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I remember being nervous the first time I tried gluten free baking, and I never wanted anyone else to feel that way. So I built this recipe to work identically with regular flour (for my non-gluten free family) and with King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour (for myself), and tested them side by side until I couldn’t tell the loaves apart.
If you’re gluten free, chances are someone in your family isn’t, and you already know how much easier it is to have one recipe that works with both all-purpose flour AND gluten free flour.
Gluten Free Banana Bread (Tested Side by Side with the Original)
I remember being nervous the first time I tried gluten free baking, and I never wanted anyone else to feel that way. So I built this recipe to work identically with regular flour (for my non-gluten free family) and with King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour (for myself), and tested them side by side until I couldn’t tell the loaves apart. If you’re curious, the original, non-gluten free banana bread was developed in 2014 and it’s still my favorite.
If you’re gluten free, chances are someone in your family isn’t, and you already know how much easier it is to have one recipe that works for everyone. Now I follow one banana bread recipe for my whole family, gluten free or not, and it’s the same loaf every time, regardless of what flour I use.
This banana bread has been my go to for 12 years, long before I started testing every recipe two ways. It works so well gluten free because it gets its lift from baking soda and baking powder, not from gluten development, so a good 1 to 1 gluten free flour blend can step right in without a fight.
If you’ve been burned by gummy, dense, or sunken gluten free banana bread before, I hear you. This isn’t that.
Key Ingredients and What They Do
Here’s an overview of the key ingredients in this recipe and why they’re so important. You can also jump to the recipe card below for the full recipe.
- Overripe bananas. This is where the real banana flavor and moisture come from, gluten free or not. Measure the mashed banana instead of eyeballing it since banana sizes vary so much.
- King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour. This is the flour I tested this recipe with, and it swaps in at a true 1 to 1 ratio with no xanthan gum adjustments needed. It already includes what the blend needs to mimic the structure regular flour gives.
- Vegetable oil. Oil keeps this loaf moist for days, which matters even more in a gluten free bake since gluten free flours tend to dry out faster than all purpose flour.
- Eggs. Two eggs give the batter enough structure to hold together without gluten, so don’t be tempted to cut one.
- Cinnamon. A small amount, but banana bread genuinely benefits from it.
How to Choose the Best Bananas for Banana Bread
The best banana bread starts with the ugliest bananas you can find. Look for ones heavily speckled with brown spots, or even mostly brown and black all over. Those spots mean the starches have already turned to sugar, so you get a sweeter, more flavorful loaf, and the bananas mash into the batter with almost no effort.
Skip anything still yellow or just barely starting to spot. Those bananas haven’t broken down enough yet, and you’ll end up with a loaf that’s less sweet and less banana forward. If yours aren’t ripe enough, the next section fixes that.
Overripe bananas are perfect for banana brownies, banana cake and chocolate banana muffins.
How to Quickly Ripen Bananas
Spotty, overripe bananas make the best banana bread, hands down. If yours aren’t there yet, you can still get them there. Place them on a foil lined baking sheet in a 300ºF oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the peels turn black and shiny, and the heat will turn them sweet and mushy in the process.
How to Make Gluten Free Banana Bread
Follow my simple instructions below, or jump to the recipe card for the full recipe.
Prep oven: Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Mash bananas: Mash the bananas in a blender, mixing bowl with a mixer, or with a potato masher. Measure the mashed banana, you want 1 and 1/3 to 1 and 1/2 cups. That is roughly 3 large bananas or 4 to 5 small ones.
Combine wet ingredients: Combine the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Stir with a spatula or mixer on low until combined.
Mix in dry ingredients: Add the gluten free flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir with a spatula or mix on low, just until combined.
Prep pan and transfer batter: Spray a loaf pan, either 9×5 or 8.5×4.5, with nonstick spray. Transfer the batter to the pan and spread it even with a spatula.
