Easy Recipe for Gluten-Free Banana Bread
This easy recipe for gluten-free banana bread has a delicious moist, light and tender crumb. A touch of cardamom adds a fresh citrusy note, and the chocolate chips are optional – but are they really?
Jump to RecipeFAQ added 1/31/23.
I’m completely in love with banana bread. Maybe not as much as my kids, one of whom was crying with happiness when it came out of the oven. But I like it a whole lot. I haven’t made it since my celiac diagnoses in September for a couple of reasons, the first being that everybody kept eating all the bananas I bought (so none were left to ripen into the mushy, black-mottled mess that makes the perfect bread). The second reason was that I was scared it wouldn’t taste as good. I worried that it would be dense, chewy and gritty, as gluten-free baked goods often are. Thus we’ve gone without a favorite snack for a very long time. But blessedly, I discovered that my old recipe converted perfectly and that gluten-free chocolate chip banana bread could be ours – and just as scrumptious as ever!
Happily my first try with this recipe for gluten-free banana bread was perfect. Really, unbelievably perfect. I used Cup4Cup flour and I was so pleased with the results! Short of a side-by-side comparison, it tasted exactly like I remembered. Actually, it was better, because it didn’t make me sick. The kids could hardly contain themselves and made me slice it when it was still piping hot from the oven. The crumb was light and tender and it rose high in the pan. Most gluten free breads are best when eaten the same day. I’d like to tell you that this bread is equally good the second day, but sadly, there won’t be any left.
Your questions about this Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipe – answered!
You probably know by now that it’s hard to make good gluten free bread. In my experience, it’s best to start with quick breads, like this gluten free banana bread recipe. The flour you use matters too. I like Cup4Cup or Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour blends. It’s easier than mixing your own flours and already has ingredients that may be difficult for the average human to find (like xanthan gum). All purpose gluten free flour blends work best for cookies, muffins, cakes and quick breads. Unfortunately making yeasted breads is a lot more complicated (and we’ll go into that another time).
Gluten free bread can sometimes be dry and crumbly. The best way to avoid this is to slice it and store it in the freezer. The refrigerator can sometimes dry out gluten free bread. In quick breads, you can add an extra egg, or a bit more fat or dairy to ensure a moist product. In this gluten free banana bread recipe, the mashed bananas and sour cream help keep the bread moist.
If your gluten free bread didn’t rise, it’s important to check that your leavening ingredients (baking power and baking soda) are fresh. If you are converting a regular recipe to be gluten free, sometimes it’s necessary to add an extra egg, and/or reduce the amount of baking soda. Finally, it’s important to make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Making banana bread is pretty easy but there are a few things you can do to make sure that it turns out perfectly ever time. Make sure you grease the pan well so it doesn’t stick. Make sure that your bananas are super ripe with brown spots, and making sure it’s cooked all the way through. It can take a long time to bake, especially gluten free loaves. Use a toothpick inserted in the center to test if it’s done. It should come out clean.
Recently, I added a touch of cardamom and cinnamon to this recipe. The cardamom adds a bright citrusy note, and the cinnamon a cozy one. Together, they elevate this gluten-free chocolate chip banana bread to new flavor heights. I can’t imagine making it any other way.
Love gluten free loaf cakes? Check out these other recipes!
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Recipe for Gluten-Free Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
Equipment
- Standard Loaf Pan (8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches)
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened (one stick)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure gluten free vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all purpose gluten-free flour blend (such as Cup4Cup or Bob's Red Mill 1to1)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your flour blend contains it already
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas about 3 medium
- ½ cup sour cream plain or vanilla yogurt can be used as well
- ½-1 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a standard loaf pan.
- Cream butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, xanthan (if using), cardamom, and cinnamon, and beat until just combined. Stir in the mashed banana and sour cream and mix until completely incorporated. Carefully fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about one hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
Nutrition
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Just trying this recipe with regular
flour..in the oven nowhere
Isabelle and Kelly told me about your blog. I just made banana bread for a gluten free friend — it looks and smells fabulous!!! ‘Looking forward to trying more recipes. ‘Hope all is well with you and yours. Susan
Found it! Did you say you could use yogurt instead of the sour cream??
Yup! You can use either plain or vanilla yogurt.
Wow! this is what we called a banana cake!
