Marvelously fluffy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins are a joyous explosion of banana deliciousness! Bake them weekly to always have a bite of joy on hand 😉

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins on a wooden cutting board with a napkin and fresh bananas to the side.

Have you tried my The Best Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipe?? If not, don’t panic. These muffins are basically the muffin version of that banana bread, with a couple of changes.

I made them with avocado oil instead of butter (still amazing!!) and used just a touch of pure maple syrup instead of coconut sugar. I found the bananas make the muffins plenty sweet, and especially if you add chocolate chips, there isn’t much extra sweetener needed.

When all is said and done, these muffins are nice and moist, substantial, rich in banana flavor, perfectly sweet and just a true pleasure to consume!

And truly…a good banana muffin can put a smile on your face regardless of the type of day I’m having. Works every time!

Pack them up and take them with you wherever you may go!

This gluten-free version of classic banana muffins is indistinguishable from the traditional version! Even those who don’t follow a gluten-free diet adore the texture of these muffins!

Banana muffin cut in half so you can see the moist inside.

Let’s chat about the simple ingredients for these gluten-free muffins.

Ingredients for Gluten Free Banana Muffins:

Overripe Bananas: A great way of using up over-ripe bananas, we need a whopping FOUR ripe bananas for these moist gluten-free banana muffins.

I learned that using a tremendous amount of banana makes for the best banana muffins and banana bread, as the banana flavor really shines through and the fruit provides plenty of sweetness.

The mashed bananas also add a great deal of moisture without the need for added oil or butter.

Eggs: A couple of eggs help the muffins rise to fluffy perfection. I haven’t tested the recipe myself using an egg replacer like flax eggs, although I have had several individuals report back that they have and the muffins turned out great.

For an egg-free version, replace the regular eggs with two flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax seed + 6 tablespoons water).

Avocado Oil: The fat portion of the recipe, which brings moisture and richness. Bringing the moist crumb to these muffin cups, avocado oil is my preferred source of fat.

Not only does it have neutral flavor and some healthy omega-3 fats, but it also provides a dairy-free option for my dairy-free friends.

Melted coconut oil or butter work as replacements here.

Pure Maple Syrup: While the ripe bananas bring a great deal of sweetness to this easy breakfast, a touch of pure maple syrup brings them to just the right level of sweetness.

If you prefer sweeter treats, consider adding 1 to 3 tablespoons of coconut sugar, brown sugar or regular white sugar.

Pure Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla brings warm flavor to the muffins for a lovely nuance.

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: Taking the place of all purpose flour, we need a gluten-free flour blend. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour in all of my gluten-free baking, as I personally feel it yields the best results that are most similar to using regular flour.

That said, you can absolutely use a brand of gluten-free flour that you trust and enjoy. Just be sure the blend is designed to be a 1-to-1 replacement for all-purpose flour.

Baking Soda: The leavening agent here. We need baking soda to help the muffins rise and ensure they hold together nicely when the paper liners are peeled away.

Cinnamon and Sea Salt: Ground cinnamon adds warm flavor and sea salt enhances all of the flavors for the absolute best recipe.

Chocolate Chips (optional): My fellow chocolate lovers, add chocolate chips for some fudgy goo! Chocolate chips add sweetness and also pops of gooey texture for the best banana muffins. Chopped walnuts or pecans are a great addition too!

There are several changes you can make to this great recipe to make your own gluten free muffins. Here are some options.

Recipe Adaptations:

For a grain-free banana bread recipe, make my Coconut Flour Banana Bread and turn them into muffins, or my Almond Flour Banana Muffins recipe.
Use coconut sugar, brown sugar, or cane sugar instead of pure maple syrup.
Rather than using avocado oil, use melted butter or ghee. Full-fat coconut milk works as a replacement too.
Omit the chocolate chips and/or add chopped walnuts or pecans.
Turn these into banana blueberry muffins by adding 1 cup of fresh blueberries.

Moist and fluffy gluten-free banana muffins with chocolate chips - a delicious muffin recipe! Muffins are placed on a cutting board on a marble surface

Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients for banana muffins, let’s bake a batch!

How to Make Gluten Free Banana Muffins:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a muffin tray with cooking oil or line with muffin papers. If you don’t have paper liners on hand, you can spray the muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl until most of the chunks are out (it’s okay to leave it somewhat chunky).

Hands mashing ripe bananas in a mixing bowl.

Whisk in the eggs, avocado oil, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract until well-combined (wet ingredients).

Pouring oil into a mixing bowl with mashed bananas and eggs.

In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the gluten-free flour, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, and chocolate chips until well-combined (dry ingredients).

Hands mixing dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

Pour the flour mixture into the bowl with the banana mixture and mix until everything is well-incorporated.

Pouring flour mixture into a bowl with the wet mixture of banana muffins.

Banana muffin batter in a large mixing bowl.

Fill the muffin liners ¾ of the way up with muffin batter and sprinkle with more chocolate chips if desired.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the muffins are golden-brown and cooked through.

Banana muffins with chocolate chips in a muffin tray fresh out of the oven.

Allow muffins to cool completely in the muffin tin before peeling and eating.

Pro Tip: Microwave the muffins for 15 to 20 seconds in the microwave before eating 🙂

Store muffins in a large zip lock bag or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze muffins for up to 3 months.

Gluten-free banana muffins on a wooden cutting board with fresh bananas in the background.

The next time you’re craving banana muffins, whip up this gluten-free banana muffin recipe!

The whole family is guaranteed to love it and you may just keep it on constant rotation. I’ve received feedback from numerous readers that this is their absolute favorite banana muffins recipe!

If you love these moist banana muffins, you might also enjoy my other muffin recipes.

More Gluten-Free Muffin Recipe:

Enjoy these classic lumps of banana lovin’.