Ingredient Notes

A complete list of ingredients and precise amounts can be found in the recipe card below. Here are some specific notes and tips to help you select the best ingredients for these outstanding gluten-free banana muffins.

• Rolled Oats: Oats are naturally gluten-free, but they are often processed in facilities that also handle gluten-containing grains. This can lead to cross-contamination. If you are baking for someone with celiac disease or a severe gluten sensitivity, it is absolutely essential to use certified gluten-free oats to ensure these muffins remain safe and truly gluten-free.
• Almond Flour: We use blanched almond flour for its fine texture and moisture-retaining qualities, which contribute to the muffins’ fluffy crumb. Ensure you’re using almond flour, not almond meal, which is coarser and can result in a different texture.
• Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend: The specific blend you use can impact the final texture (more on this below!). We’ve tested this recipe with several popular brands, and it works wonderfully. Look for a blend designed for “all-purpose” baking or “1:1 replacement” for best results.
• Maple Syrup: This is our star natural sweetener. Always opt for pure maple syrup – the real deal from maple trees. Imitation syrups are often loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors, which will compromise both the taste and the health benefits of your muffins.
• Mashed Bananas: The riper your bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your muffins will be. I personally love using previously frozen, then thawed, very ripe bananas. Freezing bananas tends to intensify their sweetness and makes them incredibly easy to mash, adding more liquid and concentrated banana flavor to the batter. If you don’t have frozen bananas, simply use extra ripe, spotty bananas straight from your counter. The darker the spots, the better!
• Coconut Oil: We use melted coconut oil as our fat source. It adds a subtle richness and contributes to the moist texture. Make sure it’s melted but not hot, as hot oil can cook the eggs.
• Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature. Room temperature eggs emulsify better with other ingredients, leading to a smoother batter and a more uniform, tender crumb in your baked goods. To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes.

Clean food tip:
For the purest and healthiest muffins, I highly recommend choosing organic ingredients wherever possible. Specifically, organic rolled oats, organic almond flour, and an organic gluten-free flour blend are excellent choices. Many non-organic grains and flours are known to contain residues of toxic herbicides and/or pesticides, and choosing organic helps minimize your exposure to these unwanted chemicals.

Substitutions, Variations, & Mix-ins

One of the joys of baking is being able to adapt recipes to your preferences or what you have on hand. These gluten-free banana muffins are incredibly versatile, allowing for a variety of delicious twists and dietary adjustments:

To make vegan: These muffins can easily be made vegan! Simply use an egg substitute, such as flax-eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water per egg, let sit for 5 minutes until gelled), in place of the chicken eggs. This will ensure your muffins are entirely plant-based while maintaining a great texture.

Don’t have coconut oil on hand? No problem! You can easily substitute the melted coconut oil with another neutral-flavored liquid oil. Avocado oil is an excellent choice due to its mild taste and high smoke point. Extra-virgin olive oil can also work, but be mindful that it might impart a slightly more noticeable flavor, so choose a light-tasting variety.

Add chocolate chips: Transform these into irresistible banana chocolate chip muffins by folding in 1 cup of your favorite chocolate chips (dairy-free if needed!) into the batter at the very end. The combination of sweet banana and rich chocolate is always a winner.

Add walnuts or pecans: If you’re a fan of classic banana nut muffins, this is the perfect opportunity to customize! Stir in ¾ cup of your preferred chopped nuts – banana walnut muffins are always my top pick for their hearty texture and earthy flavor, but pecans are equally delicious. Toasting the nuts lightly before adding them can enhance their flavor.

Add blueberries: For a delightful fruity twist, add 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries (no need to thaw) into the batter. The sweet and slightly tart notes of blueberries perfectly complement the rich banana flavor, creating delicious banana blueberry muffins.

Step 1: Begin by preheating your oven to 350-degrees F (175°C) and lightly greasing or lining a 12-cup muffin pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine all your dry ingredients: almond flour, rolled oats, gluten-free all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and fine sea salt. Whisk them together until thoroughly combined, then push the ingredients off to the side, creating a clear well in the center of the bowl. This method helps prevent overmixing.

Step 2: Into the well you’ve created in the dry ingredients, add all your wet ingredients: the melted coconut oil, room temperature eggs, pure maple syrup, and the very ripe mashed bananas. Ensuring the eggs are at room temperature will help them integrate seamlessly into the batter.

Step 3: Using a whisk or a fork, gently mix the wet ingredients together in the center of the well. This initial mix helps to combine the liquids and bananas before they fully interact with the flour, ensuring even distribution of flavors and leavening agents.

