Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (One Bowl, 30 Minutes)
These gluten free banana chocolate chip muffins are made in one bowl in 30 minutes. Soft, fluffy, and packed with chocolate — you’d never know they’re gluten free.
Those spotty brown bananas on your counter are not a problem. They are an ingredient.
Gluten free banana chocolate chip muffins are soft, fluffy, one-bowl muffins made with overripe bananas, gluten-free flour, and plenty of chocolate chips — ready in 30 minutes and impossible to tell apart from the regular version. No weird GF texture, no dry crumbles, no sad muffins.
I’ve made these more times than I can count. The key is overripe bananas and a GF flour blend with xanthan gum — get those two things right and everything else is easy.
Love gluten-free baking? Also try my Easy 3 Ingredient Gluten Free Bagel Bites and High Protein French Toast.
Ingredients You’ll Need
(Full measurements are in the recipe card below.)
- Overripe bananas — and we mean overripe. Wait until they’re mostly brown and soft all the way through — not just a few spots. The darker and mushier, the sweeter and more flavorful your muffins will be. Yellow bananas will give you a bland, dense muffin. Frozen bananas (thawed) work perfectly too.
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour — use a blend that contains xanthan gum. This is what gives GF baked goods their structure and stops them from crumbling apart. I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, but King Arthur Measure for Measure is excellent too. Do not use coconut flour — it absorbs moisture completely differently and will not work.
- Butter — melted. Unsalted is best so you control the salt. Coconut oil works as a dairy-free swap.
- Pure maple syrup — sweetens the muffins naturally without a heavy sugar hit. Brown sugar, coconut sugar, or regular granulated sugar all work equally well.
- Eggs — provide structure and lift. Without them, GF muffins tend to be too dense.
- Vanilla extract — don’t skip it. It rounds out the banana and chocolate flavors.
- Baking powder — the leavener. Make sure yours isn’t expired or the muffins won’t rise.
- Cinnamon and sea salt — cinnamon adds warmth and sea salt makes every other flavor pop. Sprinkle a pinch of coarse salt on top before baking for a bakery-style touch.
- Chocolate chips — semi-sweet is classic. Dark, milk, or dairy-free all work. Mini chips distribute more evenly through the batter if you want chocolate in every single bite.
How to Make Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well.
- Mash the bananas. In a large bowl, mash the bananas until smooth — a few small lumps are fine, but no large chunks.
- Add wet ingredients. Whisk the melted butter, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract directly into the mashed bananas until combined.
- Add dry ingredients. Add the gluten-free flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until just combined — stop as soon as you don’t see dry flour. Overmixing makes muffins dense and tough.
- Fold in chocolate chips. Reserve a small handful to press onto the tops of each muffin before baking.
- Fill the muffin cups. Use an ice cream scoop or ¼ cup measure to fill each cup about ¾ full. Top with the reserved chocolate chips.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Don’t overbake — GF muffins dry out faster than regular ones.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. They firm up as they cool — resist cutting into them immediately.
Tips for the best results: Don’t overmix the batter — stir until just combined and stop. Overmixing overdevelops the starches in GF flour and makes the muffins dense. Also make sure your GF flour blend contains xanthan gum — if it doesn’t, add ½ tsp per cup of flour yourself. And seriously, wait for truly ripe bananas. It makes more difference than any other ingredient.
Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat from frozen, microwave for 30–45 seconds or warm in a 350°F oven for 8 minutes.
Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs beaten
- 3 frozen or overly ripe bananas approx 1 cup mashed bananas
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose gluten free flour I used Bob's Red Mill
- 2 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a muffin tin with muffin cups. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the melted butter, maple syrup and beaten eggs.
- Add in the mashed bananas and vanilla extract. Then add the gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Once everything is combined, add in the chocolate chips. Use an ice cream scoop or small measuring cup to scoop out the batter into the prepared muffin pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the middle. Let muffins cool in muffin pan for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack and enjoy!
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is calculated based on industry-standard software and should be used as a general guide only. The information may vary depending on ingredient substitutions, cooking techniques, and individual serving sizes. It is the responsibility of the reader to ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of the nutritional information provided. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized medical or nutritional advice.
Other Gluten-Free Desserts You May Want To Try!
- Vegan Gluten Free Protein Bars With Dark Chocolate
- Gluten Free and Dairy Free Blueberry Muffins
- Viral Brownie Balls
- Viral Chickpea Blondies
- Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares
IF YOU TRIED THIS GLUTEN FREE BANANA MUFFINS RECIPE PLEASE LEAVE IT A COMMENT AND STAR RATING. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN PIN THIS GLUTEN-FREE BANANA MUFFIN RECIPE ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING @basicswithbails and #basicswithbails
About Bailey
I love to bake, cook, exercise, and document all of the above. Nutrition is not low fat. It is not low calorie. It’s not feeling deprived or being hungry all the time. It’s nourishing your body with real, whole foods so that you are consistently satisfied and energized to live your life to the fullest! Read more…
I make these for my students at work all of the time and they love them! So soft and they always say it tastes like mini banana breads!
I make these for my students at work all of the time and they love them! So soft and they always say it tastes like mini banana breads!
Yummy and easy to make
Yummy and easy to make
These really are so good!
These really are so good!
My granddaughter is gluten free and often felt left out when everyone else had special treats. I made these for her when the family was getting together and the other children were having sweet rolls at breakfast. Now they all fight over who gets the muffins! They are sweet and good and reasonably good for you. A must have now at every occasion!