This recipe for Banana Bread is one of my favorites. It’s also one of the most popular bread recipes on this website!
I love my Banana Bread with a cup of caffeine-free Dandelion Root Coffee.
Banana Bread Recipe
Back in 1998, when I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I knew I’d need to create a gluten-free banana bread recipe.
Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Frankly, I had no choice other than to create my own gluten-free recipes.
That’s because I went on a gluten-free diet decades ago during the Dark Ages of gluten-free living. Back then there was nothing.
Out of that void came many gluten-free bread recipes, as well as this beloved Banana Bread recipe.
Healthy Banana Bread
What makes this healthy banana bread recipe special?
First, the flavor. While most banana bread recipes have one cup of sugar, this one is very lightly sweetened with only one tablespoon of honey.
I love that because the banana flavor really shines through.
Banana Bread with Almond Flour
Second, this is not only a low-carb recipe, it’s a gluten-free banana bread with almond flour that’s high-protein and full of healthy fat.
Finally, with only eight healthy ingredients it’s an easy banana bread recipe that you can throw together in no time at all!
Ripe Bananas for Banana Bread
When you make this banana bread, be sure to use ripe bananas.
Wondering how to ripen bananas more quickly I place mine in a paper bag in the pantry. Trust me it works!
How to Make Banana Bread Tall
If you want a nice tall loaf of Banana Bread, be sure to use the recommended size loaf pan.
If you use a larger one, you won’t have enough batter to fill the pan to the top and the result will be a very short and sad loaf of Banana Bread.
Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 bananas, mashed (about 1½ cups)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup palm shortening
- 2 cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Pulse together bananas, eggs, vanilla, honey, and shortening in a food processor
- Pulse in almond flour, salt, and baking soda
- Scoop batter into a greased 7.5 x 3.5 inch magic line loaf pan
- Bake at 350°F for 55-65 minutes
- Cool for 1 hour
- Serve with Dandelion Root Coffee
How to Store Homemade Bread
To store this Banana Bread, wrap in a paper towel, seal in a plastic bag, and refrigerate for up to one week.
Bananas Recipes
Check out some of my other delicious banana recipes:
Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
I imagine this Banana Bread recipe would be amazing with chocolate chips!
I have a Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes recipe made from cashews with seven ingredients total –a beloved reader favorite.
The Best Keto Recipes
Did you know that my keto recipes are my most requested? Below you’ll find the best keto bread recipes.
Keto Bread
Of all of my bread recipes, Keto Bread is the most similar to traditional store-bought bread. It’s our family’s favorite.
Keto Blueberry Lemon Bread
Both the Keto Bread above and this incredible Keto Blueberry Lemon Bread with almond flour are “one-bowl” recipes that could not be easier to make!
Low-Carb Bread
My Low-Carb Bread has a fantastic nutty flavor and is full of nutrient-dense ingredients. I love it smothered in homemade Plum Jam.
Keto Cornbread
Warm Keto Cornbread baked in a cast-iron skillet then covered in ghee? Yes, please!
Nut-Free Keto Bread
Want a fantastic keto snack? Avocado toast made with my Nut-Free Keto Bread. YUM!
Keto Zucchini Bread
My Keto Nut-Free Zucchini Bread is a cake-like bread and a complete winner that the boys love! This nut-free low-carb bread recipe uses one of my favorite ingredients, coconut flour.
Substitutions
Feel free to experiment with your own ingredient choices and substitutions for my Banana Bread recipe as well as my other bread recipes. Just be sure to leave a comment and let us know how it goes if you do!
Unfortunately, I cannot forecast the results that your proposed substitutions will yield. I wish I had a crystal ball and knew intuitively if a substitution worked. Sadly, I don’t. I test each of my recipes dozens of times to get the results that I do.
Substitutions and Testing
In fact, every time I make the slightest change I retest a recipe. That means a whole new batch of bread in the oven when I adjust the baking soda up or down by even one-quarter teaspoon.
I guess that’s why they say baking is a science, not something you can improvise. That’s also why I get the feedback that my easy low-carb recipes are the most reliable you can find!
