Here’s an AIP Banana Bread recipe that you can share with your gluten loving friends. The texture and taste is very similar to real deal banana bread. It’s moist, sweet and filled with banana flavor but complete AIP friendly.
My husband loves gluten, sugar and dairy filled baked goods. He rolls his eyes every time I start baking with my AIP friendly flours because he knows they just won’t taste the same. However, I had him try this AIP Banana Bread and he was sold. He didn’t believe me that it was gluten free let alone AIP friendly. That’s how good this recipe tastes. I fooled my gluten-loving husband!
How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?
Really ripe! The riper the banana, the sweeter and more banana flavor it will have which is key for good banana bread.
Do you need to refrigerate banana bread?
My husband and I have this argument every time I make AIP Banana Bread. I say yes. It’s a perishable item and while it will probably be ok on the counter in the short term, long term it should be stored in the refrigerator. We live in a warmer climate and don’t use air conditioning much so our home is always a little warmer which means goes faster sooner. This recipe will also last longer if stored in the fridge.
How long should banana bread cool before eating?
Yes, especially this recipe. Since there are no eggs to bind the ingredients together, it has a tendency to fall apart. If you allow it to cool, you’ve got a much better chance of getting a slice of bread rather than crumbles. You can still eat this bread when it’s warm though, in fact I highly suggest it. It’s one of the simple pleasures in life – eating warm homemade bread.
How to Make AIP Banana Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper then set aside.
In the large mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, apple sauce, coconut oil and honey then stir to combine. In a small mixing bowl combine the cassava flour, arrowroot starch, coconut flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, salt vanilla powder, cinnamon and cloves then stir to combine.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients then use a hand mixer to combine.
Next make the gelatin eggs by adding 1/4 cup warm water to a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and whisk constantly until frothy. Add the gelatin eggs into the batter and beat for about 1-2 minutes. The dough should not be liquid but thick and almost fluffy.
Spoon the batter into the loaf pan. Gently arrange the two banana slices on top of the batter. I prefer center cut up because it’s more visually appealing.
Place in oven then bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until the inside is no longer wet (or jiggly) and a knife comes out clean. Remove and allow to cool (at least 20 minutes) completely.
Heat up the honey and brush over the top to give it a shine then slice and serve.
Tips for Making the Best AIP Banana Bread
- It’s ok is the wet ingredients are a little lumpy. The banana chunks just make it taste even better.
- Using the additional honey to brush over the top is optional. It’s just for looks and doesn’t affect the taste.
- Gluten free flours are not all made the same. If you can’t have one of the flours in this recipe, please be aware that you probably won’t be able to make a 1:1 swap without reworking the entire recipe.
- Don’t try and rush this recipe by using a higher oven temperature. Part of the reason why the texture turns out so well is that it’s evenly cooked at a lower temp. Trust me. This AIP bread recipe is worth the wait.
- Make sure to remove the parchment and bread from the pan while it cools. Otherwise the parchment may stick to the bread.
If you like this AIP bread recipe, you’ll love these other cassava flour recipes.
- AIP ‘Chocolate’ Chip Cookies
- AIP Ginger Cookies (aka AIP Gingersnaps)
- Gluten Free Flatbread
- AIP ‘Chocolate’ Cake
- Gooey Sheet Apple Cake
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AIP Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe Bananas mashed (although 4 bananas are needed for this recipe, please see the rest of the ingredients below)
- 1 cup Apple Sauce
- 1/2 cup Coconut Oil
- 1/4 cup Honey Additional honey is needed for this recipe. Please see the rest of the ingredients below.
- 1 cup Cassava Flour
- 1/2 cup Arrowroot Starch
- 1/2 cup Coconut Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tarter
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 2 Gelatin Eggs (2 tablespoons gelatin, 1/4 cup warm water)
- 1 just ripe Banana peeled and sliced the long way down the center
- 2 tablespoons Honey optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper then set aside.
- In the large mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, apple sauce, coconut oil and honey then stir to combine. In a small mixing bowl combine the cassava flour, arrowroot starch, coconut flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, salt vanilla powder, cinnamon and cloves then stir to combine.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients then use a hand mixture to combine. Next make the gelatin eggs by adding 1/4 cup warm water to a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and whisk constantly until frothy. Add the gelatin eggs into the batter and beat for about 1-2 minutes. The dough should not be liquid but thick and almost fluffy.
- Spoon the batter into the loaf pan. Gently arrange the two banana slices on top of the batter. I prefer center cut up because it’s more visually appealing.
