This popular gluten-free banana muffin recipe is the BEST around! With the golden tops and fluffy middles, you’d never know they’re gluten-free and dairy-free!
I don’t know what it is about buying bananas, but I feel like I have never guessed the correct number we need a week in my life.
Some weeks, we FLY through bananas in a few days, and everyone’s begging for more. (“Why don’t we have more bananas!?”) Other weeks, I feel like the bunch I bought has somehow doubled, and they are all spotty because no one ate a single one all week. (“Why are there SO MANY bananas?!”)
There is no in-between at my house. It’s Eat All The Bananas or No One Eats Any Bananas. Anyone else?
Thank goodness for the best banana muffins. This simple one bowl banana muffin recipe couldn’t be easier, and it’s one of my favorite ways to use the overripe bananas staring me down on the counter.
With their golden tops, soft fluffy middles, and the perfect amount of banana flavor, these gluten-free banana muffins make delicious snacks, an easy breakfast for busy mornings, or tuck nicely into packed lunches.
Here’s what I put in my gluten-free banana oatmeal muffins that makes them taste so incredible…
Start With Simple Ingredients
- Ripe Bananas. This ultra-moist gluten-free banana muffins recipe uses 3 ripe bananas, which makes it such a great way to use up all the ripe ones on your counter. All those ripe bananas will give these muffins amazing flavor and texture., so you want them fully ripe with plenty of brown spots for this recipe.
- Coconut Oil or Melted Butter. Thanks to the three bananas in these moist banana muffins, you only need a little additional fat in this recipe. I usually use melted coconut oil, or you can swap in melted butter/vegan butter for these muffins. It all works!
- Pure Maple Syrup. A little maple syrup gives these delicious banana muffins a perfect gentle sweetness without refined sugar.
- Almond Milk (Or Your Favorite). I usually use almond milk here, but feel free to use whatever your family drinks!
- Eggs. A couple of eggs help give your banana muffins plenty of puff and stretch.
- Vanilla Extract & Cinnamon. I like plenty of pure vanilla extract in my banana muffins. For a more traditional banana bread flavor I also add cinnamon.
- Gluten-Free Flour. There are lots of different gluten-free flour blends out there to choose from, but for my gluten-free banana muffin recipe, you’ll want to be sure you’re using an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. (These kinds of blends are often labeled 1:1, measure-for-measure, or cup-for-cup.) I highly recommend King Arthur Flour measure-for-measure gluten-free flour for this recipe since has a light, fluffy, golden finish and no weird aftertaste. My second fave is this one from Bob’s Red Mill, and my third pick is Cup4Cup. Don’t substitute almond flour, oat flour, or coconut flour here, as they won’t work the same.
- Baking Soda + Salt. To finish off the dry ingredients, you’ll use a mix of baking soda and salt. The flavors feel beautifully balanced and that light, fluffy texture is tough to beat!
- Quick Oats. I stir a few quick oats into my gluten-free banana muffin recipe (they add some substance while still keeping the muffins light), and then add a few on top right before they go into the oven to make them pretty.
- Mix-Ins (If You Want). These gluten-free muffins are tasty enough to stand on their own, but there are lots of ways you can change up this recipe with mix-ins, flavor twists, and toppings, like…
THE BEST GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR FOR GLUTEN-FREE BANANA MUFFINS: My all-time favorite gluten-free flour for muffins is King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure flour. It’s light, fluffy, and browns beautifully. My second favorite is Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour. If you use other brands, know that your results may vary slightly.
How To Make Healthy Banana Muffins, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with parchment muffin cup liners or grease muffin cups.
- Combine Wet Ingredients. In a food processor (or stand mixer), combine bananas, coconut oil, syrup, almond milk, eggs, and vanilla. Puree until smooth.
- Mix In Dry Ingredients. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the wet ingredients. Pulse until just combined. Use a spatula to fold in 1/2 oats and stir in mix-ins (if using).
- Scoop Muffin Batter. Then, scoop or spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them most of the way full. If desired, sprinkle them with a few quick oats on top.
