Fitness / March 22, 2024

Almond Flour Banana Bread

A wholesome and nutritious banana bread that’s so delicious that you won’t need to tell them that it’s healthy, low-carb or gluten-free!

Table of Contents

Toggle

Banana bread was originally invented as way of using up over-ripe bananas back when they were considered something of an exotic fruit. It’s quickly become a lunch-box or afternoon coffee staple, and with good reason. There are few loaves as satisfying as banana bread.

This one is suitable for a range of popular diet trends – and is so delicious and moist that even those not on a special diet will still enjoy it. Long gone are the days when healthy snacks could be described as “pretty good for a healthy snack”… this one is just plain good. You can make it extra-indulgent with this healthy frosting https://www.foodfaithfitness.com/greek-yogurt-frosting/ but we think it’s delicious on its own.

Is Almond Flour Banana Bread Healthy?

Presenting a banana bread that’s gluten-free, grain-free, lower carb and packed with protein, fibre and healthy fats. Too good to be true? So good, for sure, but also true! We’ve come up with a banana bread that is nuttily delicious by substituting fine almond flour for the traditional wheat flour.

There are no downsides here – this loaf is every bit as delicious as a more traditional banana bread, using very ripe bananas for the right amount of sweetness and eggs as the leavening agent.

Healthy never tasted so good!

On Ripe Bananas

Green bananas are very firm and starchy – this is great for some recipes, but here you need the ripest bananas you can get. As bananas ripen on your counter they go from green to yellow to speckled to almost uniformly black. At this point, almost all the starch in the bananas has turned to sugar and the texture is super soft. Perfect for this recipe.

Pro tip: If your bananas ripen to the point beyond which you’d enjoy eating them “straight up”, simply pop them into the freezer, skin and all. Then you can just pull out as many you need for the recipe you’re making. You can peel them and pre-mash them if you want to, but once the frozen bananas are thawed they mash really easily with a fork, making way less work and mess.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup honey substitute
1/4 cup unsalted butter melted (or coconut oil for a dairy-free option)
3 large ripe bananas about 1 1/2 cups mashed; the riper, the sweeter
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts chopped (divided)

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare

Preheat oven to 350°, line a loaf pan with parchment paper, and mash ripe bananas in a bowl.

Mix

Whisk together dry ingredients, and separately whisk eggs then combine with bananas and wet ingredients.

Blend & Bake

Blend in walnuts and pour into pan. Bake 40-45 minutes until golden, cover with foil, and bake another 20-30 minutes.

Cool & Serve

Allow bread to cool in the pan. Lift it out, slice it, and devour!

Devour!

FAQs & Tips

How to Make Ahead and Store?

Once cooled, the banana bread can be stored on the counter for up to three days. After that we recommend freezing it – cut it into slices and wrap them individually, then you can pull out as much as you need.

How do I prevent the loaf from getting too dense?

It’s all in the wrist action. Go slow when folding in the dry ingredients, and stop once everything is just combined. Overworking the batter is the main culprit in making a dense loaf. It also helps to whip up the eggs really well, until they’re a little foamy.

What should I use as a honey substitute?

It’s really up to you, depending on your diet. Maple syrup is great, or make a syrup using brown sugar and water. Agave syrup also works well.

Be sure to use fine almond flour.

Almond meal can look fine but is coarser than almond flour. For the best texture be sure to use a fine-ground almond flour.

Allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing.

This will make sure it doesn’t crumble as you cut it. Try using a chef’s knife instead of a bread knife, too.

Serving Suggestions

This loaf is perfect with a cup of coffee and a few friends or neighbours. It also works great as a mid-afternoon or after-school snack.

Almond Flour Banana Bread

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 2 15

Servings

Calories 303kcal

Author FoodFaithFitness

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup honey substitute
1/4 cup unsalted butter melted or coconut oil for a dairy-free option
3 large ripe bananas about 1 1/2 cups mashed
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts chopped divided

Instructions

Start by preheating your oven to 350°. Grab a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, letting the edges overhang for easy removal later.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and sea salt. Make sure to mix evenly.
In a small bowl, mash the ripe bananas up until they’re smooth. The riper they are, the easier (and the sweeter) it will be.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk until frothy. Stir in the honey substitute, melted butter, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mix. This isn’t a race; take it slow and steady until just combined. Do not overmix.
Now, fold in 3/4 cup of the chopped walnuts. Reserve the remaining 1/4 cup for later.
Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts over the top. Pop it in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. When the top is golden, cover the bread with foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the bread cool completely in the pan. Use the parchment ‘handles’ to lift it out, then slice it up. DEVOUR!