Almond Flour Banana Bread
Almond flour cant be used as a replacement for an all purpose gluten free flour blend. If you would prefer to bake with almond flour instead of a rice-based flour blend, I have another recipe for you.
My Paleo banana bread recipe is made with almond flour. Its also naturally dairy free and gluten free, too. That may suit your needs better.
This recipe uses an All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend. Gluten free baking requires gluten free recipes. Read everything you need to know about gluten free flour blends in this article.
Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipe Its My Best Ever Take On This Absolute Classic And You Only Need 6 Ingredients To Make It Plus Its Super Duper Easy To Make It Dairy Free Too
Gluten free banana bread recipe, anyone? You only need 6 simple ingredients and you can add whatever you like to it and make it your own. I added chocolate chips in the photos but you can happily add a little cinnamon, or even fresh raspberries too!
Banana bread is one of those classics that everyone does differently theres no right or wrong way, but I feel like Ive finally nailed it my way.
I love a banana bread thats insanely moist, packed with banana flavour and a little gooey compared to a regular loaf cake. Plus, its gotta be super easy to make without tons of weird ingredients.
And if that sounds good to you, then we might just have the same taste in banana bread . It only has 6 simple ingredients and best of all you can customise it however you like.
In the photos, Ive added chocolate chips, but you could also add 2 tsp of cinnamon for a little warming spice. It goes sooo well with banana! And Ive seen some of you add fresh raspberries to it too. You really can mix it up however you like!
Obviously, ripe banana as a must here as they contain more natural sugars and youll get the best results. Once mine start getting those black ripening spots, my mind always turns to banana bread!
You can of course use bananas that are smack bang in the middle of being green and being ripe . But you wont get that intense banana flavour and also theyre still really hard to mash.
Notes On Ingredients And Substitutions For This Gluten
- Bananas be sure to use very ripe bananas. One mostly covered with black spots or even almost all the way black. The number of bananas you will use will depend on the size of your bananas. I used three in order to get the 1 cup mashed banana I needed.
- Buttermilk: If you dont have buttermilk on hand you can either use 1/4 cup milk or non-dairy milk alternative with 1 tsp lemon juice mixed in or use buttermilk powder, following the package instructions for how to replace 1/4 cup buttermilk with it.
- Butter: This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of butter which is 1 stick of butter or 8 Tbsp. You can also use 1/2 cup shortening. I have made this with shortening and it works well. You can use Crisco but I prefer this organic vegetable shortening.
- Baking powder and baking soda no substitutions! I want to point out that yes you are using both of these! Dont omit!
- Gluten-free Flour: Use your favorite good quality gluten-free flour blend . I tested with King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour with great results and then the next time with Authentic Foods Multi-Blend Flour. Other blends that I always highly recommend are gfJules and Cup4Cup.
- Pecans: While I used pecans, you can absolutely choose to use a different nut. People commonly make banana bread with walnuts, and almonds are another option. You can also omit the nuts completely. You could even use chocolate chips instead!
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Can I Bake Your Gluten Free Banana Bread With Less/no Sugar
I can definitely understand the need to reduce sugar in our foods, but I wouldnt advise it with this recipe.
Of course, the sugar isnt just for sweetness its an integral part of the structure of the cake.
Yes, theres lots of natural sugar in banana, but the extra brown sugar helps to cake to develop a nice, even crust instead of coming out like pudding.
Hand Mixing Vs Electric Mixer
I usually make this by hand, but I was curious to see if it would taste the same if I used an electric hand mixer.
The result was delicious, but quite different.
The banana breaks down more with an electric mixer so you lose some of the bold banana flavors and it also takes on a cake like texture.
So, for classic banana bread I recommend mixing by hand, but if you want to make a banana cake to enjoy by itself or frost, then I suggest using an electric mixer.
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Whats The Best Gluten
Years ago, youd have to pull together different combinations of grains and ingredients for gluten free baking.
These days, there are many brands that offer awesome all-purpose gluten-free blends. My current favorite is King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour. I also love Cup4Cup Multipurpose Gluten Free Flour and Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
One-to-one gluten-fre flours should work as an equal replacement for standard flour, but its always a good idea to double check the fine print on your Gluten Free flour to make sure you dont need to mix in additional ingredients like Xanthan Gum.
How Long Should Gluten Free Banana Bread Cool
Let your banana bread cool in the pan for at least ten minutes. Remember, most cakes, cupcakes, and quick breads continue to cook some after being removed from the oven.
Allowing it time to cool will help it set up, and help keep it from falling apart in a steamy mess when you remove it from the pan.
Also Check: Gluten Free Alternative To Bread Crumbs
Buttermilk Or Plain Yoghurt
The addition of buttermilk or yoghurt adds richness to the banana bread. If using yoghurt make sure it is the standard looser variety .
I weigh yoghurt/buttermilk in grams. However, if the bananas are on the larger side, you may need less yoghurt than stated, because the banana will add more fruit moisture. I would suggest starting by adding about three-quarters of the yoghurt/buttermilk and folding through, particularly if using larger bananas. If the mixture seems too dry then add more, just a tablespoon at a time, up to the maximum full amount stated.
Select Your Banana Bread Ingredients Carefully
The proper gluten free flour mixture
Be sure to use one of my recommended gluten free flour blends, measured by weight. Be sure to check out my tutorial on how to make your own superfine rice flour at home if youre mixing your own flour blend.
The right bananas for your banana bread
Use bananas that are almost overripe. If you have too many, try also making our gluten free banana cake. Waste not, want not.
Heres a trick for always having proper baking bananas on hand. Whenever you find that you have perfect banana bread bananas, simply peel them and place them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer until the bananas are very firm, then transfer the frozen bananas to a zip-top bag and store them in the freezer.
