Gluten Free Mini Banana Bread Muffins

Gluten Free Mini Banana Bread Muffins are the perfect bite-size treat. They are soft, moist, and bursting with banana flavor. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or lunchboxes, they’re quick to make and even easier to enjoy. Plus they are a tasty way to use up that ripe banana sitting on your kitchen counter.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I tested this recipe for gluten free mini banana bread muffins with my own gluten-free flour blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1 – to 1 and King Arthurs Measure for Measure. All blends mentioned work great and give the mini muffins a moist crumbs. The blends mentioned do contain xanthan gum. This recipe will not work with only coconut flour or almond flour.

Almond Flour: I am a big fan of adding almond flour to my muffin recipes. It gives the final product a moist, tender crumb. To make this recipe nut free please substitute the almond flour with additional gluten free flour.

Bananas: The best bananas to make mini banana bread muffins are overripe ones with a deep yellow peel that's heavily speckled with brown or almost entirely brown. Ripe bananas not only provide moisture but also sweetness and of course flavor.

Add-ins and Toppings: I love adding some mini chocolate chips and a quick brown sugar streusel to my mini banana bread muffins. You can also add some chopped nuts (like walnuts or pecans), or top every muffin with a tiny amount of peanut butter or nutella. The options are endless when it comes to this mini muffin recipe.

Gluten Free Brown Sugar Streusel

I always have an abundance of streusel in my freezer. It's easy to make and really ads a special touch to these mini banana bread muffins. If you like you can always add some chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans to the dry ingredients. You can also freeze the crumb topping for up to 3 months.

Place the brown sugar crumble topping in the refrigerator while you prepare the gluten free muffin batter.

1. Start by melting the butter in a small pot on the stove or in a microwave-safe bowl. Allow it to cool for a few minutes.
2. While the butter is cooling, combine gluten free flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and kosher salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk these ingredients together.
3. Using a fork or a small spatula, gently blend the dry ingredients with the melted butter until crumbles start to form. Be careful not to overmix.

Gluten Free Mini Banana Bread Muffins

Mini Banana Bread Muffins come together in no time. Make sure your egg is at room temperature. I like to place mine in a bowl with warm water while I weigh out the rest of the ingredients.

1. Lightly spray a mini muffin pan with nonstick spray and set aside. I prefer baking mini muffins directly in the muffin pan instead of using muffin liners. If you prefer using mini muffin liners feel free to use them.
2. Start by sifting together the gluten free multi purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, milk powder (if using), kosher salt, and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl mash up the 180 grams of ripe bananas with a fork until they are like mush. It's okay if there are still a few bigger chunks.

4. Add the whole egg, oil (vegetable or canola oil works great here), granulated sugar, brown sugar, and a generous teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whisk the ingredients together until combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the ingredients and mix with a whisk until fully combined. While we don't have to worry about building gluten, try not to overmix your batter.
6. With a flexible spatula fold in any add-ins you want to add to your gluten free banana bread muffins. Like chocolate chips or chopped walnuts, pecans, or even peanuts for a crunchy texture.

7. Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, divide the gluten-free muffin batter evenly among the cavities of the prepared mini muffin pan, filling each about two-thirds full
8. Top each muffin with some additional mini chocolate chips and the brown sugar streusel.
9. Place the muffin tin in the fridge while you preheat the oven to 350F. Allowing the batter to rest, even if it’s just 10-15 minutes will help hydrate the flour which builds a better crumb. Also – cold muffin batter will rise higher!
10. Once the oven is fully preheated, bake the gluten-free mini banana bread muffins for 13-15 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. To ensure they are fully baked, insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin - if it comes out clean with just a few crumbs, they’re ready. Mini Muffins can overbake quickly!
11. Remove the gluten free muffins from the oven. Allow them to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack and allowing them to cool completely.

Storage & Freezing

Store the gluten free mini banana bread muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. While most gluten free muffins are best the day they are baked, these were delicious the day after.

To freeze the gluten-free muffins, place them on a sheet tray and pop them in the freezer for 30-45 minutes or until they are solid. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, allow them to thaw at room temperature or nuke in the microwave for 15-30 seconds.

FAQ - Gluten Free Mini Banana Muffins

Note about Salt in my Recipes

I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.

Baking in grams

I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.