Gluten Free Banana Bread

This gluten free banana bread recipe is moist, tender, and filled with spiced banana flavor. It's everything banana bread should be, gluten-free or not!

Gluten free banana bread

I’ve gotten so many requests for a gluten free banana bread recipe over the years, and I couldn’t be more excited to share this one with you! Tasting this gluten free banana bread, you’d never guess that it wasn’t made with wheat flour. It’s moist, tender, and filled with spiced banana flavor. In fact, if I did a side-by-side comparison with my regular Healthy Banana Bread, I wouldn’t be able to choose a favorite!

We’re getting some sunshine in Chicago today, but for the last week, it’s been cool and rainy. I love starting gray, chilly mornings like these with a thick slice of this gluten free banana bread for breakfast. Served with a coffee or a steaming cup of matcha, it’s the perfect sweet-but-not-too-sweet treat to cozy up with on an early fall day. Happy baking!

Gluten free banana bread recipe ingredients

Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy gluten free banana bread recipe:

  • Bananas, of course! They make this bread nice and moist, and they fill it with sweet banana flavor.
  • Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour – I don’t bake with gluten-free flour blends often, so I polled readers to see what their favorites were. Bob’s All-Purpose blend was the clear winner. It contains simple, pronounceable ingredients (no xanthum gum here!), and it’s totally dairy-free. If you prefer a different flour blend for gluten-free baking, feel free to try it in this recipe. However, I can only guarantee the results with Bob’s Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour.
  • Almond flour – Almond flour is one of my go-to baking ingredients, whether I’m making a gluten-free recipe or not. Like in my blueberry muffins, pumpkin bars, and regular banana bread, it gives this loaf an amazing moist texture.
  • Baking powder and baking soda – To make it nice and puffy!
  • Eggs – They add moisture and richness and help the bread rise.
  • Coconut sugar or regular sugar – Coconut sugar sweetens this recipe naturally and adds extra depth of flavor, but if you don’t have it, don’t worry! Regular sugar works here too.
  • Almond milk and extra-virgin olive oil – They add moisture and richness.
  • Cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract – For warm depth of flavor.
  • Walnuts – Who doesn’t love bananas + walnuts?? They give this gluten free banana bread a delicious nutty crunch.
  • And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Hand whisking wet ingredients in a glass bowl

How to Make Gluten Free Banana Bread

Ready to bake? Here’s what you need to do:

Start with the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°. While it starts to heat up, line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, and lightly grease the short sides of the pan where the parchment isn’t touching.

Then, whisk together the wet ingredients. Combine the mashed bananas, sugar, oil, almond milk, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl, and whisk until smooth.

Hands pouring bowl of dry ingredients into bowl of wet ingredients

In a separate bowl, mix up the dry ingredients. Whisk together the gf flour, almond flour, baking soda and powder, spices, and salt.

Hands mixing wet ingredients and dry ingredients

Next, pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir until just combined – careful not to overmix! Gently fold in the walnuts right at the end.

Gluten free banana bread recipe batter in a mixing bowl

Finally, bake! Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, and scatter more walnuts on top. I also like to add a sprinkle of whole rolled oats at this stage. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 42 to 48 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.

Gluten free banana bread in a loaf pan

Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipe Tips

  • Buy the bananas ahead of time. The mashed bananas add key moisture and sweetness to this recipe, so make sure to use ripe bananas here. Maybe I just have bad luck, but whenever I head to the store with a banana bread craving, the bananas there are always green. If you can, plan to make this recipe in advance. Buy the bananas ahead of time, and don’t bake until they’re brown and spotty.
  • Let it cool a little before you eat. It’ll be tempting to devour this gluten free banana bread as soon as it comes out of the oven, but try to hold off for 15 minutes or so before you eat. Quick breads like banana bread, pumpkin bread, and zucchini bread tend to be really tender (and hot) right when they come out of the oven. Allowing the bread to cool will improve both its texture and flavor, so trust me, the wait is worth it!
  • Freeze the extras. In our house, a loaf of this gluten free banana bread never lasts long. But if you happen to have leftovers, store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. I also like to freeze individual slices for quick breakfasts and snacks down the road. Pack them in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze them for up to 2 months.
  • Change it up. I love to make my gluten free banana bread with walnuts, but feel free to get creative with the mix-ins. Replace the walnuts with dried cranberries or cherries, chocolate chips, or chopped pecans or almonds. Alternatively, skip the mix-ins entirely!

Sliced gluten free banana bread

More Favorite Gluten Free Recipes

If you love this gluten free banana bread recipe, try one of these gluten-free treats next:

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Gluten Free Banana Bread

rate this recipe:
5 from 31 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves 8
This gluten free banana bread is super moist, easy to make, and packed with banana flavor! For the best results, make this recipe with Bob's Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour.

Ingredients

  • 2 very ripe bananas, mashed (1 cup)
  • ½ cup coconut sugar or regular sugar
  • cup extra-virgin olive oil, more for brushing
  • ¼ cup almond milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
  • ½ cup almond flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts, plus 2 tablespoons for topping
  • tablespoons rolled oats, for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the short sides of the pan where parchment isn’t touching.
  • In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas with the sugar, oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until combined.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir until just combined, then fold in the walnuts.
  • Pour into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts and oats.
  • Bake for 42 to 48 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.

