This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This gluten free banana bread is packed with banana flavor and delivers a soft, fork-tender crumb that stays light and moist. It’s quick to make in one bowl and flexible enough for whatever ripe bananas are on your counter.
Why this recipe works
Most gluten free banana breads fail because they have too much banana, too much liquid, or both. The result is a dense or gummy loaf that won’t bake through.
This recipe works with bananas at any stage of ripeness by preparing them differently. Mash very ripe bananas lightly so they don’t turn to liquid, and less ripe ones more fully into a textured paste that softens in the oven. Fold them in gently at the end to keep the crumb soft but intact.
Sour cream adds richness and acidity for a tender, flavorful crumb. It also provides moisture without weighing the bread down with too much liquid, so it bakes through evenly and doesn’t sink as it cools.
Ingredients explained
Here's what you need to make this recipe, plus a few words about the role each ingredient plays in the perfect banana bread. For full ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below:
- Gluten free flour blend – A well-balanced, high-quality gluten free flour blend, like Better Batter's original blend, Nicole's Best multipurpose, or Bob's Red Mill's 1-to-1 (the blue bag) adds structure to keep the bread together without the toughness that mixing a gluten-filled quickbread fully can create. If your flour is Nicole's Best, add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum; Bob's has some xanthan gum but needs 1/2 teaspoon more.
- Bananas – Very ripe bananas will have more natural sugars that deepen the banana flavor, but any that are ripe enough to smell like bananas will work. Measure 200 grams peeled bananas by weight for consistent results. Mash the most ripe, very soft bananas minimally to maintain some texture, and less ripe bananas more so the oven can soften them fully during baking.
- Sour cream – Makes this recipe special by adding richness and acidity to create a uniquely moist and tender crumb. Be sure yours has some fat to enhance the bread's mouthfeel.
- Butter – Melted butter makes prep easier, and adds richness plus some gentle chew that's super satisfying.
- Eggs – Help bind the bread and provide structure to hold the rise as the bread cools, so there's no sunken top.
- Granulated sugar – Enhance the sweetness of the bananas and help keep the crumb tender. It also adds bulk, so even if your bananas are super sweet, don't reduce it further.
- Baking powder, baking soda & salt – The essentials that round out flavor, provide rise, and help the bread brown in the oven. Fun fact: baking soda reacts with bananas to create those brown flecks in the bread.
- Vanilla extract – Add depth through a complex blend of flavors, unlike artificial vanilla which only has one-note vanillin.
How to gluten free banana bread (step by step photos)
This is a visual overview of how to make this recipe in your own kitchen. I also explain the reasoning behind each step:
Combine dry
Start by whisking your dry ingredients, including gluten free flour with xanthan gum, baking powder, baking, salt, and sugar, together in a large bowl. This keeps the leaveners from clumping which creates bitter pockets and leads to an uneven rise.
Add wet
Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients before adding the the melted butter, beaten eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Beating the eggs ahead of time ensures the yolk and white are fully integrated. Adding everything into a pocket in the dry mixture ensures that everything is fully combined.
Mash the bananas
If your bananas are super ripe, they'll be very soft. Mash them with a large fork very lightly so they maintain some texture. If they're less ripe, mash them into more of a lumpy paste.
Add bananas
Fold in the mashed bananas to the batter gently at the end so they're fully integrated but still maintains some of texture to avoid a gummy, dense bread. The batter should be thick but soft and easy to spread, not stiff.
Transfer and bake
Scrape the prepared batter into a greased and lined 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan. Lining with parchment helps the bread bake evenly without sliding around, and makes it easy to lift the prepared bread from the pan easily. Smooth the top with a spatula for even baking. Bake at 350°F for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
Cool
Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes to finish baking and become stable enough to transfer. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing so the starches have time to become firmer and hold their moisture.
Expert tips
Use any ripe bananas
Yes, the riper your bananas are, the sweeter and more flavorful your loaf will be. But as long as your bananas are ripe enough to be at all fragrant, use what you have. To help them ripen more quickly, place them in a brown paper bag with an apple overnight. The riper your bananas are, the less you should mash them so they don't turn into a liquid, which will weigh down the bread and make it harder to bake through.
Use room temperature ingredients
Cold ingredients won't combine fully with one another. This is especially important with ingredients like eggs and sour cream that are stored in the refrigerator and meant to be used at room temperature in this recipe. To warm eggs, float them in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes. Microwave cold sour cream for about 20 seconds, then stir, but be careful not to cook it or it will separate.
Cool completely before slicing
Warm banana bread is tempting, but slicing too soon can make it gummy or crumbly. Waiting until the bread is completely cool before slicing makes it more stable, keeping it from drying out by releasing moisture as steam.
Freeze ripe bananas
Next time you have overripe bananas but no time to bake, peel and slice them, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a bag. When you're ready to bake, measure out 200 grams as frozen, microwave briefly before mashing very lightly, and then include everything, including the leaked liquid in the batter.
