This healthy Almond Flour Banana Bread is melt-in-your-mouth moist, naturally sweetened, dietary-friendly, and bursting with banana flavor. Made in just one bowl, it’s easy to whip up anytime a craving strikes.
Despite this site’s cache of classic healthy banana bread recipes (Oatmeal Banana Bread; Healthy Banana Bread), mash-up banana bread recipes (Zucchini Banana Bread; Pumpkin Banana Bread), and even gluten-free banana bread recipes (Paleo Banana Bread), almond flour banana bread is still a recipe we need.
- It’s tender yet substantial, naturally sweetened, and mega-moist.
- The naturally nutty tones of almond flour play beautifully with the sweet, fruity, and lightly caramelized notes of the banana.
- The recipe comes together in ONE BOWL, and you don’t even need a mixer.
Basically, you need a slice. Immediately.
5 Star Review
“I’ve been looking for a healthy almond flour banana bread recipe and this one is it!! It turned out beautifully! I will definitely be saving this recipe.”
— Tiffany —
What Is Almond Flour?
Almond flour is made of just one ingredient: ground almonds.
You can easily bake with only almond flour (you don’t need to combine it with other flour types).
Almond flour has all the healthy qualities that almonds do.
- It’s naturally gluten free,
- high in protein,
- and Paleo, Whole30, and keto-friendly.
You can even make your own almond flour from ground almonds at home. (See the notes section in the recipe below for specifics.)
The secret to baking with almond flour is using it in recipes specifically designed for it.
Can I Swap Almond Flour for All-Purpose Flour?
- In short, no. The two have completely different properties (fat content, protein content, presence of gluten, weights, etc.) that cause them to behave differently in baking.
- You can not use almond flour instead of all-purpose flour and vice versa. Any swap with wheat flour would be an experiment, and you should proceed at your own risk.
Your best bet, if you want to make almond flour bread recipes, is to find a recipe that has been developed for it. The recipe will take into consideration all of almond flour’s unique properties to give you great results.
If you’d like more tips on baking with almond flour, check out my post for Almond Flour Bread.
How to Make the Best Almond Flour Banana Bread
Here’s the run-down for this easy and healthy recipe.
I couldn’t resist making this a chocolate chip almond flour banana bread (with a chocolate drizzle to boot), but if you are feeling something more simple, it’s also delicious without them.
The Ingredients
- Almond Flour. In addition to its subtle nuttiness and being dietary-friendly, almond flour is packed with nutrients like vitamin E and magnesium, just like almonds.
Tip!
Store your almond flour in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator for long-term storage.
- Mashed Ripe Banana. Make sure your bananas are good and spotty, for they are the primary sweetener in the bread. They also make the bread mega moist, and bananas are packed with potassium and fiber.
- Maple Syrup. In order to make this a no sugar almond flour banana bread (the refined kind), I used maple syrup. The flavor of maple syrup also adds a subtle, caramelized flavor that gives this bread addictive sweetness.
- Canola Oil. How you keep banana bread moist and add richness.
- Vanilla. Adds delightful flavor without overpowering any of the other ingredients.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda. What you add to the almond flour to make it rise.
- Cinnamon + Nutmeg. Toasty, nutty spices that enhance the banana flavor and make this bread taste like a warm hug.
- Flaxseed Meal. For an extra nutritional boost, I swapped out part of the almond flour for ground flaxseed meal. If you don’t have flaxseed meal, you can use the same amount of additional almond flour instead.
- Chocolate. Melted chocolate drizzled over the top of freshly baked banana bread. Need I say more?
The Directions
- Mash bananas in a mixing bowl, then add in the remaining wet ingredients.
- Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Add the remaining dry ingredients, stirring just until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper, and smooth the top. Bake almond flour banana bread at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil, then bake about 20 minutes more. Let cool.
- Melt the chocolate chips. Drizzle the mixture over the bread. DIG IN!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Place bread in an airtight storage container lined with paper towels, and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze. Store leftover bread in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Meal Prep Tip
Prepare the banana bread as directed. Slice the bread, then lay the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen slices to an airtight freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag. This makes the slices easy to thaw whenever a craving strikes!
What to Serve with Almond Flour Banana Bread
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Loaf Pan. No sticking. Perfect corners for quick bread recipes.
- Mixing Bowls. Stackable for easy storage.
- Measuring Spoons. These are double-sided, so you have fewer dishes to wash.
As this chocolate banana bread with almond flour proves, you really can’t have too many banana bread recipes! I can’t wait for you to try it too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Feel free to toss in whatever mix-ins you enjoy! I think chopped walnuts, pecans, raisins, or shredded coconut would be tasty in this moist almond flour banana bread. You could also try peanut butter chips with a peanut butter drizzle on top for a scrumptious peanut butter almond flour banana bread.
Because almond flour is dense, grain free, and does not contain gluten, breads made with almond flour do not rise very much, especially when compared to breads made with wheat flours. Check to make sure that your leavening agents (baking soda and baking powder) are active. Almond flour needs the leavening agents to achieve any rise.
While both are made from ground almonds, almond flour typically uses blanched almonds (almonds with the skin removed) while almond meal uses almonds with the skin on. Sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably, which is confusing. If you aren’t sure which one to use, almond flour is generally the safest bet. Almond flour is what I used in this recipe. I haven’t tried almond meal yet, but I think it would work nicely (heads up: you’ll see the specks of almond skin in the final loaf).
