Name: Gluten Free Banana Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 ripe banana (approximately 3/4 cup mashed); 1 cup blueberries (optional); 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1/3 cup light brown sugar; 3/4 cup almond flour (I like this finely ground one); 3/4 cup Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour; 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 eggs; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon baking powder

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The classic banana bread of your childhood, with a contemporary twist. Blueberries plus a combination of almond flour and mixed gluten-free flour make this rich and fluffy Gluten Free Banana Bread absolutely delicious!

loaf of gluten free banana bread with blueberries sliced open on plate

This recipe is outstanding with or without the blueberries. The same goes for nuts! Add 3/4 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts- the choice is yours.

I’ve been making Banana Bread for over 40 years; first with my mom, and then on my own and it’s rare to go a month in our house without baking some variety of Banana Bread. During the various fruit seasons, I add a cup of blueberries, blackberries, or peaches to the recipe, which is how this recipe came to be.

Since 2015, when our family began keeping a gluten-free kitchen to keep our youngest child safe, I’ve tried all kinds of flour combinations to make my Gluten Free Blueberry Banana Bread the best it can be. I believe I’ve found the magic ratio of flours! But rather than complicated measuring of 6 different flours, I use King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour Blend. Combined with almond flour, it takes the cake! If you don’t have King Arthur’s available, look for a flour blend that contains rice flours, tapioca starch, and sorghum flour; these play so well together in baked goods and achieve the perfect crumb for breads and cakes.

I added blueberries to this loaf because it’s blueberry season and it’s a great combo, but you can substitute chocolate chips, pecans, walnuts…

A loaf of this bread lasts maybe 5 minutes in our house because we can’t stop eating it! We love it fresh from the oven or toasted the next day if it lasts that long:) It has the right balance of salty, buttery goodness and sweet flavors. It’s super moist, so there’s no need to butter it, but it does taste amazing with a little butter or cream cheese for a decadent treat. I’m working on a banana bread with a blueberry cream cheese swirl recipe, so stay tuned for that!

butter, eggs, banana, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, almond flour, and sugar on kitchen counter

Ingredients you will need:

*This recipe makes one loaf of Gluten Free Banana Bread, but it can easily be doubled by doubling all ingredients and splitting the batter between two pans.

ripe banana
1 cup blueberries (washed)
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup almond flour (I like this finely ground one)
3/4 cup Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

How to make Gluten Free Banana Bread

First, preheat the oven to 350° F and grease and flour your bread pan.

Pocket Change Gourmet Pro Tip: I use the waxed paper from the stick of butter to grease the pan; simply rub the butter side around the bottom and sides of the pan and then you can wrap up the remaining butter without getting your hands greasy. Thanks for the trick, mom!

Using your electric mixer or hand mixer and a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. I use both white and brown sugar here to give a deeper flavor to the Gluten Free Banana Bread, but if you only have one or the other, that’s ok!

Next, combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate small bowl and stir to combine. The goal is to evenly distribute the leavening and salt throughout the flours. Add the dry mixture to the bowl with the creamed butter and sugar.

Stir slowly to incorporate so you don’t get a flour explosion in your kitchen, then mix on medium speed until the mixture resembles brown sugar in texture. It usually takes about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Next, add 2 eggs and vanilla. Mix on medium speed 30 seconds.

two eggs in mixing bowl of electric mixer filled with flour

Add the ripe banana and mix 30 seconds. My recipe says to mash the banana, but if you throw it in the mixer unmashed, guess what? The machine does the work for you! So if you’ve already washed the bowl you used to mix the dry ingredients, no worries. Just toss that whole banana in the mixing bowl. You may get a few morsels of creamy banana in the batter, but they will just be a sweet, little bonus for whomever gets that slice.

Lastly, fold in 1 cup blueberries or 1 cup chocolate chips if that’s what you’re feeling. You can also add 3/4 chopped pecans or walnuts, both of which can be raw or roasted and salted. I’ve even used candied pecans in this Gluten Free Banana Bread and it was awesome!

blueberries on top of loaf of gluten free banana bread before baking — If mixing in berries, nuts or chocolate chips, add a few on top for a pretty finished loaf.

Now your bread is ready to pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake in your preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

A note about baking time: In my 9 years of gluten-free baking, I have found that all gluten free baked goods cook more quickly than expected. Even on packaged cake and brownie mixes, they are always in danger of overheating. Therefore, suggested baking times in my recipes will generally be shorter than you may expect. Every batch of wheat banana bread that I’ve made in my life baked for between 50-60 minutes; with gluten free flours a loaf cooked that long would be very dry and no one would want seconds. I’ve played with adding extra moisture, such as applesauce, yogurt, sour cream, extra eggs, and while I can keep the moisture high, I did not get the rise in the loaf that I wanted. Thus, the 40-45 minute baking time.

Allow the Gluten Free Banana Bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

loaf of cooked blueberry banana bread cooling in red polka dot pan

Then gently draw a knife around the edge of the loaf to loosen. Flip the pan over and turn the loaf onto a wire rack to cool.

Shoo your family or roommates away and tell them it’s too hot to eat, then when they are out of sight, cut your first slice and enjoy it in peace:)

loaf of banana bread with blueberries sliced open on ceramic plate

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe with wheat flour?

Yes, you can. You may need to increase the cooking time to 50-55 minutes. We keep a gluten-free kitchen because of our child’s allergy.

Can I substitute other fruit?

Yes, raspberries and blackberries work well, as do diced fresh peaches or strawberries. If using larger fruits, chop them first. Go with whatever is in season.

Can I add nuts to this Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipe?

Totally! I like to add chopped pecans or walnuts. Sometimes roasted and salted, but usually raw. Be sure to put a few on top of the loaf before you bake it for extra beauty!

How to store leftover banana bread?

I kid you not, this loaf usually does not last a whole day in our house, so I have to double the recipe for leftovers. The bread stores best wrapped in waxed paper and placed in the refrigerator. I recommend eating it within one week. You can also freeze the extras by wrapping in waxed paper and then placing in a ziplock bag or other airtight container.