This Chickpea Flour Banana Bread is everything you would expect from a traditional banana bread recipe. It is sweet and moist while being surprisingly better for you, naturally gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. It makes the perfect on-the-go breakfast or snack.
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Banana bread was one of my favorite foods as a child. When my mom would make banana bread my siblings and I would form Tasmanian devil-like dust clouds around it until all that was left was crumbs. She would usually make several loaves at a time and freeze one so that it could be rationed out.
What is better than waking up to a fresh, moist loaf of banana bread for breakfast? A warm piece of this chickpea banana bread topped with butter paired with a cup of coffee cozied up on the couch is perfection.
If you are looking for other great healthy and grain-free banana bread recipes try this Almond Butter Banana Bread or these Almond Flour Banana Bread Muffins.
What I Love About This Recipe
This banana bread is a favorite in my house. Here is why we love it:
- Discretely Healthy— This delicious chickpea flour banana bread is higher in protein and fiber, with minimal chickpea flavor. Need another healthier option? These paleo banana espresso muffins are phenomenal.
- Perfect Breakfast— Generally, I am not a fan of baked goods for breakfast, but this banana bread is an exception. With wholesome ingredients, and no refined sugar, this baked good makes a great packable addition to your morning meal.
Reasons to Use Chickpea Flour
Chickpea flour can be a great alternative baking flour and is naturally gluten-free. Here is why I like it:
- Allergy-Friendly - Chickpea flour is free of the top 9 allergens and can be great for kiddos with allergies.
- Lower in Calories - Compared to more calorically dense alternative flours like coconut flour or almond flour, chickpea flour is significantly lower in calories. It also has fewer calories than regular wheat flour making it a healthy choice to bake with.
- Higher in Protein & Fiber - Chickpea flour contains more protein and fiber compared to traditional flour. A 1-cup (92-gram) serving of chickpea flour provides approximately 20 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber. In contrast, the same amount of white flour offers about 13 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber.
- Blood Sugar-Friendly - With additional fiber and protein, and fewer grams of carbohydrates, chickpea flour has a lower glycemic impact compared to regular flour. It has a glycemic index score of about 35, while regular flour has a score of 70.
Green banana flour is another great and unconventional alternative flour. Try these Banana Flour Pancakes for something different, delicious, and naturally gluten-free.
Ingredients
Overripe Bananas - The browner and spottier the better. If you have more overripe bananas, freeze them and use them in this Vegan Banana Ice Cream.
Chickpea Flour - Chickpea flour, or gram flour, is made from dried and ground chickpeas. It is higher in fiber and protein than traditional flour and is naturally gluten-free. It can occasionally taste bitter due to saponins, compounds found in legumes that can have a mildly bitter or earthy flavor. Pairing with overripe bananas and cooking it can help mitigate bitterness.
Cassava Flour - This ingredient improves texture and prevents an overwhelming chickpea flavor.
See the full ingredient list and measurements in the recipe card below.
Possible Substitutions
- Cassava flour can be substituted for tapioca starch. Arrowroot starch and cornstarch will likely work but have not been tested in this specific recipe.
- Avocado oil can be replaced with any neutral-flavored cooking oil, including melted (slightly cooled) butter or coconut oil.
- I have not tested any egg replacements in this recipe.
If you try any substitutions in this recipe, please let us know what works in the comments below!
How to Make Chickpea Flour Banana Bread
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, begin mashing 3 overripe large bananas. Measure out 1 ¾ cup of mashed banana and return it to the mixing bowl, discarding any extra.
Step 2: Add the oil, eggs maple syrup, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar to the bowl with the mashed banana. Whisk together until well incorporated.
Step 3: In a separate mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients (chickpea flour, cassava flour, baking soda, and salt). Whisk together to combine.
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Whisk together to form a batter with no lumps or streaks of dry ingredients. Avoid over-mixing.
Step 5: Pour the batter evenly into a 9-inch bread pan that is lightly greased and lined with parchment paper.
Step 6: Place the filled bread pan in an oven preheated to 350 F and bake for 45-50 minutes or until you can pierce the center with a toothpick and have it come out clean.
Commonly Asked Questions
This bread is best stored at room temperature completely cooled and wrapped securely in foil. It tends to dry out more when stored in the fridge. The bread will maintain quality for 3-4 days on the counter.
You can freeze it by wrapping completely cooled banana bread in parchment paper and then placing it inside a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Chickpea flour is more dense than regular wheat flour or gluten-free baking flour so it does not make a good 1:1 replacement. In a recipe that uses all-purpose flour, you can substitute up to 25% of the flour with chickpea flour. Because it is denser, you should substitute using a 2:1 ratio.