Step 4: Once the wet ingredients are well combined, gradually fold them into the dry ingredients. Mix everything together just until no streaks of dry flour remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough muffins. A few small lumps are perfectly fine and even desirable for a tender crumb.

Step 5: Evenly divide the muffin batter among the prepared 12-cup muffin pan. For perfectly uniform muffins and beautiful round tops, I highly recommend using a spring-loaded cookie scoop. Alternatively, a measuring cup or a large spoon works just fine.

Step 6: Bake at 350-degrees F (175°C) for 20-22 minutes. The muffins are ready when a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Let them cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy your homemade, deliciously fluffy gluten-free banana muffins!

Expert Tips & Notes for the Best Banana Muffins

Achieving bakery-quality gluten-free banana muffins is easier than you think with these expert tips and tricks:

Embrace Very Ripe Bananas: This is arguably the most crucial tip for exceptional banana flavor and natural sweetness. Always use previously frozen, thawed bananas or those with plenty of brown spots from your counter. The riper the bananas, the more concentrated and sweet their flavor will be, which translates directly to a more delicious muffin. This principle applies to other banana-based recipes too, like my protein banana muffins, where ripe bananas also enhance moisture.

Master Flour Measurement: Incorrect flour measurement is a common culprit for dry muffins. To avoid this, use the “spoon and level” method: gently spoon the gluten-free flour into your measuring cup until it’s overflowing, then level it off with the back of a knife or a straight edge. Never scoop the flour directly from the bag with your measuring cup, as this compacts the flour and can result in using too much, leading to dense, dry muffins.

Achieve Perfect Muffin Tops: For beautifully domed, perfectly round muffin tops, a spring-loaded cookie scoop (approx. 4 tablespoons or 60ml capacity) is your best friend. It helps you portion the batter consistently into each muffin cup, leading to uniform size and that desirable rounded top. If you prefer even larger, bakery-style muffins, make only 8 muffins instead of 12, filling each cup almost to the top. For that extra special touch, sprinkle each top with a little bit of organic cane sugar before baking to create a delightful crunchy crust.

Don’t Overmix the Batter: Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix them only until they are just incorporated and no streaks of dry flour are visible. Overmixing develops gluten (even in gluten-free flours, some blends contain ingredients that can become tough when overworked) and will result in dense, chewy muffins instead of light and fluffy ones.

Cooling is Key: While it’s tempting to dive right into warm muffins, allowing them to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack is crucial. This helps them set properly and prevents them from getting soggy on the bottom. Cooling completely on a wire rack allows air to circulate, maintaining their texture.

Turn into Banana Bread Loaf: This versatile muffin recipe can easily be adapted for a loaf pan! Simply pour and spread the batter into an 8×4 inch loaf pan that has been greased and lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350-degrees F (175°C) for 40-50 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Baking time will vary, so keep an eye on it!

I have personally tested these gluten-free banana muffins with quite a few different blends, including popular options like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, Namaste Foods Organic Perfect Flour Blend, and King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour. They all yielded great results! Because of the robust combination of almond flour and rolled oats in addition to the all-purpose blend, this recipe is quite adaptable, and most reputable gluten-free flour blends should work well for these delicious gluten-free banana muffins.

Absolutely, yes! I actually prefer using previously frozen bananas because they tend to be sweeter and release more liquid when thawed, which adds extra moisture and banana flavor to the muffins. You can either freeze peeled and sliced bananas in a freezer bag or simply freeze whole, unpeeled ripe bananas. When you’re ready to bake, thaw them in the microwave for a minute or two, or on the counter until soft enough to mash.

If you only have green or slightly yellow bananas but want to make muffins now, you have a few options:

• Oven Method: Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake at 300°F (150°C) for 15-30 minutes, or until the peels turn completely black and the bananas are soft. Let them cool before mashing.
• Paper Bag Method: Place bananas in a paper bag with an apple or tomato (which release ethylene gas) and seal it. This will speed up ripening significantly, usually within 1-2 days.

Yes, this recipe is naturally dairy-free! We use coconut oil instead of butter and no other dairy products. This makes them suitable for those with dairy sensitivities or allergies.

Absolutely! While the recipe calls for greasing the muffin pan, using paper or silicone muffin liners is a great way to ensure easy removal and quick cleanup. Just make sure to lightly grease the liners themselves if they’re paper, especially for gluten-free recipes, as sometimes the batter can stick slightly.