Gluten free banana chocolate chip muffins

Turn your overripe bananas into simple and satisfying gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffins. These tasty muffins are an easy recipe that fits perfectly into a gluten-free diet, and will become an instant favorite with kids and adults alike. 

Having a stash of overripe bananas in my fruit bowl is part of my life as a mom. My kids go to to the grocery store, beg that I buy them bananas, and then proceed to eat exactly one before leaving the rest to rot on the counter for a week.

Other than making smoothies and freezing bananas to make nice cream, I needed a use for those stacks of mushy brown bananas. And that's where these almond flour, banana, chocolate chip muffins come in!

Turn your overripe bananas into simple and satisfying gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffins. These tasty muffins are an easy recipe that fits perfectly into a gluten-free diet, and will become an instant favorite with kids and adults alike. 

Adapting Muffins to be Gluten-Free

Since I’ve adopted a gluten-free diet, there are tons of foods that I’ve craved and missed. However, I’ve started to slowly discover ways to turn my favorite recipes into gluten-free dishes (like these gluten-free samosas).

Luckily, turning these banana chocolate chip muffins into a gluten-free treat couldn’t have been easier. With quality gluten-free flour like King Arthur Flour or Bob’s Red Mill, you’ll hardly notice that these muffins are gluten-free.  

If you love gluten-free muffins, make sure to try my gluten free chocolate chip muffins. If berry muffins are more your thing, give me lemon blueberry muffins a try. And for the best of both worlds, my kids die for these gluten-free chocolate blueberry muffins! 

Ingredients You Need To Make These Chocolate-chip Banana Muffins

These muffins taste like banana bread loaded with chocolate chips but come in a handy muffin form. To make these gluten-free banana muffins, you will need:

• Bananas: Provide natural sweetness and moisture; overripe bananas work best.
• Lemon juice: Adds a bit of tartness and helps activate the baking soda.
• Butter or coconut oil: Use either for fat content; butter for richness or coconut oil for a dairy-free option.
• Greek yogurt: Adds moisture and a slight tang; sour cream can be substituted.
• Milk: Thins the batter; any type of milk, including non-dairy, can be used.
• Eggs: Bind the ingredients together; flax eggs can be an alternative for a vegan version.
• Gluten-free flour blend: The base of the muffins; ensure it's a 1-to-1 type for best results.
• Almond flour: Adds moisture and a nutty flavor; other nut flours can also work.
• Brown sugar: Sweetens the muffins; coconut sugar or a sugar substitute can be used for a different sweetness profile.
• Baking powder & baking soda: Leavening agents that help the muffins rise.
• Xanthan gum: Provides elasticity and structure in gluten-free baking.
• Salt: Enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
• Chocolate chips: Add sweet, chocolatey chunks; dark, milk, or white chocolate can be used, or even carob chips for a different taste.

See recipe cards for exact quantities.

Equipment

●  Muffin pan

●  Muffin liners

●  Set of measuring cups

●  Mixing bowl

How to Make Gluten Free Banana Muffins

Oven and Pan Setup:

Begin by heating your oven to 375°F (190°C). Ready your muffin pan by either placing paper liners in each slot or by greasing them with butter or oil.

Mix the Wet Ingredients:

In a sizable bowl, use a fork to mash the bananas into a smooth mashed banana consistency. To this, add the lemon juice, your choice of melted butter or coconut oil, Greek yogurt, milk, and eggs. Stir these ingredients until they're well combined.

Dry Ingredients:

In a different bowl, mix the gluten-free flour blend, almond flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. This mixture will help your muffins achieve the perfect texture.

Combine and Mix:

Now, take your mashed banana mixture and add it to the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Stir everything together just until you have a consistent banana muffins batter, being careful not to overmix.

Incorporate Chocolate Chips:

Into the banana muffins batter, gently fold in most of the chocolate chips, saving some extra chocolate chips for later. Fold just until the chocolate chips are evenly spread throughout the batter.

Fill and Top:

Spoon the banana muffins batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each to the top. With the extra chocolate chips you set aside earlier, sprinkle them over each muffin for a chocolatey finish.

Bake and Cool:

Transfer the muffin pan to the oven and bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes. They're done when a toothpick comes out clean from the center. After baking, remove the pan from the oven and allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, carefully move the muffins to a wire rack to let the muffins cool completely. This step ensures they don't become soggy from trapped heat and moisture.

Once the chocolate chip banana muffins are at room temperature, they're ready to be enjoyed. Your freshly baked gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffins are perfect for a snack or a quick breakfast treat!

Storage

Once your gluten-free chocolate chip banana muffins have cooled, you can place them in an airtight container. This way, they can be stored for up to five days at room temperature or for up to 10 days in the refrigerator.

You can also place them in an airtight container in the freezer to store for up to three months. If you freeze the muffins, thaw them in the microwave for about 2 minutes until they’re warm.

Variations

●  Berry Muffins - If you’re not a fan of chocolate, then swap the chocolate chips for some fresh berries. An addition of blueberries or raspberries is a great way to add more fruit to this healthy muffin recipe.

●  Banana Nut Muffins - A handful of chopped walnuts or pecans add a nice crunch to these muffins. You can use the nuts in place of the chocolate chips or in addition to them.

●  Additional Flours - Almond flour or coconut flour are easy alternatives, if you prefer to use them as your gluten-free flour choice. However, read over the package information to see if these flours work in an exact 1:1 substitution. Please note, that these flours may also slightly modify the final taste and texture of the muffins.

If you're a chocolate fiend, follow my chocolate-full gluten free triple chocolate muffins for another version.

Can I make this gluten-free recipe vegan too?

By substituting the eggs, you can easily turn this muffin recipe vegan. Flaxseeds are an easy option because you simply need to mix together 1 tablespoon of flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water for every egg. You let the mixture sit for a few minutes to thicken and then you’re all set. Of course, you’ll also want to be sure that the rest of your ingredients like the chocolate chips are vegan too.

What if I’m not gluten-free? Can I use traditional flour for this banana chocolate chip muffin recipe?

Of course! You can follow this recipe exactly as it’s written, but use all-purpose flour instead.

Can I turn the muffins into a gluten-free banana chocolate chip loaf?

It’s so easy to turn this muffin recipe into a loaf recipe. You’ll make the batter according to the recipe and then pour everything into a greased or lined loaf tin. Bake everything at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes. At this point, start checking to see if the loaf is done. Depending on your oven, you may need to cook the loaf for up to another 10 minutes.

For more muffin recipes

For more gluten-free muffins, try my easy pumpkin spice muffin recipe, triple chocolate muffins, apple cranberry muffins, or my to-die-for morning glory muffins. You also can't go wrong with these pumpkin spice bars - an easy and delicious dessert option.

Recipe