Moist Gluten-Free Banana Nut Bread

Name: Moist Gluten-Free Banana Nut Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 3 (330-350g) ripe bananas; 3 tsp lemon juice (to prevent bananas from browning); 85 grams (⅓ cup, packed) brown sugar (light or dark); 65 grams (⅓ cup) granulated white sugar; 150 grams (⅔ cup) butter (melted); 2 eggs (at room temperature); 270 grams gluten-free all-purpose flour mix (any kind); 50 grams almond flour (for moisture); 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp baking soda; ½ tsp salt; 1 tsp xanthan gum (or 3-5 tsp psyllium husk powder); 1 tsp cinnamon (optional); ½ tsp ground nutmeg (optional); 150 grams (¾ cup) chocolate chips/chunks; 100 grams crushed walnuts

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Super moist gluten-free banana nut bread is here! This bread is so soft and tender that you can pick the crumbs up with the back of the fork. And when you think the bite couldn't be richer, the crunch of walnuts sweeps you away into a flavor wonderland! Trust me when I tell you it doesn't get better than this wheat-free banana bread!

Banana bread sliced on a wooden board with butter in the corner.

Banana nut bread is a perfect treat on Thanksgiving, birthdays, baby showers, and simply when you have leftover bananas that are getting dark!

This recipe was inspired by my gluten-free sourdough banana cake and it pairs well with this amazing 2-ingredient ice cream.

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🍌Ingredients
📋Substitutions
💭What gluten-free flour is best for banana bread?
🔪Instructions
🍫Variations
🌡️Storage & freezing
👩🏻‍🍳Top tip
🧾FAQ
Related
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Storage & Freezing
Top tip
💬 Community

🍌Ingredients

Every ingredient is responsible for making this banana bread the best it can be. We need to build both the structure and texture to make the bread moist and soft, and make sure it holds its shape after baking!

Ripe bananas - the riper your bananas the better! Ripe bananas turn soft and release more sugars that in turn create the perfect texture for the banana bread.
Gluten-free flour - you can use any all-purpose gluten-free flour. I am using my homemade blend made with brown and white rice flours along with some starches.
Almond flour - it is added on top of the gluten-free blend to add moisture.
Brown sugar - adds nuttiness and caramel flavor to the cake.
Butter - melted butter is one of the reasons this banana bread is SUPER moist.
Lemon juice - to prevent bananas from browning too quickly.
Eggs - create the structure and hold the banana bread together.
Xanthan gum - helps hold the structure of the loaf.
Baking powder & soda - leavening agents that raise the bread during baking.

See the recipe card for quantities.

📋Substitutions

If you have a vegan friend, you might want to change things up so they can enjoy vegan gluten-free banana bread with you!

Butter - use coconut oil instead;
Eggs - use chia or flax eggs, or add a few teaspoon of psyllium husk powder to help hold the bread together!

To make sugar-free banana bread, use

granulated sweetener in place of sugar. You might need to adjust the amount depending on how sweet the substitute is!
Coconut sugar.
Since honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, or date syrup will add moisture to the already extremely moist loaf, I don't recommend using these instead of sugar!

Xanthan gum - you can use psyllium husk powder instead. Use 3-5 teaspoon per loaf (keep in mind, it might turn your bread purple).

💭What gluten-free flour is best for banana bread?

Since banana bread uses a small amount of flour compared to gluten-free sandwich bread, you can't go wrong with the flour you choose (unless it is coconut flour!).

Here are some good gluten-free flour blends:

Making homemade blends is, however, much cheaper, so I recommend you check out these:

🔪Instructions

The recipe is simple and straightforward. You can make it a 1-bowl recipe, but I suggest you get a couple!

Step 1. Start preheating the oven to 180C/375F.

Step 2 - Mash the bananas

Mashed bananas with a masher in a metal bowl.

First, mash bananas in a medium-sized bowl using a potato masher or a fork. Add the lemon juice to prevent the bananas from browning too quickly.

Step 3 - Mix butter and sugar

Mixed sugar and butter that look like a brown paste with a whisk in a metal bowl.

Place the butter into a small-medium bowl suitable for microwaving. Melt the butter in the microwave (30-60 sec) and add to a large mixing bowl.

Add sugars to the melted butter and whisk for a few minutes until evenly incorporated (it will look like a paste).

Step 4 - Add bananas and eggs

Mashed bananas with the sugar mix in a large metal bowl with a whisk.

Add mashed bananas and eggs to the bowl and stir well to incorporate.

