These gluten free chocolate chip banana muffins are delicious and so easy to make! Not only are they gluten free but they're also egg free and dairy free making them suitable for a vegan diet.
My sons love carbs for breakfast. They are super fans of pancakes and waffles but these gluten free banana chocolate chip muffins are probably their favorite. They love them so much that I had to double my recipe so they would last more than a day.
Even though we avoid gluten, dairy, eggs, and nuts due to their food allergies, their friends (who can eat whatever they want) enjoy these muffins, too!
Ingredients
Most of the ingredients are baking staples that you probably have on hand but there are a few specialty ingredients.
- Ground flax seed and water - to make a flax "egg". I often use this one from Bob's Red Mill.
- Bananas - the riper the better! Look for bananas that have a deep yellow colored peeling with brown spots. I like to keep ripe bananas in the freezer so I always have them on hand.
- Granulated sugar
- Cooking oil - I use canola oil the most often but vegetable oil works well too.
- Milk substitute - I have made this recipe with soy milk, rice milk, and oat milk and they all work well.
- Vanilla extract or baking vanilla
- Gluten free all purpose flour - my favorite is Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour.
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Dairy free mini chocolate chips - I use Enjoy Life Foods mini chocolate chips which are semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Cooking spray or paper muffin liners
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Start by preparing the flax “egg”. To do this, mix together the ground flaxseed and warm water in a small bowl and set it aside.
Step 2: Measure out the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon into a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.
Tip: When measuring flour for baking, spoon it into the measuring cup rather than scooping it. This way, you will prevent packing the flour down and using too much flour which can make the muffins dry.
Step 3: Add the bananas, sugar, oil, flax “egg” and vanilla to a large mixing bowl and mix to combine. I use my Kitchenaid mixer but you can easily hand mix the batter with a large spoon and large mixing bowl or batter bowl like these.
Step 4: Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until it is fully incorporated into the batter.
Step 5: Stir in the chocolate chips.
Step 6: Scoop the batter into paper muffin liners or muffin tin that has been sprayed with cooking spray, filling each one ¾ full.
Bake at 350° F for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool.
Substitutions
This muffin recipe is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, peanut free, and tree nut free without needing any other substitutes. If you don't need to avoid all of these common allergens, you may choose to make some of the following substitutions:
Milk - if you don't need to avoid dairy, you can use cow's milk in place of the dairy free milk.
Chocolate chips - Many chocolate chips contain dairy and often are at risk of cross-contact with nuts. If these allergens are not a concern for you, use any kind of chocolate chips that you like.
Flax "egg" - The ground flaxseed and water mixture is an egg replacer that works well for those with egg allergies or following a vegan diet. If you don't avoid eggs, you can use two whole eggs in place of the flax egg.
Flour - Gluten free flour is obviously an essential ingredient for making gluten free muffins. If you've come across this recipe because you're looking for an egg or dairy free muffin and aren't necessarily avoiding wheat, you may replace the gluten free flour wtih wheat flour.
If you choose to mix your own gluten free flour, you can add one-half teaspoon of xanthan gum to the recipe to act as a binder.
Storage
You can store these muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Gluten free muffins and other baked goods tend to get dry and crumbly faster than those made with wheat flour. Therefore, if you won’t be eating them within 2-3 days, I would recommend freezing them in a freezer-safe, airtight container.
Nutrition notes
You might be wondering if these gluten free muffins are a healthy alternative to muffins made with wheat flour.
If you avoid gluten due to Celiac disease or allergies to wheat, barley, or rye, they are a healthy alternative to those made with wheat flour. If you are not dealing with any of those conditions, then eating gluten free is not necessarily healthier.
This recipe is lower in fat and added sugars than some muffin recipes. Part of the reason for this is that bananas are naturally sweet and provide a good amount of moisture to the muffin (as fat would).
Using flax "eggs" and a gluten free flour blend with brown rice flour adds some fiber to these muffins as well.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins {Egg and Dairy Free!}
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
- 6 tablespoons warm water
- 3 cups gluten free all purpose flour I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups mashed ripe bananas about 4 large
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup canola oil or other cooking oil
- ¼ cup oat milk or other dairy free milk substitute
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or baking vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line the muffin tins with paper liners or spray with cooking spray.
- Mix together the ground flax and the warm water to create a flax “egg”; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon and set aside. In a mixing bowl, add the bananas, sugar, oil, milk substitute, flax “egg” and vanilla and mix well until the mixture is smooth. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin filling them ¾ full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow them to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
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