Trust me this is the Best Free-From Banana Bread you will make!
It has become one of the most popular recipes I have ever made.
It’s so moist, easy to make and full of flavour that you’ll want to keep making it.
I have actually been giving this bread to friends who aren’t gluten free or vegan and they have absolutely LOVED it and said they wouldn’t even know it was free-from.
Did you know that roughly 1.4 million bananas are chucked away each day in the U.K alone!!! There is no need to chuck away ripe bananas. This is the PERFECT recipe for using up those ripe bananas.
You’re going to LOVE this Banana Bread as it’s:
- Moist
- Incredibly easy
- 5 mins of prep
- Perfectly sweet
- Family friendly
- Free From Gluten, dairy, egg & refined sugar
Using just these 7 ingredients you can buy from most supermarkets.
This Banana Bread is incredibly easy to make using just 1 bowl to make the mix that is gluten free, vegan & refined sugar free!
If you’re someone that is trying out Veganuary recipes and is used to using eggs when baking then you definitely need to try this recipe.
And with just 5 minutes of prep you can have this Banana Bread in the oven. It’s that simple to make!
Have kids? Get them to make this for you, they’ll absolutely love it.
After 35-40 minutes in the oven it comes out looking like heaven in a bread tin. It’s important to resist the urge to eat it all straight away though!
The mix of gluten free flour means it can still be too moist in the middle. Allow it to cool on a cooling rack before slicing.
Bonus! I think this bread tastes even better the next day, that’s if you manage to not eat it all straight away.
If you try this Free-From Banana Bread let me know!
Leave a comment, rate it and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @healthylivingjames using #healthylivingjames . I absolutely love seeing and sharing your recreations!
And if you’re a big chocolate fan, you can try swapping out the pecans for chocolate just like I did below!
On Pinterest? Why not save this photo below or any of your favourite photos to your boards so you can come back and try it at another time!
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The Best Free-From Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 5 ripe bananas
- 150 g gluten free self raising flour (I use Doves Farm)
- 100 ml unsweetened plant-milk
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 100 g pecans or vegan chocolate, crushed optional (could swap for walnuts)
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 200C
- To a large mixing bowl add 4 ripe bananas and mash with a fork
- Now add the flour, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon and baking powder and mix
- Add around 3/4 of the crushed pecans and mix again
- Pour the mix into a lined bread baking tin. I use a small/short tin as normal can be too long which impacts how high it will rise. (I grease the baking paper with coconut oil just to help the non stick). Slice a banana down the middle and push into the mix and top with leftover pecans
- Place in the oven at 200C for 35-40 minutes
- IMPORTANT: Allow it to cool for 15-20 before slicing this helps it to firm up.
Notes
Looking for other ways to use up bananas then try my 4 ingredient Banana Pancakes
Make sure to follow me on Instagram @healthylivingjames Facebook @healthylivingjames Twitter @healthylivingJW or Pinterest @healthylivingjw for daily allergy free food inspiration.
Hi James,
I love the look of your recipe but I can only source plain GF flour. Would you recommend adding more baking powder in this case? If so, how much?
Thanks x
Hey Laura, no worries! Just add 1 more Tbsp baking powder. It won’t rise as much but will still be tasty!
My go-to banana bread recipe!
So easy and so delicious!
Hi,
Just checking – is it supposed to be a tablespoon of baking powder? Seems a lot when I’m already using self raising flower… should it be teaspoon?
Thanks
Angela
Hey Angela, yes I use a tbsp 🙂
Question! If I don’t have gluten free flour that is self raising flour, can I use regular gluten free flour or oat flour? Do I need to add anything to it if I do so (eg. additional baking powder)?
Thanks so much!
Mary
Hey Mary, yes just add 1 tsp baking powder per 100g of flour (that’t what I do if I don’t have any SR flour) enjoy 🙂
Hi James, will the recipe works without maple syrup, as I would like to make this for baby? For myself, sure with syrup
Hey Nina, absolutely 🙂
I’ve made loads of your recipes James and they’ve all been so yummy. This one did not disappoint either!
I ran out of maple syrup and just added a touch more milk and some extra cinnamon and it still tasted sweet enough. Will be making again soon, thank you, you’re such a talented lad!:))
Thanks Helen 🙂 great to hear you’re enjoying the recipes!
