These gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffins are the perfect snack food that you can gobble down in two bites. While I’d happily reach for these in the morning for a quick breakfast, I can totally picture this being wrapped up in a box and shipped as a Mother’s Day treat as well.
And this isn’t one of those desserts that the elderly would want to stay away from. They’re so healthy that it can be enjoyed by anyone – kids or adults. They’re free from refined flour. Instead, it uses old-fashioned oats and also has coconut oil. It is naturally sweetened by chocolate chips, bananas and pure maple syrup.
These flourless banana chocolate chip muffins couldn’t be easier to make. Simply combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, sprinkle with chocolate chips, and bake! The hardest part is holding back from munching it all down in one go. (Read the bottom of this post for tips on storing leftover muffins.)
Is This Recipe Really Healthy?
If you’re someone who is health-conscious or want to pack this as a snack for your school-going children, these gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffins are perfect!
This recipe really is one of the healthiest desserts you’ll get to enjoy, just like this heavenly avocado chocolate mousse! It’s not one of those muffins that are loaded with sugar, flavoring, and cheap ingredients. These banana chocolate chip muffins are, dare I say, good for your body. Here’s why I say so:
- It contains no sugar – For this recipe, I tried to find as many substitutes for sugar as possible. To make these muffins still sweet without using sugar, there is the use of fresh bananas, pure maple syrup (100% maple) and even the chocolate chips are semi-sweet.
- It is a flourless recipe – Instead of using flour, which is a highly processed high-carb food with almost no nutritional value, we will use rolled oats. Oats are high in vitamins, minerals, and healthy fibers.
- It uses coconut oil as fats – While most baked recipes use butter, this one is completely free and the fats come from coconut oil which has antioxidants. When taken in moderation, coconut oil is good for the skin and the hair and helps with weight loss too.
Recipe Ingredients
Just like most baked goods, we will need to separately prepare the dry ingredients and wet ingredients before combining them together.
This gluten-free banana muffins recipe serves six. Let’s start with the dry ingredients:
- Rolled oats – To replace flour, we will use rolled oats or good old-fashioned oats.
- Pro Tip: Although rolled oats are naturally gluten-free, they can be contaminated during production. If someone you are serving is strictly gluten-intolerant, then purchase a bag of gluten-free oats.
- Cinnamon – A bit of spice is always a good idea in desserts. The cinnamon powder will lift the flavor of the ingredients in these muffins and makes them truly delightful to eat.
- Salt – A little bit of salt will balance out the sweetness and enhance the flavors in the muffin.
- Baking soda – Baking soda does wonders in helping our muffins rise.
As for the wet ingredients, you will need:
- Large eggs – Whisk 2 large eggs.
- Bananas – Mash 3 large, ripe bananas. Bananas are one of the sweetest fruits, and their aroma is unmatched! Don’t worry about getting lumps as these give a bit of bite and are proof that we’re using real bananas 😉
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract also sweetens the muffin with a very distinct sweetness.
- Milk – Measure 1 cup of milk. This moistens the muffins.
- Pure maple syrup – Measure ¼ cup of pure maple syrup. Make sure to get pure maple syrup, as regular maple syrup already has sugar syrup added.
- Coconut oil – Measure ¼ cup of melted coconut oil. I love these as a substitute for butter or fats, and they come with many health benefits. They’re great for your hair and skin!
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – 1 ¼ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Make sure to get the ones that are made for baking.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One: Place your oven rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a standard muffin pan with nonstick spray.
Step Two: Mash the bananas in a medium bowl until mostly smooth. Add whisked eggs, vanilla, milk, maple syrup, and coconut oil and mix until smooth.
Step Three: In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients.
Step Four: Combine the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients, mixing until combined. We don’t have to worry about clumps here since it is a flourless recipe.
Step Five: Gently fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a few for sprinkling on top.
Step Six: Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle on any reserved chocolate chips. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in each muffin’s center comes out clean.
Step Seven: Place the pan on a wire rack and let the muffins cool for 5 minutes. Gently remove the muffins from the pan and place them on a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- Pro Tip: Cooling the muffins is extremely important, especially if you’re planning to store them and prevent them from turning soggy.
Storage Instructions
Follow my storage tips to keep these muffins moist and tasty, just like the day they came out of the oven. These muffins can last for up to 4 days at room temperature and 2 months in the freezer. Say goodbye to soggy leftover muffins.
At room temperature:
This is the best way to keep leftover banana chocolate chip muffins fresh. They can last on your kitchen countertop for up to four days, though I wonder if there will be any left by then!
Hot muffins in an airtight container can produce steam, leading to soggy muffins. I cannot emphasize the importance of cooling the muffins down. Line the bottom of the container with a paper towel to absorb any moisture (what a useful kitchen hack!) and place the muffins in the container. Feel free to replace the paper towels if they turn damp.
At colder temperatures:
Because we have used all-natural ingredients and no preservatives in this recipe, I do not recommend you store these muffins in the fridge. That may sound counterproductive, but all it does is alter their flavor and dry them out.
The good news is that the freezer is still available. To freeze for up to 3 months, place the muffins in a single layer in a freezer bag – do not stack.
To reheat your muffins, thaw them at room temperature and serve. Alternatively, wrap each muffin in tin foil and heat it up in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.
Explore other gluten-free dessert recipes here:
Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 4 cups rolled oats or old fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs whisked
- 3 large ripe bananas mashed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
- 1 ¼ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place the rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a standard muffin tin with nonstick spray.
- Mash the bananas in the bottom of a medium bowl until mostly smooth. Add whisked eggs, vanilla, milk, maple syrup and coconut oil and mix until smooth
- In a large bowl mix all of the dry ingredients
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing until combined.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a few for sprinkling on top.
- Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle on any reserved chocolate chips. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Gently remove the muffins from the pan and place them on a wire rack to finish cooling completely
