Delicious, low-fat, gluten-free banana nut bread made two-ways! So moist and delicious, you can’t tell it’s light.
My family went bananas for this!!
My aunt recently started following a gluten-free diet, and my close friend has Celiac, so lately I’ve been dabbling more with gluten-free baking. I had a large bunch of over-ripe bananas sitting on my counter and decided to experiment taking my favorite Low-fat Banana Nut Bread Recipe and making it gluten-free. Since the recipe makes two loafs (yes you can halve it if you wish) I thought why not use two different gluten-free flours to see which yields the best results. Not having a ton of experience baking gluten-free, and seeing how much fat is usually used in gluten-free baked goods, I wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but the results were EXCELLENT!
This was easier than I thought it would be, I was fully prepared to test this a few times but it worked on the first shot, and they were both equally delicious. The bread on the above left photo was made with brown rice flour instead of wheat flour; the bread on the above right photo I swapped the wheat flour for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour.
I then had my aunt, friends, daughter and husband help me taste test them to see which was better and the results were mixed. My favorite was the Bob’s Red Mill, to me it tasted closest to my original recipe. But some of my friends liked the brown rice one better because they liked that it had a cakier texture, something that is difficult to achieve with gluten-free baking. My 4-year old daughter loved them both! So I’ll let you decide which way you want to make it, and if you want the original wheat version, here’s the link. I gave you the nutritional info for both, with and without the nuts!
How to freeze banana bread
Since this recipe makes two, you can freeze the second loaf.
- Cool completely
- Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in the freezer. You can also slice the bread and wrap individual slices.
- Can be frozen 2 to 4 months.
- Thaw, wrapped at room temperature before serving.
More Healthy Banana Bread Recipes you might enjoy:
- Banana Nut Bread
- Chocolate Chip Banana Petite Loaves
- Roasted Strawberry Banana Bread
- Gluten Free Banana Bread
- Banana Bread with Blueberries
Gluten-Free Banana Nut Bread (with Bob's Red Mill GF All-Purpose Flour)
Ingredients
- 7 ripe medium bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 2-1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour, all purpose or brown rice
- 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, unpacked
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 oz 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
- baking spray, (check label for GF)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 8x5 inch nonstick loaf pans with baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add egg whites, bananas, apple sauce and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
- Add flour mixture and walnuts (if using), then blend at low speed until combined. Do not over mix.
- Pour batter into loaf pans and bake on the center rack for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the pan cool at least 20 minutes to bring it to room temperature before slicing.
Last Step:
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Calories: 109 • Fat: 2 g • Carb: 24 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 2 g • Sugar: 12 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg • Sodium: 106 mg Using Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice Flour
Servings: 26 (2 loaves) • Serving Size: 1 slice • Old Pts: 3 • Weight Watchers Points+: 4
Calories: 145 • Fat: 5 g • Carb: 28 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 2 g • Sugar: 12 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg • Sodium: 108 mg Using Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice Flour Without the Nuts – Old Points: 2 • Weight Watchers Points+: 3
Calories: 124 • Fat: 2 g • Carb: 27 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 2 g • Sugar: 12 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg • Sodium: 108 mg
Thanks Gina and commenters
My husband mentioned that we have no need to ever visit the gluten free bakery.
1. Made these as a half batch of 12 muffins.
2. Baked 350 for 23 minutes
3. Used silicon liners. . Absolutely no sticking
4. Added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and used 6 dark chocolate chips in each instead of nuts.
If you ever have any free time, please consider a cup measurement on the bananas.
Both sides of the family have celics disease so yummy inexpensive healthy recipes are so appreciated.
I will be sure and share with my WW group. Let me know if anyone trys maple extract instead of vanilla.
This recipe calls for baking spray which isn’t gluten free. Tastes great (5 star) but could be dangerous for folks with celiac. Our granddaughter is so we need to be very careful.
There are a few brands that are GF, but I will make a note to check the label.
How many cups of bananas did you use? Bananas can be very different in size!
I totally love this site I’m finding all kinds of great things for my family on here. How many slices should I get out of one bread to keep up with the nutritional information? I am on weight watchers and need to make sure I get it right. Thank you 😊.
26 slices from 2 loaves.
Hi! I am trying out this recipe soon and I was thinking, instead of brown sugar, could I use honey? And what are the modifications I should make if I choose to use honey?
This is the first bread I have baked since becoming gluten intolerant more than 3 years ago. this bread is amazing! So moist and flavorful. Better than any white flour bread I have ever baked. I cut the recipe in half to make a single loaf. My husband and I ate the bread in less than 2 days. I’m making a second today!