My absolute fav! Make this every week! I LOVE IT!!
Aww thanks Carol 🙂 so pleased to hear that!
Delicious! Highly recommend making this
Love this recipe! Healthy and so easy to make.
Hi James. Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe. I used honey rather than maple syrup but after cooking in the oven for 40 mins at 200 fan assisted, the bread dropped after removing from the oven. It did the same even after cooking for a further 5 mins. I doing something wrong?
Hey Nicola, No it’s usually due to the flour and when it stops having heat the air releases and it drops a little. Nothing to worry about. Hope you enjoyed it 🙂
If I only have honey and not maple syrup, how much honey would I use? The same amount?
I would go for the same amount Kayleigh 🙂 enjoy!
I only have oat flour on hand so was wondering if I could use that instead? also I don’t have any baking powder unfortunately will it make a big difference if I leave it out? would it mainly affect the texture or also the taste if I left the baking powder out? Thanks in advance! Really want to try this recipe out!!
Oat flour and no baking powder will massively affect the texture as it won’t rise at all. It will still be tasty just a lot more dense I would say.
James… This is the best. Growing up with a Dad who has coeliac disease, you really wouldn t know this was gluten free!
Can I freeze this?! I’m guessing so?!
Yay 🙂 so pleased to hear that Frances! Yes you can freeze it.
Really is the best. We made with dairy free chocolate drops and a scattering of pecans on the top
Do you have to use plant milk or would normal milk work? 🙂 thanks x
Any milk should work Jade 🙂
Hi James,
I’m going to make this for a dinner date at the weekend 🙂
Could you please tell me the dimensions of the baking dish you use?
Many thanks,
Amy
Hey Amy, great choice! I use a 9″ by 5″ small bread baking tin 🙂 let me know how you get on! Hope it lands you a partner haha (it actually did to someone else who made it for a date!)
Going to make this banana bread looks delicious. Just recently been introduced to gram flour can this be used in any other desserts
Enjoy Jo! Let me know how you get on 🙂 gram flour is mainly used in savoury type dishes I wouldn’t use it in this recipe.
Thanks for sharing this. I just tried making this and took the easy way out by putting all the ingredients in the vitamix. I added raw almonds and 100ml of water instead of plant milk. I also used Teff Flour. After 40 mins baking and 20 minutes cooling, its still moist in the middle. I’m baking it for another 20 minutes to see if it will be better. I’ve tasted the edges and its soooo good.
Hey Irene, thanks for sharing! I’m not sure when it’s changed so much how it will end up. The water might be one of the issues.
I’m lactose intolerant. I live on a small island and maple syrup is not available here. What can i use as a substitute? Honey?
Hey Angela, Yes I would use honey instead 🙂
Amazing recipe! Please share wit use more gluten free recipeeees (and also free from butter, eggs etc…)
Thanks!
Thank you Serena, so pleased you enjoyed it! Don’t worry all my recipes on here are gluten, dairy, egg and refined sugar free so every recipe is safe for you 🙂 enjoy!
Hi James, 200C fan oven or not?
Hey Nadya, yes I use a fan oven so 200C is for that 🙂
Deliciously addictive, I’ve baked this recipe 3 times already
Glad you enjoyed it so much Isabella 🙂
So easy.. love it !
Thank you Bri 🙂
Hi James, I finally bucked up the courage to make this loaf (I am not a baker!) It looked and smelt delicious but it’s a bit under cooked through the middle. I cooked it for 40 mins and left to stand for a couple of hours. Can you give me any suggestions of what I could do differently as I’d love to give it another try. Many thanks.
Hey Gill, sorry it was a little undercooked. I would simply just cook it for longer. Often ovens vary in temperature so all I would do is do another 5-10 minutes next time 🙂
Thanks James. I was a little wary of cooking for longer as the top started to brown a lot and I was worried it would burn. Will definitely have another go though 🙂
OMG, this was delicious!
Followed the recipe and had to bake a second!
Amazing!!!!
Thanks for sharing your feedback Steve 🙂
Hi. Looks delicious. I eo not have SR flour here atm. How much baking soda should I use?
Hey Dana, if you don’t have SR flour try using normal flour and doubling the baking powder quantity as people have had success with that 🙂 let me know how you get on.