Step 5 - Add the dry ingredients

A metal bowl with dry and wet ingredients and a whisk.

Finally, add all of the dry ingredients to the bowl (save chocolate and nuts). Make sure to place the baking soda, baking powder, and xanthan gum on top of the gluten-free flour so that it doesn't come in direct contact with wet ingredients.

Start by mixing the dry ingredients on the top and then incorporate them evenly into the batter.

Step 6 - Add chocolate and nuts

Nuts and chocolate chunks in the bowl with the batter.

Finally, add the chocolate chips (or chunks) and crushed walnuts to the bowl. Fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula.

Step 7 - Prepare the parchment paper

The piece of parchment paper cut on the corners.

I recommend making diagonal cuts on the parchment paper leading from each corner toward the middle. Cut about ½ of the way to the middle, don't cut all the way to the center.

This will help you line the baking loaf pan better!

Step 8 - Line the bread pan

A bread pan lined with parchment paper and that is held by clothespins.

Line the baking pan (9x5 inch/22x12 cm loaf pan) with parchment paper (you can use clothespins to hold the paper in place) and pour the batter into it.

Step 9 - Bake

Banana bread batter in the bread pan with banana slices and chocolate chips on top.

You can decorate the cake with sliced bananas and/or chocolate chips.

Bake it for 40 minutes, then cover the bread with foil (shiny side up) to prevent burning. Keep baking for 20 minutes, then do a toothpick check. If there is no raw dough on it but only a few crumbs, the banana bread is done!

If the cake is raw, keep baking for 10 minutes and check again.

Cool the bread in the bread pan for 30 minutes before transferring to the cooling rack. Enjoy!

Two banana bread slices on a white plate with a little fork.

Hint: Wait until the banana bread cools completely before slicing. Since it is super moist, it will fall apart if you don't let it cool. I like to use this cooling rack to prevent the cake from getting soggy on the bottom.

🍫Variations

You might want to add a spin to this recipe and here are the top tips to help you do just that!

Fruity - add raisins, cranberries, or fresh blueberries (don't add too much to avoid a soggy cake).
Coconut & nuts - add desiccated coconut and/or sliced almonds or crushed pecans instead of the walnuts.
Seeds - you can swap walnuts for sunflower seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, or even flaxseed.
Zesty - add lemon or orange zest.
Mocha - add instant coffee granules and cocoa powder for a mocha banana bread!
Zucchini - make zucchini banana bread for extra nutrients!
Pumpkin - swap ripe bananas for the pumpkin puree and add more GF flour (the amount depends on how watery the puree is).
Sourdough - make it sourdough by using a gluten-free starter!

See this sourdough banana bread for a different version of this recipe!

🌡️Storage & freezing

Store this banana bread at room temperature for 3 days. Make sure to cover the bread with a cling film or place it into an air-tight container. The cake will get drier by day 3-4, so I recommend serving it with some butter, honey, or maple syrup!

You can store this bread in the refrigerator for up to 5 days! Again, make sure it is sealed in a container or with a cling film or foil.

To freeze:

Let the bread cool completely (no longer warm to the touch).
Slice the bread and arrange the slices on a tray or a piece of parchment.
Place the tray in the freezer and once the slices are cold enough (about 30 min), transfer them to an air-tight container or a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

To reheat/defrost, simply pop the slices into a microwave and add some butter to the top for extra moisture. You can also reheat the bread in the oven at 350F/180C for 10-15 minutes or until soft and warm!

👩🏻‍🍳Top tip

Keep an eye on the browning process. Since the bread takes longer to cook through, you will need to cover it with foil (shiny side up) at some point. Avoid opening the oven in the first 30-40 minutes of baking as it might cause the top to concave and create a gummy and dense crumb.

🧾FAQ

My banana bread is doughy on the inside

Underbaking can cause doughiness and a wet middle. Use a toothpick test to make sure the cake is cooked through! If you keep having problems with a wet center, add more flour next time.

My bread is crumbly

It could be either because you used an egg substitute, skipped on xanthan gum, or sliced the bread while it was too warm. If you find the cake too crumbly even after following the recipe exactly, simply increase the xanthan gum/psyllium husk.

Is gluten-free banana bread healthy?

Gluten-free doesn't always mean healthy. This recipe calls for quite a bit of sugar so I wouldn't recommend eating this banana bread daily as too much sugar can be bad for you.

Is it low FODMAP?

This recipe is not designed to be low FODMAP, but you can check out this low FODMAP banana bread instead.

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