For example, in a recipe that calls for 4 cups of AP flour, you would substitute ½ cup of chickpea flour for 1 cup of AP flour which would result in 3 cups AP flour + ½ cup chickpea flour.
Keep in mind that it does not rise and expand quite as well as all-purpose flour. Avoid using chickpea flour in recipes that call for cake or pastry flour.
Yes, chickpea flour can be used in baking and is a great way to add additional fiber and protein to a baked good recipe. It can be substituted 1:1 in place of heavy flours like buckwheat, almond flour, or rye. Chickpea flour is fairly dry (kind of like coconut flour), so the recipe may need additional oil or moisture to compensate for this depending on what type of recipe you're using it in.
Dietitian Notes
- With 5 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber, this banana bread makes a great addition to your morning meal.
- This bread contains only 205 calories and only 25 grams of net carbs per slice. Regular banana bread can have between 35-68 grams of net carbs.
- Made with wholesome chickpea flour and no refined sugar, this banana bread offers a great healthier option without sacrificing flavor.
Recipe Tips
- This recipe is only lightly sweetened with maple syrup, so we are relying on overripe bananas to make it deliciously sweet. Be sure your bananas are nice and spotty, or even brown.
- Make sure the loaf is completely cooked before pulling it from the oven or it will sink and have a gooey center. Use a toothpick to poke the center to assess doneness. The outside of the bread will brown before the center is fully cooked, so don't use appearance as the only indicator.
Try These Other Great Gluten-Free Treats
Looking for other tasty recipes? Here are a few you might like:
Did you try this Chickpea Flour Banana Bread?
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📖 Recipe
Chickpea Flour Banana Bread
Equipment
- Bread pan
- Parchment paper
- Whisk
- 2 Mixing bowls
- Fork
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup Mashed overripe banana About 3 large bananas (430 g)
- 2 Large eggs Room temp
- ⅓ cup Avocado oil
- ¼ cup Maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup Chickpea flour (105 g)
- ½ cup Cassava flour or tapioca starch (50 g)
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Sea salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9-inch bread pan with parchment paper, and set aside. I usually first spray the pan with cooking spray or rub it with coconut oil to help to parchment paper stay put or use document clips to secure the parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, begin mashing 3 overripe large bananas. Measure out 1 ¾ cup of mashed banana and return it to the mixing bowl, discarding any extra.
- Add the oil, eggs maple syrup, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar to the bowl with the mashed banana. Whisk together until well incorporated.
- In a separate mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients (chickpea flour, cassava flour, baking soda, and salt). Whisk together to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Whisk together to form a batter with no lumps or streaks of dry ingredients. Avoid over-mixing.
- Pour the batter into the lined bread pan and place in the oven for 45-55 minutes (50 minutes was perfect for my oven) or until you can pierce the center with a toothpick and have it come out clean. The outside browns easily, so it is not the best indicator of doneness. If the center is not done but the top is getting dark you can loosely tent the pan with tinfoil for the last 5-10 minutes.
Notes
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- This recipe is only lightly sweetened with maple syrup, so we are relying on overripe bananas to make it deliciously sweet. Be sure your bananas are nice and spotty, or even brown.
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- Make sure the loaf is completely cooked before pulling it from the oven or it will sink and have a gooey center. Use a toothpick to poke the center to assess doneness. The outside of the bread will brown before the center is fully cooked, so don't use appearance as the only indicator.
Bri says
I substituted cassava with arrowroot powder/starch and it was good! Cassava was more expensive so I had to take the cheaper route. Also topped it with sliced almonds and a drizzle of honey for some extra crunch.
Amanda McGillicuddy says
Awesome, Bri! So glad it worked out! When it comes to starches and alternative flours I always try to provide substitution options. It can be such a pain to buy an entire bag of flour/starch for one recipe and then never use it again. Thanks for trying the recipe and circling back to review it!!
Nyanda says
Awesome recipe! I used coconut flour instead of cassava flour, frangelico instead of vanilla essence, butter instead of avocado oil and made large muffins instead of bread and they turned out amazing!! That’s what I had in my cupboard 🙂
foodbornewellness.com says
Sharing these substitutions is super helpful for other readers! Thanks again for sharing and giving the recipe a try!!
Megan says
I have made this bread several times since you posted the recipe. Now I make double batches! I have been looking for a good chickpea flour recipe that doesn't have an overwhelming chickpea flavor. This banana combination is excellent. Thanks!
foodbornewellness.com says
That is awesome! I am so glad you liked it. Banana bread was the first thing I started playing around with using chickpea flour, and it turned out so good. I tried making crepes next and they were pretty darn awful haha The banana really is key! Thanks for trying out the recipe! 🙂