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Paleo Banana Bread (sweetener-free)

January 13, 2013 by zenbelly 49 Comments

There are a LOT of paleo banana bread recipes out there. I probably didn’t need to create a new one. But you know me! I can’t help myself.

This paleo, dairy-free, sweetener-free banana bread is bare bones, plain Jane. But don’t let that stop you from adding nuts, chocolate chips, coconut, or all of the above.

paleo banana bread

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Paleo Banana Bread (sweetener-free)

  • Author: zenbelly
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55-60 minutes
  • Total Time: 49 minute
  • Yield: 1 loaf 1x
  • Category: breads
  • Method: bake
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Ingredients

1 1/4 cups almond flour
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas * (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup palm shortening (plus more for greasing the pan)
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract


Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 7″x3″ bread pan
  2. Combine bananas, shortening, vanilla, eggs and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor and kick it on for 30 seconds or so, until combined.
  3. In a small bowl, mix the dry ingredients (almond flour though salt) and then add to the food processor. Pulse 6-8 times to combine. Scraping the sides with a rubber spatula, and pulse again a few times.
  4. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until cooked through.
  5. Allow to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, and then on a wire rack until completely cool, before you cut it. If you can stand it.


Notes

* please measure your mashed banana, instead of counting whole bananas, if you want the measurements to be accurate. Bananas are like snowflakes. Sort of.

Keywords: banana bread

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Filed Under: breads & muffins, Breakfast Tagged With: dairy free banana bread, gluten-free banana bread, grainfree banana bread, paleo banana bread, sweetener free banana bread

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Comments

  1. danisolas says

    January 13, 2013 at 6:30 pm

    I have issues with palm oil… could I sub butter?

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      January 13, 2013 at 6:44 pm

      I can’t promise the texture would be exactly the same, but I’m willing to bet that softened butter would work really well in this recipe. Let me know what you think if you try it!

      Reply
  2. Jennifer Lissette says

    January 14, 2013 at 9:27 am

    I have all the ingredients in my kitchen, but my smallest loaf pan is 8 inches. Do you think this would still work?

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      January 15, 2013 at 9:55 am

      Yup! It will just change the height of the loaf. Maybe check it after 45 minutes, in case it bakes a bit quicker.

      Reply
      • Jennifer Lissette says

        April 26, 2013 at 8:21 pm

        I’m coming back months later to tell you that this recipe has become a regular in my house. I make them as mini-muffins whenever I host the neighborhood kids for a playgroup. I add unsweetened carob chips to the mix, too. The kids all love them, one even asked to bring some home with him today. Lucky for everyone, there are no nut allergies in the group. Thank you for the recipe, it’s awesome to be able to keep my family Paleo while still providing snacks that dozens of kids have enjoyed.

  3. Holly says

    January 14, 2013 at 12:50 pm

    I just made these as muffins and they are great! I subbed butter for palm oil as I can’t find it in my area. It made 12 large muffins. Baked them for 22 minutes at 350. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      January 15, 2013 at 9:57 am

      Awesome! And thanks for the muffin baking time… I was having a tough time deciding between muffins and bread, and am glad to hear that this recipe worked well as muffins too.

      Reply
  4. Nicole says

    January 15, 2013 at 5:01 am

    My daughter can’t process anything with coconut or made from coconut. Do you have an idea on a sub for the coconut flour? A little more almond flour maybe?

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      January 15, 2013 at 9:59 am

      I would try 1.5 cups almond flour, and omit the coconut flour. The almond / arrowroot / coconut flout blend is one I’ve been liking for the texture, but is definitely not necessary if someone doesn’t tolerate one of the ingredients. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!

      Reply
  5. Nicole says

    January 15, 2013 at 10:53 am

    I will. Thanks so much!!

    Reply
  6. jane Casey says

    January 15, 2013 at 8:19 pm

    This recipe looks amazing. Thanks for creating it!
    Love,
    Jane

    Reply
  7. Amysue says

    January 19, 2013 at 7:59 am

    This is really funny. “Bananas are like snowflakes.” I love it.

    Reply
  8. Janet says

    January 31, 2013 at 9:22 am

    So delish!!! I added a little maple syrup and Enjoy Life chocolate chips. Other paleo banana bread recipes I’ve tried use only coconut flour and I found them too “eggy”. This recipe is amazing!
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      February 2, 2013 at 11:21 am

      I’m so glad you like it! And I agree- I’m not a fan of the eggy textured grain-free breads either. Thanks Janet!

      Reply
  9. stle57 says

    February 7, 2013 at 10:24 am

    Can I use ghee or coconut oil instead of the palm shortening? I’m excited to try it.

    Reply
  10. Vetti says

    February 9, 2013 at 6:12 pm

    I used coconut oil and it turned out just fine 🙂

    Reply
    • emkrar says

      April 8, 2013 at 8:50 pm

      Came here looking for this! Thank you, I’m excited to make it with coconut oil tonight 🙂

      Reply
  11. Rachel says

    February 24, 2013 at 2:00 pm

    Made these this morning and both my kids liked them. I subbed ground up sunflower seeds for the almond flour and added some mini chocolate chips. I also made them as muffins.

    Reply
  12. Liesel says

    March 9, 2013 at 1:42 pm

    I used softened butter, added unsweetened coconut, pecans and tiny chocolate chips. HO-BOY! This is a winner! Also my first grain-free baking experience, and I’m so glad I picked this recipe to start! Thank you. Paleo treats…here I come!

    Reply
  13. emkrar says

    April 9, 2013 at 11:55 am

    Made these bad boys last night in a muffin tin– the recipe made 12 full muffins, but the tops didn’t rise. I used coconut oil instead of palm shortening, added a quarter cup of agave syrup, used defrosted frozen bananas for fresh ones, and subbed a mixer for my nonexistent food processor. They turned out awesome! Weirdly enough, when I tried one as soon as it came out it wasn’t that good, but after letting them sit out over night, they were awesome the next morning. Super moist! Thanks for the recipe. Loving this site!

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      April 9, 2013 at 12:40 pm

      Oh thanks I’m so glad you love it! I’m guessing maybe they didn’t rise because they were too moist, which would also explain them being better the next day. I find that thawed bananas are a much more liquid-y, and the agave surely added to the liquid ratio; I’ll work on experimenting with adaptations for frozen & thawed bananas when I have some time!

      Reply
  14. Emily says

    April 22, 2014 at 2:38 pm

    Wow. This is a great recipe. I oven roasted my bananas for 30 mins before mixing this up, they were so yummy. I also added a tablespoon of raw honey and a cup of mini chocolate chips. Best banana bread I’ve ever made. Thank you!

    Reply
  15. Carolyn A. says

    April 28, 2014 at 11:02 pm

    I am not paleo, or even gluten free so I’m a tough critic when it comes to baked goods. This came out amazing! I added toasted walnuts and some choc chips. I sub’d butter for the shortening. Finally, a healthy quick read recipe! Thanks!

    Reply
  16. Maggie says

    May 27, 2014 at 7:00 am

    These are now my go to banana bread recipe. The texture is amazing. You always nail the texture!! I added 1 T. of honey as one other reader suggested. It was wonderful as always. All of your recipes are amazing. You have THE best baked good recipes. I would never know that they were not “regular” baked goods if I wasn’t the one making them. Thank you!

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      May 27, 2014 at 10:53 am

      Thanks so much Maggie! That is wonderful to hear! 🙂

      Reply
  17. Tiffany says

    June 24, 2014 at 12:14 pm

    I want to make a big batch of mini muffins, do you know how long I should cook them for? Also, I don’t have a food processor, will that effect the overall recipe too much?

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      June 24, 2014 at 9:22 pm

      I think regular muffins are 18-20, so I’m guessing you’d want to check the mini muffins after 10… You can use beaters or a whisk, as long as the banana is well mashed, and the butter or shortening is very soft so it mixes in well. Enjoy!

      Reply
  18. YV says

    June 30, 2014 at 9:36 am

    The first Paleo muffin I made that did not collapse and resembled the traditional muffin. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      July 3, 2014 at 4:20 pm

      Yay! So glad. I’m a stickler for texture being right, so I’m glad it worked for you! 🙂

      Reply
  19. Renee P. says

    August 4, 2014 at 12:34 pm

    Best-textured paleo quick bread I’ve made! Thank you for this!!! I love the combo of almond, arrowroot and coconut flours. And I really love that this has no sweeteners! Oh, and I really love that it doesn’t have any nut butters in it! The nut butter always gives other breads a weird taste that I don’t like. Yes, this is our new banana bread! I’m going to pass it along to my parents who have recently switched to GF. And I want to see if I could make this into zucchini bread!

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      August 4, 2014 at 3:41 pm

      Love it Renee, thanks! I’m so glad you love it 🙂 I’m willing to bet that this could surely be adapted to a zucchini bread recipe. Let me know if you try it! 🙂

      Reply
  20. Ali says

    September 20, 2014 at 6:18 pm

    Another lovely recipe! I really like lower sugar recipes for snacks to feed my son (and me!) and appreciate these are lower carb as a result, too. I was short a banana so subbed some applesauce and it worked great. I can see this being great to mix up in multiple ways. Thank you!

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      September 22, 2014 at 9:15 am

      Thanks, Ali! I’m glad you and your son loved it! This recipe is indeed a great one to mix up… I actually adapted it for my book to be loaded banana bread, with added nuts, cacao nibs and more fun stuff. You can definitely make it your own 🙂 Enjoy!

      Reply
  21. Bria says

    September 28, 2014 at 1:17 pm

    Why the waiiittttttt?? (I’m dying over here!)

    Reply
  22. Lisa says

    March 12, 2015 at 12:55 pm

    Any suggestions for a paleo-friendly egg replacer for this recipe? Sounds amazing but my son and i are both allergic to eggs, unfortunately 🙁

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      March 13, 2015 at 1:26 pm

      You could try flax or chia eggs! Have you used those before?

      Reply
  23. Angela says

    September 21, 2015 at 9:53 am

    I haven’t made this recipe yet but I’ve been so disappointed with other paleo banana and pumpkin breads—I find they’re either eggy/coconutty, too wet/squishy, or taste off in some way. I have lost count how many different recipes I have tried and still haven’t been happy with any of them. I’ve almost just given up since they all end up in the trash.I have found 1 mini muffin recipe that I like but doesn’t work as a loaf unfortunately. I guess the problem is that I have a favorite banana and pumpkin gluten filled one that I keep comparing them all too and none measure up. I really hope this recipe is just like a regular flour recipe. It’s really stressful trying to get a good bread before the holidays get here.

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      September 21, 2015 at 12:05 pm

      I hope so too, Angela! I think the blend of flours in this one is really close to the real thing. Please let me know what you think!

      Reply
      • Angela says

        October 1, 2015 at 12:15 pm

        trying to make it today!!! I will report back but maybe tomorrow. I’m hopeful 🙂

  24. Angela says

    October 2, 2015 at 9:49 am

    Ok I made it but way too moist. But I have a question about the amount of bananas. When I mash mine, I usually mash them so much it is practically like a puree and not super chunky and then I measure that out. It took me about 4 bananas to get the cup and a half. When you mash your bananas, how much do you mash them before you measure? I wonder if maybe I just overmashed and then had way too many bananas for the recipe.

    Reply
    • zenbellyblog says

      October 4, 2015 at 4:48 pm

      I mash them pretty much to a puree… It shouldn’t make that much of a difference. I’ve used bananas of all degrees of ripeness, too, and it’s always worked fine. I’m not sure what texture you’re looking for exactly; I’ve never had banana bread or any quick bread like it that’s not moist! You could always try using less bananas if you like it drier.

      Reply
  25. Miss Healthy Pants says

    January 18, 2016 at 2:57 pm

    Just made this- WOW so delicious. I just finished a loaf from a popular paleo banana bread recipe made with coconut flour and this one absolutely blows that away. I don’t think people would notice this was any different from non-gluten free breads. A keeper for sure!! Thank you!

    Reply
  26. Peter Rowland says

    April 6, 2019 at 2:48 pm

    I came across your recipe while looking for some ‘healthy’ snack recipes. This looks awesome, and I am going to try and make it today (thank you for sharing it). I am going to use 1/8 cup coconut oil in place of your 1/4 cup palm oil shortening. I saw that another reader was going to use butter, but I want to keep the recipe dairy free. Palm oil is such a destructive crop to our global ecosystems, with millions of hectares of natural forests (including rainforests) being cleared to make room for palm oil plantations, and I think a more ethical alternative ingredient for your recipe would make it perfect. It would be great if you could change your recipe too.

    Reply
    • zenbelly says

      April 6, 2019 at 5:24 pm

      Hi Peter,
      Thanks for the feedback. There are sustainable sources of palm oil, and literally no ingredient is without some damage, so it’s great that we all get to make our own decisions about what we consume.

      Reply
  27. Peter Rowland says

    April 6, 2019 at 2:53 pm

    Sorry that should have read 1/4 cup coconut oil (for dairy free). 1/8 coconut oil and 1/8 butter is a non-dairy free alternative

    Reply
  28. Leona says

    May 2, 2019 at 7:24 am

    The BEST banana bread I’ve ever made. So delicious! My sons keep asking for more. 🙂 Thank you!!

    Reply
    • zenbelly says

      May 5, 2019 at 1:28 pm

      Thanks, Leona! I’m so glad you and your son love it!

      Reply
  29. Coastinganon says

    December 30, 2020 at 6:46 am

    Ok, I measured out my bananas instead of just tossing them in so I know that isn’t the issue. But I just put mine in the oven in a 7.5″x4″ pan and the pan is completely overflowing. How much does this rise? We shall see…

    Reply
    • zenbelly says

      January 3, 2021 at 1:35 pm

      hey did it overflow? I haven’t made this in so long and had to double check the pan size. I don’t remember it making that large of a loaf…

      Reply

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