Moist and super simple to make: this low carb keto banana bread is perfect for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. It is gluten free, grain free and only 4.4g net carbs per slice. A sugar free banana bread that's a hit with the whole family, low carb or not!
Table of contents
There's lots of people around who will tell you bananas are "not allowed" when you're eating low carb. Here's what I think: A banana is high in sugar and carbs. But if you're choosing your recipe wisely, you can enjoy all the banana taste without actually letting your blood sugar rocket sky-high.
Most low carb banana bread recipes use banana flavouring instead of a real banana. This obviously keeps the carb count really low. But I think you'll never get close to the taste of a proper banana with extracts, not to mention the wonderful moist texture of real banana bread.
Carbs in banana bread
Bananas have a very intense flavour. ½ a cup of mashed banana - that's one large banana or 2 small ones - is enough to create a bread that's low in carbs and low in sugars. This keto banana bread recipe contains ⅛ of a banana (I'd say that is about 1 bite) and 4.4 grams of net carbs per slice.
Quick note - I'm calling this recipe "sugar free banana bread" because I'm using erythritol instead of added sugar, honey or maple syrup. It comes in at 2.7 grams of (natural) sugars per slice, which is equivalent to just over ½ teaspoon.
How to make sugar free banana bread - step by step
1.) Put the eggs, mashed banana and melted butter in a bowl. Blend until smooth and frothy with an electric mixer.
TIP: It is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL to use an overripe banana in this recipe. It should have lingered in your fruit basket forever and have brown specks on the skin.
2.) Stir together the dry ingredients - almond flour, erythritol, cinnamon and baking powder - in a separate bowl. Then add to the egg mix.
I used golden erythritol in the images, which is a brown sugar replacement. But any granulated sweetener will work.
3.) Blend!
4.) Last, stir in the crushed walnuts, keeping some back for decorating.
5.) Fill into a bread tin lined with parchment paper and bake for 40 minutes.
Tip: Check after 30 minutes to see if the banana bread is browned already. If so, cover loosely with aluminium foil for the last 10 minutes to prevent burning. (I covered my bread at minute 35 and found that it was browned a little much for my liking.)
Low Carb Banana Bread - tips and recipe variations
Don't have walnuts? You can use any nuts in this recipe. I think pecans or hazelnuts would work particularly well.
Instead of nuts, you could add sugar free chocolate chips instead. It's easy to make your own. Alternatively, use chopped dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 85 % or a brand like Lily's.
I used a small 7.5 x 3 inch loaf tin (1 lb volume) for this recipe. It's the perfect size for low carb bread because it's nutrient dense and filling and servings need to be smaller. If you use a loaf pan like this, your bread will be taller than wide.
If you only have a full size bread pan, you can double the recipe. I this case, increase the baking time to about 1 hour. Be sure to insert a knife to test the inside is baked (if it comes out with dough sticking to it keep your bread in a bit longer). Again, cover the top loosely with aluminium foil once the top is browned to prevent burning.
To make this recipe dairy free, replace the butter with coconut oil.
I used ground almonds in this recipe. This is equivalent to regular blanched almond flour in the US. Almond meal (essentially almonds ground up including skins) would also work well and give a more rustic texture.
If you're using super fine almond flour, I recommend to reduce the amount to 1 ¼ cup as it is more absorbent.
I have not tried this myself, but it should be possible to replace the almond flour with ½ cup of coconut flour. In this case, you may also want to add ¼ tsp of xanthan gum.
To make this banana bread egg free, sub with flax eggs: mix 3 tbsp of ground flaxseed and 9 tbsp of water, let sit for 10 minutes so the flax can absorb the liquid. Then add to the batter.
How to store Keto Banana Bread
I tend to keep the bread in a cake tin on the counter for a couple of days. Then I store it in the fridge. It stays fresh for about 1 week.
You can also freeze it! I do this with all my almond flour cake recipes. I slice the bread before freezing. That way, I can simply take out one slice when I feel like a treat.
Similar recipes you might also enjoy
- Low Carb Keto Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Healthy Banana Cookies (Sugar Free, Keto)
- Orange Almond Breakfast Cake
- Low Carb Zucchini Muffins
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Low Carb Keto Banana Bread
from sugarfreelondoner.comNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary. ***As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup / 150g almond flour or ground almonds
- ½ cup / 120g mashed banana 2 small or 1 large, very ripe
- 3 eggs large
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- ¼ cup / 50g granulated erythritol (So Nourished)
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup / 30g walnuts, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the ove to 180 Celsius / 356 Fahrenheit.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs together with the mashed banana and melted butter until smooth.
- In another bowl, stir together the dry ingredients - almond flour, erythritol or sweetener of choice, cinnamon and baking powder. Add to the bowl with the egg/banana/butter mix and blend until well-combined.
- Last, stir in the crushed walnuts, reserving some to sprinkle over the top of the bread.
- Line a small (7 x 3.5 inch / 1 lb) loaf tin with parchment paper and fill in the dough. Sprinkle the leftover walnuts on the top.
- Bake for circa 40 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Check the cake at minute 30. If the top is already brown enough, loosely place aluminium foil over it so it does not burn.
- Let the banana bread cool completely before slicing.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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The post keto banana bread was first published June 2019 and updated with more details in January 2021.
Tracey says
Wow! Since going low carb and sugar free I’ve really missed baking, but since finding your website I feel like a whole new world has opened up to me! This banana bread is delicious! I have a very finicky 7yo who will soon tell you if she doesn’t like the look of something and this got her seal of approval! I can’t wait to make it again! 🙂
Katrin Nürnberger says
It's always the best when the kids are on board! Glad you all like the recipe.
