I’ll take a loaf of banana bread, hold the bananas, please.
This Bread Is B.A.N.A.N.A.S
But without any actual bananas! WHY? HOW?
Welp, this is a low carb blog and bananas are sorta carby. *Shrug* Not to say they aren’t full of nutrients or anything. There are just other ways to get potassium, fiber, and Vitamin C (Oh hey hi cauliflower) that don’t cause an enormous insulin response.
Relax, I didn’t put cauliflower in the banana bread. This time.
The HOW is a little bottled banana and some flax magic ✨ to give you the color and texture of nanner’ bread. But not the gross, cheap banana extract you sometimes see in the grocery store. That will leave your bread tasting funky and fake.
Use really good extract and you’ll have really good banana bread.
The Rise vs The Flavor
Will it rise? No.
Will it taste good? Abso-frickin-lutely
This banana bread was double-blind taste tested by three very reliable participants, not including myself, and what we discovered might shock you. The rise of the loaf didn’t matter in comparison to the flavor of the loaf! Basically, the recipe that yielded a rounded top was not as delicious and buttery as the loaf that was kind of short and flat.
Short answer—the loaf that was prettier (more traditional) was not as tasty.
That’s why this loaf might seem a little short and flat in comparison to tradish loaves, but I truly believe it tastes BETTER than normal banana bread. Seriously!
Tip Time:
Gluten-Free Baking Tips
To get the best results with this loaf (or any baked goodie) keep these pretty standard tips in mind.
- Fresh Baking Powder/Soda:
Check the leavening power of your baking powder/soda! Add 1 tsp of baking powder to 1/2 cup of hot water. If it doesn’t bubble right away, toss it. To test baking soda, mix 1/4 teaspoon with 2 tsp vinegar. If it doesn’t bubble, it’s lost its leavening power. - Pan Size Matters
A 9×5 loaf pan (most common) is going to yield a short loaf where an 8×4 loaf pan will give it more height. Both will taste good, but I prefer the smaller pan. - Tent Your Loaf
This is true with a lot of gf/keto baked goods: tent the pan with foil (cover it) to protect the top from over-browning while the center continues to cook. If you don’t, the edges and top might burn while the center remains underbaked. *If you feel you covered too soon and want to brown the top, remove the foil and bake for a few minutes and it will brown. - Don’t Overdo Leaving
Sure, it seems like a ton of baking powder and eggs, and whatever else will make your product rise sky-high, but the higher it rises, the more it can fall (deflate). The volume of batter vs the size of the pan is what gives you height. Measure the baking powder and baking soda carefully to avoid over-rising and subsequent deflation of baked goodies.
Grain-Free Banana Nut Bread with Zero Bananas
Buy a bottle of liquid banana and never look back. Trust me.
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Like I said in the overly-wordy above section, buy the good banana extract and save yourself the hassle. I have personally used this brand of extract and spices for years.
It’s legit.
Topping Your Loaf:
You can top it with nuts or you can be like me and top it with Swerve Brown. Both ways are great!
The end.
You may notice that my loaf is short and that’s because I photographed the batch that was baked in a larger loaf pan.
I’ve made it in both and they turn out great, just different levels of thickness.
The drizzle is Choczero Maple Syrup because, why not?!?
This post contains Amazon Affiliate links and any purchases made through those links offer me a small commission.
Grain Free Banana Nut Bread with Zero Bananas
No bananas? No problem! This is 2019 and we make banana bread with less carbs, more fiber, and superior flavor!
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 3 Eggs, room temp
- 1/2 cup Butter, softened
- 1/4 cup Greek Yogurt
- 2-3 tbsp Banana Extract
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Almond Flour
- 2 tbsp Coconut Flour
- 2 tbsp Ground Golden Flax
- 3/4 cup Swerve Granulated Sweetener
- 2 tsp Xanthan Gum
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup Chopped Walnuts
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees and coat a small loaf pan with non-stick spray. An 8x4 pan works best.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside. *It is very helpful to re-grind your flaxseed. I find that even the ground flax is still very gritty so I pop it in my coffee grinder and give it a whirl.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer beat the egg and greek yogurt until smooth. Add the extracts and butter and continue to beat until incorporated.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well. You can use a hand mixer or a large spatula. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and give it another good stir. The batter will be very thick. Fold in the optional nuts.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared loaf pan and leave the top slightly rounded.
- Bake at 350 for 20 minutes (checking at 15 for browning), then cover with foil to prevent over browning. Continue to bake for about 30-40 minutes*.
- Let cool completely before slicing!
Notes
*Baking times can vary dramatically so watch your bread closely!
To prevent the bread from sinking too much or the slices from falling apart, make sure you let the loaf cool completely before digging in.
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Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving Calories 295Total Fat 27gCarbohydrates 8gFiber 4gSugar 1gProtein 9g
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