Tender and sweet gluten-free apple banana bread muffins combine two favorite fruits: apples and bananas! A bit of brown sugar, gluten-free flour, and melted butter are swirled with chopped apples and mashed bananas for a wholesome morning snack.
One-bowl banana apple muffins are so easy to make, you might want to whip up a batch right now! I love using a base of bananas to make all sorts of delicious combinations, like banana blackberry muffins, gluten free banana blueberry muffins, or gluten free strawberry banana muffins, with whatever fruit is in season.
Inspired by my gluten free banana apple bread, but a standalone recipe in its own right, these tender little beauties are so lovely. I used a big pinch of cinnamon to give them a super cozy flavor, and when I have them in the pantry, walnuts are a wonderful addition. Don't sleep on this one!
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Why I Love These GF Apple Banana Muffins
The best recipes are the ones that come together quickly, especially when you want a sweet bite NOW, without a lot of planning or fuss. If you have ripe bananas (I like to chuck my counter-ripe bananas in the freezer so that I always have some handy) and an apple, you'll soon be on your way to baking these fragrant muffins. They are:
- Full of fruit. Two bananas, an apple - I love that there is so much fruit in these muffins!
- Warm and comforting. Like gluten free banana bread, which fills the kitchen with delicious smells during baking, these apple banana bread muffins taste like fall. Add extra cinnamon for even more coziness.
- SO easy. Layer the ingredients into a bowl, stir, portion, and bake. That's it!
Ingredients Needed
Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!
- Butter - Unsalted butter is best, or use non-dairy butter or vegetable oil.
- Eggs - Large eggs work best.
- Bananas - Very ripe medium bananas.
- Gluten-free flour - I used my homemade gluten free gluten free flour blend here, though any 1:1 flour blend or a single-origin flour like oat flour or brown rice flour.
- Brown sugar - Light or dark brown sugar works. I like to sprinkle a bit over the top of each muffin before baking, too.
- Rising agents - A mix of baking powder and baking soda.
- Salt - Fine sea salt or table salt works.
- Cinnamon
- Apple - I used 1 Golden Delicious apple because I developed this recipe when the apples on our tree were ripe! Use whatever variety of apple you like best.
Variation Suggestions
- Nuts - Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or almonds for crunch.
- Coconut - Make these muffins more tropical with a bit of shredded coconut.
- Pear - Swap the apple for 1 pear.
Step-by-Step-Instructions
Here's an overview in photos of how
1. Whisk eggs: In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and eggs.
2. Make batter: Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
3. Portion out: Grease a 12-cup muffin tin and divide the batter equally between the cups. Sprinkle with brown sugar if you wish.
4. Bake: Place in a 375 F oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
Baking Tip: Don't Overbake
These muffins are meant to be nice and moist; don't let them bake overlong. The tester should come out mostly clean, with a few moist crumbs. Check at 20 minutes, and if you need a little more baking time, just check after 2 minutes, adding time until the muffins are lightly browned and the tester is clean or mostly clean.
Tips & Recipe Notes
- To peel or not to peel? You can leave the peel on the apple before chopping it up if you wish; it's entirely up to you! I like to peel my apple, but for a bit more texture, leave the peel on.
- Rest the batter. Gluten-free flour always benefits from a rest before baking. At least 20 minutes is ideal, although letting it rest while the oven heats is also an option. This helps the flour to hydrate, making for a better baked muffin!
- Fill the muffin cups ⅔ full for this recipe. While some muffin recipes advise filling the muffin cups to the brim, I've found that about ⅔ full is the sweet spot so that they rise nicely but don't overflow.
- Refined sugar-free. Swap maple syrup or coconut sugar for the brown sugar.
- Make it dairy-free. Substitute non-dairy butter for the unsalted butter.
- Adjust the sweetness. Depending on how ripe your bananas are, you may wish to reduce the sugar by ¼ cup.
- To Serve: Softened butter, cream cheese, or plain!
How to Store
Always cool muffins completely before adding them to a storage container so that they don't get soggy!
- Counter - Keep muffins in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Fridge - Place muffins in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Eat them cold or at room temperature.
- Freezer - Put the muffins in a freezer-safe, sealable bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before serving.
More Gluten Free Banana Recipes
Happy baking! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know. Please leave a comment below, reach out with any questions, and tag me on Instagram @Cucina Nicolina ❤️
kw apple banana bread muffins
Recipe
Gluten Free Apple Banana Bread Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted or oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (340 grams)
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour (210 grams)
- ½ cup brown sugar plus a little extra for sprinkling, optional
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 apple peeled, cored, and diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
- In a large bowl, stir together the melted ½ cup unsalted butter, melted, 2 large eggs, and 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas. Stir in the 1 ½ cups gluten free flour, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon until combined.
- Fold in the chopped 1 apple, then divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups, filling each one about ⅔ full. Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar if desired.
- Bake the muffins for 20 to 24 minutes, until the middle of a muffin springs back when lightly touched and a tester comes out mostly clean. (A few moist crumbs are OK.)
- Remove the pan from the oven, let the muffins rest for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely. Muffins are great warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- To peel or not to peel? You can leave the peel on the apple before chopping it up if you wish; it's entirely up to you! I like to peel my apple, but for a bit more texture, leave the peel on.
- Rest the batter. Gluten-free flour always benefits from a rest before baking. At least 20 minutes is ideal, although letting it rest while the oven heats is also an option. This helps the flour to hydrate, making for a better baked muffin!
- Fill the muffin cups ⅔ full for this recipe. While some muffin recipes advise filling the muffin cups to the brim, I've found that about ⅔ full is the sweet spot so that they rise nicely but don't overflow.
- Refined sugar-free. Swap maple syrup or coconut sugar for the brown sugar.
- Make it dairy-free. Substitute non-dairy butter for the unsalted butter.
- Adjust the sweetness. Depending on how ripe your bananas are, you may wish to reduce the sugar by ¼ cup.
- To Serve: Softened butter, cream cheese, or plain!
I'd love to hear from you! Please leave me a note.