The BEST gluten-free banana bread recipe made with gluten-free flour blend and sweetened with coconut sugar. Add chocolate chips and/or chopped nuts to level up this already moist and fluffy dream bread.
Confession: I fancy myself a bit of a banana bread aficionado.
After posting my grain-free recipes for Paleo Banana Bread using almond flour and Coconut Flour Paleo Banana Bread, I have since followed up the two with countless variations on grain-free banana bread.
Just have a scroll through my Banana Bread archives to feast your eye sockets on the possibilities.
The Paleo Carrot Cake Banana Bread is my personal favorite, followed closely by Paleo Cranberry Orange Bread.
All that said, this is the very first gluten-free banana bread recipe I have posted on this site using a gluten-free flour blend.
I simply use my favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and sweeten the bread primarily with ripe bananas and a touch of coconut sugar.
Over the years, I have learned a couple of tricks to make the ultimate moist, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious banana bread. Let us discuss!
Tips For Making THE BEST Moist Banana Bread:
My secret to making insanely moist and incredible banana bread is: LOTS of bananas.
Years and years ago, I discovered using more bananas makes banana bread incredibly moist and delicious.
Not to mention, naturally sweet. Rather than adding a lot of oil or butter, much of the moisture can come from the bananas themselves without sacrificing flavor, moisture, or fluff.
If anything, the more bananas, the better 😉
For this reason, I usually use a cup and a half of mashed ripe banana in one loaf of banana bread, which usually equates to 4 ripe bananas.
For my grain-free banana bread recipes, I don’t add any additional fat (oil or butter), as there is plenty sourced from the almond flour and coconut flour.
Because gluten-free flour blends don’t contain as much fat as almond flour or coconut flour, I use a small amount of melted butter to give the loaf a bit of fat love. Coconut oil and avocado oil work too!
The massive amount of overripe bananas also enables you to cut down on the added sugar, which I see as a bonus.
For the grain-free banana bread recipes, I add a just a couple tablespoons of pure maple syrup or coconut sugar to boost the sweetness to absolute perfection.
You can also use cane sugar or just stick with the mashed bananas for sweetness.
If you’re wondering what makes this recipe the best banana bread recipe, here are the main bullet points:
Recipe Highlights:
This easy gluten-free banana bread recipe is ULTRA moist, incredibly fluffy, perfectly sweet, delectably soft, beautifully gooey (assuming you add the chocolate chips), and easy to prepare.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this cozy banana bread recipe. You can find them at any grocery store!
Ingredients for Gluten-Free Banana Bread:
Gluten-Free Flour Blend: Taking the place of regular all-purpose flour, we use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
Ripe Bananas: Be sure to use overripe bananas that have plenty of brown spots. This ensures the bread will turn out very moist, loaded with banana flavor and will be perfectly sweet.
Eggs: Regular eggs at room temperature help the bread rise and make it nice and fluffy.
Butter (or Coconut Oil): Providing moisture and fat content, butter brings beautiful flavor to this amazing banana bread. You can replace it with avocado oil, vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil.
Coconut Sugar (or Cane Sugar): Used to sweeten the bread, we need a granulated sweetener.
I like using coconut sugar because it is lower on the glycemic index than cane sugar, but white sugar or brown sugar work great. For less added sugar, use a sugar-free sweetener.
Ground Cinnamon: For me, lots of ground cinnamon is mandatory! Cinnamon makes banana bread so warm and delicious. Use more or less depending on your taste.
Pure Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla brings warm flavor to really entice the taste buds.
Baking Soda: The leavening agent here. Check to be sure it isn’t expired before using it!
Sea Salt: A pinch of sea salt enhances all of the flavors. Don’t skip it!
Chocolate Chips (Optional): Bringing pockets of chocolate joy, I love adding chocolate chips. You can skip them or you can also add chopped nuts like chopped walnuts or pecans.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s bake a loaf (or twelve)!
How to Make Gluten-Free Banana Bread:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
Begin by mashing up the bananas in a mixing bowl until they reach desired consistency. I like leaving mine slightly chunky so that as the bread bakes, I get little pockets of rich banana flavor.
Whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract and cooled melted butter until well-combined (wet ingredients) in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, Stir together the gluten-free flour, baking soda, sea salt, coconut sugar (or brown sugar), and cinnamon until combined (dry ingredients).
Pour the dry mixture into the mixing bowl with the wet mixture and stir until the batter is incorporated.
Pour the batter into the parchment-lined loaf pan and sprinkle with additional chocolate chips.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bread has risen substantially and the bread tests clean. Turn off the oven and allow it to sit in the warm oven an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
If at any time during the baking process the top of the bread becomes too dark, you can cover the loaf pan in aluminum foil.
Baked goods are considered fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
You can insert an instant read thermometer to the center of the bread to verify whether or not it is cooked through.
