Gluten-Free Banana Bread

Loaded with ripe bananas and chocolate chips, this recipe is the perfect way to use up any leftover bananas that you may have. With a secret ingredient that makes this gluten-free banana bread super moist, you will never need another banana bread recipe again.

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A loaf of gluten-free banana bread on a wooden cutting board next to a banana and a bowl of chocolate chips.

Whether you have a bunch of leftover ripe bananas or are specifically looking for a banana treat, this gluten-free banana bread recipe is for you.

Packed with chocolate chips and bananas, this tall loaf is perfectly moist and sweet. A combination of gluten-free flour, brown sugar, sour cream and eggs give this moist banana bread the perfect texture. Make it once and it will be your go-to banana bread recipe for years to come.

You’ll love this easy gluten-free recipe because:

It’s made in one bowl. It does not get easier than this gf banana bread! All you need is one bowl to mash your bananas, add your wet ingredients, stir in the dry ingredients. It’s so easy and no electric mixer is necessary!
It’s a great way to use up leftover bananas. While I’m not a huge fan of eating overripe bananas for breakfast or a snack, they sure do make great banana bread! Use your leftover bananas for this quick bread. Very ripe bananas are sweeter than unripe bananas, meaning your bread will have plenty of sweetness and flavor!
It’s gluten-free! If you have celiac disease or are on a gluten-free diet for other reasons, this recipe is for you! Using a gluten-free flour blend, this banana bread tastes just like traditional banana bread, without any of the wheat! The final product is so moist and tender, you won’t even know it’s gluten free. Follow my tips, especially for what gluten-free flour blend to use and how to measure it, to make sure your gluten free banana bread turns out just like mine.

Table of Contents

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

Very ripe bananas – As the star of this recipe, it’s super important that your bananas are very ripe. The riper the banana, the more flavorful your gluten-free banana bread will be. The peels should be brown and spotty or even completely brown. If they are green or fully yellow, do not use them. Just wait a few days or visit the expert tips section below for ways to speed along the ripening process.
Xanthan gum – I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour which already contains xanthan gum. If you use another gluten-free blend that does not contain xanthan gum, you will need to add it to this recipe. See the recipe for the proper amount.
Sour cream – Sour cream keeps this banana bread extremely moist. It’s best to use it at room temperature so that the melted butter does not seize up upon contact.
Unsalted melted butter – This recipe uses cooled, melted unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter on hand, feel free to use it, just be sure to use less salt in the dough. It’s important to let the butter cool for at least five minutes or so, otherwise it will cook your eggs.

If you aren’t quite ready to make banana bread, you can freeze your overripe bananas until you’re ready to bake! Peel the banana first before freezing in a freezer-safe bag or container. Then, just let the frozen bananas thaw at room temperature for an hour before mashing for this recipe.

Step-by-Step instructions

For the ingredient list with measurements, full instructions, printable recipe, and additional notes, please scroll down to the recipe card.

An overhead view of a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. — Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. It helps to first grease the pan so that the parchment paper will stick to the loaf pan and not slide around.

A glass mixing bowl with mashed bananas in it. — Add the ripe bananas to a large mixing bowl. Mash with a fork until liquid. It’s okay to have clumps of banana in the mixture, but you want to mash as much as you can.

A glass mixing bowl with mashed bananas topped with melted butter before mixing together. — Add the melted butter to the mashed bananas and stir to combine.

A glass mixing bowl with mashed bananas, brown sugar, sour cream, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract in it. — Add the brown sugar, vanilla extract, sour cream, and eggs. Stir to combine.

A glass mixing bowl with banana bread wet ingredients topped with gluten free flour and ground cinnamon before mixing together. — Add the gluten-free flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir to combine until no streaks of flour remain.

A glass mixing bowl with gluten free banana bread batter with mini chocolate chips and a blue spatula in it. — Stir in the mini chocolate chips.

A loaf pan with gluten free banana bread batter with mini chocolate chips and two cross sections of a banana on top before baking in the oven. — Pour the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with two banana halves.

Gluten-free banana bread with chocolate chips and large banana slices on top in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. — Bake for 60-70 minutes, until the banana bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Expert Tips

I used three large bananas for my mashed banana in the batter to get to 368g which is approximately 1.5 cups. Depending on the size of your bananas you may need to use a fourth banana.
You’ll notice in the pictures and in the recipe card that there is an extra banana cut in half for topping on my banana bread. It adds extra banana flavor and looks pretty, too. This step is totally optional and you do not have to do it if you do not want to!
I like to bake by weight for best results. If you have a food scale, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients when baking. Ingredient weights in grams are included in the recipe card below. If you do not have a scale and are using measuring cups, do not directly scoop the measuring cup into the flour. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup making sure not to overpack it, and level it off with something flat, like the back of a butter knife.

How to Ripen a Banana Quickly

It’s essential to use overly ripe bananas in this recipe to get the best flavor possible. Honestly, the browner the better! If your bananas are still very yellow, you can speed up the ripening process in a few ways.

My favorite is to place the bananas in a loosely sealed brown paper bag along with an apple or already overly ripe banana for a day or so.

If that’s not quick enough for you, you can also use the oven. Place the unpeeled bananas on a foil-lined baking tray and bake in a preheated 300F (148C) oven for 15-20 minutes. They’ll be hot and dark, but very ripe! Just be sure to let them cool before mashing and adding all other ingredients.

Recipe FAQs

Which gluten-free flour should I use?

I’ve tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, but King Arthur Baking Company Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour also would work great in this recipe. If you do not need your banana bread to be gluten-free, you should be able to simply use regular all-purpose flour and omit the xanthan gum from your batch.

How should I store this banana bread?

This bread will last for 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container or with foil secured over the top of the pan. It’s best to keep your gluten-free banana bread at room temperature as the refrigerator will dry it out.

Does it matter what kind of chocolate I use in this recipe?

Feel free to get creative with the chocolate you use in this recipe. I like to use mini semi-sweet chocolate chips so that you get a little bit of chocolate in every bite. Other great options are chocolate chunks or a chopped up chocolate bar. The darkness of the chocolate is entirely up to you based on personal preference.

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to know! Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also share your pictures and tag @adashofmegnut on Instagram.

I’m Megan

A gluten-free food blogger from Chicago and lover of all things food, showing you gluten-free can be easy and delicious, too. Let’s make gluten-free stress free together! Read more…

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