Welcome to the only banana bread recipe you’ll ever need! Whether you’re gluten-free or looking for a breakfast or sweet treat made with healthy, nourishing ingredients, look no further than this almond flour banana bread. It’s made with no oil, butter, or refined sugar. But you’ll never know because it’s perfectly moist and sweet. It’s the perfect recipe to make when you have extra bananas or overripe bananas about to go bad.
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What readers say…
“Best banana bread in the history of the world. I am seriously in love with almond flour for baking, pancakes, et. al. Everything turns out SO MOIST. This banana bread recipe is off the chart.”
Roxanne
What Makes This Recipe So Incredibly Good
In our family, we consume grains, like einkorn and spelt. It’s not uncommon for us to enjoy homemade einkorn pancakes, sourdough bread, and einkorn muffins.
I’ve also come to love gluten-free flour, particularly recipes made with almond flour. This gluten-free banana bread recipe has become a favorite with our whole family. Here’s what I love about this recipe.
- Simple, Nourishing Ingredients: We’re all about simple, real food. This recipe is the perfect example of how a few simple pantry ingredients come together to create the most delicious banana bread.
- Super Moist: Almond flour makes incredibly moist baked goods. From the softest chocolate chip cookies and bread to pancakes.
- Natural Sweetness: Typical banana bread is made with added sugar, from brown sugar to cane sugar. Instead, this healthy recipe is a quick bread you can feel good about. It’s naturally sweetened with blanched almond flour or almond meal, honey or maple syrup (or stevia for a low-carb option), and extra ripe bananas.
- Zero Gluten: This bread is 100% gluten free and the perfect treat, make-ahead breakfast, or snack for anyone with a gluten intolerance or celiac disease.
Ingredients
To make the best almond flour banana bread, you’ll need a few simple ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot flour starch
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 ripe yellow bananas
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt or a dairy-free yogurt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
What is Arrowroot Starch? Arrowroot is a white, flavorless powder. It’s similar to cornstarch (without the corn) in that it thickens food. Almond flour alone can result in a soggy, dense bread. Arrowroot starch (which is paleo-friendly, gluten-free, and vegan) improves the texture of almond flour treats. Arrowroot lasts a long time. Use it to make stir-fry sauce, almond flour chocolate chip cookies, this particular recipe, almond flour waffles, and homemade foundation powder or dry shampoo.
How to Make, Step by Step
To make this recipe, you’ll need a large mixing bowl, medium-size mixing bowl, and 9×5-inch loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line the bread pan with parchment paper.
Step 1: Mix Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: almond flour, arrowroot starch, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: Combine Wet Ingredients
In a medium bowl, mash the bananas. Add eggs, maple syrup or honey, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
Step 3: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until combined. If you’re adding chocolate chips, walnuts, or dried fruit (see suggestions in next section), stir the ingredient into the batter now.
Step 4: Bake
Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake, in the center of the oven, for 60 minutes or until the center is firm. Insert a knife in the center of the bread to check for doneness. The knife should come out clean when the bread is done.
Let the bread cool for at least 20-30 minutes on the top of the stove or a wire rack. Remove the bread from the pan by lifting the parchment paper out of the pan. Almond flour sets as it cools, so it’s important to avoid cutting the bread during this time.
Add-Ins
I love plain banana bread, but sometimes it’s fun to add mix-ins. Here are a few ideas…
Dark Chocolate Chips: Add 1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips to the batter, stir to combine. Or use cacao nibs.
Walnuts: Add 1/4-1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the batter, stir to combine.
Dried Cherries or Cranberries: Add 1/4-1/2 cup of dried fruit, like dried cherries or cranberries, to the batter and stir to combine.
Variations
Make this recipe dairy free, egg free, or sugar free. Or, instead of bread make paleo banana bread muffins.
Dairy Free: This recipe calls for yogurt. Use plain Greek yogurt, whole milk yogurt, or make it dairy-free with a plain plant-based yogurt.
Sugar Free: Instead of honey or maple syrup, some readers have used 1/2 cup applesauce or 1/2 teaspoon stevia. I haven’t tried these sweetener variations, but readers have experienced great success with these sugar-free substitutions.
