Breads & Doughs, Healthy Baking

Best Gluten-Free Banana Bread (Low Carb / Zero Added Sugar)

4.28 from 481 votes
My delicious and nutritious Gluten-Free Banana Bread is a low carb, zero sugar added powerhouse of flavor.
Best Gluten Free Banana Bread (Low-Carb & Zero Added Sugar) 2

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Hi Bold Bakers!

We have had  a HUGE number of requests from bakers all across the world for gluten-free, sugar-free, low carb, or paleo recipes. I know there are a lot of recipes out there for banana bread, but this one is the Best Gluten Free Banana Bread, ever. It also happens to be low carb with zero added sugar! My Gluten-Free Banana Bread recipe is engineered to tick all the boxes and fit whatever lifestyle you live. Made with zero (that’s right zero) added sugar, grain free flours, and a bit of coconut oil, this bread is super wholesome and flavorful.

My Gluten-Free Banana Bread is for everyone, not just those that are trying to eat gluten-free. Moist, dense, and topped with a whole banana and studded with toasty walnuts, this delicious and nutritious banana bread is a fresh take on one of my favorite comfort foods.

Can we make our own Almond/Coconut flour?

What makes my lovely banana bread gluten free, grain free, and lower in carbohydrates is the alternative flour blend.  While normal flour is derived from wheat, almond flour and coconut flour are exactly what they sound like. If you’ve never heard of these flours, or aren’t sure where to get them, you can easily make them yourself at home in no time.

To make almond flour I suggest you check out Gemma’s recipe for Homemade Almond Flour or ground almonds. Making your own coconut flour is the same process as making the almond flour: you simply blitz up dried unsweetened coconut flakes into a fine powder (or flour). This is best done in a food processor, but can be managed in small amounts in your blender. These flours are a staple in alternative baking and I always have them on hand.

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What is Lakanto? How is it made?

In addition to being low in carbs and gluten-free, this banana bread is made with no added sugar. While this recipe is sweetened by the ripe bananas, it also uses one of my favorite alternative ingredients: Lakanto brand maple syrup.

This is a zero sugar liquid sweetener derived from monk fruit and erythritol. If you can’t find this, you can absolutely use another brand of sugar free maple syrup or regular maple syrup. I prefer to use this brand as it’s 100% natural, non-GMO, and vegan. I like to use this because it keeps the bread super moist and also adds that classic sweet maple flavor without all the added sugar.

[ Need more information on substituting sugars? Check out Gemma’s easy Sugar Substitute chart! ]

Is the texture different for this Gluten-Free Banana Bread than regular banana bread?

So you might be wondering with all of these alternative ingredients what is the texture of this Gluten-Free Banana Bread like? Well, if you’ve ever baked with coconut or almond flour before you know they actually lend themselves to a super moist texture and lovely cake-like chew. You lose nothing by using these special ingredients — but you gain fiber, protein, and a bit of healthy fat without having to think about the sugar content.

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Do I have to use walnuts?

While I love the combination of walnuts and banana you can add in any nuts you like. Other yummy additions are chocolate chips, coconut flakes, or dried fruit! Feel free to play with this recipe and make it your own.

I truly can’t wait to hear what you think of this awesome Gluten Free Banana Bread recipe!

Want More Alternative Recipes?

And don’t miss Gemma’s Best Ever Banana Bread, too!

Gluten-Free Banana Bread (Low Carb / No Added Sugar)

4.28 from 481 votes
Moist, sweet, and topped with a whole banana (also, studded with toasty walnuts) — my delicious and nutritious Gluten-Free Banana Bread is a low carb, zero sugar powerhouse of flavor.
Author: Olivia Crouppen
Servings: 10
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Moist, sweet, and topped with a whole banana (also, studded with toasty walnuts) — my delicious and nutritious Gluten-Free Banana Bread is a low carb, zero sugar powerhouse of flavor.
Author: Olivia Crouppen
Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • 3 ripe bananas 2 mashed, 1 sliced in half length wise
  • 3/4 cup (3oz/85g) almond flour
  • 1/4 cup (¾ oz/21g) coconut flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 cup (2 ½ oz/71g) sugar free maple syrup, maple syrup or honey
  • 1/2 cup (1 ½oz/43g) walnuts, roughly chopped