Robin A Mason says
If you don't have a very ripe banana, you can put it in the oven for 10 minutes @ 300 until the outside turns black. It really brings out the banana flavor!
Katrin Nürnberger says
That's a great tip!
Tina says
I've made this recipe twice now. The second time around, I added 1 tsp. of pure banana extract (by Olive Nation) to help bring out the banana flavor a little more.. The addition of the banana extract was a big hit with my kids. I love toasting a slice of this bread, slathering a little bit of butter on it, and enjoying it with my coffee. Thank you for a great recipe!
Heidi says
Beautiful, guilt-free banana bread! It is amazingly moist and keeps well, even freezes well. I left out the sweetener as the bananas have enough sugar. Thank you for posting this.
Carolyn Allender says
I took the bread out of the oven an hour ago. It tastes good has a great texture and is moist. I can barely wait until. tomorrow because I know the flavor will be even better!
Thank you from sharing your recipies❤
REUSSER Florence says
My favorite breakfast bread!
Kathleen says
Could i use pecan flour in this instead of almond flour?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, that would taste lovely!
LC says
This would be perfect but it lacks salt. 1/4 teaspoon? 1/2? How much would you suggest to ease the blandness?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Interesting suggestion. I don't think this recipe needs salt, but if salt in sweets is your thing, 1/4 teaspoon or a good pinch should do the trick. I would not use more.
Michelle says
This recipe is just fabulous...I've tried so many keto recipes and usually they are just awful and crumbly and bleh. This one I will make again and again! Thank you for sharing...oh...I added a tsp of vanilla extract just for a bit of umph.
Katrin Nürnberger says
So glad you like the banana bread!
Mahboubeh says
Is banana really keto friendly???
Katrin Nürnberger says
This bread contains only a small amount of banana per slice and is low in carbs. Therefore, this recipe can be used as part of a keto diet.
Cee Caburian says
This recipe turned out to be super moist with the right amount of sweetness. My family said this tastes better than regular banana bread! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Nancy says
Can I freeze the bread or cupcakes. I decided to double the recipe. In process of baking!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, this banana bread freezes well.
Janice Hinkley says
I followed your recipe and added ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and 1 extra tbsp of Monk fruit sweetener. Then I divided the batter between 16 silicone muffin cups and baked them for 23 minutes. The reason I did that was so I wouldn’t be tempted to eat another sliver or two of banana bread. They are a perfect size to pack in my husbands lunch. Thanks for the recipe.
Katrin Nürnberger says
That's a great way of ensuring portion control! 🙂
Misty says
Thank you, this is just what I was craving. I added sugar-free coconut flakes and it was a Sunday breakfast hit!!
Take Care!
Sabrina says
This was good. I think it could use a tad more sweetener or banana to give it a little more natural sweetness. Next time I will double it because it didn't make a big loaf. Will use again as a good low carb option. Thank you!
Kerin says
Can I use golden monkfriut and if so how much? Thank you
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes! I have an erythritol monk fruit mix that I use all the time. It works great in this banana bread recipe.
Mimi says
Thank you Katrin for this delicious recipe! I’ve made it twice now and every time the banana bread comes out perfect (moist inside and crusty on the outside). I added 1/4 tsp of cardammon as we’re in autumn and I wanted to lean more towards fruit cake flavour and it brought a nice depth to the banana bread!
Would you ever consider writing a paper cookbook with all your wonderful recipes? I know you have published ebooks but I would love to have one that collates all your recipes in one place whether they are sweet ones or savoury ones!
Katrin Nürnberger says
I’m glad you are enjoying the banana bread! Adding cardamom is a great idea. I am looking into a paper printed cookbook, so be sure to join my email list so I can keep you updated.
Diana says
This recipe was the best keto banana bread. The whole family loved it. I used maple syrup instead of the erythritol. Amazing
Melissa says
Hi Diana, how much maple syrup did you put in?
EMELITA CALDERON says
Thank you for posting this recipe of Low Carb Keto Banana Bread. It so delicious! I'm going to bake it for the third time.
Lori Berdak Miller says
Live in the USA. Can I use stevia as sugar substitute in your recipes?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, I would say you can do this in most recipes.
Tamara says
Omg!!! I am SOLD on this one Katrin:)
I have always loved banana nut bread but since going low carb..I didn’t even realize how much I missed it! That is..until..I tried this recipe! Wow!! Super impressed and love that this one has real bananas in it!!
Ok..so I had to double the recipe.as suggested, since I only had a two pound loaf baking dish and I only added two other ingredients. The first was some vanilla extract, and the second was some salt. I never bake anything sweet without using vanilla extract. It’s just my own rule and the salt really helps to bring out and nicely balance the sweetness of this recipe! Thank you so much Katrin for giving me back my banana nut bread!! Whoever said low carb is boring, never tried your keto friendly recipe!! 🙂
Tamara says
Also..I took a pic of my results to post and share with the group but I don’t see that option?
Katrin Nürnberger says
You can't share images on my website, but I would love it if you posted it on my Sugar Free Londoner Facebook page!
Katrin Nürnberger says
So glad you like the recipe!
TF says
Hello what is we don’t have an electrical mixer?
Katrin Nürnberger says
You can use a balloon whisk and a fork as well, it will just take longer.
Melle Calderon says
Delicious! I'd give it 6 stars. ******if I could. I'll make it again tomorrow morning. Double the recipe because my entire family loves it. Thanks Katrin!
Veva says
Could you use egg subsitute?
Katrin Nürnberger says
I haven’t tried and this would definitely change the texture.