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These Gluten-Free Banana Muffins are a great way to use up any ripe bananas you have on hand, and have an unbelievably fluffy texture! They are inspired by my popular Gluten-Free Banana Bread, so this recipe is also oil-free and vegan.
How to Make the Best Gluten-free Banana Muffins
If you’ve tried gluten-free baking before, you may have noticed that gluten-free flour blends can create baked goods with a slightly “gummy” texture. Most people who eat traditional muffins can tell a difference when eating a gluten-free one. My goal with this recipe is to make them taste like the real thing!
I do that by using a mix of almond butter and a gluten-free flour blend. Nut butters can act as a flour replacement in baking (try my Flourless Peanut Butter Muffins if you don’t believe me), so adding it here works as a source of healthy fat and added fiber.
Don’t be tempted to swap the almond butter for something like real butter or oil, as you’ll be missing out on the necessary fiber that it adds to the recipe. You can replace it with peanut butter or sunflower seed butter, if you prefer.
You can make these muffins as-is, or sprinkle some extra add-ins over the top. My kids love it when I add a few mini chocolate chips, but for a sugar-free option try adding in some chopped walnuts or pecans.
The texture of these muffins is unbelievable. They are super fluffy, and will leave you feeling satisfied for hours thanks to the extra fiber and healthy fat.
Can You Use Frozen Bananas for Baking?
If you only have frozen bananas on hand, you can definitely use those instead of fresh ones. You must thaw them first, and keep in mind that they will release a liquid as they melt– but don’t discard that!
Thawed frozen bananas will look mushy and unappealing, but they will taste taste great in this recipe. (Check out my How to Freeze Bananas tutorial if you need any tips on freezing them properly.) Add the mushy banana, along with any liquid they release, into the mixing bowl and continue as directed.
Which is the Best Gluten-Free Flour?
My favorite gluten-free flour so far is King Arthur’s gluten-free all-purpose flour. (Not to be confused with their cup-for-cup blend, which I don’t like quite as much.) It has the least noticeable “gluten-free flour” taste to me, with no xanthum gum, and it’s also widely available. I bought my most recent bag at Target!
I’ve also tested this recipe wtih Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour blend. The raw batter didn’t taste as good to me in that batch, but the baked muffins were still totally delicious.
Having tested this recipe with two different brands of gluten-free flour, I’m fairly confident that any other dedicated gluten-free flour blend will work well in this recipe. (I have not tested this recipe with a single flour, like oat flour or almond flour yet, but I will report back if I do. I have a feeling that it will work better with the blend, as written.)
These Gluten-Free Banana Muffins are egg-free and oil-free, so they are naturally vegan. Try using sunflower seed butter or tahini if you need to make them nut-free, too. I hope you’ll enjoy them!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 3 large ripe bananas)
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar (or other granulated sugar)
- 1/2 cup all-natural almond butter (no salt added)
- 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour (I use King Arthur's brand)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with 12 muffin cups.
- In a large bowl, combine the mashed banana, sugar, almond butter, flour, baking powder, vanilla, and salt and stir well until the batter is relatively smooth. (You can do this in a food processor, if you want an ultra-smooth batter with no chunks of banana, but I usually just stir it together by hand.)
- Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups, using roughly a scant 1/4 cup measure. The cups should be only 1/2-3/4 of the way full. Bake at 350ºF until the muffins rise and feel firm to a light touch in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Let the muffins cool completely, then enjoy. You can store these muffins at room temperature for up to 2 days, but they will dry out over time, so I recommend keeping them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, instead. They also freeze well if you want to make extra!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is for 1 muffin. This information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, so it’s just an estimate and not a guarantee. For more accurate results, use the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Banana Recipes
If you need more ways to use up your ripe bananas, try one of the following recipes. They are a hit in my home, so I hope you’ll enjoy them, too!
- Banana Ice Cream
- Vegan & Gluten-Free Banana Bread
- Almond Flour Banana Bread
- Coconut Flour Banana Bread
- Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
- Banana Egg Pancakes
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think! And if you try something different, I’d love to hear how that works out for you, too. We can all benefit from your experience!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite muffin flavor? Let me know if you have any requests!
These are THE best muffins ever! My cousin and I inhaled these that we had to make a 4th batch. I doubled the recipe and had no issues. They came back perfect and absolutely delicious. I did sub coconut sugar with regular sugar and almond butter with peanut butter
Swapped the coconut sugar for a scoop of protein powder and collagen (and have simply omitted without swapping) and it turns out great every time. My son is allergic to eggs and gluten so am greatful for this recipe.
Thank you for this AMAZING recipe! Hands down, the BEST GF, vegan banana muffin recipe!! I substituted the coconut sugar with 2 TBS of honey and a little milk. It was plenty sweet for us. A solid 10/10!
I made these muffins for my son who has major digestive issues. He says they are great. I do have one question, can I sub berries for the chocolate chips? Just for some change. I am just learning how to make things he can eat so any suggestions would be great. Thank you…Debbie
These are literally incredible! I’ve also made with peanut butter and worked great. Thank you for another great recipe
I’m pretty sure this is the best recipe I’ve made so far on my gluten free journey. Instead of muffins I made mini loaves and baked for about 22 minutes, I added chocolate chips, and I used the Bob Mills 1 to 1 and they are absolutely delicious. I’ve tried many of your recipes and they always turn out great. The use of coconut sugar and almond butter has been so great. Thank you for this little gluten free corner of the internet!