62 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Ilana
    11.12.2023

    5 stars
    Came out fluffy, sweet, and delicious! Disappeared at the brunch I brought it to.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      11.16.2023

      I’m so glad it was a hit!

  2. Kristine
    06.01.2023

    can i use bob’s red milk gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour instead?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      06.02.2023

      Hi Kristine, we haven’t tested this recipe with that blend, so I’m not 100% sure, but I think it would work fine!

    • Mary
      11.20.2023

      5 stars
      I know this is an old comment but just wanted to mention that I tried it with Bob’s 1 to 1 baking flour, since that’s what I had and it turned out great!

      • Jeanine Donofrio
        11.23.2023

        I’m glad to hear!

  3. Jessica
    01.25.2023

    The best banana muffins I’ve ever made! I did muffins instead of bread 400° for 20 min. I used all red mill gluten free flour and no almond flour and subbed with coconut milk. I added a 1/4 cup brown sugar too! So so good!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      01.26.2023

      Thanks for sharing your method! So glad you loved the muffins.

  4. Michelle
    11.17.2022

    I’m a bit confused on the pan preparation. Do you mean line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease the sides of the pan? My loaf pan does not have “short sides” all sides are the same.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      11.18.2022

      Hi Michelle, We like to line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with one rectangle of parchment paper that covers the bottom and the two 9-inch sides of the pan. Then, we grease the exposed 5-inch sides. You could also skip the parchment and grease the bottom and all the sides of the pan. Hope this helps!

  5. Andrea Tepelden
    09.28.2022

    What could I use instead of Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour, since I cannot find anything similar here in Namibia.

  6. Irene from selflovejunkie.com
    08.18.2022

    Jeanine, I’ve tried so many banana recipes, and I wasn’t truly satisfied until I tried this recipe! What I did was, replaced the gluten free flour with oat flour and added more almond flour, choc chips, and turned them into muffins! Bingo! I’ve finally found my banana recipe. 🙂 Thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.19.2022

      Hi Irene, I’m so glad you loved it!

  7. Rebecca
    05.12.2022

    Could almond or coconut flour (or more gluten free flour) be substituted for the almond flour?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      05.15.2022

      Hi Rebecca, I think almond flour is best for the texture. More gluten free flour might work (it might be a little more dry). I’d stay away from coconut flour, it requires a totally different wet-to-dry ratio.

      • Olivia
        10.11.2022

        What’s another alternative than almond that could work. I have an allergy.

  8. Caroline
    05.09.2022

    5 stars
    Really great recipe! Based on what I had on hand, I made a couple substitutions. I used avocado oil versus EVOO. I also substituted coconut flour for the almond flour. It turned out nicely!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      05.09.2022

      I’m so glad you loved it!

    • Melissa
      11.20.2022

      Does spelt flour work in this recipe?

  9. Richard
    03.30.2022

    Just an observation, oats are generally not gluten free, so these would need to be omitted if you are cooking for someone with coeliac disease.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.30.2022

      Hi Richard, gluten free oats are labeled “certified gluten free.” Brands like Bob’s Red Mill makes them, they’re pretty easy to find.

      • Richard Bradshaw
        03.30.2022

        Hi Jeanine, although technically oats do not contain gluten, they contain a related protein which has the same effect as gluten for some people with coeliac disease. Oats can also be contaminated by being processed on the same equipment used to process wheat, barley and rye containing products. In Australia (where I’m from) and New Zealand, where we share the same food labelling standards, oats cannot be labelled gluten free due to the risk for some coeliacs, however can be labelled as wheat free if processed in separate facilities/lines, which would be the equivalent of oats labelled gluten free in North America or Europe, where food standards allow this. https://www.coeliac.org.au/s/article/Oats-and-the-gluten-free-diet

        On a totally different note, this gf banana bread recipe is fantastic!!!

      • Richard Bradshaw
        03.30.2022

        5 stars
        Best GF banana bread recipe I’ve found so far!!

  10. ReaderRita
    03.27.2022

    Could I use flax eggs or vegan egg substitute in place of the eggs? (We’re gluten free and vegan, which can really make finding new recipes challenging sometimes, so I appreciate this info! )

    • Ro
      01.23.2024

      5 stars
      U can to be on the safe side …however 1 banana is equivalent to one egg when I used to bake vegan…but since 2 bananas are called for…do flaxseed…I think it’s 1 teaspoon of flaxseed stirred with 3 teaspoons of filtered water, correct me if I’m wrong. Haven’t baked in a long time.

  11. Keira
    03.04.2022

    how do you find the measurement

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.07.2022

      Hi Keira, the recipe is at the very bottom of the post.

  12. Alexandra
    02.15.2022

    5 stars
    I’m a longtime fan of Jeanine’s recipes and this one just knocks it out of the park. It’s hands down the best gluten free banana bread recipe I’ve ever made….and I’ve made a lot! Thank you, Jeanine for reclaiming a breakfast staple for me!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.17.2022

      I’m so glad you loved the banana bread!

  13. JESSICA
    01.19.2022

    If I don’t want to use almond milk, can I use whole milk?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.20.2022

      yep, you can.

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.