- Place in oven then bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until the inside is no longer wet (or jiggly) and a knife comes out clean. Remove and allow to cool (at least 20 minutes) completely.
- Heat up 2 tablespoons honey and brush over the top to give it a shine then slice and serve.
Notes
- It’s ok is the wet ingredients are a little lumpy. The banana chunks just make it taste even better.
- Using the additional honey to brush over the top is optional. It’s just for looks and doesn’t affect the taste.
- Gluten free flours are not all made the same. If you can’t have one of the flours in this recipe, please be aware that you probably won’t be able to make a 1:1 swap without reworking the entire recipe.
- Don’t try and rush this recipe by using a higher oven temperature. Part of the reason why the texture turns out so well is that it’s evenly cooked at a lower temp. Trust me. This AIP bread recipe is worth the wait.
- Make sure to remove the parchment and bread from the pan while it cools. Otherwise the parchment may stick to the bread.
Nutrition
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise.
- I always use Himalayan sea salt or Celtic sea salt, unless otherwise noted.
- The majority of my recipes are strict AIP or include notations for reintroductions. However while I make every effort to label non-AIP ingredients and recipes sometimes they slip past me. If you have questions, please ask in advance.
Did you make this recipe? I love hearing your thoughts on my recipes so please rate and comment below.
This looks yummy. I’m going to follow your exact recipe! But instead of Gelatin Eggs, I will change it to two real eggs. However, may I omit cream of tartar? Will that change the recipe drastically?
The cream of tartar is necessary. It's an acid that helps activate the baking soda. If you wanted to substitute, you could try a teaspoon of vinegar. However, I've found that vinegar doesn't always work as well. And I've never tried the recipe with eggs. I'm assuming it would work but I can't say for sure how it would change the recipe.
I haven't made this yet as I don't have vanilla powder. Can vanilla extract be used instead?
Also, I was just diagnosed with kidney disease which means a renal diet. I'm looking for Renal/AIP diet recipes. Are you familiar with any? Do they even exist? Thank you.
Yes. You can use vanilla extract. Just use double the amount. Vanilla powder is more potent which is why you don't need as much.
I made this for the kids across the street whom do not have any dietary restrictions at all a d they said it was the best banana bread they’ve ever had. I’m excited to make it again and receive all the praise for Beth’s recipe! Thank you, Beth for making me the best banana bread maker in the neighborhood!
That's the best review. Glad we could make the kiddos happy! Thanks for sharing.
Hmmmm, made this recipe and it didn’t turn out that great. I used Tapioca Flour instead of Cassava flour, which I thought would be pretty similar, as they come from the same plant. . After nearly 2 hours in the oven it was still gooey inside and burnt to a crisp on the outside. Any thoughts…I had really high hopes!
Tapioca flour and Cassava flour are not the same. They react differently in baked goods. Additionally, AIP baking is very exact. You can't change or substitute ingredients and expect the recipe to work. I'd try making the recipe as it's listed.
This banana bread smelled so good while it was baking! It also tastes delicious for those of us who have food sensitivities! I would recommend making it!
Yeah! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for letting me know.
Yuuuummmm! I think I left mine in the oven a tad too long, but I'll remember that for next time. I love that the outside of the bread has a lovely, delicate crust and the inside of the bread is moist and truly delicious. Thank you for making AIP baking less intimidating and more fun! I added carob chips to mine and love your detail of adding the halved banana on top. Looks lovely.
Thanks for sharing. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Love this recipe!! Made it several times. Add some dates to it and it was wonderful. I think you can really dig into this recipe and add fun stuff with great results. Next I am going to try apple/ apricot sauce. Yum.
Dates is a good addition to this recipe. And I'm curious to know how apricot sauce would do in the recipe. Definitely let me know!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Beth,
Thanks for this recipe, it looks divine. I’ve only been on the AIP for a month but gluten-free for over 12 years. The problem that some might be experiencing with being rubbery or gummy is over mixing. I only use a wooden spoon to mix my gf banana breads.
Good to know! In my experience, I've had rubbery/gummy depending upon which types of flour I use and under cooking. I'll have to pay attention to how much I mix something to see if that could be an issue with this recipe as well.
This is an absolutely amazing banana bread. So nice and crusty on the outside and moist and chewy on the inside. I had to cook it about an hour and 40 minutes, as my oven always seems to take a little longer. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Beth is a genius! This banana bread is delicious! Better than the original if you ask me! I made a double batch and turned half into muffins for freezing. Yum!
Wow. Best review yet. Thanks so much!
This is an amazing recipe. I tried a few aip banana bread recipes before finding this one. It is the winner, by far! Thanks!
