Delicious gluten-free banana bread muffins made just with oat flour and lots of browned butter for a deep, satisfying flavor.
These easy gluten-free banana bread muffins are an update of a favorite recipe I developed many years ago, just before we moved to Saudi Arabia (note my Morocco kitchen in these photos!). In this gluten-free version, I kept the flavors of delicious browned butter swirled with dark brown sugar and tempered with a bit of vanilla and molasses. Loads of very ripe bananas and a handful of dark chopped chocolate or chips take them over the top. Oh man.
Why banana bread muffins? This recipe is a riff on a classic banana bread but turned into muffins, which is why I kept the "bread" part in the title. (If you're looking for a gluten-free banana bread, try this one or make these almond flour banana muffins.) Fluffy, tender, and made just with whole grain gluten-free oat flour, these are the best gluten free banana bread muffins you'll bake!
What You’ll Need to Make Gluten Free Banana Bread Muffins
- Oat flour: Just one gluten-free flour is needed in this recipe, and it's my favorite, oat flour! Oat flour is a wonderful, versatile naturally gluten-free whole grain flour that performs wonderfully in baking, especially muffins.
- Unsalted butter: You'll brown the butter first to bring a deeper flavor
- Eggs: Use large eggs in this recipe
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Fine sea salt
- Ground spices: Warming cinnamon and cardamom make these muffins extra special
- Molasses
- Bananas: Use large, very ripe, blackening bananas in this recipe
- Plain yogurt: You can use yogurt or Greek yogurt here
- Pure vanilla extract
Can I Use Regular Flour?
You absolutely can use regular flour in this recipe. You can swap two cups of all-purpose flour in place of the oat flour, or do a mix of all-purpose and whole grain pastry flours.
How to Make Gluten-Free Banana Bread Muffins
For the full instructions, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Brown the butter. Place your unsalted butter in a heavy saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir the butter as it melts. It will begin to foam and sizzle around the edges. Keep stirring for about 5–8 minutes; the butter will turn golden brown. The foam will slightly subside and the milk solids on the bottom of the pan will toast. Let cool slightly.
- Whisk dry ingredients together. Whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
- Add eggs, yogurt, and bananas to the butter. Mix these ingredients well to combine.
- Make batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well to combine. Add chocolate.
- Portion batter into muffin tin and rest for 10 minutes. Resting will allow the oat flour to hydrate before the muffins are baked.
- Bake. Muffins will bake for about 25-30 minutes.
Hint: Make sure to rest the batter for at least 10 minutes while the oven preheats so that the oat flour will absorb the moisture in the batter and your muffins will be extra fluffy and delicious.
Substitutions
- Oat flour - if you can't eat oats, substitute an equivalent amount of sorghum flour.
- To make dairy-free - use melted coconut oil in place of the butter. Use non-dairy-yogurt in place of the yogurt.
- Sweetener - you can use coconut sugar or maple syrup in place of the brown sugar.
Storage
Muffins may be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 5 days. Eat straight from the fridge, bring to room temperature, or gently warm in the microwave before serving.
Tip
Gluten-free banana bread muffins taste best when you use really ripe bananas. (You know those bananas you meant to eat but never got around to and now they are getting a bit black? Those are perfect.) The longer a banana ripens the sweeter it becomes, and it adds a wonderful rich flavor to baked goods.
FAQ
This applies to muffins, too! If your gluten-free banana bread muffins - or any gluten-free baked item - did not rise properly, it's most likely due to old baking powder or baking soda.
Most of the time, the short answer is "no". You can read more about this is my gluten-free baking tips. However, since the majority of my recipes are gluten-free, I will give weight and cup measurements so you can swap all-purpose flour if you wish.
Yes! You can place your gluten-free banana muffins in a plastic bag, remove as much air as possible, seal tightly, and store in the freezer for 2 months.
Gluten-Free Banana Bread Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 ½ cups/260 g gluten-free oat flour
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 eggs large, at room temperature
- ¼ cup yogurt plain, whole fat, or Greek
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 bananas large, mashed
- 2 teaspoon molasses not blackstrap
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350° degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
- Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Butter will begin to foam and crackle as it melts. When the crackling subsides, the butter will begin to brown. Swirl the pan as the butter cooks. When the butter browns and begins to smell nutty, remove the pan from the flame and transfer the butter to a small bowl. Taking the butter out of the hot saucepan will stop the butter from overcooking and burning. Set it aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk in the mashed bananas and molasses. When butter has cooled, whisk in the browned butter.
- Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients. Fold together, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to reveal any hidden pockets of flour. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for 15 minutes, before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Muffins may be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for 5 days.
KimP
oh thank you for this recipe today!! i have bananas just sitting on my counter, waiting for the right recipe, and this is IT :) Also, thank you for the GF subs!!