Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Gluten-free vegan banana chocolate chip muffins are so simple and tasty. Incredibly moist and full of banana flavor, kids and adults alike will love these gluten-free muffins.

I love this banana chocolate chip muffin recipe because it’s so easy to make and you can have muffins on the table in just about 30 minutes. They’re also great for meal prep, since they freeze really well.

This recipe is gluten-free and vegan and doesn’t include any eggs, so if you’re out of eggs, this recipe is for you. No fancy egg replacers needed for this recipe. It only uses simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen!

Here’s What You’ll Need

Ingredients: gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum (if your blend doesn’t already contain it), salt, baking soda, baking powder, ripe bananas, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, pure vanilla extract, chocolate chips

Equipment:

• Muffin tin
• Cookie Scoop
• Paper baking cups

Help! My bananas aren’t ripe enough!

You are going to want to use ripe bananas in this recipe. Ripe bananas have, at a minimum, black spots all over the peel.

Pretty much when you don’t want to be eating the banana anymore for a snack… it’s perfect for these muffins! If there is any green on the banana peel, they are not ripe enough.

If you don’t have ripe bananas, you can help speed up the process a number of ways:

1. Place the bananas in a paper bag overnight. This will help speed up the ripening process.
2. Place the bananas on a baking sheet and bake at 250F for 20-30 minutes, until the banana peels are black. It will make the bananas, sweet and pudding-like – perfect for mashing!
3. Poke holes through the bananas skin with a knife or fork. Microwave the banana in 30 second increments until it is soft. Note: this is not my preferred method of ripening bananas, but if it’s your only option, go for it!

Whenever I have bananas that are too ripe to eat, I remove the peel and place them in a freezer safe bag or container for baking. It’s the best way to make sure I can eat banana muffins anytime! Just let them thaw a bit before mashing and you’re good to go.

How to Make Easy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Combine your dry ingredients. Mix together the gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum (if using), baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until combined and set aside.

Mash your bananas. Place your very ripe bananas in a bowl and mash with a fork until liquidy. They don’t have to be completely smooth – some clumps are okay!

Add the wet ingredients. Once you’ve mashed your bananas, add in the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, and pure vanilla extract. Stir until combined.

Combine the wet and dry. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until no more white streaks of flour remain.

Stir in the chocolate chips. The best part of this muffin is the chocolate chips! Stir them in until they’re evenly dispersed.

Spoon into prepared muffin tin. Line your muffin tin with paper baking cups and then spoon the muffin batter into them, about 3/4 of the way full. I suggest using a cookie scoop so that your muffins are all the same size and it will create less mess!

Bake and cool. Bake at 350F for 22-25 minutes, until the tops of your muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in them comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

FAQs and Tips for Making Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

It’s best to use a gluten-free flour blend that is meant as a 1-to-1 replacement for all-purpose flour. I’ve tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, and Namaste Perfect Flour Blend.

If your gluten-free flour blend already contains xanthan gum, you do not need to add it to the recipe.

Typically chocolate chips will have some dairy in them. However, there are many brands on the market that are vegan. Always check ingredients on the packaging.

Some granulated sugar is processed with bone char, making it not vegan. There are brands that do not process sugar in this way. Organic sugars are also vegan. If you are vegan, be sure to check with your sugar manufacturer.

You sure can! I like to use dark chocolate chips in this recipe, but semi-sweet and milk chocolate will also work.

I prefer to use paper baking cups for these muffins, but I’ve also made them without them in a pinch. Just grease your muffin wells liberally to make sure the muffins will not get stuck to the pan. Run a knife or small spatula around the edge of the muffins after baking to remove them from the muffin well.

The muffins should be a light golden brown and spring back when you press the top with your finger. You can also insert a toothpick into the center of the muffin. If the toothpick comes out with wet batter, it’s not ready. If it has dry crumbs, it’s ready!

These muffins will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days.

For longer storage, store your banana muffins in the freezer. Freeze on a baking sheet in a single layer for an hour. Once frozen, place them in a freezer safe container. Let defrost at room temperature before serving.

I haven’t tested this recipe with almond flour, so I can’t recommend it. Instead, try these Almond Flour Banana Muffins from Texan Erin!

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