Almond Flour Banana Bread
I bake this Almond Flour Banana Bread nearly every week of the year! It comes out moist, deliciously dense, and packed with banana flavor, all while staying gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
FEATURED COMMENT
"I made this banana bread this weekend for a family brunch, since a few family members are gluten- and dairy-free and WHOA, it was SO GOOD!!!! This is my new go-to even though I eat both gluten and dairy. I was so wowed!"
- Lauren
Recipe at a glance
Why I Love This Recipe
I make loaves of this banana bread 30 to 40 times a year because it's that good, and my family loves how moist and banana-y it is! And I love that it just takes one single bowl.
Gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo baking has a reputation for being finicky, but banana bread is where it gets sooooo easy. Dense, moist quick breads are far more forgiving than trying to nail a fluffy grain-free sandwich loaf, and this one has never let me down! Here's why you'll love it:
- Naturally sweetened. Made with maple syrup that adds amazing maple flavor and tons of moisture, no refined sugar in the mix.
- Flexible with substitutions. Swap coconut oil for avocado oil, or tapioca flour for arrowroot starch, add in chocolate chips or nuts. This recipe is adaptable.Freezer stash friendly. Freezes whole or sliced, so there's always a piece ready for a busy school morning or an afternoon pick-me-up.
- Works as muffins. Turns into almond flour banana muffins with the same batter when I want a grab-and-go version instead of slices.
- Paleo, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free. This one covers a lot of dietary bases without tasting like it does. Looking for a recipe with regular wheat flour? Check out my applesauce banana bread recipe. It's also one bowl!
This is the loaf I reach for on repeat, and once you taste it, you'll understand why.
Ingredients
Head's up: Check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list
- Blanched almond flour. Use the fine, blanched kind, not almond meal. Almond meal is coarser and made with the skins still on, and it'll leave the loaf gritty instead of tender. I like the Great Value brand-it's good and affordable!
- Tapioca flour. This is what keeps the loaf from being dense in a bad way. Almond flour alone bakes heavy, and tapioca flour lightens it up and helps it bind. Arrowroot starch works as a 1:1 swap if that's what you have on hand.
- Maple syrup. Does double duty here, sweetening the loaf and adding moisture, since there's no butter or dairy to lean on for that.
- Coconut oil. Melted, not solid, so it blends into the batter instead of clumping. If you're sensitive to coconut flavor, avocado oil swaps in at the same amount.
- Apple cider vinegar. Just a teaspoon, but it reacts with the baking soda to leaven the loaf, since there's no gluten here to help it rise on its own.
- Ripe bananas. The more speckled, the better. Underripe bananas won't give you enough sweetness or moisture.
- Eggs. Since there's no gluten to give this loaf structure, the eggs are what hold it together and keep it from crumbling when you slice it. I have not been able to successfully replicate this loaf with egg substitutes, but I'll keep trying! Duck eggs do work great.
- Mix-ins (optional). Mini chocolate chips, chopped walnuts or pecans, or dried cranberries all work, ½ cup of any one of them. Chocolate chips are my fave!
How to Make Almond Flour Banana Bread
Step 1: Prep the pan. Preheat your oven and line a loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving extra hanging over the sides. That overhang makes it easy to lift the whole loaf out later instead of fighting with it in the pan.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the mashed banana, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, eggs, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Stir until it's all combined, no need for a mixer.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients. Add the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt right into the same bowl. Stir until everything's well combined, and that's it, one bowl, done.
Step 4: Fold in mix-ins, if using. Add chocolate chips, walnuts, or dried cranberries and stir just enough to distribute them evenly.
Step 5: Pour and bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top is golden brown, the loaf feels set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 6: Cool before slicing. Let the loaf cool in the pan for a few minutes, then use the parchment overhang to lift it onto a cooling rack. I know waiting is torture, but let it cool completely before you slice into it.
👩🏻🍳 Cassie's Tips
- Two tests for doneness. Insert a toothpick or skewer into the center of the loaf, if it comes out coated in wet batter, it needs more time. You can also press the top of the loaf lightly, it should feel set, not jiggly. If either test says it's not there yet, pop it back in and check again every 4-5 minutes rather than guessing at extra time. Most almond flour baked goods tend to run on the moist side thanks to the fat in the flour, so a few extra minutes isn't going to mess it up.
- Looking for a zucchini bread version? I got you. My gluten-free zucchini bread recipe uses the same almond flour base and one bowl method.
- Try it unsweetened. I've made this bread by accident without any maple syrup, and it turned into a beautiful, not-too-sweet vessel for peanut butter and jam with coffee. Worth trying if you want a less-sweet loaf.
- Walnuts are a fan fave. Reader Jeanne told me she's made this recipe four weekends in a row, always with walnuts stirred in, and it's become her go-to.
- Out of tapioca flour? Try rice flour. Reader Ali swapped in rice flour at half the amount the recipe calls for and said it turned out great, a good backup if you can't find tapioca or arrowroot.
FAQs
Almond flour is naturally higher in protein and fiber than all-purpose flour, and this loaf is sweetened with maple syrup instead of refined sugar. That makes it a solid fit if you're eating paleo, gluten-free, or dairy-free.
I always store mine in the fridge, in a glass food storage container. Not only does refrigeration extend its shelf life, I actually prefer the texture of cold banana bread.
Stored in the fridge, you'll get about 5-6 days out of a loaf. You'll know when it's time to toss it, it'll start to smell and taste bitter or sour, and that change can happen seemingly overnight.
Yes. For a whole loaf, let it cool completely, then wrap it in a zip-top freezer bag or glass container and freeze for up to three months, thawing at room temperature. For slices, freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, about three hours, then transfer to a freezer bag or container. Frozen slices can go straight into the toaster oven to warm.
This is the banana bread I bake on repeat, dense, moist, and easy enough for a one-bowl weeknight bake, no special diet required to love it.
More Almond Flour Recipes:
If you tried this Almond Flour Banana Bread or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Almond Flour Banana Bread (Paleo, Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup very ripe bananas (about 3 bananas) mashed
- ⅓ cup maple syrup more or less, depending on taste preferences, see notes
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- ⅔ cup tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Optional add-ins: ½ cup mini chocolate chips, ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, ½ 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.
Video
Notes
- This amount of maple syrup makes a medium-sweet bread. Use less for a more subtle sweetness or more if you like it sweeter. Skip it entirely for an unsweetened loaf that's great with peanut butter and jam.
- Sensitive to coconut flavor? Swap the coconut oil for an equal amount of avocado oil.
- Out of tapioca flour? Arrowroot starch works as a 1:1 swap, or one reader had success with rice flour at half the amount.
- Add-ins are optional: ½ cup mini chocolate chips, chopped walnuts or pecans, or dried cranberries all work well stirred in at the end.
- To check doneness, insert a toothpick into the center; if it comes out coated in wet batter, bake a few minutes longer. The top should also feel set, not jiggly.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 5-6 days. It'll smell and taste sour when it's time to toss it.
- To freeze a whole loaf: cool completely, wrap well, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- To freeze slices: flash-freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. Reheat frozen slices straight in the toaster oven.
Nutrition
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This is a fantastic recipe I use all the time!! I swapped the tapioca flour and almond flour but otherwise keep everything else the same. Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe.
I made this today for my 3-year-old daughter's lunch box. It worked out really well. I hope she enjoys it as much as I do. Thanks for sharing! x
Hello Cassie! I’ve been following your site for several years and absolutely appreciate all that you do!!! I decided to comment on your banana bread recipe because I’ve made it for the past 4 weekends and I just can’t get enough of it. I follow the recipe exactly as you listed and I add walnuts. It comes out perfectly every time. BEST BANANA BREAD EVER!!So thanks again!! Believe it or not I found tapioca flour at my local Big Lots.
This is always so great to hear!
Hi Cassie, I'm trying to make the gluten free banana bread, but I'm unable to find tapioca flour or arrowroot starch. Is there anything else I could sub in?
Thanks so much!
Hi Kara: I'm sorry, those two are pretty hard to substitute for.
You can find them on Amazon and Walmart
I subbed tapioca for Rice Flour (half the quantity as what is stated to use for Tapioca) and it turned out brilliantly!
Preferably I would have liked to use Rice Flour but coincidentally I was out of that also as I was of Tapioca 🙁
Cassie, I made this banana bread this weekend for a family brunch, since a few family member are gluten and dairy free and WHOA, it was SO GOOD!!!! This is my new go-to even though I, myself, eat both gluten and dairy. I was so wowed!
So glad to hear it!