Gluten Free Banana Bread
This Gluten Free Banana Bread is super soft, moist and does NOT lack flavor! Filled with ripe mashed bananas and fine ground oats, it has the perfect texture that isn’t gluey or dry. It’s also dairy free and can be made refined sugar free!
This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Butternut Bakery possible!
What makes this the BEST gluten free banana bread?
For starters, it is SUPER moist. It cuts so smooth and melts in your mouth… unlike some gluten free banana bread recipes that tend to be dry or gluey.
Because of how moist it is, it stays that way for days. It won’t dry out quickly, so you can snack on it the whole week!
It’s also a very easy gluten free banana bread recipe because it uses common gluten free baking ingredients. My go-to gluten free baking flour is Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. Using that in addition to their Gluten Free Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats creates a delicious texture.
Tips of baking the PERFECT gluten free banana bread
This gluten free banana bread recipe is super easy to make, but these extra tips will ensure it’s baked perfectly every time:
- Use really ripe bananas and mash them as finely as you can. I’ll be explaining how to ripen bananas for baking in the next couple paragraphs.
- Measure the bananas. Don’t just mash up 3 bananas and call it a day. Make sure to use exactly 1 1/2 cups of finely mashed bananas because there are many variations in sizes and amounts a single banana can produce.
- Finely grind the oats. Using rolled oats in this recipe breaks up the soft monotony in the texture. But using whole rolled oats makes the bread a little clunky, so use a food processor to ground into a natural gluten free flour.
- Make sure all of the ingredients are well mixed together. Without gluten, it’s tough to to over mix. Stop when all of the dry ingredients are fully blended into the batter.
- Bake it all the way through. If you’re on the fence on whether or not it’s done, keep baking it a couple more minutes (it’s tough to over bake this banana bread). It’s ready when the center is puffed up and a toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the bread to cool a bit before slicing. Fresh from the oven, the bread is too soft for slicing. You might even think it’s under baked at this point. Allowing the bread to cool helps thicken the texture of the bread so that it holds together when sliced.
Why this recipe works
There is a very fine line between delicious moist gluten free banana bread, and soggy gluey gluten free banana bread. That’s why I used two of my favorite gluten free baking ingredients to ensure this banana bread turned out PERFECT.
First, I started with my tried and true Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. I use this in almost ALL of my gluten free recipes because it just never fails. It’s the perfect blend of rice flour, healthy starches, and xanthan gum that just takes the guess work out of gluten free baking.
To add a bit of texture into this smooth batter, I included another gluten free baking favorite. Bob’s Red Mill Organic Gluten Free Old Fashioned Oats are, like they say, completely gluten free. You have to be careful with oats, because most brands mill their oats in the same factory as wheat ingredients.
But, whenever I bake with old fashioned oats, I always like to give them a quick pulse in a food processor. I love the texture from old fashioned oats, but sometimes it’s a bit too chunky for what I’m looking for. Ground old fashioned oats gives that extra bit of texture without any chewiness.
The blend of these two ingredients is the key to baking DELICIOUS gluten free banana bread.
How to ripen bananas FAST for baking
Want to bake banana bread but only have green bananas? This trick allows you to have super ripe bananas in 15 minutes! It’s the method I use all the time because it’s quick and effective.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and preheat your oven to 300F. Lay your bananas on a large baking sheet, evenly spaced.
Bake for 15 minutes or until they turn completely black. It’s very jarring, but trust me it works! They should be super dark all the way around and somewhat shiny.
Allow the bananas to cool on the baking sheet for about 20 minutes, then peal and mash. The bananas themselves will be very soft (and kind of slug-like which is as disgusting as it sounds) but PERFECT for baking.
Over ripe bananas are bursting with flavor and are super easy to mash, so your end result will be a very flavorful banana bread with very few banana chunks.
This method is also great for other banana recipes, not just banana bread! If I’m after something a little fancier, I love to make these Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls.
How to make your banana bread look fancy
Making this gluten free banana bread magazine-worthy is super simple! All that’s needed is an extra banana, preferably one that’s still yellow.
For the extra banana bread decoration, peal a yellow banana and slice it right down the middle, hotdog style. Lay the bananas, sliced side up, on top of the banana bread batter inside the loaf pan.
Once baked, the bananas on top will caramelize and provide even MORE banana flavor.
Another option is to slice the banana like normal, width wise. Take the slices and scatter them around the top of the bread in any pattern or design you like.
You could also add some chopped walnuts or pecans on top. Once baked the nuts will be nice and toasted and the bananas caramelized. Or even better… add some chocolate chips!
FAQs
Yep! Mix in whatever you like…chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit. Use about 1 cup total.
Nope! To make this dairy free, I used coconut cream. If you’d prefer to use dairy in your recipe, swap the same amount in regular plain yogurt. It works just as well.
I used vegetable oil in the final recipe, but you can use canola oil, coconut oil (melted), olive oil (if you’re ok with some of the flavor), or any other mild flavored oil. I do not recommend using butter or apple sauce as the water content is too high, creating a soggy banana bread.
