Gluten Free Banana Pudding Muffins (Dairy Free)

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These Gluten Free Banana Pudding Muffins are classic banana pudding in muffin form while being soft, fluffy, and incredibly moist. They're completely dairy free and refined sugar free, made with wholesome ingredients, and naturally sweetened with ripe bananas. If you love banana pudding but want a healthier, allergy-friendly baked good, these banana pudding muffins are about to become your new favorite.

I had a moment where I thought "how can I make banana muffins more interesting?" and my immediate thought was to stuff them with a banana cream situation. I LOVE adding a crumble to anything I can, so I realized I should make banana pudding into muffin form. The cream filling mimics banana pudding and the crumble topping is an homage to the Nilla wafers. They also give off banana cream pie vibes!

Why You'll Love These Banana Pudding Muffins:

Super moist: we take my tried and true banana bread recipe and turn it into muffins which stay extra soft and tender with the homemade banana cream filling.
Naturally sweetened with no refined sugar: these banana bread muffins rely on maple syrup, coconut sugar, and the natural sweetness of bananas without adding excess processed sugars.
Gluten free & dairy free but still fluffy: allergy friendly banana muffins that are still moist, fluffy, and delicious without gluten, dairy, corn, nuts, or soy!
Overall healthier than banana pudding: made with whole food ingredients, less fat, and no pudding mix, these banana cream muffins are a healthy take on a classic dessert.

What Makes These Banana Pudding Muffins Different

More than a banana muffin: if you're a banana pudding lover, then this is a fun recipe to eat banana pudding in more ways on more days! There are a lot of banana pudding cupcakes out there, but I wanted these to be a healthier muffin you can enjoy for snacks or dessert. I didn't want them to just be a fancy cupcake recipe for special occasions.
Caramelized bananas: although this step is optional, I do caramelize the bananas in this recipe for an even stronger banana flavor and to keep these gluten free muffins super moist.
Banana pudding without pudding mix: we make a homemade banana filling using fresh banana and cream cheese instead of an instant pudding mix. This yields a healthier banana cream filling without the additives found in pudding mix.
Crumble topping: traditional banana pudding is made with nilla wafers, but since those aren't gluten free, we use a homemade crumble to mimic the cookie topping.

Love all things banana pudding? Try my Banana Pudding Ice Cream Sandwiches or Gluten Free and Vegan Banana Cream Pie.

Ingredients for Gluten Free Banana Pudding Muffins

Gluten free flour: be sure to use an 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour blend with xanthan gum for best results.
Tigernut flour: this is an alternative to almond flour for those with almond allergies, but you can also use almond flour. It provides a nutty sweetness to the banana bread without the need for added sugar.
Bananas: riper bananas means sweeter aka a stronger banana flavor! We do caramelize the bananas though, so if you don't have the ripest bananas, don't worry.
Eggs: 2 large eggs provide structure and leavening to the muffins and an egg yolk is used for the banana pudding.
Olive oil: this heart healthy oil provides a light and tender crumb for the perfect end result.
Applesauce: this is used to replace some of the fat in the recipe while keeping a moist crumb.
Maple syrup: a refined sugar free sweetener that compliments the bananas perfectly. Use pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup.
Coconut sugar: another refined sugar free sweetener used in the banana filling, for the crumb topping, and for caramelizing the bananas.
Coconut oil or butter: this holds the crumbly streusel topping together.
Cream cheese: stick to a plant based cream cheese to keep this muffins dairy free.
Baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla extract: opt for a corn and aluminum free baking powder like the one I have linked and don't forget the cinnamon for the perfect cinnamon crumb topping!

How to Make Gluten Free Banana Pudding Muffins

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
If caramelizing the bananas, heat a large frying pan on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Cut banana lengthwise and sprinkle with a little coconut sugar then fry in the coconut oil for a couple minutes on each side until golden brown and soft. Pour into a separate bowl to cool.
For the crumble, mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl until you get a wet sand texture that holds together when pinched. Set aside.
For the cream cheese filling, beat together all of the ingredients until smooth in a small bowl. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
For the banana muffins, whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Beat together the eggs, oil, maple syrup, applesauce, and vanilla on medium speed in a large bowl with an electric mixer or in a stand mixer until combined. Add the caramelized bananas and mix to combine.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.
Use a large cookie scoop to divide batter into the muffin cups to about ⅔ of the way full. You will probably need to bake in two batches as this recipe makes 14 muffins.

