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Paleo Plantain Bread (gluten-free)

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This Paleo Plantain Bread recipe is light, fluffy and great as a snack or part of a meal.

And it needs only 5 ingredients and 5 minutes of hands-on prep!

Plus it’s gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free.

This was originally posted on Jan. 19, 2019. It was republished with new photos and extra information on Feb. 3, 2023, and changed to “Paleo Plantain Bread” on February 20, 2023.

gluten-free plantain bread in a white square baking dish next to a green napkin

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Paleo Plantain Cornbread stacked on a blue plate drizzled with honey with a baking dish behind it

Paleo Plantain Bread

Plantains are a fruit related to the banana, but they are starchier and less sweet than typical bananas. However, as they ripen (going from green to yellow to black), they get sweeter.

They’re used across Asia, African and Central and South America in both sweet and savory recipes.

Using them to make a bread similar to banana bread is common, and because I love plantains, I had to try it!

However, for a Paleo/gluten-free diet, I knew I couldn’t use the typical ingredients like flour, butter and sugar.

So instead I use coconut flour, which delivers a light, bread-like texture with minimal coconut flavor. And it’s gluten/grain-free!

I found I didn’t need to use any substitute for butter as this bread is perfectly moist without it.

And if you use ripe plantains (yellow with black spots), they have enough natural sweetness without having to add any sugar.

With wholesome carbs, fats and fiber, this Paleo plantain bread both tastes good and will make you feel good.

The first time I made it, it came out light, fluffy, slightly sweet and with a yellow color, so it hit me: it’s kind of like cornbread!

Which is why I’m baking this bread in a cake plan so I can then cut it into square slices.

Spread on some ghee or grass-fed butter and honey and you’re all set.

It’s also great with chili (like this Smoky Bacon Chili) or Paleo fried chicken

 

What you need for Paleo Plantain Bread

Ingredients:

  1. Plantains – They need to be fairly ripe, so look for the ones that are yellow with lots of black spots. Green plantains will be too hard and won’t blend well.
  2. Eggs – I have not tried using egg substitutes so I can’t say if they work.
  3. Coconut flour – This gives the bread a light, bread-like texture with minimal coconut flavor. But I also include instructions if you want to use almond flour or cassava flour, but I find the coconut flour provides the best texture without it tasting coconutty. I like Bob’s Red Mill and Viva.
  4. Baking soda and apple cider vinegar – These will work together (the baking soda reacts to the acid of the vinegar) to provide the lift this bread needs to be light and fluffy.
  5. Fine sea salt – Because almost every recipe needs salt. I like Redmond Sea Salt.
  6. Cooking spray – I like using avocado oil spray.

Equipment:

square slices of grain-free plantain bread stacked on a plate and the top one is smeared with butter and drizzled with honey.

How to make Paleo Plantain Bread (with step-by-step photos)

Heat the oven to 350°.

Grease the baking dish with avocado oil spray.

Trim the ends off the plantains. Using a paring knife, slice lengthwise down each plantain to cut through the peel (and only the peel, don’t cut too deeply). Remove from the peels and slice in half lengthwise.

two hands holding down and cutting a halved plantain on a cutting board.

Slice in half lengthwise again into 4 long pieces, and slice them crosswise into small pieces.

Two hands using a small knife to cut a halved plantain into small chunks.

Add the plantain pieces, coconut flour, eggs, salt, baking soda and vinegar to a food processor. Blend until smooth (when you think it’s smooth, give it an extra 30 seconds just to make sure.)

Paleo plantain bread platter in the bowl of a food processor and on a blue spatula.

Pour into the greased dish and smooth to an even layer.

smoothing the plantain bread batter with a blue spatula in a white square baking dish

Bake for about 35 minutes.

The top should look dry and an even shade of yellow. If it looks moist or darker in the middle, it’s not ready yet.

Don’t bother testing with a toothpick because every time I’ve made this it’s been totally useless at predicting when the bread is done.

No food processor? You can add all the ingredients to a bowl (sifting the coconut flour) and use a stick blender if you have it.

Or mash the plantains with a potato masher and then stir in the rest of the ingredients, sifting the coconut flour.

You can use your spatula to mash the plantains against the side of the bowl to make the batter even smoother.

