Featured Comment
From Ann: “These turned out absolutely amazing. They look and taste like something professional! Meaningful Eats is my go to for all gluten free recipes. But this is just a super delicious recipe. You could never guess they are GF!”
From Jen: “These are the best banana muffins I have ever made in my life (and I am old…lol). Thank you!”
From Haley: “I love your recipes! Just made this one today and they look phenomenal! Never guess they’re gf thank you for your dedication to helping us make sweets at home!”
Recipe Overview
⏱️ Time to Taste: About 55 minutes (includes batter chill)
✨ Texture: Soft, fluffy, moist with tall bakery-style domes
🥣 Ease: Easy (Beginner-friendly with straightforward steps and reliable results)
🌾 Flour Used: Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour + Almond Flour
🧁 Equipment Needed: Standard 12-cup muffin pan, paper liners, mixing bowls
🎉 Best For: Breakfast, snacks, lunchboxes, meal prep, freezing
❤️ Why You’ll Love It: The combination of ripe bananas, sour cream, oil, and a short batter rest creates incredibly soft gluten-free banana muffins that stay moist for days.
I’ve tried dozens of gluten-free banana muffin recipes over the years and this is my family’s absolute favorite!
This recipe has been a total lifesaver on busy mornings. I can whip up delicious, kid-approved gluten-free banana muffins in just 30 minutes and even freeze the extras for quick breakfasts or snacks later on!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these gluten-free banana muffins. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Gluten-free flour: I recommend using a high-quality gluten-free flour that contains xanthan gum. This is my favorite brand.
- Almond flour: Adding a little almond flour a go-to trick in many of my recipes, including my master gluten-free muffin recipe! It helps with texture and browning.
- Bananas: Overripe bananas with brown speckles work best! Just like with my gluten-free banana bread recipe, be sure to measure out the amount of mashed bananas exactly for best results!
- Sour cream/oil: I love using a combination of full-fat sour cream and a neutral oil for the most tender crumb! I often use this duo in my cake recipes, like this gluten-free banana cake.
How to Make Gluten-Free Banana Muffins
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Start separate: I whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another to make sure everything is evenly distributed.
Build the Batter: I fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined, then add any mix-ins. Watch out for overmixing! It can lead to dense muffins.
Fill and Chill: I portion the batter into the muffin tin, filling the cups all the way up, then chill it for 20 minutes. This helps the gluten-free flour hydrate for the best texture. You don’t want to skip this step!
Bake and Cool: I use the high-low heat trick for the tallest muffin tops! The initial burst of heat helps the muffins rise quickly, then lowering the temperature allows the centers to finish baking evenly.
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: You can prepare the batter up to 1 day ahead. Just cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake!
To Store: Let the muffins cool, then store them in an airtight container. They’ll last 3 days at room temperature or 1 week in the fridge.
To Freeze: Place the cooled muffins in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. I typically thaw them for a few hours at room temperature , but you can also microwave individual muffins for 20-30 seconds for quicker thawing.
What Do Gluten-Free Banana Muffins Taste Like?
These gluten-free banana muffins are soft, fluffy, and incredibly moist with sweet banana flavor in every bite. They aren’t overly sweet, making them perfect for breakfast or snacks, and they have a tender crumb that’s nearly impossible to tell is gluten-free. I like to add chocolate chips or chopped nuts for even more flavor and texture.
How Ripe Should Bananas Be For Banana Muffins?
Very ripe bananas are best! The peels should be heavily speckled or mostly brown. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful the muffins.
Can I Make Mini Banana Muffins?
Yes! You can make these as mini muffins, but they will require a shorter baking time than standard muffins. Because this recipe uses a high-low heat method, I recommend following the same temperatures, but begin checking them early. They are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes
Gluten-Free Banana Muffins (Easy with 1:1 Baking Flour!)
