Gluten free banana bread recipe – it’s my BEST EVER take on this absolute classic and you only need 6 ingredients to make it. Plus, it’s super duper easy to make it dairy free too.

Gluten free banana bread recipe, anyone? You only need 6 simple ingredients and you can add whatever you like to it and make it your own. I added chocolate chips in the photos but you can happily add a little cinnamon, or even fresh raspberries too!

Banana bread is one of those classics that everyone does differently – there’s no right or wrong way, but I feel like I’ve finally nailed it my way.

I love a banana bread that’s insanely moist, packed with banana flavour and a little gooey compared to a regular loaf cake. Plus, it’s gotta be super easy to make without tons of weird ingredients.

And if that sounds good to you, then we might just have the same taste in banana bread (and you’ll probably love this recipe too). It only has 6 simple ingredients and best of all – you can customise it however you like.

In the photos, I’ve added chocolate chips, but you could also add 2 tsp of cinnamon for a little warming spice. It goes sooo well with banana! And I’ve seen some of you add fresh raspberries to it too. You really can mix it up however you like!

Obviously, ripe banana as a must here as they contain more natural sugars and you’ll get the best results. Once mine start getting those black ripening spots, my mind always turns to banana bread!

You can of course use bananas that are smack bang in the middle of being green and being ripe (so no signs of over-ripening yet). But you won’t get that intense banana flavour and also they’re still really hard to mash.

So patience might be the best thing if you want to make the best possible gluten free banana bread.

You can actually speed up the banana ripening process by placing them into a paper bag (or perforated plastic bag) and adding in a couple of ripe bananas or an apple. This the amount of ethylene gas circulating around the green fruit and makes them go ripe quicker.

You can read more about it here.

Here’s some FAQs you’ll need to read to create the perfect gluten free banana bread. Keep scrolling down for the recipe, but read these first, they’re important!

Can I make this recipe gluten free? Is it suitable for Coeliacs?

It is gluten free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!

Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination.

Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make that that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).

Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten free products.

Can I make your gluten free banana bread recipe dairy free?

Of course you can! All you need to do is use dairy free spread instead of butter. Plus, if you’re adding chocolate chips, make sure they’re dairy free also.

Can I make this recipe vegan?

Yep! If you follow the instructions above to make this cake dairy free, then all you’ve got left to contend with is the eggs.

Here’s a few ideas you can use as egg replacements, so each of these = 1 egg.

3 tablespoons of aquafaba – water from a can of chickpeas. Keep the chickpeas for a future dinner!
Egg replacement powder – I’d recommend using Orgran as it’s gluten free.
1 tablespoon of chia/flax seeds mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and left for 10 minutes in the fridge.
3 tablespoons of applesauce.

So use one of those egg replacement options and you’ve got gluten free AND vegan cake! I haven’t tried all of these egg-replacement options with this cake, but if you do, please comment below with how it goes.

Is your gluten free banana bread recipe nut free?

Yep, this is a nut-free recipe. But of course, make sure you check the ingredients label on all the products you use to bake this cake.

Even if the products don’t contain nuts, they may have a ‘may contain nuts’ warning due to being produced in a factory that handles nuts.

You can never be too careful so always read the labels on everything first!

Is this recipe low FODMAP?

If you’re on the elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet, this might not be the recipe for you.

You can only eat a third of a ripe banana (33g) so if you’re in the elimination phase of the diet, you can eat a little… but I mean a little. You can eat a lot more banana if it’s unripe, but unripe bananas just aren’t as good!

Once you’ve reintroduced banana with success, I’d recommend giving this one a go.

Can I make your gluten free banana bread in a food processor or standing mixer?

Of course you can – and it’ll save you on elbow grease! I don’t use a standing mixer or food processor to make the cake mixture personally – I use an electric whisk. Just because I’m used to it!

(here’s a link to the electric whisk I use)

Just make sure you keep scraping down the sides if you’re using an electric mixer so that all the mixture gets combined properly.

Do I need any special equipment to bake your gluten free banana bread recipe?

Certainly not! As I mentioned, a food processor, standing mixer or electric whisk will cut down on prep time, but they’re not mandatory.

You will need a good quality 2lb loaf tin though, so here’s a link to the one I use.

Do I need weighing scales to bake your gluten free banana bread?

In short… yes! And I wouldn’t advise attempting any my recipes without them. One of the worst things you can do in any baking recipe is alter the quantities by mistake or on purpose.

(unless you know what you’re doing of course)

Why? Well, you’re sort of just gambling with the recipe and praying that it turns out ok. And I’ve generally already done the hard work there for you!

A lot of work went into fine tuning ratios and quantities so I wouldn’t mess around with them unless you really know your stuff.

Can I make this recipe without xanthan gum?

You’ll see xanthan gum in a lot of my recipes as it’s an essential ingredient in gluten free baking. Without gluten to bind the bake together, you can be left with a much looser texture which can be crumbly and easily fall apart.

However, there’s actually no xanthan gum in this recipe! The banana and eggs in this recipe really help to bind everything together, so it’s not necessary to add any here.

Can I make this recipe using other gluten free flours like buckwheat flour or coconut flour?

There’s a big difference between ‘gluten free plain/self-raising flour’ and a *singular* type of gluten free flour. When I say ‘gluten free plain or self-raising flour’ in a recipe, I mean a BLEND of gluten free flours, not just one, singular flour.

Most gluten free flour you buy in the supermarket typically contains a blend of rice flour, potato flour, maize flour, tapioca flour AND buckwheat flour. That’s a lot of different flours!

In gluten free self-raising flour, there’s usually even a little baking powder and xanthan gum in it too which always helps.

So to replace it with just one specific type of flour… that’s not going to cut it at all. Definitely go for a gluten free flour blend.

Can I bake your gluten free banana bread with less/no sugar?

I can definitely understand the need to reduce sugar in our foods, but I wouldn’t advise it with this recipe.

Of course, the sugar isn’t just for sweetness – it’s an integral part of the structure of the cake.

Yes, there’s lots of natural sugar in banana, but the extra brown sugar helps to cake to develop a nice, even crust instead of coming out like pudding.

How long can I keep your gluten free banana bread for?

I’ve kept this cake for up to 7 days in an air-tight container. We usually eat it well before then to be honest!!

If it’s any longer than that then I’d highly recommend reading the next question…

Can I freeze your gluten free banana bread?

Of course! I’ve frozen it for up to a month and after allowing it to full thaw, you’d never know it was frozen.

Just make sure that you slice it up before freezing though – possibly even separating them out into separate bags. That way, you don’t need to defrost the entire cake and waste any.

Plus, it’ll defrost much quicker that way!

How can I tell when my gluten free banana bread is done?

Grab a skewer and give it a poke in the centre. If it comes out clean, then it’s done!

If the skewer comes out moist and cake-like, it’s best to pop it back in for a bit longer.

Can I print your gluten free banana bread recipe?

Of course! Just hit the print button located on the recipe below (otherwise you might end up printing this entire post which would probably make your printer go into early retirement)

Ok, so here’s my gluten free chocolate banana bread recipe. Please leave a 5 star rating if it turned out well as it helps encourage others to give it a try!