Almond Butter Banana Bread (Paleo)

This delicious Almond Butter Banana Bread is nutty, sweet, and oh-so-soft. Made without oil, refined sugar, or grains, this healthy banana bread is an easy on-the-go breakfast, after-school snack, or dessert you can feel good about. Pair this banana bread with grass-fed butter or enjoy it on its own for a tender and delightfully sweet paleo-friendly, and gluten-free treat.

Jump to:

• What You Will Love About This Almond Butter Banana Bread
• Ingredient Notes & Possible Substitutions
• How to Make Almond Butter Banana Bread
• Storage
• Recipe Tips
• Related Recipes
• 📖 Recipe

This Almond Butter Banana Bread is unbelievably good. It is tender, moist and sweet, as you would hope any banana bread is, but the unbelievable part is that it is grain-free and paleo-friendly.

In 2023, I was diagnosed with Hashimotos and had to return to a strict paleo diet to manage this diagnosis. Surprisingly, it has really allowed me to fall back in love with recipe development. With recipes like this banana bread, it is hard to feel like you are missing anything by not eating grains and dairy!

Ingredient Notes & Possible Substitutions

Almond Flour - Blanched ultra-fine almond flour is the best type to use for baking because it is light, fluffy and allows you to achieve a texture similar to that of regular baked goods when combined with starch or other flours. I generally purchase almond flour from Costco because it is so affordable and the quality is there.

Tapioca Flour - Also called tapioca starch, tapioca flour adds lightness to the recipe. Almond flour alone can be quite dense, but with the addition of tapioca flour, this bread is perfectly tender and soft. I didn't test alternatives for this ingredient. However, you can usually swap potato starch or cornstarch for tapioca starch without noticeable differences.

Baking Powder - Commercial baking powder can contain corn, gluten, and/or aluminum. If you need to follow a strict paleo or gluten-free diet, you can make your own baking powder by combining 1 part baking soda and 2 parts cream of tartar.

Mashed Banana - You will need about 3 small or 2 large overripe bananas for this recipe. The spottier the better! Because the size of bananas can be quite variable, you will want to measure 1 rounded cup (meaning 1 very full cup) of mashed banana to use in this recipe for best results. You can also use a kitchen scale, measuring out about 280 grams of mashed banana).

Eggs - I did not test any egg substitutes in this recipe. If you try something that works (or doesn't work) to make this recipe vegan-friendly, let me know in the comments below.

Maple Syrup - I don't recommend using a granulated sweetener in this recipe in place of the maple syrup; however, honey can be used.

Almond Butter - A smooth, drippy almond butter that only contains almonds (and maybe salt) should be used in this almond butter banana bread. I also like to purchase this ingredient from Costco.

How to Make Almond Butter Banana Bread

Making this Almond Butter Banana Bread is so easy! Here is how you do it:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a standard bread pan, line it with parchment paper, and set it aside.
2. Combine the dry ingredients (almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, sea salt, and cinnamon). Stir together until there are no lumps. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas using a fork. Measure out 1 rounded cup of mashed banana and discard the rest. 
4. Combine the wet ingredients (mashed banana, eggs, maple syrup, almond butter, and vanilla) in the large mixing bowl. Whisk together so that there are no lumps and everything is well incorporated.
5. Add dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir together until there are no lumps or streaks.
6. Transfer the batter to the lined bread pan and spread it evenly using a rubber spatula. Bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean. Turn the oven off and let the bread sit inside the oven for an additional 5 minutes with the heat off.
7. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before using the parchment paper to lift the bread from the pan.

Storage

This Almond Butter Banana Bread can be stored at room temperature. Allow the bread to cool fully before placing it in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. This will help prevent condensation from making the bread soggy. Consume within 4-5 days for best quality.

Recipe Tips

• When lining the bread pan with parchment paper, leave two tabs of parchment paper on either side of the bread pan. These can be used to lift the bread from the pan so that it can be removed easily.
• Try using unsweetened peanut butter in place of almond butter and add in some chocolate chips for a fun variation!

Related Recipes

• Chickpea Flour Banana Bread
• Paleo Banana Flour Pancakes
• Keto Pumpkin Bread {Paleo, Gluten Free}
• Almond Flour Banana Muffins

📖 Recipe