Yes! There are a lot of options when it comes to Banana Bread so I'm thrilled that mine is your favorite.
I am so excited to try this! Have you ever made muffins with this recipe?
Nope but I assume that it would work. You'd probably have to adjust the time a bit. Let me know if it works!
I baked them for 25 minutes and they were perfect!! Great breakfast option 🙂
This is a wonderful recipe for banana bread. I especially love the banana on top to give it some extra banana taste. I substituted tapioca flour/starch for the arrowroot starch because I didn’t have that much arrowroot. Also, I added 4 bananas because I like the flavor of the bananas in the bread more. Lastly, I substituted pure maple syrup for the honey since I’m omitting honey at the moment. With these substitutions the bread still turned out great! It could have been a little more bread like...I think my adjustments made it more gummy but it firmed up a bit more as it settled. I have to keep myself from eating too much in one sitting.
I did have a question about the coconut oil, was it supposed to be melted? I melted mine and it still turned out.
Thanks so much for bringing your creativity to all of us!
Diane
Any substitutions would alter the texture a bit. The combination would probably make it a little gummy. But I'm glad you liked it anyway.
Hi Beth! I'm just starting AIP and was delighted to find this recipe. Mine also came out a bit rubbery though... do you think it has to do with the kind of tapioca used? Do you have a brand you recommend? I've also noticed different consistencies of cassava flour in baked goods across brands (I've tried Otto's, Athony's, and Terrasoul so far). Thanks for your help, excited to try more recipes!!
Hi Danielle. Thanks for reaching out. The recipe doesn't call for tapioca. I used coconut, cassava and arrowroot flour and they can't be substituted without changing the entire recipe. I hope you give this recipe another try!
I switched up this recipe- I can have eggs and have a fresh dozen from a local farm, so I replaced the 2 gelatin eggs with 2 large eggs and mixed them in with the wet ingredients before mixing in the dry ingredients. I also added walnuts on top, I would add them to the batter next time so they don’t toast too much. The baking time was a bit longer (about 1 hour 45 mins), and I cut it warm with no crumbling! Tastes wonderful- you can’t really tell there’s no grains or dairy in it! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
That's awesome. Thanks for sharing!
So I made this last night and it came out sort of rubbery. I cooked the 1 hour and 15 minutes, but it didn't rise and the bananas on top look burnt and are rubber. Any ideas what I did wrong??
Hey Dawn. I can't say for sure what happened but if it didn't rise then it sounds like it could be the baking soda. Either you didn't use it or you didn't use enough. The bananas may be a little browned on top when cooked correctly and then soft and gooey underneath. I've never had it come out rubbery before. I hope you have better luck next time.
This shit is LEGIT Beth you’re a miracle worker!! It rose and held it’s shape, has a beautiful browned coloring on the top and bottom, the texture is as close as you can possibly get to a typical quick bread, and it tastes AMAZING. My partner (non-AIP) loved it and it’s so visually appealing with the sliced bananas on top. Do not skip brushing it with honey, especially if you’re bringing it somewhere. I’ve been on AIP for almost 2 years and love fiddling around in the kitchen. This is by far the best looking and tasting AIP version of anything I have ever had. I cannot wait to fool everybody I know with this!!
Holy cow. What an amazing review?!? Thanks so much for letting me know. I'm so glad you love it.
This looks wonderful, thanks. Do you know if the gelatin eggs could be either omitted or subbed with agar eggs? And could I sub maple syrup for the honey (inside the bread)?
I've never tried it with anything but gelatin but you could definitely give it a try. Other than eggs, agar would be the only thing that would work as a binder. Maple syrup is a great sub for honey. Let me know if yuo try it with these subs. I'm curious to see how it tastes!
Excellent blog post. I definitely appreciate this website.
Thanks!
Thanks! I'm glad you like it.
I really like the way you sliced the bananas in half and decorated the top of the bread! It's so simple, but unique. Oh, and the recipe sounds amazing, too! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you. Let me know if you try it. I'm interested to know if other people like it as much as I do!
This recipe is missing 2 phenomenal ingredients: peanut butter (great 4 moisture) & nutmeg or cloves (gives it kick). Lastly, brown sugar is better in loaves than white sugar! All my opinion (lol)
Hi Kate,
You could definitely use brown sugar. I'm sure it would be great. However, you really don't need peanut butter or the extra spices. It's the most moist banana bread I've ever had. I also wanted the banana bread to taste like banana not peanut butter or spices. If you try it, let me know! I'd love to hear how your variation tastes!
Thanks
Beth