When youre ready to use the bananas, defrost them either at room temperature or in the microwave for about 20 seconds on 75% power.
Dont over-mix the bananas in the batter
Mash the peeled, ripe bananas very well before adding them to the batter. Then fold them into the batter at the end, rather than stirring aggressively.
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Substituted The Flour By Measuring Equal Weight Not By Volume
Almond flour is actually lighter than regular flour when youre measuring them in the same fashion . One cup of regular flour weighs about 125 grams, whereas one cup of almond flour weighs about 92 grams. Ive found that flour substitutions work out better when you keep the weight constant. For example, 1 3/4 cups regular flour is the equivalent of 2 1/2 cups almond flour.
This is also true for oat flour. Interestingly, with almond flour, Ive found that another way to keep the weight constant is to simply pack the almond flour into the measuring cups. When fully packed, you can use the original measurement of 1 3/4 cups.
Xanthan Gum And Raising Agents
The xanthan gum is a necessary binder to the bake. Even with the ground almonds and carefully structured flour blend, it honestly makes a difference. If you are unable to tolerate xanthan gum, substitute with 2 teaspoons of psyllium husk or use an alternative binder of choice.
Gluten Free Banana Bread uses a combination of both baking powder and bicarbonate of soda for best raising. However, if you prefer not to use bicarb, sub with baking powder at twice the quantity of the bicarb.
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Can I Make This Recipe Using Other Gluten Free Flours Like Buckwheat Flour Or Coconut Flour
Theres a big difference between gluten free plain/self-raising flour and a *singular* type of gluten free flour. When I say gluten free plain or self-raising flour in a recipe, I mean a BLEND of gluten free flours, not just one, singular flour.
Most gluten free flour you buy in the supermarket typically contains a blend of rice flour, potato flour, maize flour, tapioca flour AND buckwheat flour. Thats a lot of different flours!
In gluten free self-raising flour, theres usually even a little baking powder and xanthan gum in it too which always helps.
So to replace it with just one specific type of flour thats not going to cut it at all. Definitely go for a gluten free flour blend.
Gluten Free Banana Bread Mix
There are several ingredients you can add to your gluten-free banana bread recipe to add more texture or flavor. The following are a list of my favorite add-ins.
½ cup chopped nuts – A lot of bakers love to add some chopped nuts into their banana bread. Some favorites include walnuts and pecans. Macadamia nuts are also a great option, and have a wonderful crunch to them. Make sure the nuts are fresh, and not rancid, before you add them. To add nuts to your gluten free banana bread, stir them in with a spoon, or fold them in, not to mix the batter too much.
½ cup shredded coconut – Similar to nuts, coconut adds a nice flavor and texture to banana bread. You can use unsweetened coconut, sweetened coconut, or toasted coconut in banana bread. Make sure to fold the coconut into the banana bread batter, not to mix it too much. If you like coconut, you’re going to love this coconut pecan banana bread.
½ cup chocolate chips – We love adding chocolate chips to our gluten free banana bread, but we understand that not everyone does. You can leave them out. If you do add them, make sure to spoon mix them in or fold them into the batter.
1 teaspoon cinnamon – A little bit of cinnamon goes a long way! We love adding cinnamon to quick breads, like banana bread. This gluten free banana bread only needs a little cinnamon, but you can add as much as you like.
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Can I Make This Recipe Gluten Free Is It Suitable For Coeliacs
It is gluten free, though nobody would know just by tasting it trust me!
Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if youre Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Heres some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination.
Also, make sure that all ingredients used dont have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make that that they also dont have a may contain warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats , spelt and khorasan wheat .
Heres some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten free products.
Light Moist Soft & Fluffy + The Best Flavor
Yes, we are still making banana bread and loving it!
And now Ive added a cooking video to this page so you can see how easy it is to whip up!
If youre new to this website, there is a printable recipe at the bottom of every recipe page.
Hope you love it!
In the last few weeks while staying home, sooooo many have been making this banana bread and multiple times! So we finally joined the party and made some today!
Its one of the easiest breads ever and is so adaptable to tastes and dietary needs/ preferences, but it is yummy each and every time!
A perfect soft & fluffy texture and great flavor!
Hope you love it too!
Original post
No matter what the season, you cant go wrong with a classic banana bread!
Besides at the end of the week, we always seem to have some ripe bananas in the house so freshly baked bread is the perfect use for them.
This recipe is from my mom and it is one of those super simple recipes that adapts so well to dietary needs and preferences.
The original recipe was obviously not gluten-free, so with this gluten-free version we used GF Jules All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour. , which has been our go to gluten-free flour for years as it is easy to substitute 1 for 1 in non-gf recipes. And we added some baking powder and reduced the baking soda so that the loaf was still light and fluffy.
As an aside, you may have noticed that we are affiliate for GFJules. To learn more about why we love GFJules flour and why we have used it for 10 years, .
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Gluten Free Flour Blend
It is important to use a gluten free flour BLEND when making Gluten Free Banana Bread. Unlike wheat flour, one single origin flour wont have the qualities needed for the texture and structure of the bake.
I have made this banana bread with both my white Gluten Free Alchemist Blend A and also my Gluten Free Alchemist Rice Free Wholegrain Blend B. Both produce fabulous results. You can find the recipes for both blends at the bottom of my Gluten Free Flours and Flour Blending page. But other flour blends should also work well too.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients When Baking Banana Bread
This tip comes is a good one for nearly all recipes, not just this one . Cold ingredients, especially solids like butter and ripened bananas dont mix as well if theyre cold or frozen.
When you allow your ingredients to come to room temperature, youll notice its so much easier to mix them. Youll also notice a finer end product because you didnt have to overmix your ingredients to fully incorporate them.
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