- Bake muffins at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Allow muffins to cool 1-2 minutes in the muffin pan before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling down.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy right away, or store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator or a freeze in a freezer bag up to 2 months, for best results.
Our Favorite Mix-Ins & Variations To Try
- ADD CHOCOLATE CHIPS. My go-to variation on these banana muffins is to add chocolate chips to the muffin batter. Or you can try my slightly different banana chocolate chip muffin recipe here.
- TRY CHOPPED NUTS. If you like nuts in your banana bread, try adding 3/4-1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans to these gluten-free banana muffins. It’s DELICIOUS!
- STIR IN BLUEBERRIES. Or, experiment by making banana blueberry muffins! Add 3/4-1 cup fresh blueberries to the batter.
- DRIZZLE WITH PEANUT BUTTER. When I eat gluten-free banana oatmeal muffins for breakfast, I love drizzling or spreading a little peanut butter on top. It makes them a more filling option and the combination of banana + peanut butter is one of my favorites! (Almond butter also works!)
- ADD A FEW DROPS OF ALMOND EXTRACT. One of my favorite variations is to skip the cinnamon and add 1/2-1 tsp. almond extract along with the vanilla. It’s DELICIOUS!
- TRY THEM WITH CHAI SPICE. Swap out the cinnamon for a little of our chai spice mix. It adds a warm depth of flavor that’s delicious!
FAQ + Tips & Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Banana Muffins
THE BEST MUFFIN LINERS EVER. Every time I share a muffin recipe, I share these parchment muffin cup liners. They are THE MOST nonstick liners ever. It’s rare that my muffins stick at all with these. If you use other paper liners, you may want to spray or mist them with spray oil first to help your muffins come out easily. Or…
OR, TRY THIS COMPLETELY NONSTICK MUFFIN PAN. Or, if you prefer to skip muffin liners, this silicone muffin pan is our favorite. The sides of your gluten-free banana oatmeal muffins won’t get quite as golden as they would in a metal pan, but they’ll pop right out of the muffin cups when they’re done baking!
A TIP FOR PRETTY BANANA MUFFINS. Any time I’m making muffins with toppings or mix-ins, I set aside a few tablespoons of the mix-ins (chocolate chips, nuts, etc.) to put on the muffins right before baking. That way they look extra pretty when they come out of the oven. It’s a simple trick, but that’s how so many bloggers and bakers make their muffins look so pretty!
CAN YOU USE FROZEN BANANAS FOR BANANA MUFFINS? Yes! I use this method to freeze bananas for baking, smoothies, and more, and they work really well here! It’s best to let the bananas thaw before baking with them. They will likely seep a bit of liquid. You can add it right along with the recipe or drain it off. Your choice!
Or, go for Peanut Butter Banana Muffins, Banana Streusel Muffins, or these Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Gluten-Free Banana Muffins recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Gluten-Free Banana Muffins
Ingredients
For The Wet Ingredients:
- 3 ripe bananas they should be very spotty!, cut into chunks
- 1/3 cup coconut oil melted (can sub melted butter, or vegan butter)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup almond milk or your favorite milk
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For The Dry Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cup gluten-free measure-for-measure flour* (210 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats, certified gluten-free as needed (+1-2 Tbsp. for the tops, if desired) (45 grams)
- Optional Mix-Ins: 3/4-1 cup chocolate chips or chopped nuts
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with parchment muffin cup liners or grease muffin cups.
- Combine Wet Ingredients. In a food processor (or stand mixer), combine bananas, coconut oil, syrup, almond milk, eggs, and vanilla. Puree until smooth.
- Mix In Dry Ingredients. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the wet ingredients. Pulse until just combined. Use a spatula to fold in 1/2 oats and stir in mix-ins (if using).
- Scoop Muffin Batter. Then, scoop or spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them most of the way full. If desired, sprinkle them with a few quick oats on top.
- Bake muffins at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Allow muffins to cool 1-2 minutes in the muffin pan before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling down.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy right away, or store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator or a freeze in a freezer bag up to 2 months, for best results.
