I thought we were done with new banana bread recipes, I really did. Then, a bag of almond flour languishing in the back of our pantry collided with my hankering for healthy baked comfort and a bowl of spotty bananas. Almond Flour Banana Bread, here we are! One bite, and I realized two things.

A loaf of almond flour banana bread with chocolate chips

The first thing is that we are absolutely not done with banana bread.

Despite this site’s cache of classic healthy banana bread recipes (Oatmeal Banana Bread; Healthy Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips), 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.

Even though my favorite EVER banana bread recipe is in my upcoming cookbook, that recipe is made with wheat flour, which is in short supply right now.

Plus, today’s almond flour banana bread is gluten free, making its baked banana goodness available to a wider audience.

Banana bread made with almond flour topped with chocolate and banana slices

Why you need this almond flour banana bread recipe?

  • 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.

Once you’ve realized the first thing about this almond flour banana bread—that you 100% must have this recipe in your life from now until forever—you’ll realize the second thing about it.

You need another slice. Immediately.

A sliced loaf of moist banana bread topped with chocolate drizzle and chocolate chisp

About Almond Flour

Almond flour is made of just one ingredient: ground almonds.

It has all the healthy qualities that almonds do. It’s naturally gluten free, high protein, Paleo, Whole30, and keto-friendly, and it tastes positively scrumptious.

I go into more detail about baking with almond flour in this comprehensive post for Almond Flour Bread.

Here, I’ll address just the major FAQs that I receive most often:

What is the Difference Between Almond Flour and Almond Meal?

  • 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.

Can I Swap Almond Flour for All-Purpose Flour?

  • In short, no. The two have completely different properties (fat content, protein content, presence of gluten, weights, etc.) that cause them to behave differently in baking.
  • Any swap would be an experiment, and you should proceed at your own risk.

Your best bet if you want to bake with almond flour is to find a recipe that has been developed for it. The recipe will take into consideration all of almond flour’s unique properties to give you great results.

Loaf of banana bread with chocolate chips

Wondering What You Can Make with Almond Meal?

You can find a whole list of well-tested and reader-approved healthy almond flour recipes on my site, both sweet and savory, including cookies, cakes, brownies, crumbles, and more.

Three of my favorite baked goods are this Gluten Free Zucchini Bread, Gluten Free Carrot Cake, and these Almond Flour Cookies.

As these recipes prove, your bag of almond flour will not go to waste. You can easily bake with only almond flour (you don’t need to combine it with other flour types).

You also can make your own almond meal/almond flour from ground almonds. See the notes in the recipe below for specifics.

How to Make Almond Flour Banana Bread

Here’s the run-down for this easy and healthy recipe. I couldn’t resist topping my almond flour banana bread with chocolate chips and a chocolate drizzle, but if you are feeling something more simple, it’s also delicious without them.

A bunch of ripe bananas

The Ingredients

  • Almond Flour. Aside from its delicious subtle nuttiness and being dietary-friendly, almond flour is also packed with nutrients like Vitamin-E and magnesium. Tip: Store your almond flour in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator for long-term storage.
  • 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. Not only is this bread naturally-sweetened, but the flavor of maple syrup also adds a subtle, caramelized flavor that gives this bread addictive sweetness. Honey also works well here.
  • Oil. Necessary for moisture and some added richness. You can use canola oil, melted coconut oil, or melted unsalted butter.
  • Vanilla. Adds delightful flavor without overpowering any of the other ingredients.
  • 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 Drizzle. Melted chocolate drizzled over the top of freshly baked banana bread. Need I say more?

The Directions

a mixing bowl with mashed banana, eggs, maple syrup, and canola oil

  1. Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl, then add in the remaining wet ingredients.
    A mixing bowl of almond flour banana bread batter with a spatula
  2. Whisk in the baking powder and baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the almond flour and flaxseed meal, stirring just until incorporated.
    Almond flour banana bread batter being spread in a loaf pan
  3. Pour the batter into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper, and smooth the top. Bake the 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.
    a bowl of melted chocolate being drizzled with a spoon
  4. Melt the chocolate chips. Drizzle the mixture over the bread. DIG IN!