Bake: Bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes. Check for browning at the 45 minute mark, and tent with foil if the top is browning too fast. Bake 10 to 20 more minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Why King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour
I tested this recipe specifically with King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour, and that’s the blend I recommend if you want the result I’m describing here.
Other 1 to 1 gluten free blends can work too, but every brand behaves a little differently, so texture and rise might shift slightly if you swap brands.
If you try a different blend, watch your bake time closely since gluten free flours absorb liquid at different rates. This is the flour that lets me serve one banana bread to my whole family, gluten free or not, without anyone noticing a difference.
Troubleshooting Gluten Free Texture
A gummy center almost always means the loaf needed more time in the oven. Gluten free batters can look done on top before the middle sets, so always confirm with a toothpick in the very center, not just near the edge.
A loaf that sinks in the middle is usually a sign of overmixing or opening the oven door too early. Mix the batter just until you no longer see flour streaks, and resist checking on the bread before the 45 minute mark.
Pan Size and Bake Time
There are two common loaf pan sizes, 9×5 and 8.5×4.5, and even though the numbers look close, they differ in volume by about 15 percent. The 8.5×4.5 pan gives you a taller, more domed loaf and needs 5 to 10 extra minutes in the oven. Total bake time runs 45 to 60 minutes for a 9×5 pan and 55 to 65 minutes for an 8.5×4.5 pan, so know which one you’re using before you set a timer.
Gluten Free Banana Bread Mix In Variations
Add 2 cups of chocolate chips for banana chocolate chip bread or chopped nuts for banana nut bread to the batter when you stir in the flour. Both hold up well in the gluten free version without changing the texture of the loaf.
Storing and Freezing Gluten-Free Banana Bread
To store: keep the loaf tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To freeze the whole loaf: cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap, then in foil, then place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
To freeze individual slices: wrap each slice the same way and thaw one at a time in the fridge overnight, or microwave in 30 second intervals straight from frozen.
Gluten Free Banana Bread FAQ
No, not if you’re using King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour. It already has what it needs built in. If your blend doesn’t include a gum, check the package since you might need to add a small amount separately.
No. I tested both versions side by side until I couldn’t tell them apart, which is exactly why my non-gluten free family and I eat the same loaf.
Yes, but results will vary by brand. I can only vouch for the texture and bake time given here since I tested this recipe with King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Flour specifically.
It almost always just needs more time in the oven. Check the very center with a toothpick, not just the edges, before you pull it out.
More Recipes to Try
- Easy Banana Bread if you want the classic all purpose version this recipe is tested against
- Banana Nut Muffins
- Bakery Style Banana Muffins
- Peanut Butter Banana Bread
- More Gluten Free Recipes
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Gluten Free Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓– 1 ½ cup (345g) over ripe bananas, about 4 bananas mashed, be sure to measure the mashed banana
- ½ cup (198g) vegetable oil
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240g) gluten-free all-purpose flour, I use King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or nuts, OPTIONAL
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Mash the bananas in a blender, mixing bowl with mixer or with potato masher. Be sure to actually measure the mashed banana, you want about 1 ⅓ to 1 ½ cups mashed banana. This might be 3 large bananas or 4-5 small bananas.1 ⅓– 1 ½ cup (345g) over ripe bananas
- In a mixing bowl combine the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir to combine with a spatula or mixer on low.½ cup (198g) vegetable oil, ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add in the gluten-free flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. If using chocolate chips or nuts, add them now. Stir together with a spatula or mix on low, just until combined.2 cups (240g) gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp salt, 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or nuts
- Spray a loaf pan (either 9×5 or 8.5×4.5) with non-stick cooking spray. Transfer the batter to the pan and spread even with a spatula.
- Place in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes check to see if the bread is browning too much. If so, tent the bread with aluminum foil and bake for 10-20 more minutes. **If you didn’t tent at 45 minutes, check again at 55 minutes, then tent, and bake for 10 additional minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total suggested bake time for a 8.5×4.5 inch pan is 55-65 minutes and 9×5 inch pan is 45-60 minutes. Be sure to know what size your pan is.