Wow!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This was amazing! I was pleasantly surprised that I could make this entirely with brown rice flour. It does produce a nice cake texture and it wasn’t the least bit dry or crumbly. This is a keeper for sure.
Hi did you use Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 or Bobs All Purpose Flour. Did you need to add Xanthum Gum. I’m probably only going to make one loaf so would I half all the ingredients?
Thank you, my family loves all your delicious recipes.
How can this banana bread be low fat? It was incredibly moist and delicious…..one of the best recipes I’ve tried! Since my bananas were so big, I used only 6, used King Arthur Measure for Measure GF flour, and used Earth Balance butter (dairy free). This is my new go-to recipe! Everyone loved it! Thanks for a great recipe.
Love it!
Made muffins instead. Came out to about 16 muffins. I half the recipe using 3 medium bananas and it came out so yummy! Used dark brown sugar instead of light. It was all I had. Used be Bob Mills Gluten Free flour. I also mixed the ingredients in my Vitamix. I might’ve blended the mixture too much but they still turned out excellent! Still 5pts on the green plan. My breakfast! With a cup of coffee. Thank you!
LOVE this recipe!!! I just made it using Bob Red Mill and it came out DELISH!!!! By the way, I added chocolate chips and made 24 mini muffins and a loaf without the chocolate chips since I’m on WW.
I made the Banana bread tonight.. my kitchen smelled like Heaven.. the bread turned out fabulous.. I used half Stevia and half coconut sugar.. I’m not good with the artificial sugars. I used some coconut oil and some butter. I used nuts and boy did it make it taste yummy. I was happy with the results. I made my own fresh apple sauce and I think that helped wth the moistness too. I used Bob’s Mills flour. thanks for this great recipe.
What kind of Light Brown sugar do you use? Thank you for adding all the newest points.. I am going to have a go at this. But I’m not sure what kind of sugar to use. I will use regular brown sugar but use 1/2 of the sugar. I hope that is ok. thanks.
Light refers to the color rather than the calories. Same as regular. (As opposed to dark brown sugar). Hope this helps.
Delicious. Used King Arthur s GF flour. With second loaf cut into slices. Froze individually a great option for grab and go breakfast.
Can I swap Bob’s Mill Gluten Free Flour for Cup4Cup (1:1 ratio?)
Oh – and I also made it without the nuts and cut the sugar in half. Still plenty sweet!!! Used Bob’s Red Mills 1 to 1 Baking Flour.
This stuff is CRAZY GOOD. How is it so low in calories?! Straight voodoo – I love it! I love banana bread but hate how high in calories it can be. Solution = this recipe! Thank you!
Made this recipe (½’d) for a single loaf. Instead of walnuts I added lightly toasted hazelnuts, also a ⅓ tsp cinnamon. Instead of brown sugar used 1:1 date sugar and instead of oil used coconut oil. Then to top it off I mixed ¼ C. shredded coconut to the batter before baking. OMG this is delicious!!! Awesome texture, lovely flavor notes and was my first ever try using gluten free flour! Love it! My only regret is that I only made a single loaf! Definitely worth making this regularly.
Has anyone tried this without the nuts? Looks fantastic!
I made the gluten free version. I didn’t have applesauce so put in an extra banana, I also greatly reduced the sugar to 2 tablespoons.
Didn’t have loaf pans so I used a medium size rectangular.
Came out very well!!
I forgot the other variation I used: 2 whole eggs instead of 4 whites!
I just made this recipe and it is sooo good but is it supposed to be “doughy” in the middle? Thanks!
Simply put, easy and delicious. This was the perfect recipe for me. It was easy, fell in line with my gluten free lifestyle and my love of cake. Not being able to eat cake has been the hardest part of being GF for me, which is a must. I LOVE CAKE. I made this using brown rice flour,first time baking with this type of flour. This came out great. I did have to bake it for 90 minutes, but for full disclosure I used my mini toaster/convection oven, which may explain the lengthy cooking time. Next time,yes there will be a next time, I’ll use my air fryer. Baked goods come out great in those. My loaves looked exactly like Gina’s. I drizzled some ginger syrup over the top, once the loaves where done to give it a little spice. Great and well explained recipes on this site. Thank you.
I like it. The flavor came out really good but the bread was not moist and soft, instead it was hard. What could it be??
This was incredible. I followed the recipe almost exactly, I used liquid egg whites and added chocolate chips with the nuts. It took the full baking time and it was cakey and amazingly delicious. Love your recipes.
Absolutely amazing
Can I use almond flour as a substitute?
I’ve ried this recipe once and absolutely loved it. I‘m trying to adopt a vegan lifestyle, so how can I make this recipe vegan?
