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.
Well right off the bat I do not need gluten-free products, but my son-in-law does. I love to try different recipes when he comes for a visit just because I love to give him some homemade baking. Well…let me tell you I have been making banana bread for well over 40 years, and I honestly can say without a doubt that this gluten-free recipe outdoes any recipe I have ever made using regular flour!!!! OMG!!!!!! I will always use this recipe no matter what!!!!! Thank you for your fabulous recipe….PS your chocolate chip cookies are to die for as well!!!!
Hooray! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. I’m honored you think it’s even better than any regular flour recipe. Thanks for the comment!
Wow, It was very moist and tasty indeed! Don’t feel like I am eating a gluten-free banana bread at all! I reduced the sugar (used coconut sugar) to half as I thought the bananas already contain lots of sugar and it tasted just right! Thank you for this recipe Erin!
The best banana bread!!!I often get requests to make this bread from my husband who is not GF as well as my good friends.
I’m so glad you like the recipe! Always great when non-GF people love it too.
By far the BEST GF bananna bread I have ever made. I felt as if I had scored a touch down when I took my first bite of this perfection. To whoever is reding this: YOU MUST MAKE THIS!
Thank you Erin for this recipe!
-Raine
Thank you so much for this recipe. Best ever. I’ve made it twice now and it’s lovely. So moist and tasty. I used walnuts in the first and pumpkin seeds in the second.
I’m so glad you like it! Those additions sound delicious!
I have made this twice and it is awesome! Everyone loved it! Thanks
Five stars! This is the most perfectly moist banana bread! It’s hard not to have more than one piece 🙂
Wonderful! If my non gluten free husband likes it and readily eats it, then I know it works. I used butter and whole milk and raisins in my banana bread. My mother always put raisins in hers, so I like to use them too. Perfect banana flavor and nice crumb too. I love having a banana bread because sometimes a slice is all I want at breakfast. This is going to be my go-to recipe! Thank you!
This GF banana bread recipe truly is “the best”! The texture is perfect and the flavor divine. The most recent time I made this recipe was a few days ago, when I had 5 ripe bananas begging to be turned into bread. I doubled the recipe as per the instructions, but realized I was 1/4 cup short on mashed bananas. With no applesauce to be found, I opted to sub nonfat greek yogurt. I also decided to try using coconut oil as the fat, because I have about a gallon of it after my last trip to BJs. I was definitely worried about the texture of the batter, as even after vigorous mixing with an electric mixed it still looked lumpy and sad thanks to the chunks of coconut oil. I prayed to the baking goddess and put them in the oven, and when they came out all my fears evaporated. The real test, of course, came when they had cooled, and my goodness I’m surprised I didn’t eat a whole loaf right there. I regained my self control and put one in the freezer, and went to town on the other. So, fellow bakers, I had total success subbing up to 2 tbsp per loaf of bananas with greek yogurt, and using coconut oil as the fat. I also added 1/4 cup each of chopped pecans and chocolate chips to one loaf, and the results were divine. Happy baking!
Thanks for the comment! So glad to know it worked out with those substitutions. 🙂
This is my go to recipe for great banana bread. Yum!
This banana bread is awesome! So moist and flavorful. It’s a keeper.. thank you for the recipe!
I’m glad you liked it! 🙂
I made with Lakanto monk fruit sugar & used a 1:1 ratio for the substitution. Also, i did everything in food cuisinart to assemble. Unbelievable how D-Lish this recipe is!!!! Omgosh ty!!!!!
Sounds perfect can’t wait to try it
Well this gluten free banana bread is a real keeper. I had 9 frozen bananas so I tripled the recipe and made three loaves. It uses a combo of 1:1 flour and almond flour. I also used 1.5 cups of chopped walnuts ( 1/2 c per loaf) and I also added an extra 3 tbsp of lactose free milk ( 1 tbsp per loaf) and an extra tsp of vanilla . Baked for 58 minutes at 350 ( 50 just wasn’t quite enough) . Came out perfectly! Moist ( not grainy at all) and great banana flavour. I also used Fluffo shortening.
This was so good. I replaced the sugar with organic stevia ,and used no sugar added chocolate chips AMAZING!!