Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: Super moist (without being mushy), easily bakes all the way through, amazing crumb.
Taste: Perfect amount of sweetness and banana taste. Add walnuts or pecans if you like a little nuttiness!
Ease: Very easy! Can be made ahead of time too.
Recommended GF Flour: Works great with many gluten-free flour blends. Use a high-quality flour that contains xanthan gum. I like King Arthur Flour and Bob’s Red Mill.
Top Tip: Be sure to measure the amount of bananas for the right texture. This loaf calls for 1 cup.
Would I make these again? Absolutely! This is based on my Mom’s family recipe and has been my go-to recipe for years!
xoxo erin
Featured Comment
From Kathy: “When Erin says it’s the best gluten free banana bread, she is not joking or exaggerating! Finally, finally a gluten free banana bread that tastes like banana bread. We all love it and I am making it constantly! The consistency and taste are exactly what banana bread should be. Sorry, sounds like I’m going on and on, but really…..blown away!”
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.
Table of Contents
- Erin’s Recipe Rundown
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Gluten-Free Banana Bread
- Storing/Freezing Instructions
- Mix-Ins
- Can I make this gluten-free banana bread dairy-free?
- I have a nut allergy! What can I use instead of the almond flour?
- What can I use instead of the shortening?
- More Gluten-Free Quick Breads
- Gluten-Free Banana Bread (5-Star Recipe!) Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on the key ingredients for this gluten free banana bread recipe. Jump to the recipe for the full measurements.
- Gluten-Free 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. You can also use more gluten-free flour in place of the almond flour to make this nut-free.
- Bananas: Be sure to use very ripe bananas with dark spots. You’ll also want to measure the amount of bananas for the right consistency.
- Shortening: While I love the taste of butter, shortening gives this banana bread an irresistible crumb and texture. I use organic palm shortening. My Mom used to use Crisco. Butter will work as well!
- Milk: A few tablespoons of milk (any kind you like!) help make this banana bread moist.
- Mix-ins! Add any mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts or blueberries that you like! The possibilities are endless. You can use up to 1/2 cup of any mix-in.
For more gluten-free banana recipes, try this gluten-free banana cake, gluten-free banana muffins, banana pancakes, gluten-free banana pudding and oat flour banana muffins.
How to Make Gluten-Free Banana Bread
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.
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftover fully cooled banana bread tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature. It will keep for up to 3 days.
TO FREEZE: 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.
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 flakes
Can I make this gluten-free banana bread dairy-free?
Yes! Shortening is naturally dairy-free. Use a dairy-free milk and this banana bread will be dairy-free.
I have a nut allergy! What can I use instead of the almond flour?
You can replace the almond flour with an additional 1/2 cup gluten-free measure-for-measure flour. Use regular milk or oat milk in place of the almond milk.
What can I use instead of the shortening?
I think the crumb and texture of this banana bread is unmatched when made with shortening. I like to use sustainably sourced organic palm shortening. However, if you’d prefer not to use shortening, you can use butter. The crumb will be a little different but it will still be delicious!
More Gluten-Free Quick Breads
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
- Gluten-Free Applesauce Bread
- Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread
- Oat Flour Banana Bread
- Gluten-Free Orange Cranberry Bread
Gluten-Free Banana Bread (5-Star Recipe!)
Video
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup (150g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 1/2 cup (50g) almond flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Other:
- 1/3 cup (65g) shortening
- 2/3 cup (133g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons almond milk or regular milk
- 1 cup (230g) mashed ripe banana about 2-3 bananas
- 1/2 cup (65g) chopped walnuts pecans, blueberries or chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, beat the shortening and sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, vanilla and milk and mix for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through, until light and well-combined.
- Add ½ the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add ½ the bananas and mix to combine. Repeat with the other ½ dry ingredients and bananas. (Adding them alternately helps the batter hydrate.) Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixer and mix for another 15-20 seconds, until the batter is very smooth.
