Are you looking for a nutritious twist on classic banana bread? This almond flour banana bread recipe is a simple, guilt-free way to enjoy a comforting treat. It's a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional banana bread, perfect for those seeking grain-free, low-carb options or simply looking to boost the nutrient content of their baked goods.
Why Almond Flour?
Almond flour is a fantastic ingredient for baking, offering a great source of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. This recipe uses almond flour to create a banana bread that's both delicious and good for you.
Ingredients
- Almond flour: This recipe requires almond flour, which is made from blanched almonds. Note that almond flour is different from almond meal, which is coarser and made with the almond skins on.
- Ripe bananas: Make sure they are VERY ripe. As bananas ripen, their sugar content increases, making them perfect for sweetening baked goods while reducing the need for added sugar.
- Eggs: 3 large eggs are essential for binding the ingredients and providing structure to the bread.
- Sweetener: Maple syrup is a great choice.
- Cinnamon: Is it really banana bread without cinnamon?
- Chocolate chips: Use dairy-free chocolate chips if desired.
Optional Additions
- Nuts
- Vanilla extract or almond extract
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a metal 9 x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash very ripe bananas until completely smooth. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas.
- Add in the eggs, sweetener, oil, vanilla extract (or almond extract), cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
- Add almond flour and stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake on center rack for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. To prevent too much browning on the top, cover it loosely with foil during the last 15-20 minutes of baking.
- Remove almond flour banana bread from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool off for 10 minutes. Remove bread from a loaf pan and let it cool off completely.
- Slice and serve.
Tips for Success
- Use a metal loaf pan: This almond flour banana bread rises better in a metal loaf pan. It is highly recommended not to use a glass or ceramic baking dish.
- Line the pan with parchment paper: Almond flour tends to stick even to the best and new non-stick surfaces.
- Ensure bananas are ripe: From my experience, I know some people use just yellow or even (scary to think) 50 shades of green bananas.
- Let it cool completely: Almond flour banana bread needs time to set after baking.
- Do not swap flours: Out of cinnamon? Try nutmeg, ginger or another warming spice like pumpkin pie spice could be great too!
Variations
- Muffins: Bake as muffins - Prefer to enjoy almond flour muffins? Just line a muffin tin and divide batter evenly. At 350 degrees F, bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops spring back and they pass the toothpick test. Let cool for 20 minutes before removing from muffin pan to cool completely.
- Add nuts: Sub in nuts - not a fan of chocolate chips?
- Swap vanilla for almond extract: Want an extra dose of almond flavor?
Storage Instructions
- Counter: To maintain flavor and texture, I recommend wrapping in tinfoil and storing on counter for 2-3 days. During first 24 hours, I like to store banana bread on a counter right in the loaf pan covered with towel. Banana bread stays fresh on a counter for up to 3 days, making it great for meal prep.
- Freezer: Cut into individual slices. Place a sheet of parchment paper between each slice and then store in a ziploc bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. To Freeze: Bake banana bread and cool completely. I recommend you do not slice bread before placing in the freezer. Place in a gallon size freezer bag, let out as much air as possible and seal. Thawing and reheating: Defrost on a counter. Takes about 3-4 hours. Bread will taste just like freshly baked.
Nutritional Benefits
This almond flour banana bread is not only delicious but also packed with nutrients:
- Almonds: Rich in healthy fats and vitamin E, almonds are known to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.
- Bananas: Rich in vitamins C, B6, folate, and minerals like magnesium, potassium, and copper, providing nutrition for optimum health and vitality.
- Flax seeds: Flax contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is partially converted into the omega-3-fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in the body. Flax is also high in lignans. Lignans act as both antioxidants and phytoestrogens.
Common Questions
- Is this banana bread gluten-free? Yes, this almond flour banana bread is both gluten-free and grain-free.
- Can I make this banana bread vegan? I would not recommend it. The eggs are essential for keeping the bread together.
- Can I replace the almond flour? Try to stick to stick to almond flour (not almond meal) in this recipe. Any other type of flour will throw off the wet to dry ratios.
- Can I use almond meal in this recipe? I have not made this banana bread with almond meal but I think it will work. In my experience, almond meal produces more heavy baked goods because it also contains the skin of almonds.
- Why is my bread too wet and didn’t rise? Make sure to use only 3 medium-large (1 cup mashed) bananas and I highly suggest metal baking loaf pan. I didn’t have great results with ceramic or glass pan, bread caved in.
- What if I have only 2 bananas? You will need 1 cup of mashed bananas. If your bananas are extra large, maybe they measure 1 cup. Otherwise, with 2 bananas you will have to use 2/3 of all other ingredients.
- How can I make a sweeter bread? Probably because bananas were not very ripe, your bread turned out not sweet enough. You can also add 2 more tablespoons of sweetener next time.
- Can almond flour be substituted with all-purpose flour? Unfortunately not. Wheat flour and almond flour have completely different properties and can’t be swapped 1:1.
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