Put banana pudding mixture into a piping bag. Push the tip of the bag into the center of each muffin and squeeze until the muffin has expanded to the top of the muffin tin. Repeat for each muffin.
Crumble the streusel evenly over the top of each muffin. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes then drop the temperature to 350F and bake for another 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted at the side of the muffin (not into the middle where the pudding is) comes out with a few crumbs on it and the tops of the muffins are golden brown.
Let the banana muffins cool in the pan for 10-20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Substitutions & Variations

Flours: you can always use almond flour instead of tigernut flour.
Olive oil: I have not tested this recipe with another fat, but melted (dairy free) butter or coconut oil may work. The muffins might be a bit more dense, though.
Applesauce: you can also use yogurt or more olive oil.
Alternative topping: skip the crumble topping and use a crumbled gluten free vanilla wafer cookies substitute instead. You could also mix broken up banana chips into the crumble topping for even more banana flavor and crunch.
Add-ins: try adding chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips to the banana bread batter.

Tips for the Best Banana Pudding Muffin Texture

Measure flour correctly. Gluten-free baking can sometimes be a miss, leaving your baked goods dry or rubbery. This is often because you used too much flour. The best way to measure flour is to scoop it into your measuring cup with a spoon then level it off. This ensures it's not packed and you don't end up with too much flour, resulting in dry baked goods.
Don't over mix the batter! Over mixing, especially with gluten free baking, can result in a dense and gummy texture. You want to mix the flour into the wet ingredients until it's just combined.
Add bananas last: add the bananas last and just combine them into the wet ingredients. Over-mixing them into the batter will result in a gummy texture.
Two different baking temperatures: baking the muffins at a high temperature for a 5 minutes first gets you a better rise and that bakery muffin dome, then we drop the temp down so the muffins don't over bake. You can certainly bake them at 350F for 20-25 minutes instead.

How to Store Banana Pudding Muffins

I suggest storing these banana cream muffins in the fridge vs at room temperature as the banana filling provides a lot of moisture that will seep into the muffins at room temp, resulting in overly soft and even gummy muffins. I do not suggest freezing these muffins as the banana cream is really not ideal for that.

Gluten Free Banana Crumble Muffins

If the banana pudding feels like too much, you can leave it out and turn these muffins into gluten free banana crumble muffins. They will still be moist and delicious!

gluten free dairy free banana pudding muffins

FAQ

What makes banana pudding muffins different?

Besides being gluten free and dairy free, they are also muffins vs a banana pudding cupcake recipe.

Can I use banana pudding mix?

You can use banana pudding mix instead of making the homemade banana cream filling, but it won't be as healthy or allergy friendly.

Can I make this banana muffin recipe dairy free?

These gluten free banana pudding muffins are already dairy free! Just use dairy free cream cheese for the filling.

Can I turn these into banana crumb muffins?

Yes, you can make gluten free banana crumb muffins instead by omitting the banana pudding filling.

Do I have to caramelize the bananas?

No, this is an optional step that just adds extra flavor. If you're a banana lover, then you have to try caramelizing the bananas because it truly takes them to another level.

Why are my gluten free banana pudding muffins gummy?

If you over mixed or over mashed the banana, these banana pudding muffins can come out gummy. Be sure to mix things at each stage until just combined and measure flour correctly per the Tips section above.

Can I make banana pudding loaf?

I have not tested this recipe as a loaf, so I can't guarantee how it would come out. If you'd like to try to make it into a loaf, you can pour half the batter into a lined loaf pan then pipe the banana pudding over that before topping with the remaining batter and adding the crumble on top. Bake at 350F for about 50 minutes.

gluten free banana crumble muffins with banana cream filling

More Gluten Free Banana Recipes

Gluten Free Walnut Crumble Banana Bread this is my classic banana bread recipe with the crunchiest walnut topping that takes it to the next level!

Gluten Free Chocolate Walnut Banana Muffins double chocolate, walnut, and bananas- these muffins have everything!

Paleo Banana Bread for my grain free friends.

If you're tired of banana bread, try my Paleo Banana Chocolate Chip Bars instead.

Gluten Free Banana Bread Coffee Cake

Need a protein boost? Try my Gluten Free Protein Banana Muffins

If you try these Gluten Free Banana Pudding Muffins, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Leave a rating and review below or drop any questions in the comments.

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