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C), then line a 9x5 inch loaf tin with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. 
  • In a separate bowl combine the mashed banana, eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla.
  • Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until a batter is formed. Lastly, fold in the chopped walnuts — reserving some to sprinkle over the top of the bread. 
  • Transfer the batter to your lined baking tin. Lay the two halves of the whole sliced banana on the top and sprinkle over the reserved walnuts.
  • Bake the banana bread for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
  • When the bread is done remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing from the tin. Slice and serve warm or room temperature.
  • Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Recipe Notes

  • This bread can be frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost at room temperature then toast or warm in the oven to enjoy leftovers. 
  • This bread can be made vegan by substituting the eggs with flax eggs
  • To make flax eggs, combine 3 tablespoons ground flax seed + 9 tablespoon water. Allow to set for 10 minutes until "bloomed," then add into your batter in place of eggs. 
Nutrition Facts
Gluten-Free Banana Bread (Low Carb / No Added Sugar)
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 139 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 56mg19%
Potassium 169mg5%
Carbohydrates 11g4%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 100IU2%
Vitamin C 4.1mg5%
Calcium 20mg2%
Iron 0.9mg5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Debbie
Debbie
4 years ago

Very delicious and moist, but not runny as some reviews stated. I made it with three almost green bananas vs ripe ones to keep the sugar down and the fiber as high as possible. I sifted the dry ingredients together. Used half honey and half maple syrup for the sweetener. Also added nutmeg and ginger- personal preference and used toasted pecans vs walnuts as that is what I had on hand. Will definitely make this again. (For those with runny batters, my guess is that they measured the coconut oil after it was melted- measure before hand.)

Rosemary Wilkes
Rosemary Wilkes
5 years ago

Adding 1tsp baking powder made the bread rise and slice nicer. I also added blackstrap molasses

Carmelo
Carmelo
4 years ago

I have made it twice and for me it is simply delicious. And so light. You can really notice that it doesn’t contain plain flour. I have used normal maple syrup but with that quantity it is not really sweet. Next time I will also add some chopped dates for a change. My favorite banana bread till now, I have used different recipes but this is definitely the best. And so easy to make,

Kellie
Kellie
4 years ago

I really love how these turned out! I did tweak it just a smidgen though. I used 1/2 cup erythritol instead of the maple syrup (1/4 cup isn’t sweet enough for us) and butter I place of the coconut oil. I was able to get 15 muffins out of this recipe. Thanks for the lovely recipe!!

HMW
HMW
5 years ago

I make and use my own oat flour. Put the oats in a food processor (a blender works but takes much longer) and blend on high until it is flour. It works fine in this recipe. To sweeten we add raisins or other chopped dried fruits and avoid the honey any syrups. If someone doesn’t like raisins you can blend them in the food processor too. In my opinion the sugar free maple syrup tastes bad, most honeys are not real honey and real maple syrup is for pancakes and waffles and don’t try to tell others in my family… Read more »

Meryl Zawistowicz
Meryl Zawistowicz
4 years ago

Hi Gemma,

Love this loaf, fab recipe. I have made it twice now and on the 2nd one I left out the maple syrup and just added
a few chunks of chopped dark chocolate instead….delicious. I follow a low starch, gluten free diet which I know has
helped my auto immune disease….(starch is a trigger for it). This recipe fits the bill perfectly. I look forward to
trying more of your recipes.

Thanks. Meryl

sierra
sierra
4 years ago

This was absolutely delicious. If I didn’t know better I would assume it was just regular banana bread!
I substituted oat flour in place of the almond flour and used honey for the sweetener. ????

Rosemary Wilkes
Rosemary Wilkes
5 years ago

Hi again,
I made this Banana bread again today. I used 1 tsp of baking powder to make it rise more. It did rise a little more, but the bread wasn’t as limp and sliced nicer. I also used backstrap molasses as well. It is so good. I like it better than my white flour, white sugar banana bread.

Spring
Spring
5 years ago

This banana bread was amazing! I added a bit of nutmeg and mixed all three bananas into my batter. Those were the only changes that I made. Thank you for the recipe. This will be one of my regulars!

Lara
Lara
5 years ago

Hi,
I made this without the syrup and added chopped dates, my husband and daughter loved it, it’s now our weekly treat. Thanks a lot for a great, delicious recipe 🙂

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About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

 

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