Remove bread from the oven and let the bread cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
The end result is an amazingly moist and fluffy gluten free banana bread with the best texture and a great recipe to put on repeat any time you need a sweet treat.
Can I Make This Banana Bread Vegan?:
For a vegan banana bread recipe that is gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy-free, follow my Vegan Banana Bread Recipe, which uses a flax egg replacement.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Want to make muffins out of this recipe? Follow my recipe for Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins!
- Replace the butter with ghee, avocado oil, or melted coconut oil.
- If you bake using cane sugar, replace the coconut sugar with granulated cane sugar or brown sugar.
- Looking for a banana bread that is lower in added sugar? Replace the coconut sugar with ½ cup sugar-free sweetener.
- Add chopped walnuts or pecans to make banana nut bread.
- Omit the chocolate chips.
- Use regular flour instead of gf flour if you don’t need a gluten-free recipe.
- Fashion up a streusel topping to give the bread a bit of a coffee cake essence.
What Type of Gluten-Free Flour Should I Use?:
I always use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, but I have also heard King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure For Measure Flour blend is magnificent as well.
Most gluten-free flour blends are a combination of brown rice flour, xanthan gum, tapioca flour, potato starch and often baking powder.
While I don’t have extensive experience with the King Arthur blend or Pamela’s, I’ve heard enough magnificent feedback over the years to safely recommend it.
If you try this recipe using a different blend, please do share in the comments below and let us all know how it turns out!
Store any leftovers on the counter top covered in plastic wrap for up to 5 days or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
For an extra chocolate version of this bread, be sure to check out my Double Chocolate Gluten-Free Banana Bread!
More Delicious Gluten-Free Quick Breads:
- Paleo Morning Glory Quick Bread
- Chocolate Oatmeal Banana Bread
- Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Bread
- Flourless Chocolate Black Bean Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chip Paleo Pumpkin Bread
- Keto Cranberry Orange Bread
- Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin Bread with Streusel Topping
- Paleo Strawberry Banana Bread
Steamy gluten-free chocolate chip banana bread LET’S GO!
Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe bananas mashed, about 1.5 cups
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (57g) butter melted and cooled* See Note
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cups (200g) gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (60g) coconut sugar ** See Note
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon optional
- 2/3 cup (85g) chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl and be sure you have 1 1/2 cups (or close to it). Whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract and cooled melted butter until well-combined (wet ingredients).
- In a separate bowl, Stir together the gluten-free flour, baking soda, sea salt, coconut sugar, and cinnamon until combined (dry ingredients).
- Pour the dry mixture into the mixing bowl with the wet mixture and stir until the batter is incorporated. If adding chocolate chips and/or chopped walnuts or pecans, do so here.
- Transfer the batter into the parchment-lined loaf pan and sprinkle with additional chocolate chips.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bread has risen substantially. Turn off the oven and allow it to sit in the warm oven an additional 5 to 10 minutes. If at any time during the baking process the top of the bread becomes too dark, you can cover the loaf pan in aluminum foil. NOTE: Baked goods are considered fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can insert an instant read thermometer to the center of the bread to verify whether or not it is cooked through.
- Remove bread from the oven and allow it to cool 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Amazing banana bread super moist….I didn’t have enough gluten-free mix so I did one cup King Author and 2/3 of almond flour and used 1/2 cup of maple syrup dark chocolate chip on top
Ooh, I love the idea of using a combo of GF flour and almond flour! Thanks for letting me know your adaptations! xoxo
Made this on the weekend for one celiac guest. But 3 others also tried it. It was delicious! I used Bob’s Red Mill AP GF flour, because that is all my grocery store sells. So easy to make and a real keeper. Honestly, I couldn’t tell it was GF. My celiac friend was thrilled with it.
Could I use honey as an alternative to coconut sugar, or any other alternative from coconut or cane sugar?
Thanks!
Hi JD! You can use honey or pure maple syrup, but you may need to add just a little extra flour to offset the addition of liquid. For instance, if you add 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of GF flour. Let me know how it turns out! xoxox
Hi, Currently baking this! I omitted the chocolate chips and used great value all purple Gluten flour and regular white granulated sugar. Hope it turns out great still, looks yummy Thanks!.
xoxo,
That sounds great! Hope you love it, Ashley! xoxo
Ashlee I’m getting ready to bake the gluten free banana bread using the same things that you use and was curious to find out how yours turned out. Let me know thanks
Unfortunately I used coconut flour which made it too dry. Not a fan of this recipe.
Hi Laura,
Coconut flour should never be used as a 1:1 replacement for any other flour. The recipe called for a gluten-free flour blend. If you follow the recipe, you will get accurate results.
@Laura Baines, how can you rate this recipe when you didn’t even follow it?
How about finding a recipe for coconut flour and then rating that!
best regards. Larry mac
@Laura Baines,
Laura, it’s not the recipe. You need to follow the exact ingredients.
