This healthy Almond Flour Banana Bread is melt-in-your-mouth moist, naturally sweetened, dietary-friendly, and bursting with banana flavor. Made in just one bowl, it’s easy to whip up anytime a craving strikes.
Almond flour makes this gluten-free banana bread extra special!
Despite this site’s cache of classic healthy banana bread recipes (Oatmeal Banana Bread; Healthy Banana Bread), mash-up banana bread recipes (Zucchini Banana Bread; Pumpkin Banana Bread), and even gluten-free banana bread recipes (Paleo Banana Bread), almond flour banana bread is still a recipe we need.
- It’s tender yet substantial, naturally sweetened, and mega-moist.
- The naturally nutty tones of almond flour play beautifully with the sweet, fruity, and lightly caramelized notes of the banana.
- The recipe comes together in ONE BOWL, and you don’t even need a mixer.
Basically, you need a slice. Immediately.
5 Star Review
“I’ve been looking for a healthy almond flour banana bread recipe and this one is it!! It turned out beautifully! I will definitely be saving this recipe.”
— Tiffany —
Ingredients and Substitutions
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Almond Flour. In addition to its subtle nuttiness and being dietary-friendly, almond flour is packed with nutrients like vitamin E and magnesium, just like almonds.
- Mashed Ripe Banana. Make sure your bananas are good and spotty, for they are the primary sweetener in the bread. They also make the bread mega moist, and bananas are packed with potassium and fiber.
- Maple Syrup. In order to make this a no sugar almond flour banana bread (the refined kind), I used maple syrup. The flavor of maple syrup also adds a subtle, caramelized flavor that gives this bread addictive sweetness.
- Canola Oil. You can swap the canola oil for melted coconut oil or melted unsalted butter.
- Vanilla. Adds delightful flavor without overpowering any of the other ingredients.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda. What you add to the almond flour to make it rise.
- Cinnamon + Nutmeg. Toasty, nutty spices that enhance the banana flavor and make this bread taste like a warm hug.
- Flaxseed Meal. For an extra nutritional boost, I swapped out part of the almond flour for ground flaxseed meal. If you don’t have flaxseed meal, you can use the same amount of additional almond flour instead.
- Chocolate. Melted chocolate drizzled over the top of freshly baked banana bread. Need I say more?
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Mash bananas in a mixing bowl, then add in the remaining wet ingredients.
- Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Add the remaining dry ingredients, stirring just until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper, and smooth the top. Bake almond flour banana bread at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil, then bake about 20 minutes more. Let cool.
- Melt the chocolate chips. Drizzle the mixture over the bread. DIG IN!
Frequently Asked Questions
Feel free to toss in whatever mix-ins you enjoy! I think chopped walnuts, pecans, raisins, or shredded coconut would be tasty in this moist almond flour banana bread. You could also try peanut butter chips with a peanut butter drizzle on top for a scrumptious peanut butter almond flour banana bread.
Because almond flour is dense, grain free, and does not contain gluten, breads made with almond flour do not rise very much, especially when compared to breads made with wheat flours. Check to make sure that your leavening agents (baking soda and baking powder) are active. Almond flour needs the leavening agents to achieve any rise.
While both are made from ground almonds, almond flour typically uses blanched almonds (almonds with the skin removed) while almond meal uses almonds with the skin on. Sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably, which is confusing. If you aren’t sure which one to use, almond flour is generally the safest bet. Almond flour is what I used in this recipe. I haven’t tried almond meal yet, but I think it would work nicely (heads up: you’ll see the specks of almond skin in the final loaf).
Almond Flour Banana Bread
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Ingredients
FOR THE BANANA BREAD:
- 1 ½ cups mashed ripe banana about 4 medium or 3 extra large
- 3 eggs large
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup or honey
- 3 tablespoons canola oil or melted and cooled coconut oil or melted unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch ground nutmeg optional
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ cups blanched almond flour not almond meal
- ⅓ cup ground flaxseed meal or an additional 1/3 cup almond flour—do not use whole flaxseeds
FOR THE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE (optional):
- ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate of choice
- ½ teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper so that two opposite sides of the paper overhang like handles. Coat the pan and paper with nonstick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until very smooth (a hand mixer is a nice shortcut). Double-check that you have 1 1/2 cups and if not, adjust accordingly. Whisk in the eggs, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla until smoothly combined.
- Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt over the top. Whisk to combine. Sprinkle the almond flour and flaxseed over the top. With a rubber spatula, fold the batter, just until the almond flour and flax disappear.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 20 minutes, then loosely tent the pan with foil. Continue baking, about 20 to 25 minutes more, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean and the loaf is very dark golden at the edges and top. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then with the parchment paper "handles" gently lift the loaf onto the rack to finish cooling completely before slicing.
- For the chocolate drizzle: In a small microwave-safe bowl, place the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Continue to microwave in 15-second bursts, until the chips are almost but not completely melted. Remove from the microwave and stir, letting the residual heat melt the chocolate the rest of the way. Drizzle over the cooled loaf and let the chocolate set a few minutes. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- TO STORE: Place bread in an airtight storage container lined with paper towels, and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- TO FREEZE: Store leftover bread in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- HOW TO MAKE ALMOND FLOUR: Add a slightly heaping 2 1/2 cups blanched slivered almonds to a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse them until finely ground. Be careful not to overblend, or it will become almond butter. Measure, then use as directed.
Before try this or any of your other banana recipes I’m wondering if I can use frozen ripened bananas? I always throw my over-ripened bananas in the freezer. Now I’m full so I need to do some baking! You have so many great recipes that I’d like to try, but I don’t want to end up with bad baked goods if the bananas shouldn’t be frozen. Of course I’d thaw them first.
Hi! It should work just fine if you are thawing it. Enjoy!
Hi, good morning. I made this recipe for the first time and my cake was super soft and moist. It broke apart when I took it out of the pan. I didn’t get to enjoy the cake as it wasn’t firm enough to hold its shape. I followed Rhea recipe instructions as detailed above and this cake didn’t have the texture and the consistency as I would have expected
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Sants. The amounts, flavorings and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you. I’d suggest cooking it just a little longer and wait till it has cooled for at least 10 minutes. Hope this helps!
This worked exactly as written, thanks! Perfect and delicious. I love your recipes!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Erin! Thank you!