Growing up, I was extremely picky about my bananas. After long swim practices, I would only eat the bananas that had the perfect ripeness (perfect by my standards) which meant just past the green stage, but not one speck of brown. I could not fathom eating browned bananas. Unless, of course, these bananas were used as banana bread. That was the only suitable use for browned bananas and any respectable banana bread will use only the best browned bananas.
The only sugar in this bread comes from the bananas. Some of you may wish to add in some honey, but I really don’t think it’s needed. This is a wonderful loaf to bring as a hostess gift or into one of those pot-luck brunches! Think of this as one of your paleo treats!
3 cups (450 g) almond flour
2 teaspoons (10 ml) baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (60 mL) coconut oil, melted
4 large eggs
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
3 teaspoons (15 ml) vanilla
3 teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup (50 g) walnuts, chopped
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Combine the almond flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut oil and eggs.
- Mix the flour combination into the oil and eggs, and stir until well blended.
- Add in the mashed bananas, vanilla and cinnamon. Fold in the walnuts.
- Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Variation—This recipe also works well as muffins. Just grease 12 medium-sized muffin cups, filling up about 2/3 of the way with the batter.
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Paleo banana nut bread delivers everything you want from the classic loaf: moist crumb, warm cinnamon, and plenty of walnuts — without a grain in sight. Almond flour, coconut oil, and very ripe bananas make the batter, and it bakes up golden in about half an hour.
Pro Tips
- Use bananas that are very ripe — spotty and soft — since they're the only sweetener here and they need to be at their most fragrant and sugary.
- Combine the almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl first so the leavening disperses evenly and you don't get pockets of soda in the loaf.
- Melted coconut oil must cool slightly before it meets the eggs; hot oil will scramble them and ruin the batter's texture.
- Fold the walnuts in last so they stay evenly suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom of the pan.
- Test with a toothpick at 25 minutes — almond flour loaves go from perfectly moist to dry quickly, and the loaf keeps cooking a little as it cools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this banana bread paleo?
Yes: almond flour instead of wheat, coconut oil for fat, eggs, banana, and walnuts, sweetened by the fruit alone. It's naturally gluten-free and grain-free.
How should I store paleo banana nut bread?
Keep it wrapped at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate for up to a week — almond flour baked goods stay fresher in the fridge. Slices toast beautifully.
Can I freeze this banana bread?
Definitely. Slice the cooled loaf, wrap the slices individually, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or toast straight from frozen.
Can I make this into muffins?
Yes, divide the batter among lined muffin cups and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Combine the almond flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut oil and eggs.
- Mix the flour combination into the oil and eggs, and stir until well blended.
- Add in the mashed bananas, vanilla and cinnamon.
- Fold in the walnuts.
- Pour batter into a greased loaf pan.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