This recipe is AMAZING!! So moist and delicious. My family devours it in less than a day! My loaf pans are glass (Pyrex) and slightly smaller -8.5“ x 4.5“, so I had to make accommodations regarding the baking time. 350° at 58 minutes in my gas oven is perfect! I just baked two of these last night to bring over to a Fourth of July party today.
I’m so thrilled to hear you and your family love it!! Thanks so much for the feedback and for sharing your changes! xoxoxo
Thank you for this! I was so worried that mine wasn’t cooking and saw your comment. I have the same pan so thank you!
I love your recipes! They always turn out amazing and I am sure your books will be just as awesome 🙂 I look forward to buying it.
Hey- this is a great gluten-free banana bread recipe. It’s so good I’m making it two weekends in a row. It barely lasts a day in my house. Just wanted to let you know that oat flour works great. I have lots of different gluten-free flour types but prefer oat flour for the consistency when baking. I baked it for 40 minutes. It was so moist and yummy. I also use slightly less sugar than the recipe calls for since the banana and chocolate chunks add sweetness. Thanks for sharing. I was having hard time finding a great banana bread recipe that tasted great and had a great texture.
I’m so happy to hear it works with oat flour! Thanks so much for reporting back, Melissa…this is very helpful! Thrilled you and your family enjoy the banana bread. Big hugs and stay well! 😀 xoxo
I’m starting to incorporate healthier alternatives in my baking. I don’t have the flours you suggest to use, but do have almond flour. Would this work the same? If so, how would I substitute it. Thanks!
Hi Tina! Follow this recipe for my Paleo Almond Flour Banana Bread! Let me know how you like it! xoxo
Love the idea of adding walnuts
Been loving this recipe for months, it has become a must in my family. I’ve tried using a muffin pan instead, and they came out perfectly good. Just this morning I noticed a muffin starting to get moldy, any advice for preventing this? Is there like a natural preservative or something that can be added to it? I’m kind of new into baking so any tips are very appreciated. Thanks. xx
@Aranza M., How long did you bake for muffins, please? I THINK for mold prevention, place in wrap, then in the fridge…. ?? Not entirely sure, though, because with the # of people in our home, this doesnt’ last long enough to mold! haha I don’t have a bread pan so came to look for time to bake for muffins. My family loves this recipe! Thank you, Julia!
Hi Amalia!
Bake the muffins at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. I always store leftovers in the refrigerator after a few days, but I live in a desert, so there’s very little humidity. If it’s humid where you live, I’d definitely just store the muffins in the refrigerator (or freezer). So happy you and your family enjoys the bread!! xoxoxo 😀
Looks delish!
What do you think about using oat flour?
Thanks!
made this yesterday with Bob’s Red Mill Paleo flour… it took about 15 minutes longer to cook, and came out much darker than your photos… but it was amazingly delicious! So moist and gooey with the chocolate that my husband didn’t even know it was grain free! This recipe is a winner! Thanks for sharing!!!
I’m so happy to hear it turned out well using a different flour! That is really great information! Thanks so much for letting me know, Amy! xo
Amazing recipe for making banana bread. Even I see the first time making this recipe. It’s too amazing. Today I am going to prepare that recipe for making banana bread.
So thrilled you love it! xoxo
I made this banana bread today using the great value brand gluten free flour. Also added walnuts and omitted the chocolate chips. It is delish!! Turned out perfect!
I’m so glad you like it, Heather! Love the idea of adding walnuts!! xoxo
Hi! I’m adventuring today in the kitchen, trying your banana bread! Any chances this would work with oat flour and xathan gum? Will report back on my creation hahah!
Hugs,
Hi Mari,
Ooh, I think it would work, but I’m not sure what portions you would use. I hope it turns out fabulously! Let me know what happens! xoxo
Hi, the banana came out really moist, to the point of borderline under baked. What did I do wrong? I used gluten free flour from Bulk Barn and followed the instructions. To check for doneness, I inserted a cake tester and it came out clean.
Hi Michelle!
Oh no! Did you measure the mashed banana? It should be 1.5 cups. It could also be the type of flour you used, as not all GF blends yield the same results. Also, what is the elevation where you live?
Happened to me too. Followed recipe to a T. Baked for an additional 30 min and it’s still undercooked on the inside. Taste is good but no one will eat it in the house. Shame. That flour is not cheap.
Hi Megan,
What brand of flour did you use?
Did it work with oar flour or any other non grain flour? Any thoughts?
BTW…Oat flour has it’s own version of gluten….
@Duane, oat flour is definitely gluten free except if it’s milled at a facility with other gluten products like wheat but oat flour doesn’t inherently contain gluten.
Oats are often sowed on top of wheat fields after the wheat is harvested to revitalize the soil. Then when the oats are harvested the fallen wheat grains in the soil are harvested along with the oats. And yes,if they are actually gf and grown in non wheat soils they can be cross contaminated in the factory.Certified gluten free is best.