Indulge in the deliciousness of these gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffins! Easy to make, these muffins are incredibly fresh, tender, and moist with delightful pockets of chocolate chips throughout.
Whether you're looking for a quick breakfast that can be made ahead or a brunch treat, these gluten-free muffins are perfect for the whole family.
With very little prep time, they can be whipped up in no time, and can even be made dairy-free if needed. So, treat yourself and your loved ones to these luscious gluten-free banana muffins, and satisfy your cravings with every bite!
Morning is always a busy time for my family and I am always looking to have gluten free breakfast ideas ready to serve. I have tested making them the night before and slightly reheating them for a few seconds in the morning and they are just as soft and fluffy as when they were freshly made.
When developing this recipe I tested various ingredients and ratios as this gluten free banana muffin recipe is a blend between my gluten free banana bread and gluten free blackberry muffin recipe.
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⭐ Why we love this recipe
- Delicious flavor - The combination of the flavor of the ripe bananas and chocolate chips is a perfect match.
- Moist and tender - The texture is so soft that when slightly reheated tastes just like they are freshly baked.
- Make ahead - Perfect made the night before, and reheat the muffins when you're ready for a soft and fluffy breakfast treat.
- Gluten free - Uses only gluten free ingredients make these banana muffins gluten free. These delectable gluten-free muffins are so delicious that even non-gluten-free family members can't resist them!
- Dairy free option - Adapting these muffins to be dairy-free is a breeze - simply swap in dairy-free milk and dairy-free chocolate chips!
📋 Ingredients Notes
- Gluten free All purpose flour - See my baking tips below for the gluten free flour blend I used when making this recipe. Note that gluten-free all-purpose flour is also known as gluten free plain flour in the UK.
- Light brown sugar - For this recipe, I've opted to use light brown sugar. After experimenting with different sugar combinations, I found that the brown sugar not only adds moisture to the muffins but also results in a lovely flavor.
- baking powder & Baking soda - leavening agents that help muffins rise and become fluffy by creating bubbles of carbon dioxide gas in the batter. Always check that the baking powder is gluten free as some brands may contain gluten.
- Xanthan gum - This will bind the ingredients together and prevent the muffins from being crumbly. Omit if the flour blend used already contains xanthan gum
- Milk - I used cold whole milk but almond milk can be used if you require dairy free banana muffins.
- Oil - Neutral flavored oil like vegetable oil or canola oil. I tested these gluten free banana muffins with butter but felt that the oil recipe test resulted in a more moist and fluffy texture.
- Eggs - Always use room temperature eggs as they will mix easily and evenly into the gluten free muffin batter. Room-temperature eggs will help the muffins rise evenly when baking.
- Ripe bananas - Be sure that the bananas are nice and ripe with brown spots as they have a more developed flavor and a higher sugar content, which can enhance the overall taste of the muffins.
- Chocolate chips - Be sure to set aside a small handful of chocolate chips for sprinkling on top of the muffins. It's important to double-check that the chocolate chips are gluten-free, as some brands may contain gluten.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and measurements.
⚡ Substitutions & Variations
- Dairy free - To make dairy free banana chocolate chip muffins use your preferred dairy free milk and dairy free chocolate chips.
- Banana nut muffins - Add chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter for a crunchy texture.
- Cinnamon banana muffins - Add ground cinnamon to the batter for a warm and cozy flavor.
- Blueberry banana muffins - Add fresh or frozen blueberries instead of chocolate chips to the batter for a burst of fruity flavor. I have also used this banana and blueberry combination to make blueberry banana gluten free bread.
🥣 Step by Step Instructions
Below is a brief step-by-step process with photos of how to make gluten free banana chocolate chip muffins recipe. See the recipe card below for more detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: To begin, grease or line a muffin tin with paper muffin cases. Take a large bowl and mix together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
Step 2: Using a separate bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly and add in the milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Keep whisking until all ingredients are fully combined. In a small bowl, mash the ripe bananas and then add them to the wet ingredients. Mix everything well until fully combined.
Step 3: Combine the wet ingredients with the dry mixture and fold in until fully combined. Let the muffin batter rest for at least 15 minutes.
Tip: By resting the batter before baking gives the flour time to properly absorb all the liquids.
Step 4: Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Then add the chocolate chips into the muffin batter keeping a few aside to add to the top of the muffin cases.
Step 5: Take the muffin batter and divide it between the muffin cases, making sure to fill each case approximately ¾ of the way. Then, sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top of the muffin batter ( See image 5).
Place the muffins in the oven and let them bake for 10 minutes until they have risen. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
Tip: By baking the muffins first 10 minutes at a higher temperature will help the muffins to rise quickly and form a nice dome shape on top. Then the oven temperature is reduced to ensure that the inside of the muffins is evenly baked and prevent the outside of the muffin from becoming overbaked.
Continue baking for an additional 10 minutes until the muffins have fully risen and turned a golden brown color. To check if they're ready, insert a small wooden skewer into the center of a muffin; if it comes out clean, the muffins are fully baked and can be taken out of the oven to cool.
Step 6: Leave the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes before placing them on a cooling rack. The muffins are best served once cooled slightly or on the day of baking. Store in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
Tip: If you have leftover muffins from the previous day, a good way to make them softer and melt the chocolate chips slightly is to microwave them for 10-15 seconds before serving.
