Happy Gut Banana Bread Recipe (SCD, Dairy-Free, Gluten-free) (2024)

For years I have raved about the positive effects of very ripe bananas when suffering from digestive upset – the riper the better! When bananas are black (by ‘black’ I mean normal, yellow-skinned bananas that have been left on the counter to ripen until their skin turns black) they are naturally pre-digested, absorption is enhanced, and they are very alkaline. Bananas also contain a type of protein (tryptophan) that the body converts into serotonin, which can generally make you feel happier – it can improve your mood and help you relax. Bananas are also very high in potassium while low in salt, which helps to regulate blood pressure.

That being said, I have never really cared for bananas – especially thick, black, slimy ones! So what better way to consume overly ripe bananas than in banana bread?

I have the most wonderful banana bread recipe which is:

  • Specific Carbohydrate Diet “legal”
  • dairy-free
  • grain-free & gluten-free
  • paleo
  • free of refined sugars
  • super moist
  • flavorful

As I have mentioned in other my recipes, it’s best if you can use certified organic ingredients when making this bread.

HAPPY GUT BANANA BREAD RECIPE

Happy Gut Banana Bread Recipe (SCD, Dairy-Free, Gluten-free) (2)Ingredients:

  • 4 very ripe bananas (black skinned!)
  • 3 tbsp melted olive or coconut oil (if you are looking for a lower-fat option, 1/2 cup apple sauce is a great substitution! You can also use ghee, however it will no longer be dairy-free)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups almond flour (You can make your own, or, make your own sprouted almond flour)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup honey (or use 1/4 tsp stevia instead if you want it to be sugar-free)
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts or dark chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (170 C).
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.
  • Next add the melted coconut oil (or ghee), eggs, honey, and vanilla extract. If you want your banana bread to have chunks of banana in it, only add half of the bananas at this time. Mix thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are completely combined.
  • Chop the other two bananas and add, then mix in the walnuts or pecans (if including nuts). If you do not want banana chunks in your bread, add all bananas before this step.
  • Bake for 25-30 min, then cover with tented aluminum foil to avoid burning the top of the bread. Make sure you tent the aluminum so it doesn’t touch your bread – we don’t want aluminum leaching into our food!
  • Bake for another 25-30 min, or until fully cooked. I always insert a toothpick or knife to check – it will come out clean when ready.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool. Then enjoy!!

This makes 1 loaf.

As always, I’d love to hear from you if you decide to try this banana bread recipe. Please feel free to comment and share your experiences below!

If you’d like to share your pictures with us, please email us at service@listentoyourgut.com.

Happy Gut Banana Bread Recipe (SCD, Dairy-Free, Gluten-free) (3)

JINI

Jini Patel Thompson is an internationally recognized expert on natural healing for digestive diseases. She healed herself from widespread Crohn’s Disease and has remained drug and surgery-free for over 25 years. Jini has appeared on numerous podcast, TV, and radio shows throughout the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, giving people hope and vision for how they can heal their Colitis, Crohn’s, Diverticulitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), using entirely natural methods. Her books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold worldwide in over 80 countries.

By JINI|2023-03-29T13:23:43-08:00April 8th, 2020|

12 Comments

    • Happy Gut Banana Bread Recipe (SCD, Dairy-Free, Gluten-free) (5)

      LTYG Team - SavannahApril 9, 2020 at 11:17 am - Reply

      Let us know how you like it! =)

  1. Happy Gut Banana Bread Recipe (SCD, Dairy-Free, Gluten-free) (6)

    Jenea WhiteApril 12, 2020 at 3:03 pm - Reply

    Thank you so much. Been looking for a healthy snack.. It’s in the oven now. The mix was delicious so I know the bread will be.

    • Happy Gut Banana Bread Recipe (SCD, Dairy-Free, Gluten-free) (7)

      JINIApril 14, 2020 at 10:11 pm - Reply

      That’s awesome! Hope you liked it 🙂

  2. Happy Gut Banana Bread Recipe (SCD, Dairy-Free, Gluten-free) (8)

    WendyApril 20, 2020 at 4:21 am - Reply

    I made the banana bread into muffins and added dark chocolate chips walnuts and golden raisins. We can’t stop eating them. Thank you for this delicious recipe.

    • Happy Gut Banana Bread Recipe (SCD, Dairy-Free, Gluten-free) (9)

      LTYG Team - SavannahApril 21, 2020 at 10:25 am - Reply

      YUM! That sounds amazing! So happy this was a hit with your family. =)

  3. Happy Gut Banana Bread Recipe (SCD, Dairy-Free, Gluten-free) (10)

    LotusMarch 25, 2022 at 1:25 am - Reply

    I have Crohn’s and had two surgeries so far. I like this recipe but I’ve been staying away from fiber for too many years cause it always causes a flare of some degree. So never tried recipes with almond flour. Will sprouting the almonds make it easier to digest the fiber or will it cause a flare all the same and I better stay away from it?

    • Happy Gut Banana Bread Recipe (SCD, Dairy-Free, Gluten-free) (11)

      LTYG Team - LinsyApril 1, 2022 at 6:58 am - Reply

      Hello! Good question. Fiber can be very problematic for many, including myself. The low residue diet would be very helpful in your case: https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/low-fiber-low-residue-diet-for-gut-issues/

      With this recipe, Jini does recommend that you can make your own almond flour: https://www.thelittlepine.com/how-to-make-almond-flour/

      Or use sprouted: https://www.amodernhomestead.com/make-your-own-homemade-almond-flour/

      Spouted can often be easier for many to digest, so you could try that, or to be on the safe side if I was you, I would try a small spoonful of creamy, smooth almond butter and make sure you tolerate almond in a small dose before using it in a recipe.