Coconut flour plantain bread is stacked on a plate with the top one smeared with ghee and honey.

FAQs

coconut flour cornbread in a glass baking dish on a wooden table

Can I double the recipe?

You can easily double the recipe. Just double all the ingredients and bake in a 9×13″ pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes.

 

Can I make substitutions?

  1. You can try this as muffins – scoop about 1/4 cup batter into muffin liners in a muffin and bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes, until the tops look set, dry and an even pale yellow.
  2. Add chopped (and seeded, if you like less heat) jalapenos.
  3. Add cooked, chopped bacon, sliced scallions or diced red pepper for savory options.
  4. Try adding 1 tablespoon cinnamon to go a little sweeter.
  5. Add 1/2 cup blueberries (with or without the cinnamon) for a delicious Paleo plantain recipe that’s as good for breakfast as it would be topped with spicy pulled pork.
  6. Want make almond flour plantain bread? Replace the coconut flour with 1.5 cups superfine blanched almond flour (not almond meal), sifted into the bowl. Proceed with the recipe as is. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  7. Want to make cassava flour plantain bread? Replace the coconut flour with 3/4 cup of cassava flour, sifted into the bowl. Proceed with the recipe as is but check the bread after it’s had 25 minutes total in the oven as it might be ready. If not, give it another 5-10 minutes and check again. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

 

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yep, you can store this gluten-free Paleo plantain bread in the fridge for up to 5 days.

 

Can I freeze it?

Yep, you can freeze it, tightly wrapped in an airtight container, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

 

Are plantains paleo?

Yep! Plantains are a fruit related to the banana. And since the Paleo diet is all about eating whole, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods, plantains are a welcome part of the diet.

 

Are plantains gluten-free?

Yep. Gluten is a protein found in certain grains like wheat, barley and rye. Because plantains are a fruit, they don’t contain any of those grains and are therefore gluten-free (and grain-free).

 

Are plantains healthy?

Plantains contain resistance starch, which helps feed the good bacteria in your gut. And their fiber content helps keep you regular. They also have a low glycemic index and are a good source of potassium, vitamin C and vitamin A.

Read more about their nutrition here.

 

Other recipes you might like:

  1. Paleo biscuits
  2. Paleo apple bread
  3. Paleo pumpkin bread
  4. Paleo chocolate chip zucchini muffins
Paleo Plantain Cornbread getting drizzled with honey and an overhead shot of it stacked on a blue plate
plantain cornbread in a glass baking dish and sliced with a piece being held up by a hand
square slices of grain-free plantain bread stacked on a plate and the top one is smeared with butter and drizzled with honey.

Paleo Plantain Bread (gluten-free)

Don Baiocchi
You just need 5 ingredients (and salt) to create this light, fluffy, slightly sweet Paleo Plantain Bread! It's great as a snack or served with a meal.
5 from 18 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 9 large squares
Calories 130 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • cooking spray like avocado oil spray
  • 1½ lbs. ripe plantains (yellow with lots of black and as little green as possible), about 3 medium
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¼ cup coconut flour (see notes for alternative flours below)
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 350°. Generously grease an 8x8" glass baking dish.
  • Trim the ends off the plantains. Using a paring knife, slice lengthwise down each plantain to cut through the peel (and only the peel, don't cut too deeply). Remove from the peels, slice in half lengthwise, slice in half lengthwise again into 4 long pieces, and slice them crosswise into small pieces.
  • Toss the plantains into the bowl of a food processor. Crack in the eggs. Add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. Blitz until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. The batter should be like thick pancake batter. It may have tiny black specks from the plantains.
  • Scrape the batter into the greased baking dish and slide into the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes. The edges will be brown and the top should look dry and an even shade of pale yellow. If it looks moist or darker in the middle, it's not ready yet.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before cutting.

