If you’re looking for a delicious and easy banana bread recipe but you’re unable to have gluten, this is the recipe for you! In this post I’m going to show you have I make my super simple Gluten-Free Banana Bread from scratch!
Can I Make Gluten Free Banana Bread?
You can. . .and you should, especially if you’re struggling with celiac disease or other gluten sensitivities. This is a banana bread so luscious, so packed full of flavor and texture, no one will know it’s gluten-free.
No, really.
With the advances in gluten-free flours (especially the all-purpose 1:1 flours) you can take almost any recipe and make it gluten free, simply by swapping out the flour.
And this gluten free healthy bread recipe? Well, it’s a breeze!
Things to Know about Gluten-Free Baking
There’s one more thing you might need to swap: if you’re using Baker’s Joy to spray your pan you’ll have to swap that out for something else that doesn’t have flour in it.
Oh, and some baking powders have gluten, so make sure the one you choose is gluten free.
But, honestly? If you’re gluten-free you’ve probably already figured all of that out. No doubt you’ve got what you need in your pantry already. I’ve been on a kick to get healthy, so I’ve been trying to cut back on glutens for that reason.
Is Banana Bread a Quick Bread?
Yes. A quick bread is one that does not require yeast or rising time. Quick breads rise because of the baking soda or baking powder, instead.
Some examples of quick bread include zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, orange loaf, and (of course) banana bread.
I’ve got lots of quick breads on this site. A few of my favorites include my Lemon Coconut Loaf, Cranberry Banana Bread, Cinnamon Sugar Muffins, and my Easy Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake.
The point of a “quick” bread is that you can mix it up in a hurry (I didn’t even use a mixer with this one) and bake it right away, without waiting.
Gluten Free Breads bake up in about the same amount of time as regular ones, taking only about five minutes more. At least, that was the case here.
Gluten Free Banana Bread Ingredients
You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a look at what you’ll need. These are simple, basic ingredients. Perhaps you already have them in your kitchen, even now!
- room temperature butter, (salted or unsalted, your choice)
- coconut sugar (can substitute brown if you prefer)
- room temperature egg
- pure vanilla extract
- mashed bananas
- baking soda
- all-purpose gluten free flour (unsifted: Bob’s Red Mill or other)
- finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Note: If you like, you can use half almond flour, coconut flour, or any preferred gluten-free flour blend.
How to Make Gluten-Free Banana Bread
This is such a simple process! Like I said, I didn’t even use a mixer, (though you’re certainly welcome to).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare loaf pan by buttering or greasing. Like I said above, you don’t want to use Baker’s Joy like I accidentally did! (Thank goodness I’m not really gluten-free!) If you like, you can add a piece of parchment paper for easy lifting after the fact.
Make sure the butter is softened. Place in large bowl.
Add palm sugar and stir well until fully mixed.
Now add vanilla and overripe bananas. Mash the bananas into the mixture and stir until well combined.
Now add the egg. Mix in well.
Now add the first half of the dry ingredients (flour, as well as the baking soda). Stir until combined.
Add the rest of the flour and mix together.
Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes or until it springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and place on wire rack or trivet to cool.
About about 15 minutes you can flip the loaf out onto the wire rack to continue cooling.
It’s best, with gluten-free breads, to wait until they’re fully cooled to slice.
When the time is right, cut into individual slices and serve!
I like my banana bread with a little bit of butter on it. (Yum!)
Store in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Banana bread is fine at room temperature for a couple of days but I always refrigerate mine to last longer. Banana bread can be frozen up to two months. Use a large gallon sized freezer bag.
What to Expect from this Banana Bread
This is such a great recipe, y’all! It’s the perfect quick bread recipe and I’m so happy to have a healthier banana bread to share. (Be careful, though, because you’ll want to eat the whole loaf!)
The finished product is amazing, very much like a regular gluten-filled banana bread made with regular flour.
There are really only two “hints” that this loaf is gluten free. It’s a wee bit shorter than the usual banana bread, (meaning, it doesn’t bake up quite as high), and it’s slightly darker in color (but that’s from the palm sugar, which I used in my recipe).
Honestly? If I serve you a big slice of this banana bread you would never guess it was gluten free. I really mean that. It tastes and feels identical to regular gluten-filled banana bread.
The crumb is beautiful, the crust is perfect, and the taste is out of this world. I wasn’t sure, (since the AP 1:1 flour is a combination of rice flours and tapioca flour) if the taste would be affected. Not at all! The strength of the banana flavor comes shining through. And the crunch of those pecans was sheer perfection!
This is a classic banana bread with a healthy twist!
Variations on this Gluten-free Recipe
Like any banana bread, this one is easily adaptable. You can add any of the following:
Chocolate chips: You can add them in place of the nuts or along with the nuts. You can also use any type of chips you like—semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or even chunks of chocolate from a broken chocolate bar. I love a good chocolate chip banana bread. Yum!
Brown butter: If you like, you can brown the butter before adding it to the recipe. This will add depth of flavor that should pair beautifully with the coconut palm sugar.
Brown sugar: If you prefer, you can always use brown sugar in place of the palm sugar.
Fruit: I love to add strawberries, cranberries, or blueberries to my banana breads. This extra punch of sweetness is perfection!
Bake it in a bundt pan: This is a fun trick for banana great. It makes a short ring, but you could always double the recipe.
Other Banana Favorites from Out of the Box Baking
Did you love this amazing recipe? There are plenty more banana favorites to enjoy!
- Starter Discard Banana Bread
- Caramel Pecan Banana Bread
- Luscious Apple Banana Bread
- Banana Spice Cake
- Banana Blueberry Oat Bread
- Homemade Banana Pudding (from Back to my Southern Roots)
That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe.
If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you’re at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!
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Gluten Free Banana Bread
If you’re looking for a delicious and easy banana bread recipe but you’re unable to have gluten, this is the recipe for you! In this post I’m going to show you have I make my super simple Gluten-Free Banana Bread from scratch!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup room temperature butter, (salted or unsalted, your choice)
- 3/4 cup coconut palm sugar (can substitute brown if you prefer)
- 1 large room temperature egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 mashed bananas
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour (unsifted)
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare loaf pan by buttering or greasing. Like I said above, you don’t want to use Baker’s Joy like I accidentally did! (Thank goodness I’m not really gluten-free!)
- Make sure the butter is softened. Place in large bowl.
- Add palm sugar and stir well until fully mixed.
- Now add vanilla and bananas.
- Mash the bananas into the mixture and stir until well combined.
- Now add the egg. Mix in well.
- Now add the first half of the flour, as well as the baking soda. Stir until combined.
- Add the rest of the flour and mix together.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes or until it springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and place on wire rack or trivet to cool.
- About about 15 minutes you can flip the loaf out onto the wire rack to continue cooling.
- It’s best, with gluten-free breads, to wait until they’re fully cooled to slice.
When the time is right, slice and serve! - I like my banana bread with a little bit of butter on it. (Yum!)
- Store in an airtight container. Banana bread is fine at room temperature for a couple of days but I always refrigerate mine to last longer. Banana bread can be frozen up to two months. Use a large gallon sized freezer bag.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 273Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 173mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 3gSugar: 19gProtein: 3g
The nutrition information is a product of online calculators. I try to provide true and accurate information, but these numbers are estimates.