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 gluten free quick bread 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.
Table of contents
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
This is one of the easiest recipes you will ever make, since nothing has to be prepared separately. Once you have the ripe bananas you need for everything from banana bread to banana muffins, you probably have everything else in your pantry and refrigerator. Here's how to make this perfect quick bread:
1
Whisk together the dry ingredients
The dry ingredients are so simple: gluten free flour blend (including xanthan gum), baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar. Place them all in a large bowl, and whisk to combine well.
2
Add the wet ingredients
Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredient, and add the melted butter, beaten eggs, and sour cream. Mix to combine, then fold in mashed bananas carefully so they maintain some texture.
3
Bake at 350°F
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.
Tips for making the perfect banana bread
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
The proper gluten free flour mixture
Be sure to use one of my recommended gluten free flour blends, measured by weight. Be sure to check out my tutorial on how to make your own superfine rice flour at home if you're mixing your own flour blend.
The right bananas for your banana bread
You want very ripe bananas!
Use bananas that are almost overripe. If you have too many, try also making our gluten free banana cake. Waste not, want not.
Here's a trick for always having proper “baking bananas” on hand. Whenever you find that you have perfect banana bread bananas, simply peel them and place them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer until the bananas are very firm, then transfer the frozen bananas to a zip-top bag and store them in the freezer.
When you're ready to use the bananas, defrost them either at room temperature or in the microwave for about 20 seconds on 75% power.
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
This tip comes is a good one for nearly all recipes, not just this one (except pastry!). Cold ingredients, especially solids like butter and ripened bananas don't mix as well if they're cold or frozen.
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 your gluten free banana bread cool completely
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.
How to store your gluten free banana bread
Because this bread is so moist, you can easily store it on your countertop for several days. Place the bread within an airtight container and leave it at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Beyond that, you may notice that it starts to dry out. If that happens, don't worry — it's still perfectly edible. If you want to moisten it, consider using some butter, honey, or syrup.
How to freeze gluten free banana bread
It's super easy to freeze this banana bread by the slice or by the loaf.
To store by the slice, wait until your loaf has cooled completely and then slice. Wrap each slice in aluminum foil, and then place them in a zip-top bag with excess air removed. Store in the freezer for up to three months.
To store by the loaf, again wait until the loaf has cooled completely. Wrap the entire loaf in aluminum foil, and then place it inside a zip-top storage bag with extra air removed. Full loaves can also last up to three months in the freezer.
While this bread can last in the freezer for longer than three months, you may notice changes in its texture the longer you keep it. This is primarily caused by freezer burn, and that's caused by air trapped with the bread, so try to avoid that if you can.
When you ready to eat, you can defrost a slice by leaving unwrapped on the counter for about 30 minutes. If you're defrosting an entire loaf, try letting it defrost on the counter for at least an hour or until you can begin to slice through the loaf.
Once you can slice the loaf, do so and then warm the individual slices in a warm toaster oven.
Substitutions options
In general, I don't advise making substitutions to my gluten free recipes, but sometimes you have to cater to dairy free, vegan, or other ways of eating, or maybe you want to try your hand at a healthier banana bread.
Dairy free banana bread
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 banana bread
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 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 gluten free banana bread
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.
How to make gluten free 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.
Almond flour banana bread
Almond flour can't be used as a replacement for an all purpose gluten free flour blend. If you would prefer to bake with almond flour instead of a rice-based flour blend, I have another recipe for you.
My almond flour banana bread recipe is a completely different recipe. It's also naturally dairy free and gluten free, too. That may suit your needs better.
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 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.
FAQs
Adding the correct amount of moist ingredients, like ripe bananas, butter, and sour cream, will result in a beautifully soft, moist gluten-free banana bread.
In general, when baked goods rise in the oven and then fall as they cool, they were baked in an oven that is running hot. The outside of the bread cooks too quickly, before the center has a chance to bake all the way through. Always bake using a small, cheap, freestanding oven thermometer, as most ovens run hot.
Your oven may be too hot (see above). You may also just not have allowed your banana bread to finish baking. It's best to use an oven tester and bake until it comes out with no more than a few moist crumbs attached.
No, you cannot use unripened bananas to make banana bread. As bananas ripen, they develop natural sugars. To speed the ripening of your bananas, place them in a brown paper bag with an apple. The gases from the apple will speed up the ripening of the bananas.
Like any quick bread, you must let your banana bread cool completely before slicing it. If you rush, and turn it out of the loaf pan too quickly, it will compress the crumb. If you try to slice it before it's cool, you'll tear the banana bread, no matter how cleanly you try to cut.
Yes, sometimes you can fix undercooked banana bread! If you realize that your bread isn't fully cooked within about 10 minutes of taking it out of the oven, and the oven is still hot, put it back in!
The gf banana bread won't rise as high as it would have, but it shouldn't lose its shape as much when you finally take it out of the oven again and hopefully you can slice and eat it.
