These easy Gluten Free Cinnamon Banana Muffins have a tasty cinnamon-sugar topping. They're perfect when you want a simple breakfast treat or afternoon snack.
Jump to:
I've mentioned before how busy mornings are, in our house, during the week. There's little time for breakfast so something quick and easy is a must.
Usually, I find myself baking batches of muffins on the weekend when I have more time. Then I pop them in the freezer to be enjoyed throughout the week.
These banana cinnamon muffins were part of my latest weekend baking fest. They're super easy to make and freeze really well - both great qualities in my book!
Although these muffins have a cinnamon-sugar topping, they're not very sweet. Prefer a sweeter muffin? Try my Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins.
If you've mixed up standard muffins before, this recipe is very similar. All you need is a mixing bowl, wire whisk, wooden mixing spoon, and measuring cups and spoons.
Why this Recipe Works
- Using ripe bananas adds extra moisture and natural sweetness to the muffins.
- The warm cinnamon flavor goes well with the sweet bananas.
- Using oil in the muffins adds moisture without competing with the flavor of the bananas.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Muffins
- Sugar - White granulated sugar.
- Oil - I use vegetable oil, but canola oil will also work.
- Eggs - Large eggs.
- Bananas - Mashed ripe bananas.
- Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract.
- Gluten free flour blend - I use a 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour in my baked goods.
- Baking soda - The baking soda gives lift to the muffins. Be sure to check the expiration date on your box of baking soda.
- Salt - Table salt.
- Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon.
For the Topping
- Butter - I use unsalted butter in my baking so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Sugar - Granulated sugar.
- Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon.
How to Make Cinnamon Banana Muffins
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, and eggs.
- Stir in the mashed bananas and vanilla.
- Add in the remaining muffin ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake.
- Melt the butter and stir together the sugar and cinnamon.
- Brush the tops of the cooled muffins with the butter and sprinkle with the sugar/cinnamon mixture.
Step by Step Instructions
(For ingredient amounts see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line or grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
Make the Muffins
In a medium bowl, whisk together ⅔ cup sugar, oil and eggs until combined.
Stir the mashed bananas and vanilla into the egg mixture.
Add in the remaining muffin ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
Bake for 18 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Remove the muffins from the muffin tin and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
Make the Topping
While the muffins are cooling, melt the butter. Stir 1 ⁄ 4 cup sugar and 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon cinnamon together in a small bowl.
With a pastry brush, brush the muffin tops with the melted butter. Using a tablespoon, sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the tops of the muffins.
If you enjoy muffins as much as we do, check out my other gluten free muffin recipes.
More Gluten Free Banana Recipes
What Type of Gluten Free Flour Should I Use?
Always use a good quality all-purpose gluten free flour blend when making these muffins. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which contains xanthan gum.
Xanthan gum helps to hold the muffins together. In traditional baking, gluten in all-purpose flour acts as the binding agent for the baked good. Gluten free baking requires a substitute for the binding agent and that’s where xanthan gum comes in.
Your results may vary depending on the gluten free flour you use. I haven’t tried almond flour or coconut flour with this banana muffin recipe.
Remember to use the “spoon and level” method when measuring your gluten free flour. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and use the back of a table knife to level off the top. Using a measuring cup to scoop the flour out of the canister or bag can result in more flour than needed in the recipe.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain it, try adding ½ teaspoon to the recipe. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which contains xanthan gum.
- Be sure to use ripe bananas to get the best results. Under ripe bananas don’t add enough sweetness and overripe bananas can make the muffins gooey.
- When adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, be careful to not overmix the batter. Overmixing can lead to muffins that are tough.
- Use a large scoop to fill the muffin cups with batter. This will keep the muffins similar in size and ensure even baking time.
- Test the muffins for doneness at about 16 minutes. Oven temperatures can vary and while I bake the muffins for 18 minutes, you may need more or less baking time.
- Remove the muffins from the pan to finish cooling on a wire rack. If you leave the muffins in the pan to cool, the bottoms of the muffins may become soggy.
- Using a pastry brush to brush the melted butter on the tops of the muffins allows for even coverage without much mess.
These muffins will last for 3 to 4 days, at room temperature, if stored in a sealed plastic bag or airtight container.
Yes. Let the muffins cool completely, then place in a freezer safe storage bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
We really enjoy these banana cinnamon muffins. They’re perfect for breakfast or as a grab-and-go snack.
If your weekday mornings are as busy as ours, try whipping up a batch of cinnamon banana muffins on the weekend and enjoy them all week! Happy Baking!
More Gluten Free Muffin Recipes You’ll Love
- Almond Butter Oatmeal Muffins
- Easy Sweet Cornbread Muffins
- Double Chocolate Muffins
- Easy Blueberry Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Easy Strawberry Muffins
- Zucchini Muffins
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, don't forget to leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I really enjoy hearing from you!
You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more of the delicious food I'm making!
Recipe
Gluten Free Cinnamon Banana Muffins
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cup gluten free flour blend
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Topping
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease or line a standard muffin pan with paper baking cups.
Make the Muffins
- In medium bowl, whisk together ⅔ cup sugar, oil and eggs until combined.
- Add mashed bananas and vanilla and stir together.
- Add in remaining muffin ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Divide the batter among the baking cups.
- Bake 18 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Remove muffins from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Make the Topping
- While the muffins are cooling, melt the butter. Stir together ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in small bowl.
- With a pastry brush, brush the muffins tops with the melted butter. Using a tablespoon, sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the tops of the muffins.
Notes
-
- Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain it, try adding ½ teaspoon to the recipe. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which contains xanthan gum.
- Be sure to use ripe bananas to get the best results. Under ripe bananas don’t add enough sweetness and overripe bananas can make the muffins gooey.
- When adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, be careful to not overmix the batter. Overmixing can lead to muffins that are tough.
- Use a large scoop to fill the muffin cups with batter. This will keep the muffins similar in size and ensure even baking time.
- Test the muffins for doneness at about 16 minutes. Oven temperatures can vary and while I bake the muffins for 18 minutes, you may need more or less baking time.
- Remove the muffins from the pan to finish cooling on a wire rack. If you leave the muffins in the pan to cool, the bottoms of the muffins may become soggy.
- Using a pastry brush to brush the melted butter on the tops of the muffins allows for even coverage without much mess.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information provided is an estimate and will vary based on products and brands you use. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the ingredients you are using with your preferred nutrition calculator.
This post was originally published in 2018. It was republished in 2023 with new images, additional text, tips, and FAQs.
Lisa says
These muffins are moist and delicious. A great way to use bananas that are a little over ripe.
Sherry Vaughn says
I always love finding new recipes to use up bananas!