The Best Bread Recipes
Over the years I’ve worked on this bread recipe and refined it to pure perfection.
What’s your favorite bread recipe? Is there something you’re looking for that you didn’t find here? Leave a comment and let me know!
This post is an oldie but goodie from the archives. I first shared this Banana Bread recipe in September 2011.
Amanda says
Thank you Elana. Made this this morning for my toddler. She loves them. I made some changes and it still came out great. I used 1/4 cup grass fed butter in place of the shortening. I also made them in muffin cups.Thanks for helping us stay Primal.
denise says
Hi Elana,
Could you help me troubleshoot this recipe? I followed it exactly this morning, with the exception of shortening: I subbed the same amount of coconut oil. When the 30 minutes passed, the top was a little wiggly, and the toothpick came out clean, so I let it go 3 more minutes before removing from the oven. As it cooled, the center sank, and is less done than the outside edges. The same thing happened with Paleo bread last week – sunken middle and eggy taste overtaking the other flavors. The only thing that I can think of is that my oven is below the temp that it displays (checked with oven thermometer…takes longer to heat than it indicates with the ‘at temp’ chime). I want this to work!
Thanks for all of the effort you put in to your work…your integrity shows!
Lisa says
In spite of having tested my oven temp, I always find that my almond flour baked goods require longer in my (preheated, gas) oven than published recipes suggest: often up to twice as long to get a firm center and a brown edge. Try keeping it in the oven longer next time. If you’re concerned about burning, turn the temp down 25 degrees and set the timer for another 1/4 (approx) of the suggested cooking time.
It probably has to do with the heat transfer properties of the baking dishes.
denise says
Thanks, Lisa. I’ll give it a shot. The pan I use is dimensionally the same as called for, but stainless steel, uncoated. Leaving it in longer does seem like the answer…just didn’t want to burn. I’ll try your suggestion regarding temp. thanks!
Joan says
I had the same problem with the Paleo bread. I decreased the temp to 325 and increased the baking time to 50 minutes and that produced a perfect loaf. Another tip is to make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature – includung yor eggs before you start mixing the batter. Good luck!
Meghan says
Did you bake at the lower temp for the entire 50 minutes, or do the regular higher temp for the first 30 minutes, and then lowered the temp and did the additional 20 min from there?
Kari says
I had the exact same issue tonight. I even cooked it a full 10 mins longer. I would have gone even longer but we had to leave the house. I came home to a completely sunken loaf that is still so mushy inside it isn’t even edible. Though the top done edges tasted phenomenal. And I even have the right pan…..
Kari says
I just tried again. Used slightly smaller bananas and a small packet of coconut butter instead of the shortening. It turned out perfectly. I also cooked it for about 45 mins. But it wasn’t as huge and the first one and cooked all the way through. Yummy!!
Rachel says
When items sink in the middle after baking it suggests that the oven temp is not properly calibrated. When the light goes off and you think the oven is up to temp so you place your items in there to cook it is actually below temp and now your items don’t bake evenly. Ovens heat from either the top or the bottom except in the case of convection. When the oven is not properly heated and we place a cool item it lowers the temp causing our items to crust the outside and stay soggy or fall in the middle. Try and oven thermometer it is a cheap easy fix to ensure proper baking times. Good Luck!
Amyella says
This looks so good – can’t wait to try it!
Do you have any recommendations for adjusting baking time to do banana muffins instead of a loaf?
Laurel says
I made your Paleo Bread for my hubby about 3 weeks ago. He loved it but IMMEDIATELY, like after the 2d bite told me it would make a great Banana Bread. I told him I’d have to think about it because adding bananas would mess up the ratios.
I then got out your 1st cookbook and made the Banana Cake w/o the chocolate chips but with walnuts. I’ve now made it for him twice, as cupcakes both times.
I’ll make him this one next and see if he can tell the difference. :-)
Thanks for always sharing so much.
Tressa B says
The banana cake w/ chocolate chips is to DIE FOR!!! I made one and my office ate it for breakfast. They loved it!