💡 Pro Recipe Tips
- Tip #1: Gluten-free flours don't absorb liquids the same as wheat-based flours. Allowing the batter to rest can help the ingredients to fully hydrate and bond together, resulting in a better texture and structure in the finished gluten free muffin. Resting the batter can also give the baking soda and baking powder time to activate, which can help the muffins rise more evenly and consistently.
- Tip #2: By baking the muffins first 10 minutes at a higher temperature will help the muffins to rise quickly and form a nice dome shape on top. Then the oven temperature is reduced to ensure that the inside of the muffins is evenly baked and prevent the outside of the muffin from becoming overbaked.
- Tip #3: If you have leftover muffins from the previous day, a good way to make them softer and melt the chocolate chips slightly is to microwave them for 10-15 seconds before serving.
💭 Gluten Free Baking
- Gluten Free Flour – I used a shop-bought Gluten free flour blend from Doves Farm Freee from range. Which is a flour blend of Rice, Potato, Tapioca, Maize, and Buckwheat flour. I have had reports that others have used King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour, Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Flour with my recipes that have worked well. I would love to know what flour blends worked for you so feel free to get in touch by leaving a comment below or you can contact me directly.
- Kitchen Scales - Using digital scales is recommended when baking. I always measure using scales and grams as baking is a science. When baking gluten-free it is essential to weigh out ingredients to get the best results! There is no need to purchase expensive digital scales and you can find them available cheaply online. (Although for small amounts I will use spoon measurements)
- Oven Temperatures - Your oven temperature may be slightly different. As all ovens vary in temperature and the baking time is used as a guide. Some ovens run hotter than others. You could invest in an oven thermometer to be more accurate.
❔ Recipe FAQs
Once cooled store gluten free banana muffins in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you want to store them for longer, you can refrigerate them for up to 5 days.
Yes, you can make them up to gluten free banana muffins up to 3 months in advance. Once they are fully cooled the banana muffins can be frozen, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag.
Thaw the muffins in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours. Then you can also reheat them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
To make dairy free banana chocolate chip muffins use your preferred dairy free milk and dairy free chocolate chips.
Yes, xanthan gum is needed to help bind the ingredients together. If the gluten free flour blend used already contains xanthan gum you can skip adding additional xanthan gum to the muffin batter.
🍌 More gluten free Banana recipes
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📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Nutritional information is meant as a guideline and all information is approximate.
Ingredients
Ingredients for gluten free banana chocolate chip muffins
- 200 grams Gluten free All purpose flour
- 100 grams Light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Gluten free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Xanthan gum Omit if the flour blend already contains xanthan gum
- 100 ML Milk
- 100 ML Oil Neutral flavored oil like vegetable oil or canola oil
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 Large Ripe bananas
- 150 grams Chocolate chip Semi sweet or dark (use your preferred chocolate)
Instructions
How to make banana chocolate chip muffins
- To begin, grease or line a muffin tin with paper muffin cases.
- Take a large bowl and mix together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
- Using a separate bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly and add in the milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Keep whisking until all ingredients are fully combined.
- In a small bowl, mash the ripe bananas and then add them into the wet ingredients. Mix everything well until fully combined.
- Combine the wet ingredients with the dry mixture and fold in until fully combined. Let the muffin batter rest for at least 15 minutes. This gives the flour time to properly absorb all the liquids.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
- Add the chocolate chips into the muffin batter keeping a few aside to add to the top of the muffin cases.
- Take the muffin batter and divide it between the muffin cases, making sure to fill each case approximately ¾ of the way. Then, sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top of the muffin batter.
- Place the muffins in the oven and let them bake for 10 minutes until they have risen. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
- Continue baking for an additional 10 minutes until the muffins have fully risen and turned a golden brown color. To check if they're ready, insert a small wooden skewer into the center of a muffin; if it comes out clean, the muffins are fully baked and can be taken out of the oven to cool.
- Leave the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes before placing them on a cooling rack.
- The muffins are best served once cooled slightly or on the day of baking. Store in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
Notes
- Gluten-free flours don't absorb liquids the same as wheat-based flours. Allowing the batter to rest can help the ingredients to fully hydrate and bond together, resulting in a better texture and structure in the finished gluten free muffin. Resting the batter can also give the baking soda and baking powder time to activate, which can help the muffins rise more evenly and consistently.
- By baking the muffins first 10 minutes at a higher temperature will help muffins to rise quickly and form a nice dome shape on top. Then the oven temperature is reduced to ensure that the inside of the muffins is evenly baked and prevent the outside of the muffin from becoming overbaked.
- Dairy free - To make dairy free banana chocolate chip muffins use your preferred dairy free milk and dairy free chocolate chips.
- Banana nut muffins - Add chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter for a crunchy texture.
- Cinnamon banana muffins - Add ground cinnamon to the batter for a warm and cozy flavor.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutritional information is meant as a guideline and is always an approximate calculation. Recipes may include information of various products used. It is your responsibility to check that ingredients you use when making a recipe are gluten free.
I hope you enjoyed this gluten free chocolate chip banana muffin recipe.
Did you make this recipe? I would love to hear from you!