Ingredient substitutions and add-ins
Here are my suggestions on how to replace additional allergens, or to add mix-ins:
Dairy free
Replace the butter with your favorite block-style vegan butter (like Miyoko’s or Melt). For sour cream, use any plain nondairy alternative, or strained plain nondairy yogurt until it resembles Greek-style.
Egg free
Swap each egg for a “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground chia seeds + 1 tablespoon warm water, mixed and allowed to gel).
Mix-ins
Add up to 1 cup of extras like chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips. Fold them in once the batter is mixed and ready for the pan. Add up to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients with or without other mix-ins, and try sprinkling about 2 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar on top of the raw bread right before baking for a warm, sweet crispy top.
Storage instructions
Let the banana bread cool completely, then wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, slice the loaf, wrap each piece individually in plastic wrap or Press'n Seal, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost slices at room temperature, microwave for 20 seconds, or toast gently to refresh.
Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend, (See Recipe Notes for Recommendations)
- 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 (avoid fat-free)
- 200 grams (2 medium-size bananas) peeled ripe bananas, the weight measurement is especially important here
- 1 small slightly less ripe banana, sliced thinly lengthwise, for topping (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. Whisk to combine well.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla, then the sour cream. Mix until just combined.
- If your bananas are very ripe and soft, mash them gently with a large fork, maintaining as much texture as possible. If your bananas are less ripe but still fragrant, mash with a fork until the mixture has texture but also some smoothness.
- Use a silicone spatula to fold the mashed bananas gently into the batter to avoid processing the bananas even further.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, and smooth the top with a spatula dipped in water. 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 the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
- Baking time will be about 50 minutes without the additional bananas on top, and about 1 hour with them. If the top is browning too quickly before the center is fully set, tent loosely with foil for the final 10–15 minutes.
- Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
FAQs
Usually, that means your oven is running hot. The outside sets too fast, before the center can bake through. Use an oven thermometer to confirm your temp.
No—this recipe needs a structured blend. Try my almond flour banana bread instead. If you'd like an alternative flour but need to be nut-free, try our oat flour banana bread.
Yes! Try my gluten free banana muffins or divide the batter from this recipe into three 6×3-inch pans and bake for 25–30 minutes.
How can I get rid of the adds that is covering your recipes?
Kathy, the advertisements are the only way I get paid for all the free content that I provide. If you’re on an older phone with a small screen, some ads may cover content as Google requires a certain size, no smaller. I make no apology for making a living, but feel free to move on to other recipe sources if you aren’t willing to deal with a minor inconvenience.
If I make more than one, can I freeze the others!
You absolutely can, Roz! This banana bread freezes amazingly well.
Can I make this sugar free using monk fruit?
The issue with using monk fruit in a larger recipe like this, Christine, is that it’s sweeter than sugar, but the sugar does more than sweeten. It tenderizes and adds bulk. If you’d like to try using Lankato brand monkfruit in place of the granulated sugar, you’ll also likely need to add a bit more moisture, as it tends to be drying. You’ll have to experiment, and I really can’t promise results!
Agreed!! This is a most delicious banana bread!! Made it this week and had a hard time letting it cool before cutting into it. There’s almost nothing left and it’s only been 1 day!! Thank you!
That’s so awesome, Elaine! Every time I make it, I’m amazed all over again how simple the ingredients are. It makes it look easy! hahahaha
Hi Nicole, can I bake this in a bunt pan in the ninja foodie, thanks so much for all the wonderful recipes, I want to order some of your books!
I don’t recommend baking this in a bundt pan, Verna. Bundt cakes are kind of finicky, since there’s so much batter and it all has to bake very evenly for a long time. I assume a Ninja Foodie is like an Instant Pot? I’m afraid I don’t have much experience baking anything other than a cheesecake in an Instant Pot. Wish I could be more help!
I was a bit concerned with how thick this batter was, but its actually baked up really nice. I did not have sour cream, but I decided to risk it and try greek yogurt. I am not sure what the original recipe tastes like, but with the yogurt it was excellent. I love that they are springy and light and moist, but with more substance than a lot of gf quick breads. I made mine into muffins. It made a dozen nice sized muffins. I greatly appreciate that the recipe is written with measurements in grams. I like to be precise. Also, I used Better Batter AllPurpose flour (no extra xanthin gum added).
We made the one bowl banana bread today and I am blown away! Soft, tender, moist, like cake and pastries I haven’t had for 3 years! Brought tears to my eyes. THANK YOU Nicole!
could I use yogurt instead of sour cream? I have yogurt and want to make it now and don’t drive lol
probably wouldn’t have mattered….I hope you substituted and it turned out great for you.
I did and mine came out perfect. I made it into muffins instead of a loaf.
This showed up in a FB post today and immediately I reacted with “I’ve got all these ingredients on hand.” Have one in the oven now – not a loaf pan, and I’m hoping that won’t matter, as it is pretty hard to go wrong with banana bread (at least that was my gluten-filled past experience.” Wish I had some chocolate chips, however.
We have LOVED this banana bread. Sadly, my 5 year old just added dairy and eggs to her list of food allergies. If I sub apple sauce for the butter and chia egg for the eggs, think it will still work?