With a moist texture and soft crumb, my homemade recipe for banana bread baked with almond flour is the best-ever and incredibly easy to make at home in your own kitchen. Made without dairy, we use oil instead (coconut oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil all work well) to achieve a wonderfully moist loaf that isn’t dense or heavy.

sliced almond flour bread face up on a white marble board.

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Best Almond Flour Bread – Not Dense!

Don’t throw away those ripe bananas! Using overripe bananas provides a boost of moisture, a nice sweet taste, and are an excellent way to avoid food waste.

When I developed this almond flour banana bread recipe it made a perfect addition to my delicious collection gluten-free banana bread recipes. To make a fluffy banana bread recipe with oil, I used some of the same easy baking tricks from my other highly-reviewed gluten-free almond flour recipes.

When making a homemade banana loaf, the ratio of liquids to dry ingredients are key for a recipe’s success. The same holds true when making it with almond flour, but not in the same way. Too little flour and the loaf will be dense and sunken, too much and it will be dry and crumbly.

To make this banana loaf stand out above the rest, I drew on the magic formula from bakery-style almond flour pumpkin muffins and homemade apple cake made with almond flour. Almond flour naturally has a lot of moisture so we have to go at it a little differently. Since we’re also adding mashed bananas, it’s best to cut back on the remaining liquids.

Therefore, only a small amount of oil is required, ¼ cup. This recipe works with any type of oil – coconut, avocado, canola, olive oil – it’s up to you.

Using three large eggs helps bind all the ingredients together, while the just right amount of almond flour builds up the bulk so the loaf bakes fully rounded, fluffy, and slices into a perfect dairy-free, grain-free, and gluten-free breakfast or snack.

I made this last night and it came out perfect. I added some chopped walnuts and butterscotch pieces for an added touch. This recipe is a win win. You should make 2 loaves, because one will disappear quickly. Thank you, Melissa.

—Karen

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Let’s Make This Together!

This quick bread can be whipped up in one bowl with no special equipment required. If you don’t have a potato masher to mash the bananas, just use a fork. Easy peasy.

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

Grab a bowl and start with the wet.

I like to do extra dishes…said no one ever. That’s why I use a big bowl and mash the bananas in it first. Add the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla then just whisk it up to combine.

mashed bananas with eggs, sugar, and oil

Stir in the dry and work is done.

Now just stir in the dry ingredients – almond flour, little cinnamon, salt, and rising potion, baking powder and soda combo.

dry ingredients mixed in the bowl with the mashed bananas.

Time to bake and how to know when it’s done.

Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. I recommend a 8X4-inch pan for the best domed shape. To make sure the bread releases easily, I also like to line the bottom with a cut-to-size piece of wax or parchment paper.

Bake at 350ºF oven for 55-60 minutes, or until the top is fully set. Erroring on the side of slightly overbaking works well with almond flour recipes because they have so much moisture.

unbaked almond flour bread in a loaf pan.
overhead shot of banana bread in a loaf pan on a wire rack.

Make Banana Bread Your Way

A homemade quick bread is perfect for mix-ins! Have a sweet tooth? Add some chocolate chips! In the mood for a salty crunch, add some chopped nuts.

  • White or dark chocolate chips – 1 cup
  • Fresh blueberries – 1 cup
  • Chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans – 1/2 cup
  • Dried cranberries – 1 cup
  • Shredded coconut – 1/2 cup
  • Butterscotch chips – 1 cup (read label to make sure they are gluten free)
  • Creamy peanut butter or almond butter– 1/2 cup
  • Flaxseed -1/4 cup flaxseed meal
  • Spices – 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, allspice, or ground cloves
sliced bread on a marble board with a knife resting next to it.

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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa

sliced almond flour bread face up on a white marble board.
4.97 stars (27 ratings)

Moist Almond Flour Banana Bread with Oil

Melissa Erdelac of MamaGourmand headshot in patterned dress.Melissa Erdelac
Yield: 12
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
With a moist texture and soft crumb, my homemade recipe for banana bread baked with almond flour is the best-ever and incredibly easy to make at home in your own kitchen. Made without dairy, we use oil instead (coconut oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil all work well) to achieve a wonderfully moist loaf that isn't dense or heavy.
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Ingredients
 

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Liberally grease a 8X4 inch loaf pan. To release easily, cut a piece of wax or parchment paper to size and place on the bottom of the pan.
  • In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
    1 cup mashed bananas, 3 large eggs, ½ cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • To the mixture add the almond flour, cornstarch (or alternative) cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. If adding any mix-ins, such as nuts, chocolate chips, or blueberries gently stir those in.
    3 ¼ cup blanched almond flour, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the top in fully set and golden brown. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a rack to cool completely.

Notes

Added Cornstarch
I recently retested the recipe adding cornstarch to the dry ingredients to help absorb the denser texture of almond flour. I really liked the results, so added it to the recipe. An equal amount of tapioca starch or coconut flour can be swapped out with the cornstarch. Alternatively, you can use all almond flour, but use 3 1/3 cups total. 
expert tips
  • For the best dome shape, use an 8X4 inch loaf pan. If you don’t have an 8X4 pan, use a 9X5 pan, but set the timer and check your bread 10 minutes sooner.
  • Measure the mashed bananas for best results. Through testing the recipe, I found varying sized bananas drastically yields different amounts. One cup mashed bananas equals about 2 medium, but it’s always best to measure before adding.
  • For a crunchy sugar coating, sprinkle turbinado sugar on top before baking.
  • Error on the side of slightly overbaking, not necessarily when toothpick comes out clean. This will ensure all the excess moisture has evaporated and your bread is cooked through.
  • If swapping out an alternative sugar, it should be in granulated form in a 1-to-1 ratio, such as coconut sugar, date sugar, or monk fruit.
Storing / Freezing
Once the bread has completely cooled, wrap it in aluminum foil and store at room temperature up to 3 days. Avoid covering in plastic wrap because it will trap in moisture, making the bread soggy.
To freeze, wrap securely and then place in a ziplock freezer bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Alternatively, slice the bread first, before freezing, to pull out slices as needed.
Calories: 278kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 113mg, Potassium: 97mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 66IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 95mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below. It helps others when searching for recipes and I LOVE feedback!