I love how it looks and it’s tempting me to bake.
Thanks for the recipe!
Yes, it is definitely a cake–sweet & delicious and better for dessert than breakfast (but I won’t tell on you if you have it with your coffee). 🙂
Can you substitute the butter for olive oil?
Hi Nicole,
I haven’t tried it myself, however I found a conversion chart and they suggest swapping the 1/2 cup of butter for 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Please let me know if you try it, and how it turns out! 🙂
Nicole would the olive conversion be the same for coconut oil….also, could the sour cream be subbed with coconut cream ?
This was my first attempt at gluten free baking after going gluten free at home. I used rice flour from TJ and it was so moist and delicious. My kids LOVED IT and couldn’t believe it was gluten free!!!!!!!
Yay! My kids love it too. 🙂
After making your zucchini bread and everyone RAVING about it, I am excited to try the banana bread! My fiancé has celiac’s, and my baking is mediocre to begin with, so making treats for him has been challenging. We both thank you for the recipes!
Kelly, I feel I the same about baking! And after successfully making a zucchini bread from Allison’s recipe I too wanted to try the banana bread– my favorite. It’s in the oven now. I am pretty sure it will taste awesome. I substituted the last 1/2 cup flour for coconut flour/almond meal mixed together bcs I ran out of regular GF flour, and I also substituted the sour cream for vanilla Chobani. I decided to bake it in those little bread tins, and I’m thinking about 45-50 min should do it. I will let you know how it tastes.
Thanks so much for sharing your recipes, they are amazing!
do you have to add the chocolate chips?
Nope! 🙂
This recipe is amazing; I made banana bread muffins with Cup4Cup flour and it was fantastic. I recently went gluten free, and baking has been a challenge. Thank you for posting this recipe. I will make these many times in the future 🙂
This banana bread is no joke! Seriously some of the best I have ever tasted… and this is coming from someone who has tracked down some of the best banana bread ever (I drove a couple hours along some of the most treacherous road ever – in Maui – on a recommendation). SO happy to have found this recipe since my son came along with his wheat allergy. You are awesome!!!
I just made this dairy free with Earth Balance butter and coconut vanilla yogurt to replace the sour cream, and it is some of the best banana bread (GF or regular) I have ever made. This will replace my previous go-to recipe. I look forward to trying some of your other recipe
Wow! fantastic, i added chocolate chips and 1/2c of walnuts. i used whole wheat flour. be sure to use super ripe bananas.
She is right-on with this recipe!! I make banana cakes every year for my husband’s birthday, we have been married 25 years this December, and this one gets his vote as best ever!!! I don’t really like banana cake that well, but this cake was wonderful, and better the next day, to-die-for the third day. Thank you so much for this recipe. I’m going to go eat the last piece now!!!
This is a good, very moist banana loaf. However, I will likely go back to my old recipe which is the same as Sour Cream Banana Bread #28013.
I can’t wait to try this banana bread recipe. I made your mini carmel apple cakes last week. It was my first try at gluten free baking. They were great! My husband loved them as well. My only issue was they got very wet stored in my cake saver. I would appreciate any ideas on storage. Also can I freeze the banana bread?
Thank You.
Did you refrigerate them? I usually recommend storing the cakes for a day or two at room temp, then frozen.
Fantastic recipe. Our new favourite. I always double the recipe and noticed that the conversion tool doesn’t change the number of bananas, just the cups. Just thought I’d point that out in case others don’t measure their bananas… Like me!
Oh thanks for pointing that out – let me see if I can figure out how to fix it! Glad you love the recipe!
Thank you for this gem. I have tried many recipes and different flours and just can’t get it like my moms gluten full banana recipe that we all love. Until now. I made as written (just no cardamom) and it was delish. My moms didn’t have sour cream but I was desperate as epicures mix is on back order ( still not my moms!) so I gave this a go. Making for second day in a row now. Thank you for saving me. I used the recommended flour which I think,when baking gluten free changing flours doesn’t result in reliable outcomes. Just for anyone who has a different flour on hand.
Glad you love it Christina!
Made this several times now and it’s sooooo good. This also makes tasty muffins…..I can’t stop eating them.
grams helps for baking as each Gf flour weighs out differently ..I don’t guess anymore.. plus I let the batter sit for about 20 minutes before baking..