Gluten Free Banana Bread | So Easy, Moist & Delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click through for full information on appropriate blends)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅔ cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (150 g) sour cream at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) peeled ripe bananas mashed lightly (from about 2 medium-size bananas)
- 1 small (less) ripe banana for the top (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a standard 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, place the all purpose gluten free flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar, and whisk to combine well.
- Create a well in the center of the dry gf banana bread ingredients and add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla, then the sour cream, and mix until just combined. Add the mashed bananas (200 g) and fold them into the batter, taking care not to further squish them.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, and smooth the top with a wet spatula. If you're using the optional banana as a topping, place very thinly sliced bananas (cut lengthwise) on top of the smooth batter, sparingly.
- Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven. Bake until golden brown on top, and a tester inserted in the center comes out with no more than a few moist crumbs attached.
- Baking time will be about 50 minutes without the additional bananas on top, and about 1 hour with them. If the gluten free banana bread loaf is browning too fast for the center to bake fully, tent with foil while it finishes baking.
- Allow the gf banana bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Gluten Free Banana Bread | So Easy, Moist & Delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click through for full information on appropriate blends)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅔ cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (150 g) sour cream at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) peeled ripe bananas mashed lightly (from about 2 medium-size bananas)
- 1 small (less) ripe banana for the top (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a standard 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, place the all purpose gluten free flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar, and whisk to combine well.
- Create a well in the center of the dry gf banana bread ingredients and add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla, then the sour cream, and mix until just combined. Add the mashed bananas (200 g) and fold them into the batter, taking care not to further squish them.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, and smooth the top with a wet spatula. If you're using the optional banana as a topping, place very thinly sliced bananas (cut lengthwise) on top of the smooth batter, sparingly.
- Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven. Bake until golden brown on top, and a tester inserted in the center comes out with no more than a few moist crumbs attached.
- Baking time will be about 50 minutes without the additional bananas on top, and about 1 hour with them. If the gluten free banana bread loaf is browning too fast for the center to bake fully, tent with foil while it finishes baking.
- Allow the gf banana bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Terri says
Just want to tell you that I use many of your recipes. I have made this banana bread many times. Thank you for so many GF recipes that work. I do live at elevation (7300 feet) and make adjustments for that. I typically adjust cookie and cake recipes by adding extra GF flour and lessening the baking soda and powder. I do not adjust recipes that use yeast. For example, in this banana bread recipe I add an extra 1/2 cup flour and lessen the baking powder by 1/4 tsp and the soda by 1/8 tsp. I also use Caputo floreglut flour for all of my baking.
Nicole Hunn says
You’re so welcome, Terri. And thank you so much for sharing the adjustments you make for elevation. It’s one condition I simply can’t recreate, so I can’t give anyone first hand advice, so your experience is so valuable. And so glad you love the banana bread!
Phyllis says
Perfect recipe! As always, weighing ingredients is better than using measuring cups. I made it today with no modifications or additions and this bread is moist and tastes wonderful. The crumb, texture, and taste are spot on. I used Better Batter. Thanks for the great recipes, this is truly the BEST site for GF cooking and baking.
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you so much for the kind words, Phyllis, and for your trust in my gluten-free recipes. Yes, weighing ingredients (and using a high quality gluten free flour blend) are the secrets to success. I’m so glad you are on board, and that you loved the gf banana bread!
Gerhard Schmidt says
My GF muffins & loaf pan cakes always look uncooked in the middle, even if I leave them in the oven at 350 for double the time, what can I do or doing wrong. Using GF flours with Xantham gum already in the flour
Nicole Hunn says
If you’re having the same issue with every recipe you try, you’d need to find the common denominator. Without knowing anything, I’d always guess that it’s your all purpose gluten free flour blend. Please follow the link in the recipe associated with that ingredient for full information on appropriate blends.
Brenda says
The picture shows Chocolate Banana Loaf (before you click on button to make it) Where is the Chocolate Banana loaf recipe please?
Nicole Hunn says
I’m not sure what link you’re referring to, Brenda, but here is a link to recipe for gluten free chocolate banana bread.
Brenda says
Hello Nicole, this very recipe above for Banana bread, the previous cover photo of this recipe shows Chocolate Banana Bread. 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you for the link to the Chocolate Banana Bread.
Nicole Hunn says
The link for that recipe has been changed, Brenda. It’s here now. If something you’ve bookmarked is redirected, which does happen from time to time, you can always use the search function to find what you’re looking for. So sorry for the inconvenience.
Farzanah says
I would like to put 4 bananas in, how would that affect the outcome?
Or is there something i can adjust to accommodate increasing the bananas?
Thanks
Nicole Hunn says
No, you really can’t add any more bananas to this recipe and have it turn out. I actually talk about that in the post, that all you can really do is add some more slices to the top, but even that means that the top sinks a bit.
Lisa Marie Alexander says
Can I use all or part coconut oil?
Nicole Hunn says
No, I don’t recommend a liquid like coconut oil in place of butter.
Elizabeth says
The first banana bread I made turned out OK. I wish it had more of a banana taste, but I did like the tang of the sour cream. This was the first time I weighed my flour and sugar and bananas beef instead of just putting them in a measuring cup
I went a vegan route for the second banana bread I made, using chia eggs and vegan sour cream. I still weighed all my dry ingredients, and it turned out fantastic.
