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 now this gluten free banana bread!
✨ Recipe
Gluten Free Banana Bread
Ingredients
For the brown butter
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter
For the banana bread
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour see notes
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup real maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 2 large bananas mashed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup pecans chopped
For the topping
- ¼ cup pecans chopped
- 2 tablespoon real maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- 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.
To make the brown butter
- 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.
- Pour the brown butter into a bowl. Make sure to scrape all of the toasty, brown bits into the bowl as well.
- Let the brown butter cool slightly for 10-15 minutes.
To make the banana bread
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the maple syrup, eggs, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract.
- Once the brown butter has cooled slightly, whisk that into the wet ingredients, too.
- 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.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
To make the topping
- Sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans evenly over the top of the batter.
- Pour 2 tbs over the pecans.
- Bake the banana bread for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick, when inserted into the center, comes out clean.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.
Looking for more banana bread recipes? (Of course you are) How about Hummingbird Banana Bread? AND. Let's not forget Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookies!
Cindy
Love this recipe, I’ve used it over the last couple years and make a few modifications such as adding an extra banana and adding a cup of blueberries ❤️
Lauren Pacek
Blueberries sound like a great addition! So glad that you've enjoyed it 🙂
Jacqueline Debono
I love using maple syrup too. It has such a wonderful flavour. This banana bread looks great. Going to pin for later!
Jacqueline Debono
I love using maple syrup too. It has such a wonderful flavour. This banana bread looks great. Going to pin for later!
Holly
Oh that topping! I love banana bread and now am craving this recipe just to get to the topping. Love having a gluten free option for banana bread.
Holly
Oh that topping! I love banana bread and now am craving this recipe just to get to the topping. Love having a gluten free option for banana bread.
Andrea Metlika
I am a HUGE banana bread fan and this looks marvelous! Bonus- gluten free!
Andrea Metlika
I am a HUGE banana bread fan and this looks marvelous! Bonus- gluten free!
Courtney
This banana bread looks perfect! Love that it is refined sugar free as well!
ali randall
Any way I can use up ripe bananas I do and the kitchen always smells amazing and the bread promises to disappear so fast 🙂
ali randall
Any way I can use up ripe bananas I do and the kitchen always smells amazing and the bread promises to disappear so fast 🙂
Catherine Brown
This looks perfect! I love that GF mixes have gotten a lot better and more readily available. And ALL those pecans on top... that's MY kindof banana bread!
Catherine Brown
This looks perfect! I love that GF mixes have gotten a lot better and more readily available. And ALL those pecans on top... that's MY kindof banana bread!
Heidy L. McCallum
Your banana bread looks super fab and I could see myself enjoying it with a nice hot cup of tea. Pinning for later.