Soft, chewy, and moist, these Gluten-Free Banana Muffins are made without any flour or refined sugars. For a fun flavor addition, add chocolate chips. This recipe relies on pantry staples and requires no unique ingredients!
Gluten-Free Banana Muffins
After sharing my healthy pumpkin muffins, I knew I had to create a banana version immediately! Those muffins have become wildly popular, and I’m thrilled to share this recipe today, which is similar to the pumpkin muffins: it contains no flour, no butter, and no refined sugars.
These naturally gluten-free banana muffins are made with regular pantry staples, requiring no trips to a specialty health-food store or online purchases. The ingredient list is fairly short; below, I’ve listed the ingredients used in these muffins.
Quick Tip
While the ingredients in Gluten-Free Banana Muffins are naturally gluten free, make sure to check all your ingredient labels to be sure they weren’t processed in a facility with gluten.
Ingredients In Gluten-Free Banana Muffins
- Old Fashioned Oats: Blended to make oat flour for your Gluten-Free Banana Muffins.
- Overripe Bananas: The sweeter the bananas, the sweeter the muffins.
- A Large Egg: Acts as a binder, improving texture and structure.
- Baking Agents: Baking soda and powder for light, fluffy muffins. Make sure your agents are fresh before starting.
- Ground Cinnamon and Salt: Optional, but enhance and balance flavors.
- Vanilla Extract: Optional for a subtle flavor enhancement.
- Coconut Oil: Use a small amount, melted and cooled in these Gluten-free Banana Muffins.
- Pure Maple Syrup: Naturally sweetens and adds nutrients.
- Dark Chocolate Chips: For texture and health benefits; milk or semi-sweet chocolate are alternatives.
How To Make Gluten-Free Banana Muffins
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease 9 muffin tin cavities. Melt and cool coconut oil.
- Blend Oats: Blend 1 cup old-fashioned oats into a fine powder.
- Mash Bananas: Thoroughly mash 2-3 ripe banana.
- Mix Batter: In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, egg, maple syrup, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, cooled coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Stir in blended oats and chocolate chips.
- Bake: Fill muffin tin cavities 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 23-26 minutes until tops are set and edges are lightly browned.
- Cool: Let cool in tin for 5 minutes, then remove Gluten-Free Banana Muffins and place on a cooling rack.
Quick Tip
Make sure to fill the 1 cup measurement of old fashioned oats to the very top. Then level off the top by scraping the backside of a table knife across the top. (There is no need to measure the oats after they’ve been blended and are in powdered form).
Tips For Success
- Grease Tin: Generously grease the muffin tin for easy release. Avoid liners as the batter sticks to them.
- Smooth Batter: Thoroughly mash the bananas to avoid lumps in your Gluten-Free Banana Muffins. For speed, use an electric mixer.
- Extra Chocolate: Add a few extra chocolate chips on top of each muffin before baking.
- Salty Sweet Touch: Optionally, sprinkle Maldon® sea salt flakes on the muffins fresh out of the oven.
Storage
Storage Tips
- Cool muffins completely before wrapping and freezing.
- To freeze: Wrap Gluten-Free Banana Muffins individually in plastic wrap and then place in large freezer bags.
- To thaw: Set out at room temperature, or heat frozen muffins in the microwave.
More Gluten-Free Recipes
- Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
- Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins
- Zucchini Cake
- Gluten Free Apple Muffins
- Gluten Free Brownies
Gluten-Free Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats (not steel cut or quick oats)
- 1 cup very ripe mashed bananas (~2-3 large bananas)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (See Note 1)
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease 9 cavities of a muffin tin. Melt the coconut oil and set aside so it can come back to room temperature (we don't want to add hot oil to the batter).
- BLEND OATS: Fill the 1 cup measure of oats to the very top. Then level off the top by scraping the backside of a table knife across the top. Add the cup of oats to a blender or food processor and blend until the oats resemble flour -- a fine powder. If needed, stir and re-blend to break up larger chunks of oats. Set aside.
- BANANA: Mash 2-3 very ripe bananas in a small bowl with the back of a fork. Mash thoroughly.
- BATTER: Add the mashed banana, egg, maple syrup, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Stir until well combined. Add in the blended oats and stir until combined. Add in the dark chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips and stir again.
- BAKE: Transfer the batter into the prepared muffin tin, adding equal amounts to the 9 cavities; cavities should be about 3/4 filled. If desired, add a few more chocolate chips on top. Bake for 23-26 minutes or until no longer gooey/wet looking on top and lightly browned around the edges (if you lightly touch the muffin, it should spring back). Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before using the tines of a fork to coax the muffins out onto a cooling rack.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just saw these on FG and they look great! I just posted banana oatmeal choc chip cookies today with very little butter. But they do have flour 🙂 Your muffins look awesome! Need to try!
So I am a huge muffin person but never make them! Obviously I needed this recipe. Love that they are flourless! Genius, Chelsea!!
WOW-these muffins are gorgeous! the texture is perfect, I love all those chocolate chips, and the fact that they’re so healthified is amazing! YUM YUM YUMMERS
Love these flourless muffins! They look delicious and perfect for a healthier start to the morning!
These look insanely good! I love baking with oat flour. I am going to have to let my bananas go brown so that I can make these ASAP.
These muffins look amazing! Love that they are flour less!
The Texture of these muffins looks perfect. I can never resist gooey chocolate in a muffin.
These look great– and I happen to have two sad looking bananas on my counter. Still love your flourless oat pumpkin muffins- made a batch or two of them this week and froze some extras. Can’t wait to try these. Thanks!
Ohhh I LOVE those big chunks of chocolate chips inside these cute lil’ muffins! And because they’re on the healthier side, you can have 3 or 4, right ;).
I love this recipe, I made something similar, but I actually used a little flour, and blueberries, but I love all that chocolate, may have to try it your way!