Delicious! Made it yesterday and the family are demanding more! Lovely combination of textures with the pecans and ‘crust’ contrasting with the overall moistness. I would advise allowing it to cool for at least an hour, to let the bread firm up properly. Keeps well in the fridge. Thanks for the recipe.
Yay thank you Dave! Love that you enjoyed all the elements of the bread 🙂 better get baking some more haha
I made this banana bread a couple of days ago and have been eating it for breakfast and snacks ever since spread with almond butter and sometimes a handful of blueberries on top. I switched the flour for Buckwheat flour and it worked perfectly. I love it, it is not as heavy as previous recipes I’ve tried before x
Thank you Paula! Great to hear it worked with buckwheat flour too 🙂
Made a new batch today with baking powder, result…delicious!!! I reduced the oven temp to 180, as the last one burnt on top, but that’s probably just my oven 🙂
Hi James! Just made my first banana loaf. It looks and smells delicious, and was so easy to make, but has a slight ‘tang’ to it. Could it be the baking powder (the recipe does say a tbsp and not a tsp right?) or the gf flour which I’ve not used before? Thanks!
Hey Annie, hmm that is strange I haven’t had that and no one else has mentioned it. You definitely used baking powder and not soda right as soda ruins everything haha. Other then that it could be a difference in ingredients. Sorry it turned out that way for you 🙁
Aahhh that’s where I went wrong ♀️ I used bicarb of soda! (Google told me it was the same as baking powder, but presumably not) I shall just have to make another one! Thanks for setting me straight.
Oh that’s a shame! Yes I found Soda literally destroys all dishes as it has such a strong taste. Let me know how you get on with baking powder 🙂
Can this recipe be used to make Banana Nut Muffins? If so, how many muffins do you think the recipe will make? And what temperature would you bake them at?
Hey Madinah,
Good question! I think it would work for muffins. I would guess it would make about 12. I would bake them at the same temperature just for about 15 minutes first to see how they do then just go up if they need more. Let me know how you get on 🙂
James
Hi James – I will have to bake this banana loaf 3 at once as this was gone with the hour!! What a FAB recipe – I love that it is a healthy one too and so so easy to make. I will be making this again and again – thank you 🙂
Yay!!! Glad you enjoyed it Diana 🙂 thanks for sharing your feedback.
Hi James – I will have to bake 3 at once as this was gone with the hour!! What a FAB recipe – I love that it is a healthy one too and so so easy to make. I will be making this again and again – thank you 🙂
That’s great to know if worked with those different ingredients Deborah. Pleased you enjoyed it 🙂
Great recipe! I used halve almond meal and half oat meal, with extra baking powder. Worked great! Thanks!
I put half in the freezer. So I’m curious to see if that tastes fine too …
This recipe is unbelievable delicious! Baking the bananabread the 3rd time this week – everybody loves it! And it also looks so amazing!
Aww LOVE this Laura! So pleased everyone is enjoying it. Thanks for sharing your great feedback 🙂
This was simple and simply delicious-moist and hearty texture! I had to stop
myself from eating the whole bread-I opted to omit nuts at my GD’s urging. I used regular SF rising four, couldn’t find the gluten free. Great recipe-thanks
Hey Debbie, so pleased you easy to make and tasty! Thanks for sharing your feedback 🙂
Hi James,
I found gluten free flour. Is there something I should add to it to make it self rising that would work for this recipe? I want to make 2 more loafs.
Hi!! Made your recipe and I loved it!!! This banana bread is so moist
Thank you so much for the great review Lisa 🙂 so pleased you enjoyed it!
I didn’t have gf self rising flour so i used the regular gf flour I had on hand and it still came out great. I added a splash of vanilla and some carob nibs too. So delicious! ❤️
Hey Kara, thank you for sharing that it worked well without SR flour! I love the addition of vanilla and nibs!
Amazing recipe, so easy to make and uses really simple ingredients that you will most likely already have in the house! Creates a really delicious banana bread which a nice crunch from the nuts. I love it!!
Thank you so much for sharing your amazing review Rhianne 🙂
Hi James, this recipe looks delicious but I did wonder with buckwheat or spelt flour and if so, how did it turn out?
Hey Fran, I haven’t personally tried it but the issue is that it won’t rise properly. If you try it I would double the amount of baking powder. Let me know how you get on 🙂