      -Linsy

      • Happy Gut Banana Bread Recipe (SCD, Dairy-Free, Gluten-free) (12)

        LotusApril 3, 2022 at 2:34 pm - Reply

        Thank you! Really appreciate the recommendations. I’ll try consuming a bit of almond butter then and see if I can tolerate it. Then I might try using the sprouted almond flour in this recipe.

        • Happy Gut Banana Bread Recipe (SCD, Dairy-Free, Gluten-free) (13)

          LTYG Team - LinsyApril 4, 2022 at 6:12 am - Reply

          That sounds wonderful! Let us know how it goes! 🙂

  4. Happy Gut Banana Bread Recipe (SCD, Dairy-Free, Gluten-free) (14)

    Libbie K.September 27, 2023 at 7:30 am - Reply

    1/4 tsp stevia ? To replace 1/4 cup of honey ? Is that correct ?

    • Happy Gut Banana Bread Recipe (SCD, Dairy-Free, Gluten-free) (15)

      ArgentaSeptember 27, 2023 at 8:28 am - Reply

      Hi Libbie, yes, that is correct. Compared to honey, stevia has a much more concentrated sweet taste. So you will want to be careful not to add too much. Best!

Happy Gut Banana Bread Recipe (SCD, Dairy-Free, Gluten-free) (2024)

FAQs

Why did my gluten-free banana bread not rise? ›

Of course make sure that your yeast and baking powder is still active and fresh. Your bread will not rise if your yeast or baking powder has expired. A dense loaf could also be the result of not measuring your ingredients accurately.

Can I use coconut flour and almond flour together? ›

Coconut flour can be baked at the same temperature as other recipes, no need for adjustment. The best ratio is 3:1 almond flour to coconut flour. This low carb flour substitution closely mirrors all-purpose flour without the need for additional eggs.

Why is my almond flour banana bread soggy? ›

Fine almond flour already creates a very moist, dense quick bread, so using almond meal will potentially make the loaf a little too wet in the middle.

Can you freeze banana bread? ›

Banana bread freezes brilliantly

Just wait for it to cool and slice it. Wrap the slices in parchment or foil and then freeze them. Grab one out in the morning, throw it in your bag or lunchbox and it will be defrosted by lunchtime. They can be toasted from frozen under the grill (broiler).

What is the secret to getting gluten-free bread to rise? ›

An easy way to create a good environment for gluten-free bread to rise is to turn your oven to 200 F; when it reaches this temperature, turn off the oven and place a shallow baking pan partially filled with hot water on one of the shelves.

What is the biggest challenge of making gluten-free bread? ›

Running into problems. Gluten is protein that elasticizes dough, providing structure and enabling it to trap the carbon dioxide generated by yeast. (This is why many gluten-free formulations don't use yeast.) Eliminating it often leaves dough that is runnier than conventional bread dough.

Which is better for baking almond or coconut flour? ›

Coconut flour has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor, with a hint of coconut aroma. It has a more absorbent texture and tends to create denser, moister baked goods compared to almond flour. Due to its absorbency, coconut flour often requires more liquid in recipes to prevent dryness.

Why combine almond flour and coconut flour? ›

Coconut Flour Blends

The dryness of the coconut flour offsets the moisture and fat in the almond flour. It can also help lower the carb and calorie count. For a recipe such as my Keto Texas Sheet Cake, I use 2 cups of almond flour and ⅓ cup of coconut flour. This ratio works well and gives the cake a finer crumb.

Why can't you use baking powder with almond flour? ›

Since baking powder contains baking soda, baking powder cannot be used in almond flour baking. Instead, eggs (or applesauce or bananas) can be used as the leavening agent to help baked goods rise and achieve a light and fluffy texture.

What happens if you put too much flour in banana bread? ›

If you use too much flour, you'll end up with really dry banana bread, and If you don't use enough flour, your banana bread will be way too wet. The secret lies in how you measure the flour. The scoop out of the bag method could be packing way too much flour.

Why is my banana bread dense and heavy? ›

Using too much butter makes for a heavier cake with less banana flavor. Using double the amount of butter that the recipe called for left me with a loaf that was dry on the outside and moist on the inside.

Can bananas be too ripe to use for banana bread? ›

As it sits at room temperature, starches convert to sugars, making the fruit sweeter and softer. These brown spots, often seen as a sign of spoilage, are actually a dead giveaway of peak banana bread potential. But, there is a limit. Black bananas or rotten bananas are a no-go.

Can I leave banana bread out overnight? ›

If you're planning to eat your banana bread within three to four days, it can be left out at room temperature. To keep it fresh, place a paper towel in the bottom of an airtight container. Place the loaf of banana bread on top, add another paper towel, and put the lid on the container.

What would cause banana bread not to rise? ›

Old or expired baking soda/powder can lead to banana bread rising problems. Always use relatively fresh baking soda/powder when making banana breads & quick breads (such as pumpkin bread). Moisture contamination (via the air) can lessen the effectiveness of baking soda/powder and this leads to rising problems.

Is gluten-free bread supposed to rise? ›

Expectations: No question about it, gluten-free breads are denser than wheat breads, and they don't rise as high. Plus, they get most of their loft in the hot oven (that's called oven spring). Don't expect to see a lot of visible change while the loaf is resting (after its shaped).

How long does gluten-free bread need to rise? ›

When making our bread we suggest only letting it rise for 20 minutes. Even if it does not look doubled in size, put it in your preheated oven. It will finish rising as it cooks and when it comes out will not fall as easily.

Why is my homemade gluten-free bread so dense? ›

You may need to add extra liquid or combine different flours to achieve the proper hydration level for your dough. Incorrect Flour Ratios: Different gluten-free flours have varying levels of protein and starch, which can affect the texture of your bread. Using the wrong flour ratio can result in a dense and gummy loaf.

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