kitchen scale (but make sure it is calibrated!).

  When changing the temperature from 375 F to 350 F, there is no need to open the oven door or remove the muffins from the oven. Keep the muffins in the range and allow them to continue to cook, adjust the temp.

  Dark-colored muffin tins will promote faster cooking than lightly colored tin or ceramic muffin pans.

  Allow the muffins to cool fully before placing them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Cooled muffins can be stored in a Ziploc bag on the counter.