Perfect Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipe

This gluten free banana bread is moist, flavorful, and ultra satisfying. It is surely the only banana bread recipe you will ever need. It is so delicious, that even non gluten free people will be begging you for the recipe!

Today I will be showing you how to make the best gluten free banana bread recipe out there!

What makes this gluten free banana bread so delicious?

The cinnamon and nutmeg spices add character to this dessert and completely enhance the banana flavor. With the perfect mixture of eggs, sugar, spices, flour, and a couple other little ingredients, this recipe is the only one you will ever need!

What you will need for this recipe

This simple recipe only requires you to use a single mixing bowl. You only need two other dishes: a bowl in which you mix the dry ingredients and a bowl or plate for mashing the bananas!

Here are the ingredients:

• 3-4 ripe bananas
• granulated sugar
• brown sugar
• vanilla extract
• eggs
• gluten free all purpose flour
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• baking powder

Which gluten free all purpose flour should I use?

For this specific recipe, I used one of my favorites, the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour. This is the perfect blend and I especially love using it for all of my baking since it is specifically made for that.

I have other gluten free all purpose flour favorites, including:

King Arthur Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

I love this flour so much, but it does not have xanthan gum. This can be an issue in some gluten free baking, but you can always add that separately. I personally like when my flour blend contains everything I need to mimic the bouncy texture of gluten.

Krusteaz All Purpose Gluten Free Flour

Krusteaz is a no-brainer when it comes to baking mixes, especially gluten free! I love this flour blend.

Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour

This is a gluten free flour blend that is a sold choice since it is a favorite of many.

Ingredients for banana bread explained

Bananas: Fairly obvious ingredient. Bananas in banana bread not only create the flavor, but are great at helping the structure and moisture. Your bananas do not need to be brown and falling apart, but they do need to be slightly overripe at the least. It is said that the more ripe they are, the sweeter they are. So, keep that in mind for when you decide your bananas are ready to be used.

Aim to use between 3 and 4 bananas. The exact amount varies because of the difference in sizes. I measured and this comes out to just under 2 cups of bananas.

Melted Butter: Butter is always a must in baking, but melting it just improves the texture and structure of the dessert much more!

Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar: So, we are including two types of sugar in this recipe. This is so that we can have the deep flavor that brown sugar brings without it being too overpowering. Adding regular granulated sugar helps the sweetness without overdoing it on the intensity.

Eggs: The fat and protein from eggs are crucial in getting that perfect structure, texture, and crumb. For this recipe, two are the right amount.

Vanilla Extract: Another no-brainer in baking. The slight vanilla flavor pairs amazingly with the banana and cinnamon.

Gluten Free All Purpose Flour: Using a pre-made gluten free flour blend is the perfect way to get the desired results from baked goods. My two favorite flours are the aforementioned Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour and the King Arthur Gluten Free All Purpose Flour.

Baking Powder: We of course need a rising agent in our banana bread. Since there is not really any acid in the recipe, we are using baking powder instead of baking soda.

Salt: Just a pinch, and all of the sweetness is perfectly balanced!

Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Cinnamon is the perfect flavor enhancer for banana bread in general, and nutmeg is the perfect flavor enhancer for cinnamon! Use a combination of these for the most delicious flavor.

Turn this into chocolate chip banana bread

Many people love chocolate chip banana bread, myself included. This current recipe is just a different vibe. Instead of the chocolate, we have rich cinnamon and vanilla notes. However, to convert this recipe to chocolate chip banana bread, just add the chocolate chips and omit the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Add nuts

An optional and often recommended choice for this recipe is the addition of nuts. Whether you like walnuts or pecans, just add 1-2 cups to make this banana bread crunchy!

Step by step

It does not get simpler than this!

In one bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

Mash your bananas. I like simply using a fork, but you can also go ahead and use any type of mixer you choose.

You only need one mixing bowl where you will combine the wet ingredients (this bowl will eventually contain the final batter). These include the eggs, banana, butter, and vanilla. Also both sugars!

You will want to whisk these ingredients until they are a bit frothy. The froth will come from the whipped eggs. This is the incorporation of air into the batter.

Now, you will add the mashed bananas. Once you have done that, go ahead and add in all of the dry ingredients.

Since you have everything combined with the flour, you only want to mix until just combined.

Pour your batter into a loaf pan, and place in the oven.

You will want to bake this in the oven for 45-50- minutes. (time may vary depending on your oven)

Keep an eye on how brown the outside gets. It should be slightly golden, but lighter in the middle.

Enjoy this recipe with…

If you didn’t think banana bread could get any more delicious, try adding butter! Especially when the bread is still warm. It will beautifully melt and create a flavor explosion!

Sprinkle more cinnamon! Since there is already cinnamon in this bread, an extra little sprinkle will add such flavor!

Drizzle nut butter. Especially if you’ve already added nuts, a drizzle of nut butter would be the perfect compliment!