Storage Tips

  • 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. I like to freeze mine in slices, so they’re easy to thaw whenever a craving strikes.

More Healthy Recipes with Ripe Bananas

Almond Flour Banana Bread topped with chocolate chips

Recommended Tools to Make This Recipe 

As this chocolate banana bread with almond flour proves, you really can’t have too many banana bread recipes! I can’t wait for you to try it too.

Almond Flour Banana Bread

4.75 from 51 votes
Easy Almond Flour Banana Bread made in one bowl and bursting with banana flavor! Tender, naturally sweetened, and delicious with chocolate chips or plain.

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 55 mins

Servings: 10 slices (1 9x5-inch loaf)

Ingredients
  

FOR THE BANANA BREAD:

  • 1 ½ cups mashed ripe banana about 4 medium or 3 extra large
  • 3 eggs large
  • 1/4 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 1/2 cups blanched almond flour not almond meal
  • 1/3 cup ground flaxseed meal or an additional 1/3 cup almond flour—do not use whole flaxseeds

FOR THE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE (optional):

  • 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate of choice
  • 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions
 

  • Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees 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 ½ 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 busts, 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!

Video

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 10) without chocolate drizzleCalories: 296kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 9gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 49mgPotassium: 241mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 93IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 108mgIron: 2mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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152 Comments

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  1. We’ve made this several times and it always turns out good! We add pecans & craisins instead of chocolate chips .5 stars

  2. Hi Erin, thank you for sharing this recipe. I am a proud mommy now. My daughter is 2 years old and she does not like my cooking. Anything I am making for her were all a waste, she always snobbed it. I tried the almond cookie and banana almond bread and she said “yummy”…. I am so happy, finally! I can’t thank you enough! This will be now our sunday baking bonding.5 stars

  3. Hi Erin, I just realized that I used a smaller size loaf pan. Any guesses on cooking time?
    Thank you. It smells delicious.

    1. Hi Laura, sorry I have no idea. I would just make sure to cook 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. Hope this helps!

  4. Oops. Had no almond flour only almond meal… So I thought why not?! Added a sprinkle of xanthum gum just in case… And the eggs were reconstituted!
    In a gas oven.with fire from below, no fan force, it must have taken an hour to slowly cook from outside in… Leaving the outside slightly turning black… The inside just off squishy! But not bad… My first thought was to eat a hot slice with vanilla ice cream! (Also improvised… Chocolate coated vanilla on a stick). Yum! Delicious! And I sprinkled crushed walnuts on the top. I think almond meal might have worked as a replacement with less thickness in the middle…5 stars

  5. Very good banana bread. I used milled flax seed and instead of canola used coconut oil…opted for maple syrup and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Thank you for sharing. Healthy and delicious.5 stars

  6. Hi Erin, I made this banana cake with almond meal as it was what I had in my pantry, it was a little dense & could have been baked a little longer but overall was successful. I live in Brisbane Australia.

  7. I skeptically made this, not expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it turned out! It is a convincing banana bread. I only wish I had put walnuts in it.4 stars

  8. This banana bread came out so good. Love the grainy texture of the almond flour. I did add 1/2 of oatmeal flour to the receipe without changing anything from the ingredient list. Will make it again adding pecans and raisins.5 stars

  9. I made this last night and it was delicious. I’m trying to cut back on gluten and had 4 bananas that were very ripe, so this was perfect to use what I had on hand.

    I am at 6000 ft so I used just a bit less baking powder and soda than the recipe calls for and it came out moist and delicious.

    I also track my food using my Weight Watcher app, and now you can easily create foods you’ll often have by scanning the nutritional information using the WW app. I’ve used it for packaged foods and it works beautifully, but this is the first time I tried it using nutritional information for a recipe on the web and it worked!!! I just had to adjust the width of my web page to get all the ingredients spaced together so the app could scan them.

    The only issue I encountered is that sodium and the breakdown of sugars vs added sugars are required, and this particular recipe was missing that information, so I just guessed at both, but now, this recipe is in the Weight Watcher database! Very excited, and I hope those nutrients might be included in Erin’s other recipes!5 stars

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