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
Note: 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.
Ruth Baucom says
My husband said I’d better save this recipe because I need to make it again! I used super fine almond flour and used the 1.25 cups recommended and it was perfect.
Leftie says
it's tasty,yet I think the next time I make it I will add more sweetener.Not much,just change it from 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup.
AZRose says
Delicious! Easy! Moist!
Tastes as yummy as it smells, sounds and looks.I prepared 2 mini loaves. Baking time approx 30/35 minutes @350. Ohhhh Katrin thank you for this great recipe! I cannot believe that this is Keto. If you love banana bread, try this, you will be sooooo happy that you did! I used monk fruit granules as my sweetener. Tasty enough to share with my 'non-keto' friends and family! Yummmmm!
Marcela says
Hi Katrin,
I am planning to use a muffin pan. What would be the time in the oven?
Thank you
Katrin Nürnberger says
I normally bake muffins 22-25 minutes.
Teresa Hennessy says
I’ve made this twice now and I love it! It’s so easy and super delicious. Thank you!
Kari says
Delicious! Works a treat and freezes perfectly. Made it for family too who wolfed it down!
Dawn says
I made this recipe this morning and it's so yummy! I didnt have the 1 1/2 cups of almond flour so I added 1/2 cup of THM baking blend. I added 1/2 tsp of vanilla, pinch of salt. I used 1/4 cup Swerve sweetener and 1 tablespoon of Swerve brown sugar. Its delicious. Thank you for giving me back banana bread with real bananas!!!!
Joanne Maloney says
This cake is fab. First piece of cake since we started on a keto diet at the beginning of 2021 and relished every mouthful!
I used splenda sweetener and as it's so light I had trouble judging how much to add, but my bananas were very ripe so I erred on the low side and it turned out just right.
Elle says
Question: I have Splenda packets. Does anyone know how to substitute these without changing the texture/flavor? Or.. What I need to do with regard to the other ingredients if I do use Splenda packets? please include the exact number of packets needed. Thanks.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Are the Splenda packets a 1:1 sugar replacement? If that's the case, then I would just use it as per recipe.
Kathy says
Fantastic! I missed the part where you said to decrease the amount of almond flour by a 1/4 cup. It was still very tasty and moist. Thank you
Anna says
Absolutely delicious , so moist and fluffy.
Lidia says
Loved the recipe! However I dumped everything but the nuts in one bowl. Used the whisk to stir it. It turned out perfectly. No need to make more dirty dishes 😉
Diksha says
Hi Katrin, love this recipe of yours. Have tried it quite a few times. I was wondering whether it is possible to add milk to this recipe to make the bread more moist? Do let me know. Thanks.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Sure, you could add milk or even better, more butter.
Diksha says
Thanks so much
Umah says
I made this yesterday and came out perfect. I followed the exact recipe with 20 grams Lakanto as sweetener. Thank you for the recipe.
Chari says
Great recipe, I doubled the recipe but only use 1 banana with some extract, worked perfectly, still had that "real" flavor and moisture but not the same carb count, I figured it was just over 3 nets per slice,
Thanks again
Luci says
After reading your banana inclusive recipes, I'm thinking about converting an old family recipe for Banana Chiffon Cake to keto. How does regular wheat flour convert to almond flour? Everything else seems easy with sugar to monk fruit, separated & beaten eggs ,the nuts, butter, etc. Please, no coconut though, I'm allergic.
In my family, It's simply referred to as "the cake" and I'm the only one who still makes it from scratch for every family event. I'll be happy to share with you if the results are good. BTW, I'm at 7000' altitude and it took me a few tries before I got it right after moving here from sea level.
Katrin Nürnberger says
It's normally a 1:1 conversion 🙂
RCH says
Thank you for this---it totally satisfies! I made 2 loaves at once: 1 with almond flour as the recipe calls for, 1 with coconut flour of 1/2c. The recipe was great just as is! Next time I'll try what reviewers suggested of whipping the egg whites; esp. if I make it again with coconut flour.
Leah says
Very forgiving recipe! We were out of or low on a few ingredients and it still turned out well! I used ground up pecans instead of almond flour, 1/4 cup almond flour instead of wanuts, and 2 eggs and 1 flax egg. My dad on a low carb diet loved it!
Kelly A says
Love this recipe. So moist and delicious. I also met a few lilys chocolate chips over the top.
LISa says
Oooh, just read one recipe that says to make burnt butter to give it a richness. That makes sense for the ginger version so might try that. Also a hint of unsweetened cocoa for depth. All good suggestions in place of molasses etc.
