Almond Flour Banana Bread (Paleo, gluten-free)

Almond Flour Banana Bread tastes just like the classic version: light, fluffy, slightly sweet and full of banana flavor.

By using hearty, wholesome ingredients like almond flour and unrefined sweeteners, it’s the perfect balance of healthy and delicious.

Have it plain for a snack, or toast it and spread with ghee or jam. Or warm it up and top with (Paleo) vanilla ice cream!

Plus this Paleo banana bread is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free.

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Almond Flour Banana Bread

Traditional banana bread is a classic for a reason – it’s easy to make, keeps well and is a nice treat without being too sweet.

So this Almond Flour Banana Bread keeps all those characteristics but swaps out some of the traditional ingredients to make it Paleo-friendly.

Instead of flour, we’re using almond flour.

Instead of butter, we’re using palm shortening.

And instead of sugar, we’re using maple syrup.

You still get the light, fluffy, moist texture without the ingredients that can cause inflammation or spike blood sugar.

It’s perfect as is or toasted. Or for an easy and quick version of French toast, sauté slices in ghee over medium heat until the edges are caramelized and crispy.

And while I’m keeping this pretty plain and classic, see below for add-in ideas like chocolate chunks or blueberries.

 

What you need for Almond Flour Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• superfine blanched almond flour
• arrowroot flour/starch
• fine sea salt or kosher salt
• baking soda
• cream of tartar
• ground cinnamon
• eggs
• 100% pure maple syrup
• palm shortening
• vanilla extract
• ripe bananas (yellow with lots of black spots is good; all-black bananas work well, too)
• cooking spray (to keep it Paleo, I like using avocado oil spray or coconut oil spray)

Equipment:

• a 9×5″ (2 quart) loaf pan
• parchment paper
• mixing bowls – 1 small, 2 medium and and 1 large
• measuring spoons (these are my favorite as they actually fit into spice jars)
• measuring cups
• a measuring glass
• a fork or potato masher

How to make Almond Flour Banana Bread

First, please make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. If your eggs are fridge cold, submerge them in a bowl of very warm water. If the maple syrup is cold, measuring out 1/4 cup, put the measuring glass in a bowl and fill the bowl with very warm water until it reaches the height of the maple syrup.

Heat the oven to 350°.

Line the loaf pan with parchment paper just barely coming up the long sides of the pan so it’s easy to pull out the bread. Spray the short sides of the pan with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, melt the palm shortening in the microwave, about 1 minute, and let cool.

In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher and measure out 1 cup.

In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, arrowroot, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, melted and cooled palm shortening, vanilla extract and mashed bananas.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until thoroughly blended. The batter should be thick but pourable.

Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, until the top is dry and golden brown. (Don’t bother with a toothpick – it’ll come out clean even after 30 minutes but that doesn’t mean the bread is done yet.)

Let the bread cool to room temperature.

 

Make ahead and storage

This flourless banana bread can stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. And is it very moist, place a paper towel directly on top of the bread to absorb moisture.

The bread can also be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

If the bread is already sliced before freezing, place a small square of parchment paper between each slice before wrapping it up as a whole loaf.

Variations and substitutions

• Add 1/2 cup of your favorite add-ins, like chocolate chips or chunks, blueberries, cacao nibs, your favorite nuts or dried fruit like raisins or chopped dried cherries.
• Slice a ripe banana in half lengthwise, then lay the slices cut-side up on top of the batter before baking. You can also sprinkle the slices with a bit of coconut sugar for a more caramelized topping.
• Or slice a ripe banana into thin coins and place on top of the batter before baking.
• The cinnamon flavor here is very subtle (but don’t leave it out or the bread will taste bland). If you want a more spiced flavor, double the cinnamon. You can also add ground ginger, nutmeg and/or cardamom.
• Instead of maple syrup, you can use honey.
• Instead of vanilla extract, you can use vanilla paste or the seeds of 1 vanilla pod.
• I have not tried using anything else in place of the palm shortening. If you make this with ghee, coconut oil or something else, please let me know how it turns out!

Other recipes you might like:

1. Paleo Pumpkin Bread
2. Paleo Apple Bread
3. Paleo Pecan Molasses Bread
4. Paleo Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

 

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