Can I make these banana muffins dairy free?

You can try swapping the yogurt for a dairy free plain yogurt (like coconut or almond-based), the milk for a non-dairy milk, and the butter for melted coconut oil or dairy free butter. I haven't personally tested this version, but those swaps should work in theory.

Can I add mix-ins to these gluten free banana muffins?

Absolutely! Chocolate chips are a classic addition. Chopped walnuts or pecans work great too, and I love adding them to other banana recipes like Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal ! Stir them in just before filling the muffin liners. Start with about 1/2 cup of whatever you add.

Can I use a different gluten free flour?

I tested this recipe with Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour. Other 1:1 blends may work, but the results can vary. If you use a blend without xanthan gum, you may need to add about 1/2 teaspoon.

Why didn't my banana muffins rise?

A few possible causes: your baking soda or baking powder are old and no longer active, the oven temperature was off, or the muffins were underbaked. These muffins rely on leavening thanks to both baking soda and powder, so if one is too old and no longer has leavening power, the muffins won't rise. Likewise, another trick I employ for this recipe is baking at a higher heat to get the leavening reaction off to a good start, then reducing the oven heat to avoid over-baking. It's an important step, so if you skipped it or tried to bake only at 350 degrees F, you probably didn't get the right amount of lift.

Fluffy Gluten Free Banana Muffins (Bakery Style!)

Description

Gluten free banana muffins with bakery-style domed tops, a tender crumb, and warm banana flavor. These never last long in our house!
Multiple leaveners and a two-temperature baking trick helps create the lift for these muffins.

Ingredients

Units Scale

3 cups Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1:1 flour, spooned and leveled (425g)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (100g)
2 teaspoons baking powder (10g)
1 teaspoon baking soda (5g)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
2-3 brown-spotted bananas, mashed (about 1 heaping cup, 300g)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt or sour cream, room temperature (85g)
1/3 cup milk (85g)
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons demerara or turbinado sugar, for topping

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Instructions

Mix dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Stir with a spoon or whisk to fully incorporate ingredients and set aside.
Mix wet ingredients. In a larger mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork (it’s okay if there are a few lumps). Add the melted and cooled butter, yogurt, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
Combine wet and dry ingredients. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a batter is formed — don’t overmix, or you’ll end up with chewy muffins. Cover the bowl with a tea towel, lid, or wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.
Preheat oven and add lemon juice. Meanwhile, move one oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Pour lemon juice into the batter and stir just to combine.
Prepare and fill muffin tins. For bakery-style muffins, line a 12-count muffin pan with 6 muffin liners (this leaves room for those extra-big domed tops - meaning you’ll have to bake in 2 batches). Fill the liners with about 1/2 cup of batter, so the batter rests just above the liner. Sprinkle each muffin with turbinado sugar, if desired.
Bake muffins. Place one pan in the center of the oven and bake for 7 minutes at 425 degrees F, then (without opening the oven door) decrease the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for a couple minutes before removing to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining batter, starting with the oven at 425 degrees F. Cool completely before serving. Leftovers will keep in a sealed container on the counter for up to a week.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter. I don’t recommend using an electric mixer for this recipe, since over-beating can lead to tough muffins. Mix by hand just until no dry flour remains.

Why only half of the muffin tin? This gives the muffins room to expand and create fluffy, domed tops without running into each other. It’s worth it to do 2 batches (or, if you have 2 muffin tins, you can pop both in the oven at once)!

Measure the banana. To prevent the muffins from being too wet or too dry, make sure you measure the mashed banana — using a kitchen scale is most accurate but measuring cups work too!