LISA says
Hello there Katrin! I love your recipe for this Banana bread! I make it once a week and i have a slice for my 'second breakfast' mid morning when I'm at work. It's filling....perfectly sweet but not too sweet, with great texture. Sometimes I substitute a bit of ground flax in there, throw some poppy seeds on the top etc. Just lovely, thank you! I'm thinking about adapting it because I love the base recipte and the fact that it's not too heavy on the butter. I know you've got a ginger cup cake recipe and other stuff made with pumpkin but i want to stick to your basic almond flour / butter / egg ratio and somehow substitute the bananas for a ginger flavour whilst keeping the moisture that the bananas bring. Do you think pumpkin or zucchini or maybe even stewed apple? I'm not trying to lose weight anymore so an apple or two across the whole cake should be fine but actually maybe pumpkin goes well with the ginger. Would love to know your thoughts!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, I think any of these will work, plus you'll need a little extra sweetness.
lh says
Thanks so much for this recipe. Just tried it today. Used only 1 tsp cinnamon vs. 2 and beat egg whites to soft peak, separately from yolks, then folded in to batter as another reviewer had suggested (this is how I normally make traditional sponge), and used pecans vs. walnuts because that's all I had on hand. Took 50 min in my case at 355 F. It was very tasty!
Sandy says
Made as is and it was perfect!
Lorna says
Fingers crossed. It’s in the oven right now. I just finished making regular banana bread for my boys and the recipe is very similar but using almond flour and sugar alternative for the low carb. However the cinnamon is something different.
I added less than the recipe called for, and when licking the spoon (because come on, who doesn’t lick the spoon) I get it had too much cinnamon which masks the banana flavour. If I’m going to eat those all natural carbs found in a banana I want to taste the banana (which I miss so much)
Your recipes haven’t failed me yet, so I’m very hopeful!
Allison says
I made mini muffins using this recipe, and they are fantastic!! I made a small change -- instead of adding walnuts, I used 1c almond flour and 1/2c walnut flour. I got the walnut flavor, without having chunks of nuts. Also used monk fruit sweetener, as erythritol gives me the "cool mouth" feeling that I don't love. Truly delicious, and I will definitely be making this again and again!!
Christin Williamson says
I made this recipe tonight but altered it a little bit as I’m just now learning to bake with Stevia and almond flour. I used a little all purpose flour in place of maybe a 1/4 of the almond flour called for, just in case I wasn’t sure about the texture. I also used a little brown sugar with the 1:1 stevia as I was fearful of the possible after taste with stevia and added some Greek yogurt to ensure moisture as someone mentioned adding milk. I compared multiple recipes and decided on this one with the alterations. I later plan to make this recipe exactly as it is stated. It was delicious! I made small loaves. This is still way fewer calories and carbs than the banana bread/cake my mom usually makes and it still satisfies.
Patricia says
Can you use any kind of Sweetner for this banana bread ?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, any sweetener would work.
Wendy Holman says
How much monk fruit sweetener? We don’t do not do erythritol in our house because we have puppies and small children that drop everything. erythritol is deadly to dogs.
Katrin Nürnberger says
I am not sure - I have never used pure monk fruit sweetener, only the 1:1 sugar replacement mix with erythritol and monk fruit. But just FYI, erythritol is not dangerous to dogs. It's xylitol that is very dangerous for them.
SunnySide says
Followed the directions and rate it 4 stars because while delicious, the texture wasn't perfect. Made a second loaf in which I separated the egg whites and yolks, mixed the yolks in as directed, but then whipped the egg whites to nearly stiff. Once all ingredients were mixed in except the whites, I folded in the whites with a spatula. Texture was AMAZING - absolute no difference between the almond flour and texture attainable with white flour. I will whip my egg whites from now on. Same was true of the scone recipe.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Thanks for your feedback!
Rosheen says
could I switch the cinnamon for ginger?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, that would be an interesting flavour variation!
Diana Arapi says
I tried the sugar free banana bread. Doubled the recipe as I have a 9x5 inch pan. it came out delicious! Thank you Katrin!
Nicole says
I'm really excited to try this recipe - I wonder if I could use the same method to create a coconut loaf, if I switched the banana for desiccated coconut. Might have to try 😉
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Nicole, I think you'd have to add a fat if you wanted to leave out the banana and use butter or coconut oil. The banana is not only there for sweetness, but also to make the dough soft and moist. Or add half fat and half nut milk instead of the banana plus your desiccated coconut - just make sure your dough has a soft consistency.
Claire says
Simply delicious