Fragrant, delicious and comforting, this paleo almond flour banana bread is perfect as a tasty breakfast or a filling snack. Keto option included!
This bread is amazing. My entire family loves it and requests it often. It's fragrant, not too sweet, a delicious paleo breakfast bread that I can feel good about eating and serving to my family.
To me, this almond flour banana bread means comfort. It is just sweet enough, not overwhelmingly so. It is the perfect breakfast or snack. It's so good that I sometimes double the recipe and make two of them, to ensure tasty breakfasts for the entire week.
How I developed this recipe
I based this recipe on my paleo pumpkin bread recipe. It's basically the same, with mashed bananas instead of pumpkin. And less sweetener, because ripe bananas are so sweet. The keto option (see below) uses a sugar-free sweetener.
As I was baking it, my house filled with the most amazing fragrance of sweet roasted nuts, banana, and cinnamon. Right then I knew that this recipe would be a success.
And it is! Its texture is wonderfully tender, and its flavor is so good. It's become one of my favorite breakfasts and I enjoy it year-round.
The ingredients you'll need
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make paleo almond flour banana bread. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Eggs: I use large eggs in most of my recipes, this one included.
Bananas: Very ripe and well-mashed.
Vanilla extract: Try to use the real thing - pure vanilla extract - and not the artificially flavored stuff.
Ground cinnamon: Make sure it's fresh. I use a whole tablespoon - you can use just 1 teaspoon for a lighter-colored bread. But the cinnamon does add wonderful flavor.
Honey: Or use a keto alternative such as stevia or any granulated sweetener.
Almond flour: An excellent flour substitute that bakes exceptionally well. I use blanched finely ground almond flour in this recipe. I haven't experimented with a coarse almond meal.
Kosher salt: If using fine salt, use just ⅛ teaspoon.
Baking soda: If you'd like to try using baking powder (though I haven't tested it in this recipe), remember that ¼ teaspoon of baking soda is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
How to make almond flour banana bread
It's super easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
1. Whisk all the ingredients together, one by one in the order listed, in one bowl.
2. Transfer the batter to a small loaf pan, parchment-lined and greased.
3. Bake the bread for 40-50 minutes at 350°F. How long you need to bake it depends on your oven. When it's done, a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf should come out dry.
4. Cool completely before enjoying it. This is the hardest part! You will want to dig in right away. But the bread will be too soft and gooey when it emerges from the oven. Its texture and flavor will improve as it cools.
Use a small loaf pan
If you use a standard-size loaf pan, 9 X 5 inches, the bread will come out very flat. So make sure you use a small loaf pan measuring 8.5 X 4.5 inches.
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 fruit 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 sugar-free sweetener.
Even though I use 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 sugar-free granulated sweetener.
Use ripe - but not spoiled - bananas
You should definitely use very ripe bananas in this 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.
Baking soda or baking powder
If you'd rather use baking powder, you should use 3-4 teaspoons of it instead of the 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Make sure your baking powder is fresh - it doesn't last as long as baking soda.
Also, keep in mind that baking soda promotes browning. So the crust might come out paler if you use baking powder.
You need to cool it completely
This almond flour banana bread emerges from the oven with a gorgeous dark crust. It smells heavenly. You will want to dig in right away (or maybe let it cool for an obligatory 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 I slice it - and it's perfect.
In the past, when I was impatient and sliced it after just 20 minutes, it was still delicious - but too gooey and crumbly. Both its texture and flavor greatly improve after it's cooled.
How to eat this bread
I like it 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, almond butter, or peanut butter if you don't mind peanuts.
I wanted a basic bread that would go with anything, so I didn't add any extras to the batter. I'm curious about chopped walnuts or pecans, or perhaps a handful of chocolate chips. I might try it next time I make this recipe!
Keto banana bread
To make a keto version of this bread:
- Use just two bananas.
- Replace the honey with 2 tablespoons of any sugar-free sweetener or the equivalent in stevia.
- Bake for a shorter time, as the batter will be drier with just two bananas. 30-40 minutes should do it.
This keto banana bread has 150 calories, 10 grams of carbs, and 3 grams of fiber per slice. if you need an even lower-carb bread, I highly recommend this keto zucchini bread.
Reviews of this recipe
On Instagram, Gabby posted a beautiful photo of her bread. She says:
Good morning! I hope your day is as sweet as this paleo almond flour banana bread! Fragrant, super easy to make, and very very delicious, it is turning into one of my favorite treats!
I am embarrassed to admit that I woke up extra early today because I wanted to munch on a slice so badly!
This is not a sponsored post, just wanted to share the recipe with you, so you can enjoy it as well! The original recipe is by @yumhealth, whose work I am loving more and more with every dish of hers I make! I topped the slice with raw bananas and hemp hearts.
How to store leftovers?
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.
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Almond Flour Banana Bread
INGREDIENTS
- Cooking spray for the pan (I use avocado oil spray)
- 3 large eggs
- 3 large very ripe bananas well mashed (1.5 cups)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons honey*
- 2 cups blanched finely ground almond flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your 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 finally the 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 dry, 40-50 minutes.
- Using the excess parchment paper 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 it into 12 slices and serve.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
NOTES
More Recipes to Try:
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living.