These Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Muffins are an easy and wholesome breakfast. Made with almond flour, chia seeds, banana, and cocoa, these healthy muffins are a crowd-pleaser! Vegan.
Treat your taste buds with these gluten-free chocolate banana muffins. Crafted for chocolate lovers seeking plant-based goodness, these muffins boast a delicious balance of rich cocoa and banana flavor the whole family will love.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Simple ingredients
- Easy recipe
- Gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free
Ingredients and substitutions
Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.
Bananas - Having bananas in your diet comes with several health benefits such as dietary fiber, potassium, and Vitamin C. Overripe bananas produce the best results. The riper they are, the more natural sweetness they add.
Almond flour - Finely blanched is recommended. I like to use Bob's Red Mill brand.
Arrowroot starch - Also known as arrowroot powder, this helps bind and create fluffy muffins. If you need a substitute, tapioca starch or corn starch would be your best bet.
Cocoa powder - Unsweetened cocoa powder (or natural cocoa powder) adds a rich chocolate flavor. Cacao powder can be substituted for a more intense flavor.
Coconut sugar - Instead of brown sugar or light brown sugar, coconut sugar is refined sugar-free and adds a caramel-like depth of flavor.
Chia seeds - These tiny black seeds similar in appearance to poppy seeds, are nutritional powerhouses. In this recipe, they also act as a binder by making a chia seed egg. Like a flax egg, the seeds are combined with water to create a gel-like consistency. (They are also delicious in chia pudding!)
Chocolate chips - Choose your favorite vegan chocolate chips. Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips, or chopped dark chocolate are all great options. You can omit the chocolate and replace it with chopped nuts if desired.
Chocolate banana fans, don't miss this chocolate peanut butter banana bread!
Step-by-step instructions
Before you start: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper baking cups.
Step 1: Place chia eggs and coconut sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer. Add almond milk, vanilla extract, and mashed bananas.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients mixture in the large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Step 3: Fold in chocolate chips.
Step 4: Fill muffin cups ¾ of the way full with muffin batter. Bake for 23 to 24 minutes, or until a fork comes out clean.
Tessa's Tip: Allow the vegan double chocolate banana muffins to cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
How to store
These vegan banana chocolate chip muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
To store in the freezer, all muffins to cool completely then transfer them to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
More gluten free muffins
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Muffins (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 6 tablespoons water
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3 medium overripe bananas mashed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour
- ¼ cup arrowroot powder cornstarch will work here, too
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper baking cups. Combine chia seeds and water (this makes our chia eggs) in a small bowl and let gel for 3-5 minutes.
- Place chia eggs and coconut sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer. Add almond milk, vanilla extract, and mashed bananas and beat to combine.
- Add the almond flour, arrowroot starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder to the wet ingredients mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until evenly combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Fill muffin cups ¾ of the way full with muffin batter. Evenly disperse any remaining batter amongst the muffin cups. Bake for 23 to 24 minutes, or until a tester comes out mostly clean.
Notes
Nutrition
Linda
Hi! I have made your Chocolate Banana Bread muffins MANY times and loved the recipe that you had posted before the Vegan version. The recipe used greek yogurt in addition to chia seeds, almond flour, cocoa, bananas, etc., and made 18 muffins. Is it possible to get the "pre-2024 vegan" version of the recipe??
Thanks,
Linda
Tessa
Hi Linda! Thanks for your question! I do have the older version that I can email you. Would that work? Thanks! :)
Linda
Hi Tessa! That would be perfect! Thanks.
taylor @ greens & chocolate
I need these for breakfast this week....I've been terrible lately at planning stuff to grab when I'm on my way out the door! These look perfect!
Tessa
Thanks, Taylor! I'm trying to get better at the planning. :) I hope you enjoy!
Alissa @ Big Eats Tiny Kitchen
These look divine! Perfect morning snack. I'm going to have to whip some of these up.
Tessa
Thanks!! They have been a perfect snack after my swims this week.
Linda
Hi Tessa! If you could send me the older version that would be great! Thank you!
Tessa
Great! I’ll email it over. :)