Gluten Free Banana Bread

This easy-to-follow, gluten-free banana bread recipe delivers a moist, rich banana-flavored bread with the perfect texture using everyday ingredients, ideal for both novices and seasoned bakers alike.

Ever wanted to make your own banana bread, but thought it might be a bit tricky? Don’t worry, this moist banana bread recipe is about as easy as it gets. It has a deliciously rich banana flavor that’ll make your mouth water, and it’s as simple as mixing together some basic ingredients that you probably already have on hand.

What if I told you this is a gluten-free banana bread recipe? Yep, you heard that right. This recipe is perfect for those on a gluten-free diet. And the best part? I use gluten-free all-purpose flour, so you don’t have to worry about the texture or taste being any different from the banana bread you know and love.

So, whether you’re new to gluten-free baking, or if you’re a seasoned baker looking to switch things up, this recipe is for you. You’ll have a blast making this recipe, and I promise, the perfect texture and delicious banana flavor will have you hooked.

Ingredients

• 3 mashed bananas
• ¼ cup of melted butter
• ¼ cup of whole milk
• 1 room temperature egg
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ cup of brown sugar
• ½ cup of granulated sugar
• 2 cups of gluten free all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda

Equipment

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large mixing bowl
• Electric hand mixer
• Loaf pan

By the Numbers: How to Make Gluten-Free Banana Bread

Follow these simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make the best gluten-free banana bread.

Step 1: Mash Bananas and Pre-heat Oven

Preheat the oven temperature to 350° F. While the oven is pre-heating, mash 3 bananas with a food processor or mixer.

Step 2: Add Wet Ingredients to Large Bowl

Add the mashed bananas, ¼ cup of melted butter, ¼ cup of milk, 1 room temperature egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to a large mixing bowl and mix ingredients.

Step 3: Blend in Sugars

Add ½ cup of white sugar and ½ cup of brown sugar to the mixing bowl and blend until well combined.

Step 4: Add Dry Ingredients

Add 2 cups of gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix with a handheld mixer on low speed.

Step 5: Prepare Baking Pan

Prepare a standard size bread pan (8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ inches) with non-stick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper so the bread loaf is easy to lift out of the pan after it has finished baking.

Step 6: Pour Batter Into Pan

Pour your banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Step 7: Bake Banana Bread

Bake the bread for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack and then remove from pan.

Tips for Making Gluten Free Banana Bread

Answers to all of your questions about making the best gluten-free banana bread recipe, including tips and substitution ideas.

Tip: use overripe bananas

Making sure you use overripe bananas is important because they’re not only easier to mash, but they’re also typically a lot sweeter and will make your banana bread taste better.

If you need to ripen your bananas faster, put them into a brown paper bag with a couple of apples. The apples will release ethylene gas, which will help speed up the process of ripening your bananas.

And, if you have bananas on the edge of being too ripe, you can put them into the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process. The skin will darken; in fact, it could turn close to black. That’s okay – the fruit of the banana inside the peel will still be just fine.

Best gluten-free flour blend

You can use almost any gluten-free flour blend in this recipe, as long as it includes xanthan gum. I like Bob’s Red Mill. If you use Cup4Cup, you may need to add a little extra liquid as I find it absorbs more liquid.

How to make the banana bread chunkier

Do you like bits and pieces of banana chunks in your bread? Instead of mashing all of your bananas, only mash half of them.

Take the other half of your bananas and chop them into small pieces for your mixture. This will give a wonderful flavor and texture.

Add-in options

I usually add about ½ cup of nuts or chocolate chips to my banana bread for variety. Try crushed walnuts, crushed pecans or crushed almonds.

Vegan and dairy-free option

To make vegan banana bread, make these swaps:

• Use coconut oil or olive oil instead of melted butter
• Use a flax egg instead of a regular egg
• Use your favorite non-dairy milk (like almond milk or coconut milk) instead of whole milk

If you’re just dairy free, but not vegan, you can swap the milk and butter, but keep the eggs.

Make banana muffins instead of a loaf

If you want to make banana muffins instead of a loaf, try my delicious Gluten Free Banana Muffins recipe.

Storage tips

Let the bread cool completely, then store it in an airtight container like a gallon Ziplock bag. I typically just keep it on the counter since we eat it so fast, but you can also store it in the fridge.

The baked loaf can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped loaf in a freezer bag before placing in the freezer.

More gluten-free bread recipes

Try one of my other delicious gluten free sandwich or quick bread recipes:

• Gluten Free Sandwich Bread
• Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

Or try these banana bread alternatives from other blogs:

• Grain-Free Banana Bread (made with coconut flour)
• Paleo Banana Bread (made with almond flour)

More Gluten Free Breakfast Ideas