Paleo Banana Bread
Posted Jan 04, 2018, Updated Jun 17, 2024
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This is the best Paleo Banana Bread recipe! It’s easy to make, moist with a beautiful crumb and tastes like it’s from a bakery but it’s grain-free & dairy-free, with no refined sugar.
Banana bread is always in season! And this bakery-quality paleo banana bread recipe is the best you’ll ever try!
It truly is the best grain-free banana bread I have ever eaten. Here are a few reasons why I love this recipe, and you will too:
- It’s so moist with a beautiful crumb.
- The ingredient list is short, and consists of items you probably always have on hand (including overripe bananas – which, let’s face it, we all usually have sitting on our counter or in our freezer)!
- It’s a healthy and nutritious treat that doesn’t taste like it – it’s truly decadent and delicious.
Paleo Banana Bread: Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are a few potential substitutions that can be made in this recipe. I do not recommend altering the amount or type of flour at all. Paleo baking is truly a science, and the ratios & kinds of flours used in this recipe were carefully tested and chosen.
- Coconut oil. Grass-fed butter or ghee are good substitutes.
- Almond butter. Cashew butter is the best substitution, but any nut or seed butter can be used in this recipe.
- Maple Syrup. Honey is a great substitute.
- Mix-ins. These are optional but recommended. You can use baking chips, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, shredded coconut, etc.
Paleo Chocolate Chips & Bars
Sometimes it’s hard to figure out which chocolate chips are Paleo, so here are some of my favorite healthier chocolate options.
- Hu Kitchen Chocolate Gems. This is my favorite paleo chocolate. These gems are delicious and easy to toss into cookies (no bar chopping required).
- Hu Kitchen Dark Chocolate Bars. You can also buy dark chocolate bars and chop them up to toss into these paleo chocolate chip cookies.
- Lily’s Dark Chocolate. They make chips and bars that are stevia sweetened, low carb, keto, etc.
- Enjoy Life Foods Dark Chocolate Chips are a good option that are vegan, dairy-free but not fully paleo.
How to Make Paleo Banana Bread
Let’s walk through how to make paleo banana bread step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video for additional guidance.
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Then, line an 8×4โ loaf pan with parchment paper and grease. Set aside.
Note on pan size
I prefer an 8×4″ loaf pan, however, you can use a 9×5โ pan but your loaf will be thinner. You will also need to decrease the baking time by 5 minutes.
Then, combine coconut flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl and set it aside.
Then, in a large, glass mixing bowl melt together coconut oil and almond butter (for about 1 minute on high), stir until combined.
Next add the mashed banana, maple syrup and vanilla extract stir until combined. I like to add these ingredients before the egg to make sure the mixture is cool and the egg doesn’t get cooked when added!
Then, stir in the egg until the mixture is smooth.
Next, add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until completely combined. Let it sit for 2-5 minutes to thicken slightly.
Once the paleo banana bread batter has thickened, stir in your desired mix ins ( we always choose chocolate chips). Here are some suggestions:
- Chocolate Chips (milk, dark, light, etc.)
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Cinnamon chips
- White chocolate chips
- Blueberries
- Dried fruit (cranberries, rasins, etc.)
- Swirl of peanut butter or Nutella
- Unsweetened coconut
Then, evenly spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the paleo banana bread cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before gently removing the loaf from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting and serving.
Serve
Serve this bread warm with a slather of grass-fed butter (or cinnamon honey butter), almond butter (homemade vanilla almond butter), or peanut butter.
Store
Store this paleo banana bread recipe in an airtight container or plastic bag to ensure it does not dry out. If you plan on eating the entire loaf in a day or two, you can store it at room temperature. If it will take longer, I recommend storing it in the refrigerator.
Freeze
This paleo banana bread freezes very well. I recommend freezing it in slices in an airtight container. That way you can pull out a slice at a time to enjoy.
Paleo Banana Bread Recipe FAQs
Make sure you use overripe, brown bananas. They have the best flavor, maximum sweetness, and are the easiest to mash! They should be very dark brown or almost black and soft to the touch.