Can you use Coconut Flour instead? It’s still Gluten free. Would you use the same amount of flour?
not sure
Do you think this would work with almond or paleo flour?
I made it with all the listed ingredients except the flour was the same brand, but was the regular wheat kind. I accidentally added the applesauce with the dry ingredients before mixing so maybe that’s where things went wrong. It was very wet after 50 minutes. I baked it an additional 10 minutes and the middle pieces were still completely mushy. I put it in the oven for 15 more minutes and it looked better but still a little mushy. Hoping it is better after sitting overnight. Can anyone think of why it was so mushy? Maybe the bananas I used were too ripe, or too large? I divided the ingredients by half by the way since I just wanted one loaf. The two ends we had were delicious! Hope the rest comes out okay tomorrow.
This is an excellent recipe! I’ve been searching for a good banana bread since I developed a gluten allergy 5 years ago, this is i! great banana flavor and very moist! My picky son, that smirks at gluten free products, love it! Thanks so much! Love your recipes!
Hi, I made this banana bread today but I’m wondering about the points. I used regular flour instead of the gluten free. The bread tastes good but if my WW calculator is correct, my bread is 9 points per slice,
Are you using the recipe builder?
I really wish the measurements had a weight conversion.
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Could you make this in muffin tins? Trying to work on portion control? Also if made into muffins how long would it bake them for?
Was so excited to see this recipe- & with 2 versions. Wow! Awesome! I’m trying to cut down on sugar. Could 1/2 the brown sugar be substituted with Stevia granules? Thank you!!!
Thanks, great work on the how-to-guide here.
i baked this last night and it was delicious. has anyone ever made this into muffins?
I baked this bread and I am disappointed. The bread tasted undone. Baked it an additional 10 minutes and it was still way too moist. I”m sure it’s not the recipe…I used Bob’s Red Mill – 1 to 1 Baking Flour and the bread didn’t rise well. Also, it was extremely sweet; I used organic coconut palm sugar. I’ll try it next time with listed ingredients.
Interesting, it turned out fine for me.
This was amazing! I didn’t see how it would work without milk or oil, and it didn’t say to beat the egg white separately first . . . and I was worried when the mixture didn’t really thicken. And of course g-f flour here in Australia is different, but . . . the end product is delicious! Thank you.
Great! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Can we use gluten free coconut flour?
I haven’t tried, not sure that would work.
I have a vitamix and usually grind my own brown rice flour, I suppose this would work instead of buying some. Also, could you make this recipe into a zucchini bread recipe instead of banana bread? If so how much zucchini do you think you would need?
I have 2 recipes for zucchini bread, you can search for them from the main page.
Your self require toward rather mild the comments upon this web site
Smart points 7
I love banana bread. Thanks for the recipe!
my favorite is banana bread ! I Like this recipe! This banana bread with walnuts looks very nice!
This looks mouthwatering! Very nicely presented.
Bread looks delicious, but I hope it is not too sweet?
I've been directed to cut gluten from my diet so I'm excited to see that both of these recipes with the different flours turned out. Thanks for sharing!
Maureen, since the recipe makes 26 servings and a serving is 1 slice, then for the points/nutrition information to work, you have to get 26 slices from the 2 loaves or 13 from each one. Measure the length of a finished loaf and divide by 13 to figure out how thick each slice should be. It depends on the size of your pan, but each slice will probably be about 1/2" thick. Hope this helps! 🙂
Great! hugry now, I have to try this this week. Thank you for sharing!
What is considered a "slice"? How many slices do you get out of each loaf?
WAIT! Don't lose the water that is released! My second batch came out very dry, and I realized that I had put the banana water in the mix. Microwave still makes the bananas easier to mash, but put the water in with the bananas again. OOOPS!
Excellent. Light, as you say, but with LOTS of banana flavor. I used a trick from America's Test Kitchen, microwaving the bananas for about 4 min to get them to release a little water. Poured that off (a quarter cup, maybe) and saved it for a smoothie in the morning. Then mashed bananas with my potato ricer. I like how this held together despite being GF (Used Bob's Red Mill GF AP) I will make it again, especially when they pack up aging bananas cheap at the store.
Gina, Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe! I had an opened package of Bob's Red Mill GF biscuit and baking mix I had used for quiche with disappointing results and have been reluctant to "ruin" another recipe with it, but hadn't quite brought myself to throwing it out. When you said you actually preferred the banana bread with the Bob's GF AP flour mix, I decided to try it. I made banana nut muffins and they are delicious! I accidentally used 1 less banana than the recipe called for and they were still perfect! Maybe my bananas were more "Large" than "Medium", or this is just a very forgiving recipe! Either way, it's a new favorite in my repertoire!
