Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Updated
We eat a lot of bananas in my home, but there are always a few that get a little too ripe for my kid’s liking. So what’s a mama to do? I make gluten-free banana bread! It was so easy to modify my favorite banana bread recipe to make it gluten-free. I love that I only need one bowl to make this super easy banana bread recipe!
“WOW! Just wow. Absolutely blown away by this banana bread. I will be dreaming about it forever. Mama sure does know gluten free!”
– Bruce
Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipe
Banana bread has been a favorite of mine since childhood. I love the smell when it’s cooking in the oven. Once I went gluten-free, I knew I couldn’t go without this household favorite, so I developed this easy recipe for gluten-free banana bread. It’s not too different from a standard recipe, and it’s super easy, too– no mixer needed! Trust me, no one will even know it’s gluten-free.
Ingredients
- Bananas: The star ingredient! They need to be overly ripe to add the strongest, sweetest banana flavor.
- Baking Soda: Helps the bread rise in the oven.
- Unsalted Butter: Makes this quick bread rich and tender. For a dairy-free option, use Smart Balance butter.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the bread.
- Salt: Enhances the banana flavor.
- Eggs: Add moisture and richness to the bread and help bind it together.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the sweetness of the bread.
- Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour with Xanthan Gum: I like Pillsbury gluten-free. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
Tips and Suggestions
- Always bake with ingredients that are at room temperature. Cold ingredients do not mix as well with room-temperature ingredients.
- The best way to measure gluten-free flour is the “spoon & level” method. Using a spoon, scoop the flour into the measuring cup. After you’ve spooned the flour into the measuring cup, use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup.
- If your gluten-free flour blend does not include xanthan gum, add 1/4 teaspoon.
- Three mashed bananas are equal to 1 cup.
- You can also mix it up a little by adding mini chocolate chips, blueberries, nuts, or raisins. I love how easy this super moist gluten-free banana bread is to make!
Can I Make It Vegan?
Sure! Swap the butter for your favorite non-dairy butter or coconut oil and the eggs for chia or flax eggs.
Can I Use Applesauce Instead Of Butter?
You can make this gluten-free banana bread with applesauce, but keep in mind that it will be less rich tasting and likely denser as well. I recommend trying coconut oil instead of butter instead!
Storage Instructions
Store gluten-free banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.
More Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipes To Try!
Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2-3 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 teaspoon (4.6 g) baking soda
- 1/3 cup (75 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- Pinch salt
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (204 g) gluten-free all purpose flour with xanthan gum
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.8 g) xanthan gum, leave out if your flour already has it in it
Recipe Video
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 4 x 8 loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas until smooth.
- Add the baking soda to the mashed bananas.
- Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas.
- Stir in the sugar, salt, eggs, and pure vanilla extract.
- Mix in the gluten-free flour and xanthan gum (leave out if your flour already has it in it).
- Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan.
- Bake on the center rack for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Please watch your banana bread because all ovens are different.
- Cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
- Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose. I like Pillsbury gluten-free.
- The best way to measure gluten-free flour is the “spoon & level” method. Using a spoon, scoop the flour into the measuring cup. After you’ve spooned the flour into the measuring cup, use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup. Friends, please do not scoop the flour out of the bag with your measuring cup.
- Three mashed bananas are equal to 1 cup.
- Dairy-Free Options: Smart or Earth Balance Butter or coconut oil
- Pro Tip: You can also mix it up a little by adding mini chocolate chips, blueberries, nuts, or raisins.
- Always bake with ingredients that are at room temperature. Cold ingredients do not mix as well with room-temperature ingredients.
- Store in an air-tight container,
- Mama says “Check all of your labels.”
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How To Make Gluten-Free Banana Bread Step-by-Step
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 4 x 8 loaf pan with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, mash 2-3 ripe bananas until smooth.
Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the mashed bananas, then stir in 1/3 cup of melted unsalted butter.
Stir in 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1 pinch of salt, 2 large eggs, and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
Mix in 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour and 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum (leave out if your flour already has it in it).
Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan.
Bake on the center rack for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Please watch your banana bread because all ovens are different. Cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!
I made this recipe for my big family and everyone loved it! They couldn’t believe it was GF! I did double the recipe and used Bobs Red Mill 1:1 GF flour. I will make this again and again!
Thank you so much! So glad it was a hit with the whole family, and that Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 worked well even doubled. That’s great to know for anyone else feeding a crowd. So happy it’s earned a spot in your regular rotation!
I Bake for the senior center bake sales and have made this several times. it is wonderful. I use 3 small bread pans and it bakes for 35-40 min. There is only a few of us that bake gluten free for the bake sale, so very glad to find and use this one.
Thank you so much for this, and for all the work you do for the senior center bake sales! That’s such a meaningful thing to be doing for the folks who need gluten free options there. Really helpful to know the timing for 3 small pans too, that’ll save other readers some guesswork. So glad this one’s become your go-to!
This is my go-to banana bread recipe. It is FANTASTIC! Even my non-gf family members love it. My only change is that I add dark chocolate chips to the batter. So, so yummy!!! Thanks for such a great recipe!!
Thank you so much, Ella! Love that even the non-GF crowd in your house can’t get enough. Dark chocolate chips sound like a perfect addition.
I did this recipe without scale, and without mixer. My bananabread came out of the oven perfectly.
Thank you!
So glad it turned out perfectly, and I love that you made it without the scale or mixer. That really shows how forgiving this recipe is. Thanks so much for coming back to tell us!
Probably the best gluten free banana bread I tried yet. I had a slightly bigger pan, so I did add another banana, and about 1/2 cup more flour
Thank you, Christi! We’re so glad you love the banana bread and thanks for letting us know your adjustments!
My son is Gluten/egg/lactose free. I modified the this to take out the eggs and butter and subsituted them with olive or avocado oil and it worked. I do the tripled one so that I can give him 1 a week while freezing 1 so I only have to make them once every 2 weeks (I eat the other one) I add blueberries too. This is an amazing recipe! Tysm for sharing this!
This is so helpful, thank you for sharing! Great to know olive or avocado oil works as a swap for the eggs and butter. And I love your system, tripling it and freezing two loaves so you only bake once every couple weeks is so smart. The blueberry addition sounds like a great twist too.
I haven’t made this yet, but I want to! I have a banana bread recipe that I love and is very similar, but it does use sour cream. I’m wondering about just swapping out the flour for my GF flour… And I’m also wondering about making it into muffins instead of a loaf. Any thoughts?
Great questions! I can’t say for sure how it’ll turn out since I don’t know that recipe, but in general, a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend that already has xanthan gum in it tends to be the safest starting point for a straight swap like that. As for muffins, that part tends to translate more predictably, just keep in mind they’ll bake a lot faster than a loaf, so I’d start checking around 18-22 minutes with a toothpick instead of going by the loaf time. If you want a version I’ve actually tested start to finish, my gluten-free banana bread recipe on the site would be a safer bet, but if you do try the swap with yours, I’d love to hear how it goes.
Love this bread! It was easy to make and so yummy!
Awesome, thank you Debi! Glad you love the banana bread!
I have literally NEVER left a review on a recipe website before but this freaking deserves it. Holy bologna – best banana bread ever, gluten free or not. I am beyond thrilled. Thank you, thank you!
Thank you so much Jennifer!
I’ve made this recipe once and found it to be as good or better than any banana bread I’ve ever eaten. It’s just fantastic. But I have a question: How much mashed banana is optimal? Should it be one cup? Or does it matter that much?
Thanks Marcia! One cup is great, which is usually about 3 mashed bananas 🙂