Paleo Banana Bread

Name: Paleo Banana Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: America
Ingredients: 3 large (or 4 medium) very ripe bananas, mashed; 3 large eggs, room temperature; ¼ cup melted coconut oil; ¼ cup honey; ¼ cup coconut sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 cup blanched almond flour; ¾ cup tapioca flour; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon sea salt

This paleo banana bread is the perfect texture—golden on the outside, and soft and moist on the inside. This recipe mixes up in a single mixing bowl in only 5 minutes! Great for breakfast snack time with your favorite spread.

Stack of paleo banana bread slices on a cutting board.

If you are absolutely done with banana bread that is flat, wet, or flavorless, this paleo banana bread recipe is exactly what you’ve been looking for! Much like my well-loved paleo chocolate banana bread, this recipe mixes up in a single mixing bowl and gets beautifully golden brown in the oven. The texture is heavenly and the recipe is foolproof, so you’re going to nail it on the first try.

In other words, prepare for this to become your new favorite banana bread recipe! I actually make this recipe every weekend because I add it to my kids’ lunches for school. While it tastes great plain, you can also fold in chocolate chips for a fun variation. And best of all? This recipes freezes well! I often make a double batch so we always have a back up.

Because this banana bread is paleo, it’s made with two completely grain free flours, including almond and tapioca flour. It’s also dairy free, and just needs a little coconut oil to make it nice and moist.

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Ingredient Notes

Ingredients in the recipe, including eggs, bananas, almond flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, vanilla, tapioca starch, honey, and salt.

Bananas – Make sure to use very overripe bananas. It makes the bread moist and sweet. Even if you think your bananas have too many black spots, they will work!
Eggs – To bring these to room temperature, lay them out for an hour before you use them.
Coconut oil – Refined and unrefined both work. I recommend an unrefined organic coconut oil.
Honey – I recommend using a raw, local honey for the best flavor and nutrients.
Coconut sugar – This is a natural sugar available at most grocery stores. It’s dark brown and has a nice maple color. Coconut sugar is sourced from the coconut palm tree.
Almond flour – Make sure to use blanched almond flour. This makes the bread soft and moist.
Tapioca flour – Tapioca is a starch that derives from the cassava root. You’ll find it in the baking section (often near almond flour). It’s also sometimes labeled tapioca starch.
Sea salt – I like to use an unprocessed sea salt like Real Salt.

Substitutions

Coconut oil: You can use another oil or fat, including melted butter or ghee.
Honey: Maple syrup will also work, but the bread will be slightly less sweet.
Coconut sugar: This can be swapped for brown sugar or cane sugar. Check out Coconut Sugar Substitute: 9 Best Alternatives for more info.
Tapioca flour – You can swap this for arrowroot starch or a simple 1:1 gluten free baking flour blend. You can also use more almond flour, just be aware that the texture will change and the bread will be more dense.

How to Make Paleo Banana Bread

Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan with coconut oil, and line it with a parchment paper sling so the paper drapes over two sides. This will allow the bread to easily lift out of the pan.
Whisk: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, eggs, coconut oil, honey, coconut sugar, and vanilla together until combined.
Mix the batter: Add the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, and mix until just combined.
Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake in the center of the oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Serve: Let the bread cool for at least 15 minutes before to lifting out of the pan, then let it cool completely on a wire rack before serving. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

I love this bread just as it is! However, you van really elevate the bread by heating it up slightly and adding a little butter or a drizzle of honey. You can also top it with nut butter and a sprinkle of chocolate chips!

While I most often make this bread plain, I’ve also mixed-in chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, and raisins before! Just fold in 1/2 cup before transferring the batter to a pan.

Baking Tips

Use very overripe bananas. You want all the black spots. This makes the banana bread sweet and moist!
Line your loaf pan. While it’s an extra step, the bread will lift out of the pan with ease.
Mash the bananas right in the mixer. I like to use the beater attachment on my mixer to mix the bananas first.
Don’t over-mix the batter. Once the batter is combined, stop mixing.
Add in mix-ins! Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped nuts just before transferring the batter into the pan.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make bread without eggs?

If you have an egg allergy, I recommend using an egg replacer or chia eggs in place of the eggs. Make sure to use enough of the substitute to replace the number of eggs in the recipe. Note that when you use an egg substitute, you may find your bread is more flat and dense. This is because eggs help breads and cakes rise.

Why is my banana bread not moist?

This is likely because you added too much flour to the batter. If you scoop your flour directly out of the bag with a measuring cup, this can cause the flour to compact down. You can end up with as much as 40% more flour by measuring this way! For volume measurements, use the fluff, scoop, and sweep method. Fluff the flour in your container, scoop it with your measuring cup, then sweep the top with a knife.

Can I make paleo banana bread into muffins?

Yes! If you want to make muffins, cook them at 350°F, but you’ll need to reduce your cooking time significantly. They should be done somewhere between 25-30 minutes depending on the size of your muffins.

How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?

The best bananas for banana bread aren’t yellow, they’re black! When a banana is overripe, the starch is broken down, which makes the banana softer and sweeter. This not only makes it easier to mash, it also makes the bread much softer and moist when baked!

Storage Info

TO STORE: Freshly baked bread will last at room temperature for 1-2 days and up to a week in the fridge. Just store it in an airtight container or a sealable storage bag.

TO FREEZE: This bread is great for meal prep because it freezes well! To freeze, just wrap the entire loaf or individual slices in parchment paper and place in a freezer safe zip-top storage bag. It will keep in the freezer up to three months.

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