To make this banana bread even healthier, swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar. You could also swap the maple syrup for honey if you prefer.
How to know when gluten free banana bread is done
The most important step is to make sure this gluten free banana bread is baked all the way through. Because of how moist it is, the center could come out raw if it hasn’t had enough time in the oven.
It’s ready when the top is golden brown and puffed up. Test it with a toothpick by inserting it into one of the cracks close to the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, it’s done.
It’s also tough to over bake this banana bread, so if you’re unsure, allow it to bake for a couple extra minutes.
Another important step is to allow it to cool COMPLETELY before slicing. Again, it all comes back to how moist this bread is. Cooling before slicing helps to firm up the bread, so each slice will hold together.
How to store this banana bread
To keep the banana bread as long as possible, store it in an air tight container in the fridge. This will keep for up to 5 days.
If you like your banana bread warm, head up a slice in the microwave for about 20 seconds before eating. Spread some butter (or DF butter) on top and dig in!
For more of the BEST gluten free dessert recipes, check out my:
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
- SunButter Pie with a Jammy Raspberry Topping
- Easy Maple Cheesecake with Browned Butter
- Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Healthy Zucchini Muffins with Chocolate Chips (Dairy Free)
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and leave a review below if you make this Gluten Free Banana Bread. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
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Gluten Free Banana Bread
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes + 1 hour cooling
- Yield: 10-12 slices
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This gluten free banana bread is so moist and soft that you can’t even tell it’s gluten free! Using a combination of gluten free baking flour and oat flour, this bread has a tender and bouncy texture with the sweet flavor of banana.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (350g) finely mashed ripe bananas (about 3 1/2 medium bananas)
- 3/4 cup (175g) packed light brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (55g) any mild oil (vegetable, canola, melted coconut oil..etc).
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60g) canned full fat coconut milk, skim the cream from the top* (or plain yogurt)
- 1 1/4 cups (195g) Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour
- 1/2 cup (50g) Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, loosely or finely ground (whichever texture you prefer)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 yellow banana for decorating (optional)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and spray and line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Allow the paper to hang over the two long sides so it’s easy to lift out later.
- Add the oats to a food processor and blend until finely or loosely ground. Then measure to make sure you have 1/2 cup. Mix this into a bowl of flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Measure out your bananas to ensure you have 1 1/2 cups. Try to mash them up as fine as possible and set aside. (see notes below on how to ripen bananas)
- Whisk together the sugar, maple syrup, oil, eggs, vanilla, and coconut cream. Once smooth, mix in the banana.
- Fold in the dry ingredients and mix in chocolate chips (if using). Pour the batter into the prepped pan.
- As an optional step – peel and slice your extra yellow banana length wise and lay the slices cut side up on top of the batter.
- Bake for 50 minutes to an hour. It’s ready when the top is completely golden brown, the center is puffed up, and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the banana bread to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Lift it out of the pan and allow it to cool for another 30 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
- To ripen bananas fast – Bake at 300F for 15 minutes on a baking sheet lined with foil. They will turn black and shiny. Allow them to cool, then peal and mash.
- To properly measure the coconut milk – Open the can and skim the thick cream off the top. The cream rests on top of the can while the liquid sinks to the bottom. Avoid using the liquid. It’s much easier to separate the two if you place the can in the fridge the day before baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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Meet Jenna
I’m the creator, baker, and photographer behind Butternut Bakery. Here I share desserts for every diet because I believe everyone should have a chance to indulge!
I made this loaf as a batch of 12 muffins and it was FAB! I used olive oil as the oil, nonfat Greek yoghurt instead of the coconut milk, about half the sugar (I don’t like too sweet) and they tasted amazing! You can’t even tell they’re gluten free. My non-GF toddler and husband love them too. Bake time for my muffins was 22 minutes at 160c fan! For anyone wanting to give them a go as muffins x
Hands down the best banana bread recipe I’ve tried! It’s hard for me to find recipes that are both DF/GF and yummy. This bread was so moist (which is usually hard for me to find with banana bread recipes) and flavorful! I added the sliced banana on top of the loaf and thought it was a great touch. Will definitely be making this again!!
Hi – why do you use a mix of GF flour and oats? If you can omit them, do you just use more GF flour?
I really really want to try this as I recently have had to cut out gluten and dairy because of gut issues, but I don’t have the gluten free flour! Could I use all oat flour or half-oat-half-almond flour to substitute the gluten free flour?
This recipe was amazing! I made it last night in my oven on the convection setting at 325 for 70 minutes, PERFECT! I followed the recipe to a T! I used sour cream instead of yogurt. This is now my go to recipe for chocolate chip banana bread! It was so moist and delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Hey Jenna, I was just wondering if you have some favorite recipes/ideas to incorporate the leftover coconut milk?
I want to do this as muffins
I love this recipe!! But I’m wondering if you have a substitute for the egg or if I can leave it out all together? I’d love to have this vegan as well!