- Fold in the nuts or chocolate chips (if using) with a rubber spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Best banana bread! Thanks for teaching me that less is more when it comes to bananas. I used half avocado oil and half butter, also cutting sugar down to a half cup. Two Tbsp. of that was brown sugar. I also added chopped walnuts. Perfection, and this recipe was the key to success! I made 4 Cuisinart mini loaves that baked in 27 minutes.
We’re so glad you liked it, Lauren! Thanks for sharing your feedback with us!
I have been baking for over 50 years and have had many challenging diets to accommodate for. The latest is gluten free. I have tried many recipes and had decided I liked almond flour except it was almost too heavy. Gf flour is kinda gritty and dry. This recipe is the right mix of the two. Thank you, not just for the recipe, but also for the right mix for other recipes. You know how it is to make a recipe with tweeks. This one is delicious as is.
Hi Sherry, we appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback! We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe so much!
Hi Christie,
My loaf didn’t rise much. I thought I followed the directions to the T. Any common reasons why this happens? Thank you.
Sooo good I would choose it over banana bread made with any other kind of flour. A true winner!!!!
Thank you, love your website ❤️
We’re so glad you loved it, Jan! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us!
I made this banana bread today and it was amazing! Honestly, it was better than most non-GF recipes I’ve tried! I used 4 smaller/medium bananas and a bit less sugar and it turned out great!
Yay! We’re so glad you loved the recipe, Sarah! We appreciate you taking the time to share your kind feedback.
Is there a specific shortening that has to be used? Not familiar with the choices for shortening.
Hi Barbara, we like to use organic palm shortening. Erin’s mom used to use Crisco. Butter will work too, but we prefer shortening. You can use whatever shortening you like. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Made this for my daughter because she has celiac disease and she loved it. I liked it too, which is unusual because I don’t usually like gluten free stuff. For some reason it tastes grainy or something. Some kind of weird texture. Thank you for sharing your recipes!!!
Not gummy or dry, perfect flavor! It is my new go to banana bread recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoyed the banana bread, Kristi! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback!
Would coconut oil work to replace shortening?
Hi Erin, we don’t recommend coconut oil for this recipe. It causes the texture to be more dense. Thank you for your question!
OMG! This really is the BEST GF banana bread and I’d even go so far as to say the BEST banana bread period, gluten free or not! So many recipes say they are the best but this one truly is!!! I’m so looking forward to trying more of your recipes. GF never tasted so good!!!
Thank you for such a positive review, Charlene! We appreciate your kind words and we’re glad you loved the banana bread. Happy baking!
Can you sub anything for the shortening in this recipe?
Hi Dani, butter can be used if you prefer. The crumb will be a little different, but the delicious flavor will still be there. We hope you enjoy the banana bread!
So delicious! I undercooked it a bit (my fault not the recipe!) but it was still amazing! Thank you
We’re glad you enjoyed the banana bread, Lauren! Thank you for taking the time to review the recipe. We appreciate your feedback!
Looking forward to making this! Can I substitute brown sugar for the white without negatively affecting the recipe? Thanks!
Hi Joan, yes you can use brown sugar in place of granulated sugar or split 50/50, but it will slightly change the texture. We hope you enjoy the banana bread!
Can you use Stevia in place of sugar for diabetic?
Hi Kimberly, we don’t typically bake with sugar substitutes and can’t say for sure how stevia would impact this recipe. If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
My family loves this banana bread. It is delicious. Thank you Erin.
Can I use dairy free milk like lactaid instead of almond milk?
Hi Michelle, yes you can use any dairy free milk you like!
My family loves this recipe! I find it definitely takes 3 bananas so don’t skimp on that part. I’m also finding that it rises a little better using convection (if your oven is so equipped) at 325 degrees. Not a big different either way but it’s just a little fluffier if you can convect.
Hi Kitkat, we’re so happy your family loves the banana bread! Thank you for sharing your tips.
Hello! Can I substitute oat flour for the 1:1 GF flour? My family prefers the taste and consistency of oat flour.
Hi Michele, thank you for your question! This recipe was designed for a 1:1 GF flour blend so oat flour may not provide the same outcome. We would recommend using our Oat Flour Banana Bread recipe if wishing to use oat flour. We hope you enjoy the banana bread!