You can find a whole list of well-tested and reader-approved healthy almond flour recipes on my site. Three of my favorite baked goods are this Gluten Free Zucchini Bread, Gluten Free Carrot Cake, and these Almond Flour Cookies. As these recipes prove, your bag of almond flour will not go to waste.
Yes, this is a dairy-free, gluten-free banana bread recipe as written. If you need the bread to be dairy free, make sure your chocolate chips are dairy free (if using).
Almond Flour Banana Bread
Ingredients
FOR THE BANANA BREAD:
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana about 4 medium or 3 extra large
- 3 eggs large
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey
- 3 tablespoons canola oil or melted and cooled coconut oil or melted unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch ground nutmeg optional
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour not almond meal
- 1/3 cup ground flaxseed meal or an additional 1/3 cup almond flour—do not use whole flaxseeds
FOR THE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE (optional):
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper so that two opposite sides of the paper overhang like handles. Coat the pan and paper with nonstick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until very smooth (a hand mixer is a nice shortcut). Double-check that you have 1 1/2 cups and if not, adjust accordingly. Whisk in the eggs, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla until smoothly combined.
- Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt over the top. Whisk to combine. Sprinkle the almond flour and flaxseed over the top. With a rubber spatula, fold the batter, just until the almond flour and flax disappear.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 20 minutes, then loosely tent the pan with foil. Continue baking, about 20 to 25 minutes more, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean and the loaf is very dark golden at the edges and top. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then with the parchment paper "handles" gently lift the loaf onto the rack to finish cooling completely before slicing.
- For the chocolate drizzle: In a small microwave-safe bowl, place the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Continue to microwave in 15-second bursts, until the chips are almost but not completely melted. Remove from the microwave and stir, letting the residual heat melt the chocolate the rest of the way. Drizzle over the cooled loaf and let the chocolate set a few minutes. Slice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Place bread in an airtight storage container lined with paper towels, and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- TO FREEZE: Store leftover bread in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- HOW TO MAKE ALMOND FLOUR: Add a slightly heaping 2 1/2 cups blanched slivered almonds to a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse them until finely ground. Be careful not to overblend, or it will become almond butter. Measure, then use as directed.
Nutrition
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From Banana Ice Cream to Banana Blueberry Bars, I have a banana recipe everyone can enjoy!
We’ve made this several times and it always turns out good! We add pecans & craisins instead of chocolate chips .
Hi! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hi Erin, thank you for sharing this recipe. I am a proud mommy now. My daughter is 2 years old and she does not like my cooking. Anything I am making for her were all a waste, she always snobbed it. I tried the almond cookie and banana almond bread and she said “yummy”…. I am so happy, finally! I can’t thank you enough! This will be now our sunday baking bonding.
Hi Nenen! So glad to hear she enjoyed it! Thank you!
Hi Erin, I just realized that I used a smaller size loaf pan. Any guesses on cooking time?
Thank you. It smells delicious.
Hi Laura, sorry I have no idea. I would just make sure to cook until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean and the loaf is very dark golden at the edges and top. Hope this helps!
Oops. Had no almond flour only almond meal… So I thought why not?! Added a sprinkle of xanthum gum just in case… And the eggs were reconstituted!
In a gas oven.with fire from below, no fan force, it must have taken an hour to slowly cook from outside in… Leaving the outside slightly turning black… The inside just off squishy! But not bad… My first thought was to eat a hot slice with vanilla ice cream! (Also improvised… Chocolate coated vanilla on a stick). Yum! Delicious! And I sprinkled crushed walnuts on the top. I think almond meal might have worked as a replacement with less thickness in the middle…
Hi Pia, glad it worked out for you!
Very good banana bread. I used milled flax seed and instead of canola used coconut oil…opted for maple syrup and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Thank you for sharing. Healthy and delicious.
Hi Victoria! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hi Erin, I made this banana cake with almond meal as it was what I had in my pantry, it was a little dense & could have been baked a little longer but overall was successful. I live in Brisbane Australia.
Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your results, Heather!
I skeptically made this, not expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it turned out! It is a convincing banana bread. I only wish I had put walnuts in it.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Charlie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Very good! I followed your instructions and was pleasantly impressed!
Thank you
Hi Suzanne! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Came out very well. So happy
Hi Lakshmi! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This banana bread came out so good. Love the grainy texture of the almond flour. I did add 1/2 of oatmeal flour to the receipe without changing anything from the ingredient list. Will make it again adding pecans and raisins.
Hi Asha! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I made this last night and it was delicious. I’m trying to cut back on gluten and had 4 bananas that were very ripe, so this was perfect to use what I had on hand.
I am at 6000 ft so I used just a bit less baking powder and soda than the recipe calls for and it came out moist and delicious.
I also track my food using my Weight Watcher app, and now you can easily create foods you’ll often have by scanning the nutritional information using the WW app. I’ve used it for packaged foods and it works beautifully, but this is the first time I tried it using nutritional information for a recipe on the web and it worked!!! I just had to adjust the width of my web page to get all the ingredients spaced together so the app could scan them.
The only issue I encountered is that sodium and the breakdown of sugars vs added sugars are required, and this particular recipe was missing that information, so I just guessed at both, but now, this recipe is in the Weight Watcher database! Very excited, and I hope those nutrients might be included in Erin’s other recipes!
Hi Debbie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Amazing recipe🤩I have been making the banana bread with oat flour for many years but this is my first time trying with almond flour and I think it taste so much better!!!!! I loved this recipe, great texture, moisture 😋😋😋
Hi Camila! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I only had almond meal, but I gave it a try. It was denser obviously, but still delicious! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Hi Ashley! Glad it worked out for you and that you enjoyed it!