Fragrant, delicious, and comforting, this keto banana bread is perfect as a tasty breakfast or a filling snack. The keto version is made with two bananas and a sugar-free sweetener. I also offer a paleo version with three bananas and honey.
This keto banana bread is amazing. It's delicious and not too sweet—the perfect breakfast or snack. It will fill your house with the wonderful fragrance of roasted nuts, bananas, and cinnamon. My starting point was my pumpkin bread. It's basically the same, with mashed bananas instead of pumpkin and less sweetener because ripe bananas are very sweet.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Bananas: Very ripe and well-mashed. Two for a keto bread, three for a paleo version.
- Ground cinnamon: I use a whole tablespoon. You can use just a teaspoon for lighter-colored bread. But the cinnamon does add a wonderful flavor.
- Sweetener: A sugar-free sweetener for the keto bread or honey for the paleo version.
- Almond flour: I use blanched, finely ground almond flour.
- Baking soda: You can replace it with a tablespoon of baking powder (gluten-free if needed).
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here's an overview of the steps for making this bread:
Whisk all the ingredients in a medium bowl, starting with the wet and adding the dry. Transfer the batter to a parchment-lined and greased small loaf pan.
Bake the bread in a 350°F oven. The exact time depends on your oven. When it's done, a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf should come out dry. The keto bread will need 30-40 minutes in the oven, and the paleo bread will need 40-50 minutes since it contains more bananas.
Cool the bread completely before enjoying it. This is the hardest part! You will want to dig in right away, as it smells so good. But the bread will be too soft and gooey when it emerges from the oven. Its texture and flavor will dramatically improve as it cools. Look how moist and lovely it is:
Recipe Tips
- Use a small loaf pan. A standard-size loaf pan, 9 X 5 inches, will make the bread too flat. So, make sure you use a small loaf pan measuring 8.5 X 4.5 inches.
- Let it cool completely. The bread emerges from the oven with a gorgeous dark crust. It smells heavenly. You will want to dig in immediately (or maybe let it cool for 10 minutes). Please don't! This bread is too soft and gooey when it comes out of the oven. It really does need to cool completely. I cool it for two hours on a cooling rack, and only then do I slice it - and it's perfect. In the past, when I was impatient and sliced it after 20 minutes, it was still delicious, but too gooey and crumbly. Its texture and flavor greatly improve after it's cooled.
- Additions: You can add ⅓ cup of chopped raw nuts (like pecans or walnuts) or dark chocolate chips.
- Storage: Once the bread is completely cool, slice it. Then, place the slices in an airtight container, separating layers with wax paper. You can keep them this way in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze the slices in freezer bags. Again, if layering, separate the layers with wax paper.
- Use ripe but not spoiled bananas. See the image below - you want deep yellow bananas that have plenty of black spots on the outside and are very soft on the inside. Just make sure there are no white spots on the inside and that the inside is not runny - this means the banana is spoiled.
This is absolutely delicious!! I love making banana bread, and I always have overripe bananas, but since I want to lose weight, I have been trying to find a good, healthier version. After numerous failed attempts at recipes found on the web, I came across this one today and decided to give it a shot, and my goodness, I am so glad I did. This is absolutely delicious. I added an extra banana on mine because I just didn’t want to throw it away, and it came out perfect. The flavor and texture is there and I cannot believe it was achieved with almond flour and monk fruit sweetener! You are a genius! Thank you!
Idalia
Read more comments
This is absolutely delicious!! I love making banana bread, and I always have overripe bananas, but since I want to lose weight, I have been trying to find a good, healthier version. After numerous failed attempts at recipes found on the web, I came across this one today and decided to give it a shot, and my goodness, I am so glad I did. This is absolutely delicious. I added an extra banana on mine because I just didn’t want to throw it away, and it came out perfect. The flavor and texture is there and I cannot believe it was achieved with almond flour and monk fruit sweetener! You are a genius! Thank you!Serving Suggestions
I like this bread just as it is. It's perfect with coffee or iced coffee! My kids enjoy it with a pat of unsalted butter, as shown in the photo below. It's also excellent with cream cheese, almond butter, peanut butter, walnut butter, or keto hazelnut spread.
Recipe Card
Keto Banana Bread (Perfect for Breakfast!)
Video
Ingredients
- Cooking spray for the pan - I use avocado oil spray
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large bananas - well mashed, 1 cup; three bananas or 1.5 cups for a paleo version
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons sugar-free sweetener - or honey for a paleo version
- 8 ounces almond flour - 2 cups; please measure by weight
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon - reduce to 1-2 teaspoons for milder flavor
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda - or a tablespoon of baking powder, gluten-free if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a small loaf pan (8.5 X 4.5 inches) with parchment paper strips, leaving an overhang on each side of the pan. Lightly spray the lined pan with oil.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, mashed bananas, vanilla, and sweetener.
- Gradually whisk in the almond flour, cinnamon, kosher salt, and baking soda. Whisk until smooth.
- Using a rubber spatula, transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Gently tap the pan on the countertop to distribute the batter evenly.
- Bake the bread until browned and set, and a toothpick inserted in its center comes out dry, 30-40 minutes (40-50 minutes if using three bananas and honey).