The banana bread is an absolutely amazing idea, without doubt. It's delicious
Made this and it came out perfectly! I only made one loaf so i halved the recipe and used 2.5 bananas. also added some chocolate chips. Came out moist, fluffy and sooooo good!
Delicious and healthy, thank you!!
This banana bread with walnuts looks very nice.
http://savrsenoalako.blogspot.com/
Made this over the weekend and I'm so thankful it makes two! So thankful for the GF option. Look forward to more…pumpkin bread!
This is in the oven as I speak. Can this be frozen? Best way to freeze the bread?
Thanks so much for that post! I have to try it!
http://www.thebeautyaddictions.uk
This looks amazing 🙂 I must try this!
Life As Lissy
I cannot WAIT to try this. I nanny for a boy who recently had to go gluten free, but he looooves his banana bread. I haven't found a good one yet, so I'm really anxious to make this! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Trust me….its a good one!
I don't do gluten free but this looks fantastic and I wouldn't feel guilty eating it 😉
can these be frozen? and still taste good when you get them out?
unsweetened applesauce? I thought I had read in the comments to use regular…..dang I picked up the wrong sauce
This was delicious, we made it yesterday. I love banana bread and my husband is gluten free, this recipe was much healthier and taste as good as my go-to one. This is the new go-to :). Thank you!
Hi, Gina, these sound so yummy, many thanks.
Can't wait to try it… now I need some ripe banana.
BTW, can I take 1 loaf and freeze it?
I am a long time fan and user of your blog – and now cookbook – and recently went gluten free due to a doctor's suggestion (after years and years of being in pain and having a horrible relationship with food, I am actually eating these days and am not in horrible pain. It's WONDERFUL!) Anyway, when I realized I could sort by GF here, I got so excited… and I am also excited you are baking more GF things now because in the 2 months I have been doing this, I have found that the baking part is the hardest! Anyway, thank you thank you thank you!!!
Because my helps me with recipe testing and is now gluten-free, I will be adding a lot more baking. Glad it helped! My cookbook has about 95 GF recipes!!
I've been trying baking with gluten-free flours as well…I really like the texture it gives baked goods! This looks delicious 🙂
This looks awesome, I must try a gluten free recipe!
Finally got your book today at Target! I love it!
This looks mouthwatering! Very nicely presented.
Can you make it without eggs/whites I cannot have diary products , or eggs and whites gluten free products and I prefer no nuts ive tryed egg free products but still break at with allergies do u have any suggestions
We are a gluten-free home as my son is wheat allergic. My brother is egg allergic and if you can have flax seed, there are quite a few recipes out there if you Google. Bob's Red Mill has a recipe. Here is what my brother uses: http://www.ener-g.com/egg-replacer.html I hope this helps.
Love this banana recipe:) Your photos look great. I think I have to try this this week. Thank you for sharing!
I have bananas ripening on my counter as we speak for your banana oat muffins from your cookbook. Can't wait to make them in a couple of days! This banana bread looks amazing, I've never cooked gluten-free but I may just try this recipe out!
I've just dipped my toe into gluten free baking, but this looks so fabulous I need to try again. Simply stunning photo!
Have you tried using green banana flour as a gluten free option, it's wonderful.
No, I never even saw that.
That is neat how you made two different loaves like that as an experiment, and I'm so glad they both came out looking equally stunning 😀 I made a healthy spiced banana cake today as well for my friends when having a crafty christmas workshop (part one of hopefully several yet to come!) and it went down a treat 😀
Great minds think alike 😉 I hope you've had an amazing weekend darling! x
I'm not a huge fan of gluten free, but this looks so amazing I may just have to try it!
Ooooh this looks so good!
Gina! Thank you for this! <3 I'm so excited right now! I need some super ripe bananas now. LOL! Yum!
Kay – I read that you can quickly ripen bananas for baking by putting them in a 300 degree oven for about 40 minutes (until the skin is black and shiny. Let them cool, cut off the bottom end and squeeze right into the mixing bowl. I haven't tried it.
One of my students (who is now in her twenties, wow they grow up fast) posted a Buzzfeed article on kitchen hacks. Some were pretty good. http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicaprobus/life-changing-baking-hacks-everyone-needs-to-know#2bkq2x0
Wonderful banana bread. Perfect for breakfast with a nice cup of coffee. Catherine
I love that you put a gluten free baked good recipe on your website! I am celiac and am always looking for healthy and gluten free recipes. Thank you!
Great, hope you enjoy it! I know how hard it is to make baked GF recipes light.
I love banana bread and recently I've been directed to cut gluten from my diet so I'm excited to see that both of these recipes with the different flours turned out. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Banana bread is my favorite! Love this recipe 🙂
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