This almond flour banana bread is tender and lightly sweet with a soft, moist crumb studded with chopped walnuts and vegan chocolate chips and finished with a sliced banana top for a pretty split-banana finish.
It comes together in about 55 minutes (10 minutes prep, 45 minutes bake) and is ideal for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or a make-ahead brunch—cool completely before slicing for the best texture.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This loaf delivers a soft, non-dense crumb using blanched almond flour and very ripe bananas. It’s naturally gluten-free, quick to mix in one bowl, and the thin banana slices on top give an attractive, bakery-style look.
If you like quick breakfast bakes with fruit and nuts, try Toasted Coconut & Pecan Pear Muffins for another cozy morning treat.
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to Make Almond Flour Banana Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease or line an 8×4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper so the loaf lifts out easily after baking.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cups blanched almond flour, 1/4 cup arrowroot flour (or cornstarch), 1/4 cup ground flaxseed, 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or light brown sugar), 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp sea salt until evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, mash 3 medium very ripe bananas (about 1 1/4 cup mashed). Stir in 2 tbsp avocado oil (or another neutral oil) and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract until the wet mixture is uniform.
- Pour the wet banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined — avoid over-mixing so the loaf remains tender.
- Gently fold 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans and 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips into the batter until distributed.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared 8×4-inch loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula or spoon so it bakes evenly.
- Thinly slice one ripe yellow banana (not overripe) and arrange the slices on top of the batter to create the split-banana topping that bakes into the loaf.
- Bake the bread for 40-45 minutes at 350°F, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Allow the loaf to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes or until cooled through before slicing. For quicker cooling, lift the loaf from the pan using the parchment and cool it directly on the rack.
Use Blanched Almond Flour
Blanched almond flour is required for this recipe because it’s made from skinned almonds and mills to a finer texture. That finer flour produces a lighter, more tender crumb compared with almond meal or natural almond flour that still contains skins.
If you substitute almond meal or natural almond flour the loaf will likely be heavier and coarser. The small amount of arrowroot (or cornstarch) in the recipe helps lighten the batter but cannot fully replace the texture benefit of blanched almond flour.
- Blanched almond flour = skinned almonds = fine texture = lighter crumb.
- Almond meal/natural flour will make the bread denser — not recommended for this loaf.
- Arrowroot (or cornstarch) helps with moisture and structure but isn’t a flour substitute.
Pick the Right Bananas
Use three medium very ripe bananas (about 1 1/4 cup mashed) in the batter — the brown-spotted bananas are sweeter and give moisture and flavor. Reserve one ripe yellow (not overripe) banana for the sliced topping so the slices hold their shape during baking.
- Very ripe bananas = sweeter flavor and more moisture.
- Reserve a firmer yellow banana for a neat, split-banana top.
Prevent Dense Crumb
Measure carefully and mix gently. Because almond flour lacks gluten, overworking the batter won’t develop structure the way it does with wheat flour — it will only compress the batter, so stir just until combined.
Also watch oven temperature and bake time: almond flour bakes differently, so follow the 350°F and 40-45 minute range and use the toothpick test rather than relying on bake time alone.
- Stir until just combined — no heavy mixing.
- Follow 350°F and 40-45 minutes, and use a toothpick test for doneness.
- Let the loaf cool 30–60 minutes before slicing to firm up the crumb.
Baker’s Tips
Use the right bananas: Three medium very ripe bananas (about 1 1/4 cup mashed) give the batter sweetness and moisture; reserve one firm yellow banana for the topping so the slices hold their shape.
Avoid over-baking: Start checking at 40 minutes with a toothpick. Almond flour can brown faster than wheat-flour loaves, so tent with foil if the top is deepening in color before the center is set.
Cool fully for clean slices: Cool 30–60 minutes on a wire rack and remove from the pan for quicker cooling — slicing while still warm will produce a gummy texture.
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Frequently asked questions
Make-Ahead & Storage
Storing:Once cooled completely, bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing: The cooled bread can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost it at room temperature for 1-2 hours until thawed through.
Almond Flour Banana Bread
Equipment
- 8×4-inch loaf pan
- parchment paper
- large mixing bowl
- wire cooling rack
- spatula
- toothpick
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups almond flour blanched
- 1/4 cup arrowroot flour or cornstarch
- 1/4 cup flaxseed ground
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar or light brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon ground
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 3 medium bananas very ripe (about 1 1/4 cup of mashed banana) plus one ripe yellow banana (not overripe) for topping
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or other neutral oil, like melted coconut or canola oil
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans chopped
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips vegan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease or line an 8×4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cups blanched almond flour, 1/4 cup arrowroot flour (or cornstarch), 1/4 cup ground flaxseed, 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or light brown sugar), 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp sea salt until well combined.
- In another mixing bowl, mash 3 medium very ripe bananas (about 1 1/4 cup mashed). Stir in 2 tbsp avocado oil (or other neutral oil) and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract until combined.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Fold 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans and 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly with a spatula or spoon.
- Thinly slice one ripe yellow banana (not overripe) and arrange the slices on top of the batter to create a split-banana topping.
- Bake the bread 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the loaf is golden brown.
- Transfer the pan to a wire cooling rack and allow the loaf to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes or until cooled through. For quicker cooling, lift the loaf from the pan using the parchment and cool directly on the rack.
