The Best Gluten-Free Banana Bread! EASY to make with perfect texture and delicious flavor! Sure to become your go-to recipe!
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 very favorite.
It is moist with the perfect amount of sweetness and banana flavor. Not to mention an ideal texture that is not crumbly, mushy or gummy like gluten-free baked goods can often be. Whenever I have brown bananas on my counter this is hands down my favorite thing to make!
If you love this bread be sure to try this Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread. If it’s muffins you’re looking for, try these 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 banana bread:
- Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour: I like to use a high quality 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 to The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies. See the recipe card for nut-free instructions.
- Organic Palm Shortening: Palm shortening gives this banana bread an irresistible crumb and texture. The palm shortening helps this loaf turn out easy-to-slice and cooked all the way through. My Mom used to use Crisco (which you can do too!) but I prefer organic palm shortening.
- A splash of milk: A few tablespoons of milk (or almond milk) help keep this banana bread perfectly 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 ¾ 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 Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Start by whisking together the dry ingredients.
Mash up some very ripe bananas and mesaure 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 ½ 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 bowl, add the shortening and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy
- Add the eggs, vanilla and almond milk and beat for 1-2 minutes until light and combined.
- Add the ½ the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
- Add half the bananas and mix to combine. Repeat with the other ½ 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.
Mix-Ins
This 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 ½ 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.
FAQ
Yes! Organic palm shortening is naturally dairy-free. Use almond milk for the milk and this banana bread will be dairy-free.
Yes! 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.
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.
More Gluten-Free Baking Recipes
I hope you love this 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!
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The Best Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup gluten-free 1-to-1 all-purpose flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Other:
- ⅓ cup shortening or butter, I use palm shortening
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons almond milk, or regular milk
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana, about 2-3 bananas
- ½ 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 ½ the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add half the bananas and mix to combine. Repeat with the other ½ 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.
Virginia says
This is the best banana bread I have ever tasted. I will definitely make it when I have ripe bananas.
Jackie says
THE best banana bread recipe I’ve ever made! This one is a keeper.
Tammy H says
Oh my, this is better than banana bread with wheat flour. It is so moist. Mine comes out slightly less bread so I usually use a plate with it. But no matter is is yummy.. I can’t get enough of it.
Jill Voorhis says
I’m not a “commenter” by nature… too busy.
But this was Delicious!
Followed recipe exactly.
Will hang onto this one!
Donna says
Thank you! I have made several of your recipes and they are amazing.
Michelle says
Excellent! Best Banana bread ever, super moist. Only thing I did was use a lot less sugar, just 2.5 tablespoons of lankanto which is made of monk fruit and erythritol. Perfect amount of sweetness, bananas were already super sweet. Used 3 bananas and added walnuts.
Maresa says
This truly is an excellent recipe. I do think it is a little heavy on the sugar and would suggest that 1/2 cup is plenty. Personally I used 1/2 cup of coconut sugar and substituted the almond flour with tigernut flour. I used 3 bananas and did not measure in cups as stated. The other thing (which I did not see others talk about to my surprise)… I needed to cook this a LOT longer than recommended., I added at least another 20 minutes and it was still barely done. It will be my go to recipe from now on, but I will continue to tweak it as far as different kinds of flours and sugars and additions. (This time I used tiger nuts… not a fan!)
Lisa T says
Turned out great, love the recipe : ) Thanks for sharing
kyra says
can i use oat flour instead of almond flour? i’m allergic to nuts.
Erin Collins says
To make this nut-free you can use 1/4 cup more of the gluten-free 1:1 baking flour.
Simon says
I and my family love this banana bread, but I’ve never been able to get it to rise very far…always a little heavy at the bottom. Tried all combinations and measures of baking powder and soda, but nothing seems to make a difference – any ideas?
Lexi says
absolutely the best GF Banana Bread I’ve ever made! I used butter instead of shortening, and added in dark chocolate chunks and walnuts. Perfect
Laura H says
This turned out amazing!! I actually substituted the almond flour for coconut flour because that’s all I had and the texture was just phenomenal.
carolyn truett says
I love this banana bread recipe.
The texture is perfect. It’s not dry but not too moist either. I sprinkle sugar on the top and gets a tiny bit crunchy. Thanks for the recipe.
Kaye says
This looks delicious. Can I add crushed pineapples to this banana bread? I’ve tried your gluten free chocolate chip cookies and they are amazing,!
Erin Collins says
I haven’t tried that! I’m worried it might add too much moisture and throw off the recipe though. Sorry about that! Glad you like the cookies 🙂
joan says
Hi Erin: I just made the “best banana bread ever” for the third or fourth time.. i would love to buy a book of your recipes but in the meantime I will go online. Anyway, I love this recipe. The banana muffins needed brown sugar and sour cream. Didn’y have either but I had everything for a banana. Bread.
Erin Collins says
Thanks for the comment! I’m so glad you like the recipes 🙂