Notes
- Gluten-Free Flour. I highly recommend King Arthur Baking Measure-For Measure Gluten-Free Flour Blend for this recipe. My second favorite is Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. If you use another gluten-free flour blend, be sure it contains xanthan gum. Do not use coconut flour or almond flour for this recipe.
- Measure Carefully. For best results, we recommend weighing your flour on a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, use the scoop & level method. Fluff the flour with a fork, then spoon the flour into the measuring cups and level them off with the back of a knife to avoid packing extra flour into the measuring cups.
- Bananas. 3 bananas = about 1 cup mashed banana!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/gluten-free-banana-muffins/
It’s so hard finding gluten free recipes that my whole family can enjoy, but I made these for my family yesterday morning and everyone loved them! My family had eaten all of them by the time I went for seconds, which never happens when I bake gluten free! I’m going to make them again today or tomorrow, and was wondering if I made a double batch if I could freeze some of the batter? These are definitely a new family favorite. Thank you!
I’m so glad they were all a win for you! I often double the batch, but I recommend freezing the baked muffins rather than freezing the batter. 🙂 Stored in an airtight container, the muffins should keep in the freezer at least 1 month!
This recipe sounded great until I got down to the oats. Have you ever tried making the muffins without the oats?
You may prefer one of our other banana muffin recipes (I linked several right above the recipe card.)
Or, you can give them a try without the oats. They do absorb some of the liquid, so I’m not sure if you’d need to add an extra little bit of flour. It’s something you’d need to experiment with if you want to adapt the recipe.
I made them without the oats and with Lactose free cow milk. They turned out very good! So go on – experiment and enjoy 🙂 good luck!
It is a wonderful recipe, easy and the muffins are so fluffy!!! I added Monk Fruit Sweetened Pancake Syrup instead of Maple and they came out perfectly!
So glad you loved them Cris!
I couldn’t find my quick oats but I had a crunchy peanut butter granola bar that was mostly oats so I ground it up in a food processor. Not sure how it will really turn out but let’s hope for yummy.
This looks like a great recipe and I would love to try it! Do you think I could use the same batter and bake it in a loaf pan?
That’s a great question! I haven’t baked it this way, but it might work in a large loaf pan, though you’ll definitely need to play with the baking time. I wouldn’t fill your loaf pan more than 3/4 full so it doesn’t overflow 🙂
It tastes good but mine didn’t rise. I don’t k ow what I did wrong. Any idea?
Hey there! I’m so sorry you ran into trouble. It sounds like your leaveners might not be fresh. You can check with this test. Other things to look at would be to make sure you measured your flour correctly and that your oven is fully preheated before baking. I’m cheering for you!
Did you use King Arthur flour blend? I didn’t and added 2 t. baking powder just in case it was part of that blend. A critical success factor in GF baking is adequate leavening in the absence of gluten.
OMG, what an amazing recipe! Delicious, quick, done in a food processor! A lot of recipes say they’re quick but they’re not. This one IS, and the cleanup is fast.🥳 🎉 I did what I usually do, I added a teaspoon of psyllium husk and a teaspoon of flaxseed meal. I find it contributes to a great crumb. I also topped each muffin with blueberries and a half pecan. Yum!
Ann you completely made my day with this review!!! THANK YOU!!!
These are perfect! Omg! we used food processor to chop walnuts so they were evenly distributed in the muffins. So good! Thanks for this recipe.
YUM! So glad you loved them as much as we do!
This recipe was so easy to follow and mess free ! I made these with the bobs red mill 1to1 flour and they turned out amazing. I didn’t add the oats because I didn’t have any on hand but added in walnuts and chocolate chips instead. I’m giving this recipe 10/10 and will be making them again!
Veronica – Aren’t mess-free recipes the BEST!? I’m so glad you enjoyed these as much as we do!
These taste great but mine still turned out a bit wet on the inside. I used 3 bananas like stated but maybe they were too big?
That’s my guess! When that happens to me, I just add an extra minute or two to the bake time and they work like a charm!
I baked them for an extra 8mins but didn’t want to burn the outside of them. Next time I’ll try smaller bananas or less than 3 if they are larger. Thank you so much!