Moist and super simple to make: this sugar free banana bread is perfect for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. At 4.4g net carbs per slice, it is suitable for low carb diets. Gluten free and grain free.
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 REAL banana with extracts, not to mention the wonderful moist texture of a legit banana bread.
Bananas have a very intense flavour. 1/2 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 low carb banana bread contains 1/8 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 1/2 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 1/4 cup as it is more absorbent.
I have not tried this myself, but it should be possible to replace the almond flour with 3/4 cup of coconut flour.
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:
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Low Carb Sugar Free Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup / 150g almond flour or ground almonds
- 1/2 cup / 120g mashed banana 2 small or 1 large, very ripe
- 3 eggs large
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1/4 cup / 50g granulated erythritol
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 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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India Dhargalkar says
Seriously delicious and really easy to make which is saying something as I’m usually a disaster in the kitchen!
Best banana cake EVER!!
Katrin Nürnberger says
I’m sure you’re not a disaster in the kitchen at all! So glad you liked the recipe
Janette says
Best keto recipe I’ve cooked so far!!! What can I substitute banana with as my daughter doesn’t like them (more for hubby and I though!!)
Katrin Nürnberger says
I think you could try pumpkin puree. You’d have to adjust the sweetener though and increase the amount of erythritol.
John says
Definitely very nice! I tried it with coconut flour as you suggested (as I am generally on a low calorie diet too) and it was lovely, except I used 1/2 cup coconut flour and 1/4 cup golden flaxseed meal. Do you think I could use this recipe (or the variation) to make muffins? If so, what should I reduce the cooking time to or any other changes? Thanks again!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, check in the comments – quite a few people have made muffins from this recipe. Normally muffins take around 20-25 minutes. Then check and see if they’re browned and done.
Alfredo says
Had three extra ripe bananas that I did not want to throw away… this recipe was perfect! Thank you!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Glad you liked it!
SP says
Can I use this recipe for muffins? What would be baking temp and time?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, other readers have done that. Muffins normally take around 20 minutes.
Lucy says
I should have read the comments before, i used coconut flower and the texture and flavor are not that great. Does anybody knoknow how to fix it?
Katrin Nürnberger says
How much coconut flour did you use? You cannot replace coconut flour and almond flour 1:1 as it absorbs more liquid.
Ryan F says
Are the nutrition numbers per slice? Or per loaf?
Katrin Nürnberger says
per slice!
Nancy Lay says
Can you freeze it after making it?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes you can!
Murray Pengelly says
I find baking this banana bread the flavour is fantastic but it’s very dry, I use coconut flour or almond meal an the mixture is dry when it goes into the tin an also when baked
Any recommendations please
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Murray, the recipe is designed with almond flour. If you use coconut flour instead, you’ll end up with a different texture. Also, you cannot replace the almond flour 1:1 with coconut flour because it’s much more absorbent.
Senuka says
Best low carb banana bread I ever ate
Katrin Nürnberger says
Result! So happy you like it!!!
Tiffany says
This recipe was fantastic! A moist, yummy and healthy option for my son who is Type 1 Diabetic. I replaced the honey with a sugar-free honey substitute (Xylitol, available on Amazon here in Canada) and it turned out beautifully. Added some dark chocolate chips and toasted pecans. Needless to say, the loaf didn’t last long in this household!
Beverley Speck says
I made this last night, primarily for my SO – who hates bananas. He (and the rest of us)found it to be a bit more than delicious! This is now going to be a regular treat alongside some of your other recipes Thank you for sharing your recipes, we greatly appreciate them xxx
Alexander Tyndall says
Thank you Katrin!
Excellent recipe!
I made some slight modifications to your recipe and my cake turned out to be so delicious.
BTW, I bookmarked this page 😉
Looking forward to trying your other recipes.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Keep me posted and let me know what you try next!
Regina says
Hello there! Is it possible to omit the sweetener and just add more over-ripen bananas as the sugars? Thanks so much
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, absolutely. Add another couple of bananas and you should have enough sweetness. It may make the bread fudgier, so depending on the amount of bananas maybe also add a little more ground almonds.
Larissa says
It was great, thank you for the recipe! I added some pieces of banana to the mix and 1/4TSP of vanilla extract.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Mmmh, that sounds yum!
Jenny says
I’ve made many recipes with almond flour and almost always regret it because they are usually dry and I don’t care for the texture. I came across this recipe and decided to give it a go. I had high hopes for this recipe given the high ratings but I have to admit to being disappointed. I followed the recipe exactly, doubling the recipe and making two small loaves. They turned out dry, grainy, and bland with almost no banana flavor despite using a full cup of mashed banana. I’ll eat it because I’m not going to let it go to waste, but I won’t serve it to anyone else nor will I make this again.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Jenny, it sounds to me like you made the recipe with a finer almond flour than the one I used. What a shame it turned out dry – it should be fluffy and moist. Try using 1/4 less flour next time and pay attention to the batter consistency, ensuring it’s nice and soft.
Marcy says
I used 1/8 c swerve brown sugar and 1/8 c swerve sugar. Also, baked in 2×2 individual brownie pan for 15 minutes. Came out perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Thanks for letting us know your tweaks 🙂
Adelle says
So glad u posted this receipe! Will it still work if I use a whisk instead of an electric beater?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Of course! Just make sure you mash the banana really well beforehand.
Wendy says
I forgot to use the mixer but it was still fine. I tested after 30 min but it was still very jiggly in the middle. Baked it another 10 and raised the heat to 360.
Very good!!
Thank you!
Linda says
So looks like this recipe is gluten free as well. Bonus also added banana extract flavouring.
Dori H Frank says
The best banana bread ever! Great rise, moist and full of banana flavor! Added more walnuts and a little vanilla but would be great as written. Will def try other Londoner recipes
Katrin Nürnberger says
Keep me posted and let me know what you try next!
Rose Rolo says
Amazing! Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe! I haven’t tasted banana in well over a year and thought I never would. I also really appreciate your suggestions for substituting ingredients. I doubled the recipe for a large loaf pan and it made a huge loaf that actually rose in the pan. It is very moist and delicious and I can slice a small piece easily. I only had 3 cups of almond flour so I had to use 1/2 cup of coconut flour for the 4th cup of almond flour and followed your suggestion to add a little more melted butter. At first I thought it seemed like a lot of cinnamon but it is essential for this recipe. I am so apprehensive to make recipes with expensive ingredients and have them fail. Since that has never happened with any of your recipes I actually doubled it my first try! That says a lot. Even my husband loved it!! To anyone not sure if they should try this, make it now! You won’t believe how fantastic it is!!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Awesome!! So glad it was a success 🙂
Julia says
Can this recipe be made into muffins? If yes how long to cook them? Thank you
Katrin Nürnberger says
That should work! I’d try for 20-25 minutes at the same temperature, but be sure to check that they are done by sticking a knife in and see that it comes out clean.
Tina says
I made them into muffins, cooked for 20 minutes and they turned out perfect!
Katrin Nürnberger says
So good to know! Thanks for sharing this 🙂
Lisa says
Tina, thank you for sharing this info! This is so helpful. Did you do a single batch? How many muffins? How full did you fill the cups? Thanks again. 🙂