Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (Dairy-Free)

Banana + Chocolate = The Perfect Combo!

I’m a big fan of bananas (from this 2-ingredient banana ice cream, these banana walnut muffins, these fluffy banana pancakes and this moist banana bread).

And… if you add chocolate to the mix, you’ve got an irresistible combination that everyone (if not most) will love.

Amazing Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

For banana and chocolate lovers alike, these gluten-free chocolate chip banana muffins are about to be your favorite.

Chock full of rich chocolate chips, with a soft and fluffy texture, you’re going to love these moist banana muffins. Don’t just take my word for it, go make a batch right now!

Why This Recipe Works:

• Simple Ingredients: The ingredients needed for these gluten-free dairy-free banana chocolate chip muffins are easily accessible at the local grocery stores (nothing fancy required!).
• Easy to Make: Preparing the batter for these gluten-free banana muffins with chocolate chips is uncomplicated, and a batch of these delicious muffins is ready from scratch in just 40 minutes! If you start baking now, you’ll be enjoying these muffins in almost no time at all!
• Perfect Texture: Unlike most gluten-free muffins that tend to be dry and dense, these are moist and tender. Filled with chocolate chips, these gf muffins taste delicious and are great way to start your day, snacking on anytime, or even as a light dessert.
• Totally Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free: The best part is that these healthy banana chocolate chip muffins are 100% gluten-free and dairy-free too, which means that even those with Celiac disease or gluten or lactose intolerances can enjoy them without issues!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients required for this gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffins recipe.

(For exact measurements, please scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.)

Recipe Notes + Substitutions

• Gluten-Free Flour Blend: I recommend using a good-quality gluten-free all-purpose flour blend which is made up of lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch, or potato starch) to ensure a lighter and fluffier final texture. I do NOT recommend using a gluten-free flour blend that is made up of heavier flours (such as garbanzo bean flour) as that will result in a denser final texture.
• Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is the replacement for gluten in gluten-free flours and helps the ingredients to bind better together. If your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t already include xanthan gum, make sure to add it in.
• Almond Flour: I used blanched almond flour, but you may also use almond meal if you prefer. Adding almond flour/meal adds more moisture to these chocolate chip banana muffins, so make sure you add it in.
• Baking Powder: Baking powder is the only leavening agent used in this muffin recipe, and is necessary for helping the batter rise. If you are Celiac or have gluten-intolerance, make sure to use gluten-free baking powder.
• Sunflower Oil: I like using sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of it on hand. You may also use another vegetable oil (such as canola oil, olive oil, avocado oil, melted coconut oil) or melted vegan butter instead. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use normal melted butter if you prefer.
• Sugar: I used a mixture of white sugar and dark brown sugar, but you may also use light brown sugar or coconut sugar if you prefer. If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend that you use granulated monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 sugar substitute that is zero glycemic index and will not raise your blood sugar).
• Eggs: Eggs are necessary to bind the ingredients together. I personally have not tried making this recipe without eggs, but if you are allergic to eggs, or would simply like to keep this recipe egg-free, you can try using acquafaba or an egg-replacer instead. (If you do make this recipe egg-free, please let me know how it goes in the comments below, I’d love to hear!).
• Vanilla Extract: I like adding a bit of vanilla extract for extra flavor. If you’re not a fan of vanilla, or don’t happen to have it on hand, feel free to leave it out instead.
• Milk: I like using an unsweetened version of my homemade almond milk, but you may also use another dairy-free milk instead (such as cashew milk, rice milk, tigernut milk, soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk etc). Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use regular milk instead.
• Bananas: Make sure to use ripe bananas (those with a few brown spots are best) as they will be naturally sweeter and easier to mash.
• Chocolate Chips: I used dairy-free chocolate chips to keep this recipe dairy-free. However, if you are not lactose-intolerant, go ahead and use normal chocolate chips or chocolate chunks instead.

How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (Step by Step):

1. Preheat and Grease

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a regular muffin pan with paper liners.

2. Mash Bananas

Mash the bananas until you get a puree-like texture.

3. Beat Sugars with Wet Ingredients

In a large bowl, combine the sunflower oil, white sugar, brown sugar, beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. Beat well until you get a light, fluffy mixture.

4. Whisk Dry Ingredients

Combine the gluten-free all-purpose flour, xanthan gum, almond flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and whisk well.

5. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients to Get Batter

Add half of the dry ingredients, and half of the mashed bananas to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well to combine.

Repeat with the rest of dry ingredients and mashed bananas, and mix just enough until you get a thick but homogeneous batter.

6. Fold in Chocolate Chips

Gently fold in ¾ cup of the dairy-free chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed in the batter.

7. Transfer Batter to Muffin Pan

Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups in the muffin pan. Top the batter with the remaining chocolate chips.

8. Bake Until Golden Brown

Bake batter on the middle rack for 25 to 30 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

9. Cool Before Eating

Let the gluten-free banana chip muffins fully cool on a wire rack before eating.

Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:

• Not a Fan of Chocolate? If you love bananas but aren’t a fan of chocolate, feel free to leave out the chocolate chips directly.
• Optional Add-Ins: Other fun ingredients you can add to these gluten-free chocolate chip banana muffins are unsalted nuts such as chopped walnuts, pecans or even peanuts.
• Make Jumbo Muffins: For jumbo muffins, simply use a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until ready.
• Make Mini Muffins: For mini muffins, simply use a 24-cup mini muffin pan, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until ready.
• Bake a Loaf instead: If you prefer to make a loaf of chocolate chip banana bread instead of muffins, simply transfer the batter to a greased 9″x5″ loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Recipe FAQs:

Other Banana Recipes You’ll Enjoy:

• 2-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Fluffy Banana Pancakes (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Moist Banana Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Easy Banana Muffins (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Buckwheat Banana Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes to Bake: