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The BEST Coconut Flour Banana Bread: Naturally Gluten & Grain Free

Name: The BEST Coconut Flour Banana Bread: Naturally Gluten & Grain Free
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 274 grams peeled bananas (about 3 or 1 1/2 cups mashed); 100 grams sugar (about 1/2 cup); ¼ cup vegetable oil; 3 large eggs; ¼ cup almond milk; 56 grams coconut flour (about ½ cup); 65 grams tapioca starch (about ½ cup); 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 85 grams mini chocolate chips (about 2/3 cup)

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If you're looking for a slight twist on healthy banana bread, look no further! Thick slices of this decadent loaf of coconut flour banana bread will have everyone grabbing for seconds. This grain free banana bread gets its structure and lovely texture from a mixture of coconut flour and tapioca starch. This means it's gluten free, dairy free, and grain free!

Looking for more coconut flour recipes? Check out these coconut flour banana pancakes and this zucchini bread!

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Baking with Coconut Flour
Taste & Texture of This Coconut Flour Banana Bread Recipe
🧾Ingredients in Banana Bread with Coconut Flour
Substitutions to Use for Healthy Coconut Flour Banana Bread
How to Make Coconut Flour Banana Bread
Storing Moist Coconut Flour Banana Bread
Variations with this No Butter Banana Bread
💭Pro Tips for Making Coconut Flour Banana Bread
Coconut Flour Banana Bread FAQs
More Healthy Banana Recipes!
Recipe

Baking with Coconut Flour

Coconut flour is a unique flour in that it absorbs liquids more than most gluten free flours. According to this gluten free flour chart, it is very high in fiber content which means it will not substitute 1:1 in recipes calling for coconut flour. Here are some other things to keep in mind when baking with coconut flour:

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Substituting Coconut Flour: Coconut flour does not substitute for all purpose flour or any other gluten free flour without modifications. Either increasing the liquids or increasing the flour content. I would not recommend substituting it without referencing this guide to gluten free flours first.

Measuring Coconut Flour: As I go over in this guide to measuring gluten free flour, coconut flour should be measured by weight using a digital scale like this one.

Storing Coconut Flour: I recommend storing coconut flour in the refrigerator. In this article about storing flour, I talk about how long flour lasts and how to store it. If you don't use a lot of coconut flour, opt for the refrigerator.

Taste & Texture of This Coconut Flour Banana Bread Recipe

Each bite of this coconut flour banana bread recipe is a taste explosion and it's perfect for anything from a special occasion to an ordinary Tuesday night! I think you'll love how simple this recipe is. It’s tender but perfectly textured so it actually lasts more than a couple days, which is a big deal since most gluten free breads can’t make that claim! Here are a few more reasons you'll love this best recipe for coconut flour banana bread:

No tough-to-find ingredients or complicated prep.
It's an excellent option for anyone avoiding grains or dairy.
There's room for ingredient substitutions (see Substitutions list below), and the chocolate chips are optional (unlike in these gluten free chocolate chip cookies, where they're essential!).
This bread stores well. In fact, I've kept this loaf wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 4 days before!

Note about Chocolate Chips in Banana Bread

If you haven’t tried chocolate chips in your banana bread, you NEED to try this bread. It’s like banana bread extreme. The classic taste of traditional banana bread, but with a kick of chocolate.

Although the chocolate chips are optional, they're just enough to give it a nice punch of chocolate without overwhelming the banana flavor.

🧾Ingredients in Banana Bread with Coconut Flour

Bananas
Granulated sugar
Vegetable oil
Eggs
Almond milk
Coconut flour
Tapioca starch
Cinnamon
Baking powder
Baking soda
Salt
Vanilla extract
Chocolate chips

Measurements for each ingredient, along with instructions for making the bread are in the recipe card below.

Note about Bananas

The perfect bananas to use are spotty and tender. The insides shouldn’t be dark, but they should be really easy to mash. If you’ve had the bananas sitting on your counter for a few days, they should be perfect.

Substitutions to Use for Healthy Coconut Flour Banana Bread

Sugar Free: The sugar can be substituted with Swerve granular sweetener or coconut sugar.

Oil Substitute: The vegetable oil can be replaced with melted coconut oil.

Egg Substitute: To substitute the eggs, I recommend using flax or chia eggs.

Milk Substitute: You can also use dairy milk if you can tolerate it, or the plant milk of your choice.

Flour / Starch Substitute: I recommend buying your coconut flour here. There is no substitute for the coconut flour. The tapioca starch can be swapped with corn starch.

Leavening Substitute: There is no substitute for the baking powder (make sure your baking powder is gluten free) or baking soda.

Salt Free: You can reduce or omit the salt if you're following a low salt diet.

Extract Substitute: The vanilla extract may be substituted with almond extract.

Chocolate Chip Substitute: I use mini chocolate chips to make sure each bite is chocolatey! The chocolate chips may be substituted with chopped nuts or white chocolate chips.

How to Make Coconut Flour Banana Bread

Step 1: Mash the bananas with a fork on a large plate.

Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar, oil, and eggs. Beat for 2 minutes.

Step 3: Add the mashed banana, milk, and vanilla. Mix for 30 seconds.

Step 4: In a medium bowl, stir together the coconut flour, tapioca starch, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Step 5: Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix on low for 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and beat on medium for 2 minutes.

Step 6: Fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

Step 7: Set the batter aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Step 8: Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8" x 4.5" pan with parchment paper. Spoon the batter into the pan.

Step 9: Bake at 350F for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 10: Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack, then remove it from the pan and let it finish cooling. Once cool, slice up the bread and enjoy!

Storing Moist Coconut Flour Banana Bread

There are two options for storage when it comes to this coconut banana bread: room temperature and freezing.

Room Temperature: Like this cassava bread and this buckwheat banana bread, this quick bread stores well at room temperature for 2-3 days. Place it in a plastic bag and seal it well.

Freezing: If storing for longer than 3 days, store the bread in the freezer. Slice the loaf, wrap it well and freeze. Defrost slices in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Variations with this No Butter Banana Bread

Some equally tasty variations and add-ins for this no butter banana bread are:

Adding in chopped nuts - walnuts, pecans, even peanuts
Adding in seeds like sunflower or pumpkin
Using dark chocolate chips
Using white chocolate chips

💭Pro Tips for Making Coconut Flour Banana Bread

1. Use room temperature ingredients

The ingredients list for this banana bread is super short and easy. But don’t be tempted to just pull those eggs out of the refrigerator and get to work… give them time to come to room temperature. Remember, coconut flour is an absorbing flour. Cold doesn’t absorb as well as warm.

2. Weigh out ingredients with a scale

Since this recipe uses coconut flour, a digital scale is extremely helpful in making sure measurements are precise. Flours and starches actually vary quite a bit, even from brand to brand. So ½ cup of Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour could actually be ⅓ cup plus a tablespoon of Nuts.com coconut flour. That is a big difference when it comes to baking. So weigh and measure your dry ingredients precisely!

3. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes

The rest time is essential because it allows the coconut flour and tapioca starch to absorb the liquid in the batter. This will result in a loaf that has the ideal structure and fluffiness!

4. Line the pan with parchment paper

This is one of those recipes where you don't want to skip the parchment paper! So if you want your banana bread to come out of the pan in one piece, line the pan with parchment paper. Also, these 8” x 4.5” baking pans by Norpro are my favorite pans for baking bread. The ridges on the sides help the batter ‘climb’ up the sides so you get a nice tall loaf of bread every time.

Coconut Flour Banana Bread FAQs

Does this banana bread taste like coconut?

Even though this banana bread uses coconut flour, it does not taste like coconut.

What can I substitute for the coconut flour?

I wouldn't recommend substituting the coconut flour in this recipe. Coconut flour is a one-of-a-kind flour that absorbs liquids unlike any other flour. The flour and starch measurements were created with the absorbent properties of the flour in mind. If you find yourself with more coconut flour than you can use up, reference this article on uses for coconut flour.

Can I substitute almond flour for the coconut flour?

I would not recommend substituting the coconut flour with almond flour. According to this guide on gluten free flours, the two have completely different fiber and protein contents.

Can I use another type of oil in the recipe?

The oil in this recipe is so versatile – don’t have vegetable oil on hand? Use canola or even some melted coconut oil. It’s important to use oil in the recipe, but the kind of oil can easily be interchanged.

What can I substitute for the eggs?

A good egg substitute is chia seeds. Making a chia egg involves just measuring and mixing. Since the recipe calls for 3 large eggs, according to this egg substitutes post, you’ll need about 3 Tbsp. of chia seed to roughly ¾ of warm water. Let it sit for a few minutes to form a jell-like consistency and then add to the mixer with the sugar and oil.

How should I store coconut flour banana bread?

One of the many great things about quick breads like this one is that they store so well. Like this pumpkin bread, this chocolate chip banana bread can be wrapped and kept on the counter for up to 3 days. The key is to wrap it well. If you won’t enjoy it all right away, stick it in the freezer for up to two months.

More Healthy Banana Recipes!

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Recipe

Christine