Keto banana bread is light, moist, and infused with banana flavor without the extra sugar and carbs! Made with a secret ingredient, it’s the perfect gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb bread for quick breakfasts, afternoon snacks, and everything in between.
Why You’ll Love This Keto Banana Bread
We know what you’re thinking. There’s no way banana bread can be keto, right?! In its traditional form that is correct, but you should know that we would never leave you hanging and out of luck when a craving strikes! So, we transformed traditional banana bread into a low-carb option with the help of a few simple swaps and secret ingredients.
The result was a super tasty keto banana bread recipe that’s free from artificial flavors, refined sugar, gluten, and dairy! However, it’s every bit as soft and fluffy as the bread you grew up eating. Sounds too good to be true, right? Just consider it a dream come true. In no time at all, you can be munching on your new favorite breakfast or snack with this kid-friendly recipe.
Tips Before You Begin
Remove Any Clumps. Take your time when mixing the flours, and be careful to remove any clumps that might develop to allow for a smooth batter and even flavor.
Don’t Overmix. Incorporate all of your ingredients until they’re just combined. Continuing to mix will only result in tough, dry keto banana bread!
Add Banana On Top. Slice half of a small banana (or add another ½ if you aren’t strictly Keto), and place it on top of the bread for a pretty presentation and extra texture.
Cover with Foil. If after 45 minutes your bread still has not set, cover it with foil, rotate it in the oven, and continue to bake for another 5-10 minutes or until it is golden brown on top and a toothpick can be inserted into the center and comes out clean.
Ingredients You’ll Need
In addition to the banana and a few baking essentials, you’ll also need a few key gluten-free ingredients including:
- Almond Flour – A great low-carb, gluten-free flour alternative, almond flour creates a fluffy texture while providing a great source of fiber and healthy fats.
- Coconut Flour – We like to combine almond flour and coconut flour to create a more bread-like texture. However, you’ll want to measure carefully! Coconut oil has a unique texture and absorbs a large amount of liquid meaning a little goes a long way.
Pro-Tip: Every flour measures different, and measuring cups can be inconsistent. So, for the best results, use a food scale to measure the grams!
- Ground Flax Seed – Golden or regular flax meal can be used as both a binder and thickener, holding the bread together and creating the best texture.
- Spices – Cinnamon and turmeric add a slightly sweet and spicy flavor along with anti-inflammatory properties and health benefits!
- Eggs – Acts as a biding agent to help form the dough.
- Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon Juice – When combined with the baking soda, the acid helps to create a vegan replacement for buttermilk, helping the bread rise.
Note: We think this keto banana bread is plenty sweet as it is. However, to enhance the taste even further, feel free to add ¼ cup of monk fruit sweetener! It’s one of our favorite natural sugar options because it has a low glycemic index and no stranger aftertaste.
Are Bananas Suitable for a Keto Diet?
As you probably already know, the keto diet is one in which carbohydrate consumption is reduced to 50 grams a day or less. (Source) A single medium-sized banana contains roughly 25 grams of carbs. That’s half of the allotted consumption in a single piece of fruit, and most banana bread recipes contain more than one large banana! So, needless to say, bananas themselves along with banana bread are not entirely keto-friendly.
That said, there is a way in which you can enjoy all the sweet flavor of bananas without all the carbs or using banana extract. For this recipe, we included a single banana, but there are a few twists.
First: Use an underripe banana instead of overly ripe bananas as you might expect. This is because underripe (aka greener) bananas have more resistant starch which is also known as fiber. This fiber content is subtracted from the total carbohydrate count of the bread to find the net carbs which are what count when it comes to keto.
Second: Freeze the fruit. By freezing then thawing and mashing the banana we are able to extract the liquid and incorporate it into the dough for a well-rounded banana flavor with way less carbs. It’s like bread baking magic!
Once frozen, we’ll let the banana thaw in the fridge (or warm it in the microwave), and mash it in a bowl, making sure to reserve the liquid/juice for the bread.
How to Make Gluten-Free Keto Banana Bread
This low-carb banana bread recipe is a breeze to make. Don’t believe us? See it in action below!
- Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Then, line the bottom of an 8×4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, and grease the sides. Heat the frozen banana in a bowl for a minute in a microwave, or in a saucepan on the stovetop. This will reduce the banana and concentrate the flavor. Then, mash it in the bowl and set it aside, along with any of its juice.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking soda, and flaxseed meal. Add in the sugar and spices, and whisk again.
- Incorporate the wet ingredients. In a second small bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Combine them with the flour mixture, and incorporate the mashed banana and liquid. Add in the apple cider vinegar, vanilla, and melted butter, and combine until smooth.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the loaf pan, and brush the top with melted butter and sugar-free syrup, a pinch of turmeric, and cinnamon, if desired. Then, place it in the oven for 35-45 minutes.
