Fragrant, wholesome and comforting, this paleo banana bread is just perfect as a healthy breakfast or a filling snack.
This Paleo banana bread is everything that I hoped it would be. A fragrant, not too sweet, very tasty almond flour banana bread that I can feel good about eating and serving to my family.
To me, banana bread is comfort. Just sweet enough. Toothsome and wholesome. It is the perfect breakfast or snack. So I was curious about this paleo banana bread. Would it be everything that I needed it to be?
Is paleo banana bread tasty?
Yes! This paleo banana bread is everything that a banana bread should be. I based it on my paleo pumpkin bread recipe. It’s basically the same recipe, with mashed bananas instead of pumpkin. And less sweetener, because ripe bananas are so sweet.
As I was baking this almond flour banana bread, my house filled with the most amazing fragrance of sweet roasted nuts, banana and cinnamon. Right then I knew that this would be a success.
The taste is wonderful. It’s earthy, wholesome and just sweet enough.
Do I need to add a sweetener?
Not necessarily! I actually made a version of this almond flour banana bread with no sweetener at all, relying on the bananas for sweetness. I thought it was perfect – just the right amount of sweetness. So you’re welcome to try that. You can always drizzle the baked bread with some honey if you find it’s not sweet enough for your taste.
But you can certainly make the recipe as I wrote it here, with a small amount of honey, or with a low carb alternative. Even though I used honey, I’m fairly certain that a granulated sweetener would work just as well. So feel free to experiment with coconut sugar, brown sugar, or a low carb granulated sweetener.
Use ripe – but not spoiled – bananas
Definitely use very ripe bananas in this paleo banana bread recipe. You want bananas that are deep yellow with plenty of black spots on the outside, and 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.
How to eat this almond flour banana bread?
I like this bread just as it is. My kids like it lightly toasted, with sweet butter and a drizzle of honey. It’s also wonderful with cream cheese, with almond butter, or with peanut butter if you don’t mind peanuts.
I wanted a basic paleo banana bread, so I didn’t add anything to the basic batter. I’m curious about chopped pecans, or a handful of chocolate chips. I might try it next time I make this paleo banana bread!
How to store this bread?
Once it’s completely cool, slice it. Then place the slices in an airtight container. Separate layers with wax paper. You can also freeze the slices in freezer bags. Again, if layering, separate the layers with wax paper.
Is this paleo banana bread healthy?
I believe it is. While high in carbs, bananas are very healthy. And the few remaining ingredients in this recipe are wholesome. This bread is especially healthy if you don’t add a sweetener. But even with a small amount of a natural sweetener such as honey or coconut sugar, I believe it is a good choice unless you need to be on a very low carb diet.
Paleo Banana Bread
INGREDIENTS
- Cooking spray for the pan (I used avocado oil spray)
- 3 large eggs
- 3 large very ripe bananas, well mashed (1.5 cups)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons honey*
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a small loaf pan (8.5 X 4.5 inches) with parchment paper strips, leaving two inches of 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, cinnamon and honey.
- Add the almond flour, 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 counter top to evenly distribute the batter.
- Bake the banana bread until browned and set, and a toothpick inserted in its center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
- Using the excess parchment paper strips as handles, carefully remove the banana 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, about 2 hours. Slice into 10 slices, and serve.
NOTES
