This Gluten Free Banana Bread is dense, moist, and studded and topped with crunchy pecans. Know what’s even better? I subbed real maple syrup for brown sugar to make this banana bread refined sugar-free, too!
Part of me likes the idea of baking with less refined sugar. I’m thinking about giving dates a try as a sweetener. For, you know, nutritional reasons and whatnot.
Then again, part of me just really likes maple syrup. The real stuff. No Mrs. Butterworth’s here. I used this bourbon barrel aged variety (found at Costco), but use whatever kind that you like!
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention that this banana bread is made with brown butter. Who doesn’t like brown butter? It is 10/10.
I’ve been slowly tiptoeing into the gluten free baking world, and definitely want to increase my GF repertoire. So far I’ve shown you Gluten Free Muesli Muffins and Coconut Macaroons. And now this gluten free banana bread!

- 8 tbs unsalted butter
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour, see notes
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 2 large bananas, mashed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
- 2 tbs real maple syrup
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
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Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with a strip of parchment paper sling. Allowing an inch or so of parchment paper to hang over the long edges. Spray the pan and parchment paper with cooking spray and set aside.
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Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook for about 3 minutes (stirring pretty much constantly) until the butter has browned.
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Pour the brown butter into a bowl. Make sure to scrape all of the toasty, brown bits into the bowl as well.
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Let the brown butter cool slightly for 10-15 minutes.
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In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Set aside.
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In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the maple syrup, eggs, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract.
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Once the brown butter has cooled slightly, whisk that into the wet ingredients, too.
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Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Fold the wet and the dry ingredients together, but don't over mix. Add the chopped pecans and stir until distributed throughout the batter.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
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Sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans evenly over the top of the batter.
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Pour 2 tbs over the pecans.
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Bake the banana bread for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick, when inserted into the center, comes out clean.
Looking for more banana bread recipes? (Of course you are) How about Hummingbird Banana Bread or Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread? How about some banana bread with chocolate chips and oatmeal? AND. Let’s not forget Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookies!