The Best Gluten-Free Banana Bread! EASY to make with perfect texture and delicious flavor! Sure to become your go-to recipe!
This banana bread is a long-time reader and family favorite! This recipe has a few tricks so you get soft, moist, easy-to-slice and completely delicious gluten-free banana bread every time.
Is there anything better than a piece of warm banana bread slathered in butter? Dreamy. Everyone needs a go-to banana bread recipe!
Since going gluten-free I have tried a TON of banana bread recipes. Over the years I’ve decided my Mom’s recipe from growing up – tweaked to be made gluten-free – is my favorite tried-and-true banana bread recipe.
It is moist with the perfect amount of sweetness and banana flavor like traditional banana bread. Not to mention an ideal texture that is not crumbly, mushy or gummy like gluten-free baked goods can often be. This banana bread has moist crumbs
Whenever I have brown bananas on my counter this is hands down my favorite thing to make! (Close 2nd is this gluten-free banana cake!)
Table of Contents
Why You’ll LOVE This Recipe!
- Amazing crumb and texture
- Soft and moist – but not crumbly or gummy
- Stays delicious for up to 3 days
- Naturally dairy-free
- Easy to make!
VIDEO: How to Make It
This easy recipe is one of my favorite gluten-free breads of all time! If you love this bread be sure to try this gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip bread and this gluten-free zucchini bread. You also might like these banana pancakes or gluten-free banana muffins. Both recipes are made with the same gluten-free ingredients!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on the key ingredients for this gluten free banana bread recipe:
- Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour: I like to use a high quality gluten-free flour blend like gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend like King Arthur Flour in my baked goods. It works best to use a blend that contains xanthan gum in this recipe.
- Almond Flour: Helps with texture and browning. A touch of almond flour is also my secret ingredient in my famous gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. See the recipe card for nut-free instructions.
- Shortening: shortening gives this banana bread an irresistible crumb and texture. It also makes if so no dairy-free option is needed! I use organic palm shortening. My Mom used to use Crisco. Butter will work as well!
- A splash of milk: A few tablespoons of milk (or almond milk) help make this moist banana bread.
- Mix-ins! Add any mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts or blueberries that you like! The possibilities are endless. You can use up to 3/4 cup of any mix-in.
Note: A tub of palm shortening will keep at room temperature in your pantry for many months. I always keep a tub of it around to make this banana bread when we have brown bananas!
How to Make It
Start by whisking together the the gluten free all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, mash up some overripe bananas and measure out 1 cup. It’s important to use exactly 1 cup of mashed bananas for the right texture.
This recipe also doubles great. The recipe takes about 2 1/2 bananas per loaf. So if you have 5 over-ripe bananas sitting around make two loaves! Nobody at my house complains when I do that!
- In a large mixing bowl, add the shortening and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy
- Add the eggs, a teaspoon vanilla extract and almond milk and beat for 1-2 minutes until light and combined.
- Add the 1/2 the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix to combine.
- Add half the bananas and mix to combine. Repeat with the other 1/2 dry ingredients and bananas. (Adding them alternately helps the batter hydrate.) Fold in any mix-ins with a spatula.
- Pour batter and smooth batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan then on a wire rack until fully cooled.
Mix-Ins
This gluten-free banana bread is such a great base recipe! I love it a classic banana bread loaf, but if you want to add in mix-ins go for it! You can add 1/2 cup of the following:
- chocolate chips
- chopped walnuts
- chopped pecans
- blueberries
- coconut
My kids are a huge fan of making this banana bread an extra special treat with the additional of chocolate chips. You also might like this gluten-free pumpkin bread.
Substititions
MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE: Yes! Organic palm shortening is naturally dairy-free. Use almond milk for the milk and this banana bread will be dairy-free.
MAKE IT NUT-FREE: Swap the almond flour out for ⅓ cup more of gluten-free 1:1 baking flour. Use regular milk or rice milk in place of the almond milk.How should I store this?
Storing Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Store any leftover fully cooled banana bread tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature. It will keep for up to 2 days.
You can freeze the unsliced, whole loaf by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and placing the loaf in a ziploc bag. Thaw the banana bread to room temperature before serving.
Gluten-Free Banana Bread FAQs
The secret to making delicious gluten-free banana bread is to use the right amount of bananas and shortening for the fat. Too much banana can destabilize the crumb and result in gummy banana bread. Butterfat also cause the crumb to clump up, so shortening works best!
Gluten-free banana bread is moist from using very overripe bananas and a combination of gluten-free 1:1 baking flour and almond flour for the dry ingredients. Almond flour adds moisture and flavor to the loaf so you have moist crumbs in the final product!
Yes! Baking powder is important to use with gluten-free flour when baking to give gluten-free baked goods the proper rise. Baking powder makes gluten-free banana bread have a lighter crumb and texture.
More Gluten-Free Baking Recipes
Happy Baking! I hope you love this gluten-free banana bread recipe as much as we do! If you try it be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
The Best Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Video
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup gluten-free 1-to-1 all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Other:
- 1/3 cup shortening or butter I use palm shortening
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons almond milk or regular milk
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana about 2-3 bananas
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts pecans, blueberries or chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Mash the bananas together in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, add the shortening and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy and combined. Add the eggs, vanilla and almond milk and beat for 1-2 minutes until light and combined.
- Add the 1/2 the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add half the bananas and mix to combine. Repeat with the other 1/2 dry ingredients and bananas. (Adding them alternately helps the batter hydrate.) Fold in any mix-ins with a spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Cool for five minutes in the pan. Gently turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Enjoy! Store covered at room temperature.
This is the bomb digity of banana bread. Like wow. I can’t even believe my search is over. Made exactly as written. The crumb. The texture. The flavour. This is outstanding. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The brand of flour I used was cup4cup….similar structure to the one you linked (I keep asking my dad to bring that back from the USA but he never seems to understand what I’m asking for lol). Question. Have you used frozen bananas before? Defrost and drain excess water? Let me know your thoughts!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the banana bread! Frozen bananas will work great. Just let them thaw them and use as directed. I hope this helps!
I’ve been using this recipe forever, since I first found it published by you. It follows all the gluten free quick bread recipe rules that assure me the recipe will turn out. I have since found it the best…and have thrown out all the other banana bread/muffin recipes that I have experimented with! Thanks for the keeper!
This is the first gf banana bread that I haven’t tossed after tasting! It’s so flavorful and moist and makes excellent toast! Used the king Arthur flour and for sugar half white half brown. Didn’t have palm shortening so I used butter and threw in a handful of chopped walnuts. This ones a keeper
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I love adding walnuts as well 🙂
Absolutely the best soft moist banana bread. Number one. Did not taste gritty. So good
Great! I’m glad it turned out for you!
Another amazing recipe by Erin. This is my family’s new all-time favourite banana bread recipe. It’s everything it is described to be. Delicious!
Hooray! I’m happy the banana bread turned out for you 🙂
Tasted absolutely delicious and the texture was great. Only issue was the top of the loaf caved in. This happened before it came out of the oven. I used a silicone loaf pan. Any idea why this may have happened? Always trying to learn. Thank you so much for all of these recipes. I’ve made several and they are all incredible.
I am glad you like the banana bread overall! I would suggest using a metal or glass pan instead of a silicone loaf pan. That will help the bread heat evenly as it bakes and create better structure. I hope this helps!
I have made this many times. Delicious!
This recipe is perfection! I substituted oat flour and oat milk for almond flour and milk because I didn’t have them and it turned out great. My friend who loves to bake and isn’t even gf asked me for the recipe which I consider a huge win. Can’t wait to make it again!
Hooray! I’m so glad it turned out for you. Great to know it worked well with those substitutions!
Is the recipe’s timing and temperature developed for a glass loaf pan? (That’s what I have and I usually adjust recipes, but I see in your video you used one!) Thank you!
No need to change the temperature or baking time for a glass pan!
So yummy!!
I am both gluten and egg free and have tried using both chia seed “eggs” and Bob’s red mill brand egg replacer with fantastic results.
Ive made this 5+ times now and dont usually mix anything in but I love putting finely chopped walnuts across the top and turbinado sugar for a little crunch.
Delicious recipe! You really can’t even tell it’s gluten free!! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Holy moly!
OH MY WORD!
This recipe is the bees knees!
I too HAD a go to banana bread recipe I lived by but there’s a new sherif in town.
I only changed one thing and that was only because I couldn’t find palm shortening in the stores. No where. Regular grocery stores. Whole Foods. Target. NO WHERE! I’m wondering if it truly exist. J/k!
So I looked up substitutes and read that the closest bestest substitute was coconut oil because of all the natural properties. So I went with that. It turned out amazing. I also added 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips.
Aaaa-mazing!
My husband even almost fainted because of how good this bread is! Definitely ate it warm and added oat milk butter. I wish I could eat the whole loaf right this minute.
If you are on the fence about trying this recipe… get off that fence and start prepping for baking! You won’t regret it!
Hooray! A new sheriff in town – HA! I’m so glad it turned out for you. I’ve heard from several people coconut oil works great – so that’s good to know! Thanks for the comment 🙂
This bread is sooo good! Instructions to make were spot on, easy step by step. It’s the new family favourite
Delicious!
I’m so glad it turned out for you! 🙂
I just made this tonight. I didn’t have almond flour but I had whole almonds. So I thought I would make flour. I couldn’t get it into a flour, just very fine meal. It was slightly moist. I added 1/2 cup to the dry ingredients. I was hoping it wouldn’t be gritty or dry. I also added dark chocolate chunks. Oh my goodness! So good! Moist and yummy! Thank you so much.
I’m glad it turned out for you! Dark chocolate as an addition is always a good idea 🙂
I just made this banana bread and OMG! It is absolutely delicious. I only changed 2 things. I didn’t have shortening so used avocado oil, and used coconut sugar in place of regular. Added mini chocolate chips and walnuts. I have a regular flour banana bread recipe that I normally swear but not anymore. This is the new one especially since I should be eating gluten free because of stomach issues. Thanks for this recipe
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Great to know the recipe worked well with those additions. Thanks for the comment 🙂
Best GF banana bread recipe I have made! I use avocado oil instead of palm shortening and it turns out great every time. Everyone loves this banana bread.
Great to know it worked with avocado oil! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