Easy Gluten Free Banana Bread {dairy free + naturally sweetened}

This easy gluten free banana bread is moist, healthy, and just as delicious as regular banana bread! Made with simple, clean ingredients, chocolate chips, and all purpose gluten free flour for a recipe you’ll come back to again and again. Perfect for breakfast or a mid day snack! Gluten free, dairy free, and naturally sweetened.

The best gluten free banana bread

What is better than the warm aroma of freshly baked banana bread wafting from the kitchen?

It’s a comforting smell and a comforting process to bake it from scratch. I have a recipe on NK for paleo banana bread (a long time favorite at our house!) that’s made with almond flour and tapioca flour, but I thought it’d be a good idea to share a recipe for a classic banana bread made with a gluten free flour blend.

This recipe calls for chocolate chips, but if you’re not a fan (like my husband), you can leave them out, or substitute with some chopped nuts.

Overall it’s a simple recipe – easy to make and a joy to eat. Something to be made with love and shared with family and friends time and again.

Why you’ll love this easy gluten free banana bread

It is:

• Moist
• Perfectly sweet
• Easy to make
• Naturally sweetened
• Laced with notes of vanilla
• Gluten free and dairy free
• Healthy
• Totally irresistible!

Ingredients and substitutions

• Ripe bananas – This recipe calls for 3 large ripe bananas, but you’ll want to mash and then measure them to make sure you have enough for 1 1/2 cups. If you’re a bit short you can add applesauce to make up for however much more you need.
• Eggs – Most banana bread recipes call for 2 eggs, but since gluten free baked goods can sometimes end up dry, we’re using 3 for added moisture.
• Avocado oil – Avocado oil or melted and cooled coconut oil both work.
• Coconut sugar – Coconut sugar is the natural sweetener used to sweeten up the banana bread a little more. You can substitute with brown sugar.
• Vanilla extract – I love a lot of vanilla flavor in banana bread! The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons but feel free to use less if that’s your preference.
• Gluten free flour blend – Both Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour blend and King Arthur Measure for Measure will work well for this recipe. I’d recommend weighing it out according to the recipe if you have a kitchen scale on hand.
• Baking soda – To leaven the banana bread.
• Salt – To enhance the flavor of the other ingredients.
• Chocolate chips – Chocolate chips are totally optional. Feel free to leave them out or substitute with chopped nuts instead.

You can find all of the pantry staples for this recipe on Thrive Market – a membership based natural products store that is like the Whole Foods of Costco but entirely based online and with the BEST wholesale prices.

I’ve been a Thrive Market member for 5 years and over that period of time have saved $4,283.42 on natural groceries! That is some serious savings.

How to ripen unripe bananas for banana bread

When it comes to making banana bread, the riper the bananas the better. If your bananas aren’t quite ripe enough to smoothly mash, there’s a few tricks you can use depending on how much time you have.

The fastest way is to place them on lined baking sheet in the oven at 300° F for 15-30 minutes – until shiny and black.

If you have more time this article has some other helpful tips for speeding up the ripening process.

Can you use almond flour or coconut flour for this recipe?

Possibly, but I haven’t tested it using those flours. Mixing other types of gluten free / paleo flours in baking is a bit of a tricky process.

Generally you’ll get the best texture if you blend several types of grain free flours together as each one is good at different things.

Coconut flour is super absorbent and should be used in much smaller amounts than an all purpose flour, and almond flour generally benefits from having another flour added to it so that the baked good holds together well.

If you’re looking for a paleo banana bread recipe check out this one on NK made with almond flour and tapioca flour!

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How to make easy gluten free banana bread

This healthy banana bread recipe comes together quickly and follows the same formula as most sweet bread recipes, but there are a few extra tips to make it come out the best!

Here’s the step-by-step

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and line with parchment paper so it hangs over the long edge of the pan. I like to use small binder clips to hold the parchment paper down on each long side of the pan as pictured above. This makes lifting the loaf out of the pan much easier.
• Mix together wet ingredients. Add mashed bananas, eggs, avocado oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
• Mix together dry ingredients and combine with wet ingredients. In another bowl whisk together gluten free flour blend, baking soda, kosher salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir to combine. You don’t have to worry about over-mixing with gluten free flour like you do with regular flour, so stir thoroughly until no more spots of dry flour remain. Stir in the chocolate chips if using.
• Transfer batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Add an extra handful of chocolate chips to the top of the loaf if desired.
• Bake for 1 hour to an hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
• Allow to cool before removing from the pan and slicing.

Can you make this banana bread into muffins?

I haven’t tested this (yet)! But I’m fairly certain the batter would work just as well for muffins. I wouldn’t fill the muffin cups more than 3/4 of the way full, since this banana bread rises quite a bit.

Let me know in the comments below if you try it!

How to tell when it’s done

The best way to tell if your banana bread is baked all the way through is to test it with a toothpick. Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf where there’s a crack and if it comes out dry, it’s done.

Depending on your oven and the exact size of your loaf pan it could take anywhere from an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

How to store gf banana bread

If you plan to eat it within a few days there’s no need to refrigerate your banana bread. In fact, refrigerating baked goods can cause them to dry out sooner.

This gf / df banana bread can be stored in an air tight container in a cool place on the countertop for 3-4 days.

If storing for longer transfer to the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 6 days.

Can this banana bread be frozen?

Banana bread freezes really well. You can either freeze it in individual slices or in a whole loaf. Individual slices are super convenient to have in the freezer because you can just pull out one or two at a time.

For the best texture double wrap it – the first time either with foil or plastic wrap, and the second time in a freezer safe ziplock bag, stasher bag, or tupperware.

How to serve this banana bread

Toasted in a toaster oven or warmed for 15-20 seconds in the microwave is our favorite way to enjoy it!

You can add a smear of butter or dairy free butter for a special touch if you want.

If you enjoyed this recipe we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review the recipe below. It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any changes you made to the recipe! Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK! We’re so grateful you’re here.

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