Gluten Free Banana Bread is soft, tender, perfectly banana-y tasting, and not too sweet. Serve for breakfast, snack, or a tasty bite in between. My family LOVES this easy gluten free banana bread recipe!
When I tell you the bananas on our countertop can’t ripen fast enough to support our Gluten Free Banana Bread baking habit, I’m not exaggerating.
My kids devour this soft, squishy, and cozy quick bread faster than I can make it, and I’m not complaining since it’s lower in fat and added sugars compared to typical quick-breads.
Overripe bananas naturally sweeten each soft and tender slice of this simple gluten free banana bread recipe, that’s dairy-free too!
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Ingredients Needed
Raid the pantry for the gluten free baking essentials you’ll need to whip up this moist and tender gluten free banana bread. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Bananas: for the best flavor and sweetness, let your bananas get uncomfortably brown – see below for a photo of how mine typically look before mashing and baking.
- Gluten free baking flour: use your go-to blend for cooking and baking. I usually reach for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour for this particular recipe.
- Sugars: a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar ensure the banana bread is tender, moist, and sweet, though not overly so.
- Oil: I grew up making quick breads with vegetable or canola oil which gives them extra tenderness compared to butter.
- Eggs: provide structure to the gluten free banana bread.
- Baking soda + baking powder: give the banana bread an impressive lift you don’t often find with gluten free quick breads, which can lean on the dense side.
- Cinnamon + vanilla extract: adds lots of cozy flavor. So good!
Gluten Free Banana Bread Baking Tips
This recipe is INCREDIBLY easy, but here’s some tips to keep in mind when whipping up a batch of Gluten Free Banana Bread in your kitchen:
- Wait a day. As with most gluten free baked goods, the gluten free banana bread is best eaten starting on day 2. The bread noticeably softens while the structure simultaneously becomes more sturdy.
- Super ripe. Since this recipe doesn’t contain a ton of sugar, be sure your bananas are VERY ripe, indicating they’re at peak sweetness. We’re looking for lots of spots and brown areas – no green whatsoever.
- Scoop and level. Spoon the gluten free baking flour blend into your measuring cup over a bowl then scrape off the top with the back of a knife. Scooping the measuring cup directly into the bag of flour compacts it into the cup which can create a dry and dense banana bread.
- Mix it Up. We’re purists when it comes to banana bread, but feel free to add 1/2 cup mix ins to the batter before baking such as chocolate chips, or chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Use frozen bananas. We always have a bag of frozen bananas in the freezer to make Banana Nice Cream (another one of my kid’s obsessions!) and you can use frozen bananas in place of fresh in this recipe. Thaw the frozen bananas in the microwave, inside the refrigerator, or on the countertop then mash, measure, and use the same as fresh in the banana bread.
Alright, are you ready to bake!?
Try Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
How to Make Gluten Free Banana Bread
Step 1: Combine the wet ingredients.
Start by adding vegetable or canola oil (or another neutral-flavored oil) and both brown and granulated sugars to the bowl of an electric mixer, or a large glass bowl if using a hand-held mixer, then mix to combine, 30 seconds.
Next add eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined before adding the next egg.
Step 2: Mash the bananas.
Like I said – uncomfortably brown. Ack! We’re looking for lots of “cheetah spots” and areas of brown. NO GREEN!
Unpeel 2-3 large bananas into a bowl then mash them up with a fork and measure out 1 cup.
Step 3: Add the mashed banana and dry ingredients.
To the mixing bowl add the mashed banana and vanilla extract then mix to combine.
In a separate bowl, stir together gluten free baking flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and salt then add to the wet ingredients in two batches, mixing until just combined before adding the next batch.
Recipe Tip
If you want to add mix-ins such as chocolate chips or nuts, add them to the batter at this point.
Step 4: Bake the banana bread.
Scoop the batter into a nonstick sprayed 9×5″ loaf pan then bake for 50-60 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean, or has just a few crumbs when you pull it out.
Recipe Tip
Place a piece of nonstick sprayed foil on top of the loaf pan at the 20 minute mark (no need to crimp it around the edges) to ensure the top doesn’t become overly-browned.
Step 5: Cool completely.
Let the banana bread sit in the pan for 20 minutes then run a knife around the outside and turn it out onto a cutting board to cool completely.
Like I said, gluten free quick breads, especially, benefit from a day of rest before digging in, but my kids and I have never managed to wait even an hour to dig into a fresh loaf of gluten free banana bread!
How to Store and Freeze
- How to store: place the cooled banana bread inside a gallon-size Ziplock bag or storage container with an airtight lid then store on the counter for up to 5 days.
- How to freeze: wrap the cooled banana bread in saran wrap then place inside a gallon-size freezer Ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter then slice and eat.
I hope you love every crumb of this tender, moist, and cozy Gluten Free Banana Bread recipe. It’s easy and delicious enough to warrant making every single week – you just need the overripe banana supply to support the habit. 😉
Good luck, and enjoy!
More Gluten Free Baked Goods
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil, or another neutral-flavored oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed very ripe banana, from 2-3 large bananas
- 1-1/2 cups gluten free baking flour blend WITH binder, see notes
- 1 teaspoon baking powder, Bob’s Red Mill Aluminum-Free Baking Powder recommended
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees then spray a 9×5” loaf pan very well with nonstick spray and set aside.
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Add the sugars and oil to the bowl of an electric mixer, or a large glass bowl if using a hand-held mixer, then beat on medium speed until combined, 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add 1 egg at a time, mixing on low speed until just combined before adding the next egg. Add the vanilla extract and mashed bananas then mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the gluten free baking flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, mixing on low speed until just combined before adding the next batch. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then give the ingredients a good mix with a spatula to ensure everything is fully combined.
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Scoop the batter into the prepared loaf pan then bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. At the 20 minute mark, place a piece of nonstick-sprayed foil on top (no need to crimp) to ensure the top does not over-brown.
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Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 20 minutes before running a knife along the edges and removing it from the pan. Cool the banana bread completely on a cooling rack then store wrapped in plastic wrap, a gallon-size Ziplock bag, or in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. As with most gluten free baked goods, this bread is best served starting on day 2.
- To ensure your banana bread tastes perfectly banana-y, do not use bananas that have any green areas. The more ripe and brown the banana, the sweeter the banana bread it will taste.
- As written, this banana bread is not extremely sweet (in my opinion!) That said, I do not recommend decreasing the amount of sugar in this recipe.
- This recipe was tested using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour and King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour. Your results may vary if using a different GF flour blend.
- How to store: place the cooled banana bread inside a gallon-size Ziplock bag or storage container with an airtight lid then store on the counter for up to 5 days.
- How to freeze: wrap the cooled banana bread in saran wrap then place inside a gallon-size freezer Ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter then slice and eat.
Calories: 210kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 230mg, Potassium: 80mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 64IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 49mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
photos by Ashley McLaughlin