Egg Free: Some readers who need an egg substitute have used flax eggs. Instead of real eggs, make a flax egg by combining flax seeds and water. How to make your own flax egg (you’ll need 3 flax eggs). This variation may result in a flat bread (a bit more dense), but still delicious.
Pumpkin Bread: If you love this healthy banana bread, try making the pumpkin variation. Use 1 cup pumpkin puree instead of mashed bananas. Follow this pumpkin bread recipe.
Make Muffins: Most quick bread recipes are easily turned into muffins by decreasing the baking time. Spoon the batter into a muffin pan with muffin liners. Bake for 22ish minutes or until firm on top. You could also make mini muffins; just use a mini muffin pan. Or, for a flourless muffin recipe, make flourless almond banana muffins.
What’s the best almond flour to use?
Almond flour is made by grinding almonds into a powder. The flour is commonly used to make keto and low carb treats. It can be used to make cake, muffins, cookies, breads, or as a binder in meatballs or meatloaf (a gluten-free alternative to breadcrumbs).
There are two different types of almond flour…
Blanched almond flour: Made by grinding up almonds with the almond skin removed. This is done by dropping the almonds in boiling water, then cooling the almonds and peeling away the skin. Once the skin is gone, the almonds are “blanched.” Blanched almond flour is a yellow/cream color, and is typically light and fluffy. It’s ideal for making pastries, cakes, and breads.
Almond meal: Made by grinding up almonds with the skin. This flour is typically brown, has a coarse texture, and results in heavier, dense baked goods.
Which is best? I’ve used both almond flour and almond meal to make this bread recipe with great success. I prefer fine almond flour for a lighter texture, but almond meal may also be used in this recipe.
Can I substitute all purpose flour for almond flour?
All purpose regular flour is not a substitute for almond flour in this banana bread recipe or other almond flour bread recipes.
Almond flour, with the absence of gluten, doesn’t perform the same as a gluten-based flour like all purpose, whole wheat flour, or einkorn flour.
If you’d like to make a regular banana bread, with a gluten flour, make this einkorn and spelt bread recipe or einkorn maple-banana muffins. Einkorn is easier to digest than wheat, so it’s my preferred gluten flour.
Pro Tips for Best Results
1. Weigh the flour. There is one thing that you need for fail-proof baking: a scale. Well, actually, two things: a scale and quality ingredients. My cup of flour is probably not the same as your cup of flour. Not weighing flour may result in disappointment when making cookies, cakes, or quick breads. Plus, weighing ingredients is much easier; just keep adding ingredients to the bowl until the scale tells you to stop. I’ve been using this digital scale for a few years now.
2. Use parchment paper: Line the bread pan with parchment paper so it’s easy to remove the bread and let cool. This will prevent the bread from sticking to the bread pan and falling apart, which can easily happen with almond flour before it’s fully cool. Grease the pan with a bit of oil or butter, then place the parchment paper inside the pan. The butter/oil will keep the parchment in place so it’s easy to add the bread batter to the pan.
How to Store and Freeze
Because this bread is so moist, it doesn’t dry out in the fridge. Once the bread cools, store the loaf in an airtight container or bag for up to 1 week in the fridge. Eat at room temperature, cold, or reheat a slice in the microwave or a toaster oven.
The bread is even better the next day, so make this recipe for a prep-ahead meal for breakfast, a snack, or a dinner side dish. I’ll share a few serving ideas under the printable recipe, below.
Freeze the bread, once fully cool, in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Freeze the bread whole or sliced.
Almond Flour Banana Bread
Equipment
- bread pan 9×5-inch loaf pan
- large bowl
- medium bowl
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (260g)
- 1/4 cup arrowroot flour starch (34g)
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 ripe bananas totally 1 1/4 cups once mashed (340g)
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup maple syrup (134g) or honey
- 1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt (58g) or a dairy-free yogurt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Line a bread pan with parchment paper, or grease with butter or coconut oil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: almond flour, arrowroot starch, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, mash the bananas. Then whisk in the eggs, maple syrup, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir until combined.
- Pour the batter into a bread pan. Bake the bread, in the center of the oven, for 60 minutes, or until the center is firm. You can insert a knife in the center of the bread to check for doneness. The knife should come out clean when the bread is done.
- Allow the bread to cool for at least 20-30 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan by lifting the parchment paper out of the pan.