Flavor Variations
Looking to spruce up your low-carb banana bread with even more flavor? Try incorporating these tasty add-ins!
Nuts – Fold in toasted, chopped walnuts or pecans for a boost of extra fiber, healthy fats, and a satisfying crunch!
Dark Chocolate – Create a dessert-like bread by folding in dairy-free chocolate chips. If you want to keep this recipe free from added sugar, opt for sugar-free chocolate chips like these!
Blueberries – A tasty low-carb fruit, blueberries are also packed full of antioxidants and fiber!
Nut or Seed Butter – Add a swirl of your favorite peanut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter into the dough right before baking for out-of-this-world flavor.
Storage and Freezing Options
This keto banana bread disappears almost immediately once baked. However, if you do have leftovers, it keeps well and can be enjoyed all week!
Room Temperature: Place your bread in a sealable bag or airtight container, and keep it on the counter for up to 2 days in a cool, dry place.
Fridge: This keto banana bread will stay fresh for up to 1 week.
Freezer: Let the banana bread cool completely. Then, slice it, and wrap each piece with parchment paper before transferring them to an airtight container. They can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Reheating: When you’re ready to eat, let your bread thaw on the counter or in the fridge overnight. Then, enjoy it cold, or warm it in the microwave for a few seconds, and enjoy!
More of Our Favorite
Gluten-Free Bread Recipes
Gluten-Free Keto Banana Bread
- Total Time: 45 minutes – 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf (10-12 slices) 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Keto banana bread is light, moist, and infused with banana flavor without the extra sugar and carbs! Made with a secret ingredient, it’s the perfect gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb bread for quick breakfasts, afternoon snacks, and everything in between.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (224 grams) fine blanched almond flour
- 2 Tablespoons (15–16 grams) sifted coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- ¼ cup monk fruit sweetener, optional
- ½ Tablespoon cinnamon, plus extra for topping
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, more if desired
- 5 large eggs, room temp and whisked
- 1 frozen small banana, thawed then mashed in a bowl (keep the juice as well)
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons melted clarified butter or refined coconut oil, (plus extra for brushing)
- Optional Toppings: Toasted chopped nuts and/or thin banana slices,
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8×4-inch bread pan and place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom.
- In a large bowl, stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking soda, and ground flaxseed removing any clumps in the flour mixture. Whisk in the optional monk fruit sweetener, turmeric, and cinnamon.
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together. Combine the eggs with the flour mixture. Next, add in the mashed banana (and banana juice) and gently combine.
- Pour in the apple cider vinegar, vanilla, and melted butter (or oil) and fold together until incorporated.
- Pour batter into the greased loaf pan. If desired use option toppings: Add ½ sliced banana on top of the batter then brush with melted butter and a pinch of turmeric and cinnamon.
- Bake bread on the center rack for 35-45 minutes. If the center is not set, cover with aluminum foil, rotate the pan, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
Nutrition information below does not include toppings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-55 minutes
- Category: Breads
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 204
- Sugar: 2.3 g
- Sodium: 255.1 g
- Fat: 9.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.5 g
- Fiber: 2.7 g
- Protein: 6.9 g
- Cholesterol: 90.1 mg
I just made the keto banana bread and it turned out amazing! I followed the recipe as written and added the monk fruit plus 1/4 cup lilly’s dark chocolate chips to the batter. Then brushed butter on top and added chopped pecans and walnuts with a sprinkle of cinnamon before baking. The texture was perfect! I will definitely be making this again and again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Megan! It’s one of our absolute favorites too! Hard to believe it’s low carb 😱 love the addition of pecan and and walnuts 👏
This is not keto!
Hi Julia! We have a whole section explaining that. See blog post. But a few notes..
Bananas themselves along with banana bread are not entirely keto-friendly.
For this recipe, we included a single banana, but there are a few twists.
First: Use an underripe banana instead of overly ripe bananas as you might expect. This is because underripe (aka greener) bananas have more resistant starch which is also known as fiber. This fiber content is subtracted from the total carbohydrate count of the bread to find the net carbs which are what count when it comes to keto.
Second: Freeze the fruit. By freezing then thawing and mashing the banana we are able to extract the liquid and incorporate it into the dough for a well-rounded banana flavor with way less carbs.
What would be a substitute for ground flaxseed?
You could use ground chia seed
great, thank you.
of course! Keep me posted
This was very delicious! I will make this banana bread over and over – guaranteed!
So glad! Thanks for feedback Jen!
This bread baked up wonderfully! It was a fabulous treat with my morning coffee!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is such an amazing bread recipe! An instant favorite at my house!
I’m glad that your family loved it! Thanks, Toni!
This was divine! The texture was perfect. I eat it with a cup of tea in the morning!
So glad you love it! Thanks, Lauren!