Notes

The dish can be covered with plastic wrap or the pieces can be stores in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days (refrigeration will dry it out).
To freeze, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
No food processor? You can add all the ingredients to a bowl (sifting the coconut flour) and use a stick blender if you have it. Or mash the plantains with a potato masher (try to get ones that are really ripe, like very black ones) and then stir in the rest of the ingredients, sifting the coconut flour. You can use your spatula to mash the plantains against the side of the bowl to make the batter even smoother.
Don't bother testing with a toothpick because it's been totally useless at predicting when the bread is done every time I've made this.
Want to make plantain muffins? Line a muffin pan with muffin liners and scoop 1/4 cup batter into each one. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the tops are set and look dry. You should get 9 muffins.
You can easily double the recipe. Just double all the ingredients and bake in a 9x13" pan. Bake for 50 minutes, rotating once halfway through.
To mix it up, try stirring into the batter by hand 4 pieces of bacon that have been cooked until pretty crispy and chopped into small pieces, plus 3-4 thinly sliced scallions. Or stir in 1/2 red bell pepper, diced, and 1/2 of a 4 oz. can of fire-roasted green chiles (the chiles provide enough acid to react with the baking powder so you can leave out the vinegar).
Want to use almond flour instead? Replace the coconut flour with 1.5 cups superfine blanched almond flour, sifted into the bowl. Proceed with the recipe as is. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Want to use cassava flour? Replace the coconut flour with 3/4 cup of cassava flour, sifted into the bowl. Proceed with the recipe as is but check the bread after it's had 25 minutes total in the oven as it might be ready. If not, give it another 5-10 minutes and check again. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 4gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 353mgPotassium: 391mgFiber: 2gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 944IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 1mg
Keyword gluten free, paleo bread, plantain bread
Tried this recipe?Mention @paleoglutenfreeguy or tag #paleoglutenfreeguy!

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Overhead view of Paleo Plantain Cornbread stacked on a blue plate
Paleo Plantain Cornbread getting drizzled with honey and an overhead shot of it stacked on a blue plate

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Comments

  1. Michelle V. says

    5 stars
    I’ve made these for a while now, but never let my plantains get ripe. Today I made muffins with very ripe plantains and there’s no plantain flavor! they’re SO MUCH BETTER. I use kosher baking powder and they rise pretty tall with all the egg. In case you didn’t know, the rising agent in baking powder is heat activated, whereas baking soda is acid activated. I’ve never understood why paleo bakers don’t just use kosher or corn free/aluminum free baking powder…??? Anyway this is a great recipe!! thanks!

    Reply

    • Paleo Gluten Free Guy says

      Yay! So glad you like them. Isn’t it funny how you can’t taste the plantains? I think it’s hard to believe until you try them. And yes, baking powder already has its own acid ingredient mixed in. But it’s hard to find corn-free baking powder. You can make your own or just use a combo of baking soda and cream of tartar (the acid). Anyway, thanks for letting me know!

      Reply

  2. Lindsay says

    5 stars
    I don’t think I can say enough about how delicious this recipe is. 5 stars isn’t enough. Initially I ate it with dairy free butter now I cannot stop eating it with almond butter and homemade jam. THANK YOU for this gem!

    Reply

  4. Katie says

    5 stars
    I’ve never thought to use plantains in a recipe like this, but I can’t wait to try it! It sounds delicious and has given me a lot of ideas!

    Reply

  5. Laura says

    5 stars
    This recipe is brilliant- I love the different ingredients! I also enjoy your writing- it hooked me from the start. Definitely subscribing 🙂

    Reply

  6. Hope says

    5 stars
    In New Zealand we don’t generally eat cornbread but it always looks so darn tasty I think its something I need to try! I love how you have come up with a paleo version. You have inspired me to try it, pinning for later 🙂

    Reply

  9. Laura Duffy says

    5 stars
    What a creative recipe! Of all the many gluten free ingredients I’ve baked with, I’ve never baked with plantains before. I’m very eager to try it!

    Reply

  15. Joni Gomes says

    5 stars
    I never thought to use plantains instead of banana but of course it makes so much sense! I married into a hispanic family and they always have plantains around. Will make this for them!

    Reply

  17. Kathryn says

    5 stars
    Wow, this looks so good! I’ve actually really wanted to try baking with plantains, so I can’t wait to try this. Pinning and will let you know how it goes!

    Reply

  18. Georgina Young says

    5 stars
    Being British I have never had cornbread but I’ve always thought it’s something that I would totally love! Your version with plantains is absolutely genius. Definitely gi ving this a go when I get a chance 🙂

    Reply

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