- Slice and enjoy. Store any leftover bread in a bag or large airtight container. Store the bread in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Try these simple, reader-favorite recipes that are naturally gluten-free.
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Serving Ideas
Serve this bread as a sweet treat, breakfast, lunch, or snack (one of my favorite 31 healthy and easy snacks). Serve a slice by itself, topped with butter or almond butter, or serve a slice of bread with one of these delicious recipes for a complete meal.
For Breakfast
- Scrambled Eggs
- Spinach Feta Omelette
- Ham and Cheese Omelette
- Omelet Cups
- Healthy Yogurt Bowls
- Serve a slice with a homemade chai latte, iced chai tea latte, or pumpkin spice latte.
For Snack
- Spread two slices of bread with cream cheese to make a banana bread sandwich (also a great lunchbox meal)
- Top a slice of bread with butter or your favorite nut butter
- Serve with a cheese stick or rolled up turkey
- Enjoy a slice with a piece of fruit
For Dinner
- Serve as a side dish with a vegetable (frozen roasted vegetables are delicious) and chicken (whole roasted chicken or crispy chicken thighs)
- Serve as a side dish with a bowl of soup
- Serve on the side of a big salad, like Kale and Romain Caesar Salad
Excellent Recipe. This is now my favorite Grain Free Banana Bread and I’m very grateful. I’ve made 1 loaf with yogurt and made one loaf with heavy cream. Both were perfection. I’m excited because even my picky family is enjoying this. We’ve tried and failed with other GF recipes in the last 4 years. Yours has won them over!
That’s so great to hear, Gwen! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!! We have recently cut out wheat and sugar and love nut flours and natural sugar alternatives such as honey and maple syrup. This is the best banana bread recipe! I used it to make muffins and used Kefir as that is what I had, and added frozen blueberries. They were the most moist muffins I have ever made and soooooo much healthier. Thank you again, and now you have another follower!!! 🙂
Recipe sounds like exactly what I’m looking for!
I’m just wondering if you could give me a bit of guidance in terms of the size of bananas you used. (We’ve currently got really small ones, so I’m not sure whether to try out the recipe with 3 or even 4 of them!)
Do you have any idea how many cups or grams of smashed banana you usually get from your 2-3 bananas?
Hey Diana, Hmmm, good question! I’m guessing I get about 3/4 cup of bananas, but I haven’t actually measured them.
Can I use banana extract instead of bananas as Im low carb. Would it be too dry
Hey Karenm, The bananas are needed for the texture and sweetness of the bread.
Thank you for your quick reply to my problem. I double checked to make sure I was not crazy thinking I had added eggs if I had not, and yes, there were the shells in the trash to prove my sanity. The problem could be the graininess of the almond flour, as you suggest. The flour is fresh and so I know it’s not that. I use Anthony’s blanched almond flour. I do not want to add another flour to balance the wetness. I want the almond flour to be enough and I want to get this right. I will be trying it again soon.
I had high hopes for this bread, based on all the positive comments. Moist is definitely not the word I would use to describe this bread. It was absolutely mushy with a wonderful crust. I waited to remove it from the pan after it had cooled, only to find a puddle of liquid at the bottom of the pan. I did make a couple of alterations based on another comment: added another banana, added 1/4 cup cocoa, no honey and no nuts. The batter was not too runny and looked normal compared to other almond flour bread/muffin recipes I’ve tried. I have put it back in the over to dry out, if possible, for the next hour or two at a lower temp. If you can offer any suggestions as to why I ended up with such a soggy, but nice crust, mess of a bread, I am all ears.
Hey Eveuntoadam, Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that. To be honest, I’m not really sure what may have happened. Somehow the bread didn’t actually bake inside, from what it sounds like, but I have no idea why that happened. My only thought as to what may have caused this is the batter was missing the eggs, or there was an issue with the kind of almond flour used. I wish I could be of more help.
I made this today and it is delicious!! my whole family loved it!! I will make this again.
This recipe is fantastic! My boyfriend is currently on a grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free diet, but I’ve been craving banana bread for ages, so I am super happy that I stumbled on this recipe. 😀
I had to make some tweaks: I used 1/8 c coconut yogurt in place of the dairy, and reduced the honey to 1 tbsp to counter the sugar in the yogurt. I had no nutmeg in the house, so I just added a bit more cinnamon. I also used 5 bananas to make up for the volume and moistness of the missing yogurt and honey.
I decided to make mini-loaves instead of 1 large loaf, and added a layer of fresh blueberries in the middle of each one.
They turned out amazing. Dense and filling but moist and perfectly sweet without ANY sugar. Thank you so much for posting this. I think it just became a staple in our house. 😀
Do you have the nutritional breakdown of this bread. I’m type 2 diabetic and was wondering how many carbs it has in it?
Hey Veronica, I don’t have the nutritional breakdown for this recipe. I believe My Fitness Pal provides a free nutritional calculator for recipes: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator.
This is a fantastic recipe and so easy! I’ve left off the whole milk yogurt before, only because I didn’t have it and have substituted skim milk, but the whole milk yogurt makes a huge difference in the texture and height the cake achieves while baking. I used Annie’s brand strawberry whole milk yogurt and it was incredible. The strawberry flavor does not affect the flavor of the banana bread at all, but it so delicious.
Hey Renee, I’m so glad you love the recipe. Strawberry yogurt sounds like a great addition!
Banana Bread is in the oven. I used coconut flour and Greek yogurt. I tasted batter and oh yum-oh!! First time I bake GF anything. My kids can’t wait until morning to try it!!!
Awesome, Yvette! I hope everyone loved the bread!
Thank you for this recipe! It is my favorite banana bread.
I’m so glad you love the banana bread, Jill :).
Just made these and I have used almond flour for about 3 years so when I saw everyone saying this is the best banana bread ever I was a little skeptical . I only swapped out the honey for maple syrup and made them into muffins so they would be portable for me and my husband. OMG THESE WERE THE BEST I HAVE EVER MADE!! you have made me very happy I’m already thinking of other fruit and nuts to change them up . Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Hey Laura, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the muffins/bread! Thank you so much for the feedback.
Coconut cream was divine. Best banana bread I’ve ever had. Thank You !
I have stage IV cancer and trying to heal naturally so must be gluten free. A little doesn’t hurt but free for the most part. I have been mostly dairy free for many years but for some occasional organic cheese on homemade pizza so the yogurt is out and I’m going to try coconut cream. Will let you know how it goes. Thanks for the recipe. ( :
I’m interested to hear how the coconut cream works (great idea!). Thank you, Larry!
Never underestimate the power of leaving a great recipe online!
I have made your banana bread twice now and it is truly scrumptious! Based on ingredients I had on hand, the second time around I tossed in 1 additional (making 4 total) very overripe banana and I substituted date sugar for all but a heaping tablespoon of the honey and incorporated 1/8 cup of chia seed to dry ingredients to help absorb the extra moisture of the 4th banana. It worked well, yielding a sort of light, poppy seed like crunch to the bread (not to mention extra fiber, which is a plus for me). Yummikins all the way around. Thank you for publishing and helping me satisfy my sweet tooth in a healthy, practical way!
I just made this except I ran out of almond meal/flour, so I just substituted it for hemp protein, banana flour, hazelnut meal and more nuts ( I had a bit left of each and wanted to use it up, so I ended up with probably 3 cups of dry), and added an extra banana so it had enough moisture from the extra dry ingredients, I used greek yogurt and coconut sugar because I didn’t have enough honey either haha.
It was delicious and moist, I even gave my mum some. I like recipes like this you can adapt it to what ever and it still turns out great.
This is the best just like you said OMG!!!!! I cant believe how simple this was to make the only thing i did differently was use coconut milk yogurt instead whole milk yogurt and it still turned out very very yummy this will definitely be a family favorite in our house whole thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. Best BANANA BREAD EVER!!!!!!!
Awesome, Zee! It’s so great to hear that you love the banana bread. Enjoy every slice :).
This sounds wonderful! Is it possible to substitute the yogurt for coconut oil? I have found similar recipes that use coconut oil instead.
Thanks!
Thank you, Alex. I’m not sure about coconut oil. It worth’s a try!
Any suggestion on what I could substitute for yogurt? We are dairy free right now because of my daughter’s health issue. Coconut cream? Or extra eggs?
Hey Ramona, Coconut yogurt would be the best option. Coconut cream may work well, too.