Ann Downs says
I have been making your banana bread recipe for years. I was wondering if you had the nutritional break down on the bread? It would be helpful for those of us who have to watch our intake for various reasons.
I go to your site for most of my gluten free recipes.
Thank you
Ann
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Ann, I’ve provided approximate nutritional information, but I must caution you that it is an estimate only from online calculators, provided as a courtesy, and should not be relied on under any circumstances.
Megan says
This recipe is divine! And so versatile. I ate 1/4 of it waiting for it to cool! I added a cup of chopped walnuts and pecans (mixed), 3 tbl poppy seeds, used a little less sugar, used salted butter and sprinkled the top with unsweetened coconut. My oven is at temp and it took close to an hour at sea level.
Nicole Hunn says
Thanks for sharing your experience, Megan. Using salted butter can increase baking time, as it has more water than unsalted butter, but baking times are always approximate!
Paula says
Is there a way I can add ground nuts to this banana bread?
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Paula, sure, you can definitely add chopped nuts. Please see the text of the post under the heading “How to make gluten free banana nut bread”
Paula says
Thank you, I didn’t realize I had missed that the first time I read the recipe. Looking forward to making this!
Joan says
This recipe looks amazing. I went to print it and was asked to provide my email to unlock the printer ability. I did so although I already receive your emails. I tried to print double sided and ended up with an unusual negative view of the recipe and so needed to print it again. Again, it asked me for my email which I gave again. Is this requirement a new feature because I really don’t wish to receive multiple emails. BTW, I do appreciate your recipes and your helpful hints.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Joan, Grow is a service that allows you to save your favorites on my blog and on any other blog that runs the same service, and it allows my advertising management company to serve you more relevant advertisements. You won’t receive any more emails, as you’re already on my email list.
I’m afraid there’s no way for me to customize the window that asks you to sign up for Grow to print, so I can’t explain up front that you won’t receive any additional emails from me or anyone else if you sign up.
When it asked for your email again, the same window has the option to “log in,” rather than sign up. As long as you are signed in to Grow using the email that you provided originally whenever you visit my site (and any other website on the web that uses Grow), you will have all the additional features, like printing and saving bookmarks.
Thanks for your understanding!
Barbara says
can we do this as a carrot banana bread?
Nicole Hunn says
No, you can’t add carrot to this recipe, Barbara. I do have a recipe for carrot cake, if that’s what you’re looking for, though.
Ardee says
This BB was everything you promised: moist, rich, and yummy!
I want to make it again, but in smaller loaf pans for give-aways.
Do you have some advice on adjusting bake times?
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Ardee, it really really depends on so many factors: the size of the pans, the material, whether your oven runs hot, etc. Bake times are always approximate. Your starting point should always be precisely what worked for you with the full size, and begin checking around halfway into that time (less if they’re really small loaves). Don’t open the oven door to check, though, as that will cause the oven temp to plunge. Go by sight first, and only test doneness when it’s done visually.
Ardee Mckim says
Thanks so much!
Jana Sisler says
I had previously saved a chocolate banana bread recipe. When I click on it now, it brings me to this recipe, which is not for chocolate banana bread. Do do you have a chocolate banana recipe? Also, you might want to change the link on previous chocolate banana bread posting
Nicole Hunn says
The link for that recipe has been changed, Jana. It’s here now. If something you’ve bookmarked is redirected, which does happen from time to time, you can always use the search function to find what you’re looking for. So sorry for the inconvenience.
Carlyn Sloma says
One of the best GF Banana breads I have tried. It baked so even the middle.
Nicole Hunn says
I’m so glad, Carlyn! Thank you for sharing your experience.
Natalie says
Hi Nicole! Could I use applesauce in place of the melted butter? Thanks very much for this recipe!
Nicole Hunn says
No, Natalie, that won’t work to make this recipe. To replace a fat, you need another fat.
Melody says
Can I use egg replacement or Flax egg instead of real egg? Please adv.
Thanks
Nicole Hunn says
Melody please see the text of the post under the heading “How to make gluten free egg free banana bread”
Karen E Bird says
This banana bread recipe was delicious, will definitely be making it again.
Karen
Adriana says
Made this today. I followed the recipe to a T, even weighed all the ingredients. It is so good, moist, not gummy like some other gluten free breads. I gave some to my husband who is not gluten free and he always says that he can taste the difference. Well tonight he said it is “very good”. Uh-oh he may eat it all!
Teena Hout says
Another home run! This morning my husband looks at the bananas and asks, baby could you make some banana nut bread? Of course honey! Next, I come to the site I know I can trust and it’s another hit. When I took it from the oven, he could barely wait for it to cool. He started picking at the crust on top, lol. I just now sliced it and it’s DE-LICIOUS! Just wish I could get the “regular log bread” down pat. Thanks again!!
Pam says
I followed the directions to the “T” and it came out perfectly! It was so delicious!