I’ve made a lot of banana bread in my life! Never in the history of my grocery shopping trips have I ever purchased the correct number of bananas to get through a week. It doesn’t matter if I buy four bananas or forty, it always seems that at the end of the week we have exactly three speckled brown bananas left over, just asking to be made into banana bread.
That’s all to say that I make close to 30-40 loaves per year, and all that banana bread baking has made me into quite the banana bread connoisseur.
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What makes for a great loaf of banana bread?
To me, perfect banana bread must be: (A) super, incredibly moist (B) dense as all get out—this is not the time for a light and fluffy texture, and (C) intensely banana-flavored. So when I set out to make a grain-free, dairy-free, paleo, one bowl banana bread recipe, it had an incredibly high standard to live up to!
Luckily, dense quick breads like banana bread are the perfect introduction to paleo baking. Grain-free flours, like the almond flour we use here, lend themselves to dense, moist breads and are easy to find at most major supermarkets. Getting fluffy, grain-free sandwich bread is an experiment in more advanced paleo baking, but getting the best almond flour banana bread? That’s easy as can be!
How do you make banana bread paleo?
Making banana bread paleo is as simple as swapping out a few key ingredients. In place of the typical all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour, in the case of our whole wheat banana bread), we use grain-free and gluten-free almond flour and tapioca flour. In place of butter, we use melted coconut oil. And that’s it! Magically, your banana bread has become paleo and gluten-free.
Can you make this gluten-free banana bread vegan?
I have yet to try this recipe using an egg substitute instead of actual eggs. I have a hunch that using flax eggs or chia eggs (1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed combined with 3 tablespoons of water per egg replaced) would work, but result in a more tender bread. If you try it, please report back with your results!!
How do you know when banana bread is done baking?
This is one of the trickiest parts of baking banana bread, and I’m going to let you in on a little secret—if you slightly underbake your banana bread, no one is going to mind. That just makes for a more moist and tender loaf!
Of course, you don’t want it raw and goopy on the inside, so a good test is to lightly press on the top of the loaf when the baking time is up—it should feel set up and not jiggly. You can also try the toothpick test. When a toothpick is inserted in the middle of loaf, does it come out (mostly) clean? Or does it look like it’s still stuck with wet batter? If it’s the latter, pop that baby back in the oven and continue checking with the toothpick test every 4-5 minutes.
A great benefit to baking paleo quick breads is that it’s really hard to overbake or dry them out when baking. The nature of the flours used makes for a more moist loaf—it’s not going to turn into a brick if you bake it for an extra five minutes.
What’s the best way to store paleo banana bread?
I always store my banana bread in the fridge. Not only does it extend the shelf life dramatically, but I love the texture of cold banana bread! I slice my loaves once they are completely cool, and then store them in a glass food storage container in the fridge.
How long is almond flour banana bread good for?
As the recipe is written, you’ll be able to get 5-6 days out of a loaf in the fridge. If you reduce the amount of added maple syrup, you may get slightly less time since sugar is a good preservative. I will say, you will KNOW when banana bread is ready for the trash. It will smell and taste bitter and sour—and it will make this change seemingly overnight. Trust your senses!
Can you freeze banana bread?
Since I make so much banana bread in my house, I also freeze a TON of it—banana bread is a great option for the freezer! You can freeze whole loaves or slices. I prefer slices, just because it’s easy to grab a slice or two and warm in the toaster oven before busy school mornings!
To freeze whole loaves: Let cool completely on a wire rack, then transfer to a zip top freezer bag or a glass food storage container, and freeze for up to three months. Let defrost at room temperature.
To freeze slices: Let cool completely on a wire rack, then slice into thick slices. Place the slices in one layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, wax paper, or a silicone baking mat. Freeze until frozen solid, about three hours. Transfer to a zip top freezer bag or a glass food storage container, and freeze for up to three months. Let defrost at room temperature, or pop frozen slices in the toaster oven until warm.
Can you make this almond flour banana bread into muffins?
Sure can! Any quick bread recipe (paleo or otherwise) can be easily made into muffins. We walk you through how to make almond flour banana muffins here— all you’re really changing is the pan and the bake time!
Looking for more almond flour bread recipes? Try these:
Almond Flour Banana Bread (Paleo, Gluten-Free)
This Almond Flour Banana Bread is packed with the banana flavor and tender texture you love from banana bread, while also being gluten-free and dairy-free!
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup mashed, very ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (more or less, depending on taste preferences, see notes)
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 2/3 cup tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Optional add-ins: 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8” x 4” loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving extra parchment overhanging the sides of the pan for easy bread removal later. Set aside.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients: mashed banana, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, eggs, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Stir together until combined.
- Add in the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until well-combined.
- Add in the chocolate chips, walnuts, or dried cranberries, if using. Stir to evenly distribute.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, the loaf feels set, and a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes. Then, using the overhanging parchment, remove the bread to a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- This amount of added sweetener results in a medium-sweet bread. Feel free to reduce the amount of maple syrup if you prefer a less-sweet banana bread, or increase it if you’d like a sweeter taste. I’ve made this bread (by accident!) without any added sweetener, and it’s a beautiful vessel for peanut butter and jam with coffee. YUM.
- If you’re sensitive to the flavor of coconut, you can replace the coconut oil with an equal amount of avocado oil.
- If you prefer, you can swap out the tapioca flour with arrowroot starch for similar results.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 325Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 208mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 4gSugar: 17gProtein: 6g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