- Using the excess parchment paper as handles, carefully remove the bread from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack. Carefully remove the parchment to allow air to circulate.
- Cool the bread completely on the cooling rack for about 2 hours. Slice it into 12 slices and serve.
Notes
- Use ripe but not spoiled bananas. You want deep yellow bananas that have plenty of black spots on the outside and are very soft on the inside. Just make sure there are no white spots on the inside and that the inside is not runny - this means the banana is spoiled.
- I use Bob's Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour. One cup of this flour weighs 4 ounces, so two cups weigh 8 ounces. It's best to measure almond flour by weight rather than by volume.
- Occasionally, baking soda can cause a reaction in baked goods, resulting in an ammonia smell. If you're concerned about it happening, use 3-4 teaspoons of gluten-free baking powder instead of baking soda.
- The bread emerges from the oven with a gorgeous dark crust. It smells heavenly. You will want to dig in immediately. Please don't! This bread is too soft and gooey when it comes out of the oven. It really needs to cool completely. I cool it for two hours on a cooling rack, and only then do I slice it - and it's perfect.
- An 8.5 X 4.5-inch loaf pan holds 6 cups, while a standard 9 X 5-inch loaf pan holds 8 cups. If you'd like to use a standard loaf pan, you will need to increase the ingredients by about a third. So, use 4 eggs, 2.5 large bananas, 2.5 tablespoons of sweetener, 10.5 ounces of almond flour, and 1 ⅓ teaspoons of baking soda (or 4 teaspoons of baking powder). The vanilla, cinnamon, and salt can stay the same.
- Storage: Once the bread is completely cool, slice it. Then, place the slices in an airtight container, separating layers with wax paper. You can keep them this way in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the slices in freezer bags. Again, if layering, separate the layers with wax paper.
- If using three bananas and two tablespoons of honey for a paleo version, each slice has about 160 calories, 14 grams of carbs, 6 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of fiber.
- If you need a lower-carb bread, I highly recommend this keto zucchini bread.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Pamela Hamel says
I just made the keto version and added walnuts. It smell great. I have been taking a slice to work everyday for a midafternoon snack with fruit.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Walnuts are a great addition! Thank you very much for the review, Pamela.
Chris says
Good but bland.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you liked it, Chris! I'm surprised it was bland with a tablespoon of ground cinnamon. If you make it again, try using pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon.
Charlotte says
Wow. Easily the best banana bread I ever had, including regular ones made with all-purpose flour! So moist and delicious.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this bread, Charlotte! Thank you very much for the review.
L says
COMPLETELY fell apart when I tried to remove it from the pan with the parchment paper handles!! I'm so disappointed!!!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Oh no! I'm so sorry. 🙁
Trying to figure out what went wrong... I assume you used the recommended flour and measured it by weight? Did the batter look like the picture in step 3? It should be thick but not dry.
Do you think you underbaked it? Was it wet in the middle after falling apart?
Or maybe you overbaked and it was dry?
Argh. So many things can go wrong when baking, especially with almond flour.
Again, I'm really sorry. I'm sure it smelled amazing and you were looking forward to enjoying it.
L says
I did measure the almond flour by weight and made sure to measure everything accurately since I know almond flour recipes can be tricky. I baked it in a convection oven for 35 min, the toothpick was clean at 30 min but I left it in an extra 5 min just to be sure since the crust was beautiful... I think when I make it again, I'll leave it in the pan for 10 or 15 min before trying to lift it out.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I wonder if a convection oven is problematic in this recipe. According to my research, a convection oven is "Less ideal for delicate items that need a gentler, slower rise, such as some cakes, quick breads, and cheesecakes."
Pamela Hamel says
I made 2 loafs, one going with your original recipe and one with honey and walnuts. They both were really good and I will definitely make again. Love your recipes. Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Pamela! Thank you for trusting my recipes and reviewing them.
Sheila O says
Delicious. I find it so difficult to find gluten free recipes that I actually like. I sweetened this with about a teaspoon of honey, but actually I don’t think it needs it. The vanilla , cinnamon and banana make it sweet enough. Might try putting walnuts in next time.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this bread, Sheila! Thank you very much for taking the time to write a review.
Jennifer Ryan says
Doubled the recipe and made it in my Bundt pan. Was excellent. I cooked for 50 minutes. Maybe could have gone another 5 minutes but the cinnamon makes the outside look very cooked and the fork came out clean so I took out at 50. I added unsweetened dark chocolate chips and walnuts. Spectacular dessert for the keto conscious. I used monk fruit as my sweetener. Was perfect! Saving this!!!!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing your delicious tweaks, Jennifer!
Rufina Beem Holcombe says
I make this all time and it’s moist and yummy and low carb! I melt sugar free white chocolate chips on top and eat as dessert.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wow, those melted chocolate chips - what a great idea, Rufina!
Margaret Tapley says
This is such a wonderful easy recipe. The second time around I added some walnuts a few chocolate chips and a little unsweetened coconut. I also switched the cinnamon for some nutmeg! It's a keeper for sure!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Margaret! Thank you very much for the review and for sharing your delicious tweaks.