Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

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These light, fluffy, gluten-free banana muffins are nutritious and totally decadent. The bananas provide natural sweetness while the addition of dark chocolate chips makes these muffins feel like you’re indulging in dessert! Kid-friendly and super easy to make too!

These healthy gluten-free chocolate chip banana muffins are moist, fluffy, and super family-friendly! Ripe bananas, cinnamon, and nutmeg offer lots of flavor and a combination of walnuts and almonds adds crunch, texture, healthy fats, and protein, for an all-around nutritious snack or breakfast.

Most muffins are high in calories, and fat, and have loads of added sugar. But this healthy gf banana muffins recipe is sweet and chocolatey but is made with gluten-free flour and a small amount of brown sugar, making them a low-calorie, high-fiber baked good.

They’re a great option for busy mornings, or when you need a healthy snack with minimal effort. If you love baking with bananas, be sure to try my gluten-free chocolate chip banana bread too!

👩🏽‍🍳  Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Banana Muffins Recipe

• Uses Ripe Bananas: If you have a few ripe bananas on your counter, this recipe is a great way to use them. Avoid food waste by baking up these moist gluten-free banana muffins.
• Take Muffins On-The-Go: This recipe has all the flavors of banana bread with the convenience of no slicing with individual servings ready for an on-the-go easy breakfast, lunchboxes, or a healthy dessert. Make a double batch of muffins to have a delicious snack all week long.
• Lower-Sugar: This gluten-free banana muffin recipe has lots of natural sweetness from the ripe bananas so just a small amount of brown sugar is used, making these lower-sugar muffins perfect for guilt-free snacking while still satisfying your sweet tooth. 
• Moist: Gluten-free banana nut muffins are perfect for anyone with gluten intolerance, but the bananas and egg add moisture and a lovely fluffy texture that makes them taste just like bakery-bought muffins, so everyone will enjoy them! 
• Kid-Friendly: Kids will love the sweetness of the bananas, brown sugar, and chocolate chips. As an added bonus, these muffins will give them a dose of whole grains without them even realizing it!

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🥘 Ingredients

This easy recipe for gluten free banana muffins calls for simple ingredients that can be found at most grocery stores. For the full recipe and exact ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below!

• Overripe Bananas: You want extra ripe bananas with lots of brown spots! Overripe bananas give the best flavor and provide a natural sweetness.
• Chocolate Chips: I like using mini dark chocolate chips that are 70% cacao. You can also use semisweet chocolate chips or non-mini chip varieties.
• Gluten-Free Flour: A 1:1 replacement for all purpose flour – use your favorite gluten-free flour blend, gluten free oat flour, or a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that includes xanthan gum such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
• Unsalted Butter: Just a small amount of melted butter adds moisture to this recipe. To make gluten free vegan banana muffins, see our dietary adaptations section below!
• Brown Sugar: Brown sugar makes these easy gluten-free banana muffins sweet and adds a molasses flavor not found in traditional muffins with white sugar. Light-brown or dark-brown sugar can be used, pack the sugar into the measuring cup.
• Egg: Helps to make these gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffins rise and gives them a nice moist and fluffy crumb, use at room temperature.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds a warm flavor that’s so tasty in baked goods.
• Milk: Dairy or plant-based milk adds moisture to the batter.
• Cinnamon and Nutmeg: This duo of spices is wonderful with bananas and gives these muffins a fall-inspired flavor.
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder: Using both of these leavening ingredients is part of what helps these gf banana nut muffins rise as they bake and have a light and fluffy texture.
• Salt: A small amount of salt helps balance the sweet flavors.
• Walnuts and Almonds: If you like a bit of crunch, add some chopped walnuts, chopped almonds, or both. Nuts also add protein, vitamins, and nutrients to this recipe!