Yes, you can double this recipe and bake it in two loaf pans.
Yes, fill the wells of a standard muffin tin with 1/4 cup of batter and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
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Best Paleo Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large overripe bananas (1 cup, mashed)
- ยผ cup coconut oil
- ยผ cup creamy almond butter
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- ยผ cup coconut flour
- ยผ cup almond flour
- ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- ยผ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon sea salt
- ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon
- ยฝ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×4โ baking pan (you can use a 9×5โ pan but your loaf will be thinner and baking time will be less) with parchment paper and grease. Set aside.
- In a small bowl combine coconut flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large, glass mixing bowl melt together coconut oil and almond butter (for about 1 minute on high), stir until combined.
- Add mashed banana, maple syrup and vanilla extract stir until combined.
- Stir in egg.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until completely combined. Let it sit for 2-5 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Gently mix in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, until top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before gently removing the loaf from the pan to a wire rack to cool.
- Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- Coconut oil.ย Grass-fed butter or ghee are good substitutes.
- Almond butter.ย Cashew butter is the best substitution, but any nut or seed butter can be used in this recipe.
- Maple Syrup.ย Honey is a great substitute.
- Mix-ins. These are optional but recommended. You can use baking chips, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, shredded coconut, etc.
- Hu Kitchen Chocolate Gems. This is my favorite paleo chocolate. These gems are delicious and easy to toss into cookies (no bar chopping required).
- Hu Kitchen Dark Chocolate Bars. You can also buy dark chocolate bars and chop them up to toss into these paleo chocolate chip cookies.
- Lily’s Dark Chocolate. They make chips and bars that are stevia sweetened, low carb, keto, etc.
- Enjoy Life Foods Dark Chocolate Chips are a good option that are vegan, dairy-free but not fully paleo.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is my 3rd time making it. Hubby asked to have this as his birthday cake! One variation for 3rd time – organic natural peanut butter and choc chips. Simply tasteful!!! Thank you, thank you!
Help! I have tried baking this 6 times and every time it comes out mushy!! Iโve baked it in smaller pans, Iโve baked it in bigger pans, Iโve baked it for an hour, and nothing is helping! The taste of the bread is phenomenal but I cannot get it to resemble the texture of bread at all. SOS!
Hey Nicole! Did you make any substitutions to the recipe? I’ve only heard that happen when people try to substitute other flours for the coconut flour! Do you have a convection oven?
Amazing recipe. Moist, light and delicious. Thank you!!!!
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hello there!!! I really want to try this recipe asap, but have no coconut flour at my house, neither did the closest supermarket! I know you said paleo baking is tricky and you dont recommend substitutions, but do you, by any chance, know of that would work by adding only almond flour and, if so, what other adjustment I’d have to make?
Thank you so much!!
I used sunbutter and cassava flour (in place of almond due to allergies) and it was wonderful. Thank you for your hard work in coming up with such a great recipe!
Thank you Chelsi! SO glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe worked beautifully with sun butter as my base instead of almond butter. I could barely stop eating the whole loaf. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it Renee! Also great to know that sunbutter works well in this recipe!
Awesome recipe! Swapped out the maple syrup for some coconut sugar, and used Guittard extra dark baking chips. It baked in a 9×5 for about 30 minutes and is absolutely beautiful! I haven’t even tasted it yet but it smells divine, so I know it’ll taste like heaven!
Hello!
Thins looks sooo good. The only hung I an Iโm allergic I egg eggs. CAN i substitute with flax egg?
Hey Sarah! I have not tried substituting the eggs in this recipe. Paleo baking is a touch finicky and I don’t usually recommend substitutions. If you try it let me know how it goes!
New favorite banana bread recipe!
YAY! SO glad you loved it Megan!
This is amazing! The only thing I did different was to bake it in an 8″x 8″ square cake pan for 25 minutes. When I got it all mixed up, the batter looked a bit thin but I resisted the urge to make any other changes. Glad I left it alone. It was SO good.