Video
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS:
- 1 2/3 cups (250g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 1/2 cup (50g) almond flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
WET INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas, 3-4 bananas
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (75g) neutral oil, I use avocado or vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream
- 1 tablespoon milk of choice
- 2 large eggs
OPTIONAL:
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or 1 cup larger mix-ins, like nuts
Instructions
- Line one 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined and no dry streaks remain. If adding any chocolate chips or nuts, fold them in when the batter is just about mixed to avoid over-mixing.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Fill the tins all the way up! Refrigerate the muffins for 20 minutes before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean and the muffins spring back when touched on top.
- Let cool for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in May 2020. It was updated with new photos and instructions in July 2026.
Made these muffins…amazing!!
My kiddos school is nut free. What could you use instead of almond flour?
Yay! Glad they turned out for you. You can use more gluten-free measure-for-measure baking flour in place of the almond flour!
I made these last night, they are so delicious and so puffy. I was so worried because I accidentally put in too much oil and couldn’t get it back. They are so soft, I used bobs red mill gf flour and I added full sized chips since it’s what I had. My only complain is that I only have a few left. Should double the recipe for sure.
Guilt-free muffins are the best! I could eat them all day! I just saved this recipe, thanks Erin!
I don’t usually comment on recipes, but this time I had to tell you that these are the best banana muffins! Gluten free or not. I recently learned that I have a high gluten sensitivity but my guy does not. Usually the gluten free recipes are not on par with the gluten recipes. These are light, fluffy and delicious. Going to try the peach cobbler recipe next. It’s peach season! Thanks!
Hooray! I’m so happy you enjoyed them. That’s the best compliment you found them on par with gluten recipes!
My husband is having to eat gluten free because of some allergies that have developed. These were delicious! He loved them. We are counting our calories. I put them into my fitness pal app to keep track of my calories and they are twice as many calories as you have listed. I was wondering how you figured yours.
Oh no! I’m sorry for the confusion. I just updated the recipe to reflect the correct nutrition information. I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Hi Erin, I just tried these gluten free muffins and they are delicious. I added a few nuts to them. Thank for sharing the recipe with us.
Happy they turned out for you! Nuts are a delicious addition 🙂
I’ve been making these for years. The recipe is delicious and literally fool proof! We’ve modified it and tried different flours, sugars, etc. We recently lowered the amount of sugar we eat so our current modification is as follows: Used 1/4 maple syrup instead of 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Use Only 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Swapped 2/3 cup oat flour for all purpose flour. Added 2 tbsp cocoa powder. No milk. Made 18 muffins. 164 calories. 20.3 carb, 2.3 fiber, 8.4 sugar, 3.4 protein
Thanks for the comment! Great to know these substitutions worked well for you. This is helpful for other readers to see!
I just made these, they are perfect!
I’m so glad they turned out for you! 🙂
OMG these are so good. My whole family loves them. They are moist and fluffy not dry and crumbly like a lot of gluten free muffins.
Yes yes yes not only are these perfect for my little toddler but they are so good all of the rest of us will to eat them too! Thank you for the step by step photos too
Delicious! Wonderful crumb and very moist. Better than gluten free banana bread; none of that dense, undercooked layer in the middle with an overcooked crust. Highly recommend!
I’m so glad the recipe worked out for you!
Hi Erin,
I am so glad I discovered your site! I just made these = Delicious; just what I was looking for-uncomplicated gluten free baking! I did a few alteration: I cut the sugar to 3/4 c (as the bananas are sweet), and added 1 Tbsp. of milk more. I was wondering why there is no Vanilla added to this recipe.? I find there is a slight after taste and this may take that off I will try it next time with 1 tsp vanilla. Thank you and will try more of your recipes. Happy New Year! Francine (Montreal, Canada)
These were so soft and moist! My new go-to. Thanks for the recipe!
We loved how light and fluffy these were. Nipa
Are there any other options to using GF flour? I am sensitive to the potato or tapioca that are in GF flour mixes, which makes GF baking even more challenging for me.