Easy Gluten Free Banana Bread

This easy gluten free banana bread recipe is everything you could want: moist, tender, delicious, and packed with tons of banana flavor but not too much sweetness. Best of all, you only need one bowl and 10 minutes of prep to make this classic recipe.

Why this is the best gluten free banana bread recipe

You know how the crumbs from a truly moist quick bread like banana bread can be picked up with the back of a fork? This is that gluten free banana bread. Here's why I think you'll love this recipe:

• The best texture: The acid of the sour cream and the sugar in the ripest bananas you can find tenderizes the crumb of the bread.
• One bowl: Not having to pull a separate bowl for mixing means faster cleanup and less mess between you and that warm bread when it comes out of the oven.
• Melted butter: Since this banana bread is made with melted butter, you don't have to set your butter out to soften first. If your eggs aren't at room temperature, float them in some warm water for a few minutes; warm up the sour cream on low power in the microwave for 20 seconds.
• No burning: The batter is relatively stiff, so it keeps its shape during baking, but has tons of moisture from all those bananas, so it won't burn before it bakes all the way through.

Ingredient notes

• Gluten free flour blend: I like Better Batter or Nicole's Best here (be sure to add xanthan gum), but Cup4Cup works great, too.
• Baking powder/baking soda: Add rise to your quick bread, and the baking soda also helps with browning in the oven.
• Salt: Brightens all the flavors and balances the sweetness.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar adds a sweet taste, but also helps keep the bread super fork tender.
• Butter: Adds richness and flavor, and also tenderness. Be sure to melt the butter and let it cool briefly so it doesn't heat the raw eggs.
• Eggs: Add rise, hold the bread together, and aid in rising.
• Sour cream: The tang of sour cream enhances the banana flavor; the acid tenderizes the bread and sour cream has less moisture than buttermilk so the bread holds its shape.
• Vanilla extract: Adds depth of flavor.
• Bananas: Ripe bananas have tons of natural caramelized sweetness in them. Never run out of this most important element of banana bread by freezing ripe bananas, then defrosting, mashing (with the liquid!) and adding to your banana bread.

How to make gluten free banana bread

Once you have the ripe bananas you need for this recipe, you probably have everything else in your pantry and refrigerator. Here's how to make this easy 1-bowl bread:

Whisk the dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, place the gluten free flour blend (including xanthan gum), baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar. Whisk to combine well.

Add the wet ingredients

Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and add the melted butter, beaten eggs, and sour cream. Mix to combine, then fold in mashed bananas carefully so they maintain some texture.

Bake at 350°F, then cool and slice

The raw batter is thick but soft. Scrape it into a prepared loaf pan, spread into an even layer, and baked until cooked all the way through. It usually takes about 50 minutes.

Recipe tips & tricks

To make the perfect gluten free banana bread, follow this recipe precisely, measuring by weight, not volume. And follow these tips:

Select your ingredients carefully

Be sure to use one of my recommended gluten free flour blends, measured by weight. And choose bananas that have ripened enough to be evenly speckled and have a strong aroma. I keep ripe bananas on hand by peeling, slicing and freezing ripe bananas, and storing them in the freezer in a zip-top bag. Defrost them either at room temperature or in the microwave for about 20 seconds on 75% power. Be sure to add everything to the batter, including the liquid that the previously frozen bananas will release.

Don't over-mix the bananas in the batter

Mash the peeled, ripe bananas very well before adding them to the batter. Then fold them into the batter at the end, rather than stirring aggressively.

Use room temperature ingredients

When you allow your ingredients to come to room temperature, you'll notice it's so much easier to mix them. You'll also notice a finer end product because you didn't have to overmix your ingredients to fully incorporate them.

Let the bread cool completely before slicing

As tempting as it may be to slice into your bread as soon as it's out of the oven, try to resist. When you allow your bread to cool, you'll enjoy a better texture. In addition to the improved mouth feel, the bread will be easier to slice and won't fall apart.

Storage instructions

This bread stays fresh at room temperature, wrapped tightly, for at least 3 days. For longer storage, I prefer to slice the bread fully, and wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap or Glad Press ‘n' Seal, then freeze for up to 3 months.

When you ready to eat, you can defrost a slice by leaving it at unwrapped on the counter for about 30 minutes. To speed up defrosting, try defrosting the slice for 20 seconds in the microwave. For a refreshed taste, toast it on low in the toaster oven for 30 seconds.

Substitutions options

If you have additional allergens or intolerances, you may need to substitute some of the ingredients in this recipe. Here are my best educated guesses for how to do that:

Dairy free suggestion

If you need a dairy free option, in place of butter, try using vegan butter. My favorite brands are Melt and Miyoko's Kitchen.

In place of sour cream, any plain, nondairy, gluten-free sour cream alternative should work fine. If you'd like to use plain nondairy yogurt, be sure to drain it of liquid until it's the consistency of sour cream or it will add too much moisture.

Egg free suggestion

There are two eggs in this recipe. You should be able to replace each of them with a “chia egg.”

For each “chia egg,” combine 1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water and allow to sit until it gels. If you have another egg replacer you prefer, try that. This recipe is so adaptable that it might work.

Vegan suggestion

Just follow both the egg and milk substitutions above, and you'll have a yummy vegan bread. Just be sure that your sugars are vegan, so they're not prepared with bone char.

Banana nut bread

This recipe is adaptable enough that you can add about 1 cup of mix-ins, and it will still turn out well. If you'd like to make banana nut bread, try folding in 1 cup of soft nuts like chopped walnuts or chopped pecans.

If you'd like, you can also make this into banana chocolate chip bread. Just fold in 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips once the batter is otherwise ready to transfer to the pan.

Alternative sugars

I haven't tried this recipe with a granulated sugar alternative, but it might be worth trying to replace the granulated sugar with Lankato brand granulated sugar alternative. It does tend to be drying, though, so you may need to add a bit of water. Add it slowly, though, and try to match the texture you see in the photos and video.

Keep in mind that you can't replace a granulated sugar, like the white sugar in this recipe, with a liquid sugar, like maple syrup or honey, without upsetting the moisture balance. That can result in a loaf that just won't bake through without burning, so it collapses as it cools.

I think you should be able to replace granulated sugar with coconut sugar, but try grinding it into a finer powder first since it's typically very coarse.

FAQs