🍲 Ingredient Substitutions

• Chopped Chocolate: Chop up a bar of dark chocolate in place of the chocolate chips.
• Oat Flour: Oat flour is a delicious whole-grain choice that is healthier than many all-purpose flours. Use the same amount of oat flour in place of gluten-free flour to make oat flour banana muffins.
• Olive Oil or Coconut Oil: Olive oil or melted coconut oil can be used in place of unsalted butter.
• Maple Syrup: Substitute pure maple syrup for the brown sugar.

🔪 How To Make Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

These gluten-free banana bread muffins stir together quickly and easily without an electric mixer. Here’s how to make the best banana muffins!

Mix Dry Ingredients: Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease the muffin pan with cooking spray or line with muffin liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate large mixing bowl mash the bananas. To the mashed bananas, stir in the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and milk in the large bowl.

Combine Ingredients: Pour the dry ingredients into the banana mixture, then beat or whisk the muffin batter until combined. With a wooden spoon, fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.

Fill Paper Liners With Muffin Batter: Fill muffin cups using an ice cream scoop or cookie scoop to evenly portion the batter, filling them to the top. Bake for 5 minutes.

Continue Baking: Keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these gluten-free muffins take in the oven is about 20-23 minutes. 

Cool & Remove From Pan: Allow these moist banana muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack (or any cooling rack) to continue cooling.

💭 Expert Tips

• Grease The Muffin Tin Well: If you don’t plan on using paper liners, make sure to grease your muffin tin well. Use a non-stick cooking spray to coat all surfaces completely to prevent these gluten free banana chocolate muffins from sticking in the pan so you can enjoy every bite!
• Use Ripe Bananas: Ripe or overripe bananas are sweeter than bananas that are still green and they also have a softer texture for smooth and fluffy muffins. If your bananas are still green, wait a day or two until the bananas soften and have brown spots.
• Allow Milk and Eggs to Reach Room Temperature: For best results, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before mixing them.
• Slide a Baking Sheet Under Your Muffin Tin: If you’re worried about the bottoms of the muffins baking too quickly in the oven or your oven runs hot, slide a baking sheet under the muffin tin in the oven to help even out the heat as the muffins bake.

📖 Variations

• Sugar-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins: To make this gluten-free banana recipe refined sugar-free, use maple syrup or coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. To omit the sugar altogether, use monk fruit instead of the brown sugar in this recipe, and sugar-free chocolate chips.
• Healthier Muffins: To make this recipe even healthier, cut the amount of added sugar in half.
• Extra Nutty: Before baking, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with additional chopped nuts.
• Favorite Mix-Ins: Just about any mix-ins will work in this recipe! Try adding in a little bit of dried fruit, fresh blueberries, shredded coconut, chopped dates, a swirl of nut butter, peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate, granola and more!
• Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins: Replace the flour with 1 cup of oat flour and ½ cup of rolled oats.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

These healthy gluten-free banana muffins are a wonderful addition to breakfast or lunch and so easy to take on the go for the whole family. For additional protein, you can serve these muffins with mango protein smoothies or split muffins in half and spread with almond butter.

If you’re making a larger breakfast spread or brunch, you can serve these with our keto breakfast casserole and breakfast fruit salad. Or blend up a spinach and banana smoothie to start your day with a serving of vegetables and extra banana flavor.

🙌 Dietary Adaptations

• Vegan: To make vegan gluten-free chocolate chip banana muffins, use melted coconut oil in place of the butter, a flax egg, unsweetened almond milk, and vegan chocolate.
• Dairy-Free: For dairy-free muffins, use melted coconut oil in place of the butter, unsweetened almond milk, and dairy-free chocolate chips.

🫙 Storage Directions

• Storing: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Allow these gluten free banana walnut muffins to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container lined with paper towels and store in the fridge. You can also store them in an airtight container at room temperature but they will only last about 2 days at room temperature.
• Freezing: Muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow the muffins to cool and then wrap each muffin in plastic wrap or foil and place in a zip-top freezer bag. Make sure to get as much air out of the bag before you seal it. To defrost, place a frozen muffin in the fridge overnight to thaw, then heat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until warmed through.

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