Amy says
Sounds yum, I’m going to try it. I’ll substitute Artisan coconut butter or oil for the vegan shortening, though – not sure that vegan shortening would be considered paleo, though I don’t know for sure.
Thanks for this site, it’s truly unique.
Alexandra says
UNrefined palm oil is o.k.; refined palm oil is not paleo…and there’s no need for it in this recipe. I really don’t know why she chose that one.
If you’re cheating and making a frosting or pie crust, sure, you’ll need your fat to stay stable at room temp, but for banana bread? Strange to say the least.
Holly says
Amy- I just made this bread last night and substitued the vegan shortening with organic cold pressed coconut oil. After 30 minutes in the oven, I could see that it needed to cook a lot longer, so I lowered the temp to 290 and let it bake the rest of the way at a lower temp (about 18 minutes longer). This worked GREAT! The bread was yummy and still paleo friendly.
Jody says
I am DYING for a Paleo Pumpkin bread! Since fall has arrived, it’s all I can think about. (hint hint) :)
I will be trying this banana bread today. YUM!
Julia says
OOooo, great idea! You could probably just substitute the banana in this recipe for canned (or fresh) pumpkin! I’m going to try that!
Tressa B says
Yep, just substitute the pumpkin for the bananas, and add some pumpkin pie spice. Super easy and super yummy!
Juniper Rain says
i bet that would work!! sounds amazing!!
Joan says
Fabulous idea! Pumpkin paleo bread to be made this afternoon! Thanks Elana and Jody.
Chrissy says
Please come back and let us know how it works! I can’t make the bread until Sunday anyway so I’d love to know if I can make it into pumpkin bread too! ;o)
Joan says
Well…it’s not quite right. The texture is a little too spongy and it needs a little more sweetness. I tried a can of pumpkin and that appears to be too moist. it rose ober the sides of my pan onto the bottom of the oven Just might need to have Elana take a stab at this. :-). The funny thing was that my kids liked it more than me. Go figure!
Heather J says
You could probably sub pumpkin for banana but then it wouldn’t be sweet (since bananas add natural sweetness). I might play around with this since I don’t have bananas at home…
Gretchen says
These Paleo, gluten-free, low carb recipes are wonderful for people who have diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or have any kind of problem with simple carbohydrates. Thank you so much for sharing your hard-won knowledge!
shirley says
I am very grateful for the Paleo bread recipe. It came just as I was beginning to want bread again, as a vehicle for other yumminess (not a desire for grain), and your recipe has been a lifesaver.
The Magic Line Loaf Pan works great…I’m often wary of buying a new product to complete a recipe, but in this case, the pan has paid for itself in its worth to me, very quickly.
You have made one more person in this world happy. Thank you!
sarah says
hi elana,
i don’t have access to vegan shortening. is there something i can use in it’s place?
Karen says
I often interchange coconut oil, lard, or butter for this.
Zunia Boucher-Myers says
I was just going to ask if one could use coconut oil and here is my answer,! I shall be making this over the week end as we were give n a whole bunch of bananas from my neighbours tree!
Julia says
Sarah,
Benefit Your Life sells it if you wanted to buy it online.
Glenys says
I USE COCONUT OIL INSTEAD OR HALF COCONUT AND HALF OLIVE OIL. I DON’T ADD ANY HONEY EITHER, I DON’T HAVE ANY SWEETNERS IN MY DIET AT ALL AND THAT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE HONEY, SUGAR, MAPLE SYRUP ETC. I FIND THE BANANAS ARE SWEET ENOUGH AND IT’S DELICIOUS. WORTH A TRY. GOOD LUCK
GLENYS
Juniper Rain says
I use just regular dairy free “butter” and it usually works great!(normally earth balance brand) its lighter and more like what she recomends.. vegan shortening i think it was.. yup yup! :)
Chrissy says
Oh yeaa!! Thank you so much! I know I’ll be making this this weekend. I already make two loafs of your paleo bread every week (I think the pan MUST be the reason for the short loaf! Already ordered the right pan!). Thanks for adding another great bread that I can “treat” my kids to!!