This low carb and keto banana bread is truly incredible (at 2g net carbs a slice!)!! Totally flavorful and moist, you’ll surely be hard-pressed to notice the actual lack of bananas.
The Incredible Keto Banana Bread
Completely Sugar-Free & Banana-less!
Just like our ‘apple’ muffins (and pie!), this keto banana bread is bound to fool everyone! Super moist and bursting with an incredible banana flavor, its dense yet cakey texture is truly spot on.
So whip it up as a loaf or make as muffins (and of course, cupcakes!). Make solo or add pecans, walnuts or chocolate chunks(!!). I’m thinking a pat of butter and drizzle of our keto salted caramel will go nicely too ;)!
Honestly, truly incredible at just 2g net carbs a slice!
The Banana Extract
A high quality banana extract is an absolute must! Out of the handful I’ve tried, the Pure Banana extract from Olive Nation is the one I’ve liked best (not sponsored!).
It simply tastes like ripe bananas (ideal!) and is completely sugar-free and nil carbs (super ideal!). But if you’ve tried other good ones, be sure to drop them in the comments (always love your recs!)
The Sweetener
You’ve got good options here! Allulose is my favorite for best texture and no aftertaste now (you do need to add 30% more though), Lakanto Golden (baked goods with erythritol can have a slight hard texture, still not big deal here though), xylitol (non-corn though to avoid tummy troubles!).
Pyure (an erythritol and stevia blend) is also a good one for muffins and quick breads, particularly if you’re trying to limit your sugar alcohol consumption (it’s added stevia makes it twice as sweet as sugar… i.e. you add half!).
Oh, and if not restricted by sugars, simply sub 1-to-1 with coconut or regular sugar.
Also note that adding a teaspoon of blackstrap molasses adds that brown sugar kick (i.e. a tonne of umami and improves browning!). Keep in mind that blackstrap molasses is considered a low glycemic sugar. One teaspoon (7g) adds 5g net carbs, so just 0.4g net carbs a slice (i.e. half the sugar of a strawberry!). But carbs aside, it’s also known to be a nutritional powerhouse rich in vital vitamins and minerals; such as iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and selenium.
Fun fact: Molasses contain high amounts of chromium, which has been studied to increase glucose tolerance levels.
But if it’s still not your thing, just leave it out or do a brown sugar sub (such as Lakanto Golden!)!
And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup (or kitty!) around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys! 
The Flours
I like a mixture of super fine almond flour, psyllium husk, coconut flour and golden flaxseed meal best. (Click through for the exact brands I use).
Just keep in mind that for best texture and rise, you’ll always want to regrind your flaxseed meal in a dry blender or bullet. And be sure you’re either using either very finely ground psyllium powder or to regrind your husks!
The Incredible Keto Banana Bread
Oh, and if baking with cups rather than grams is your thing, just click on US Cups for an instant conversion.
Ingredients
- 114 g grass-fed unsalted butter
- 128 g almond flour
- 46 g golden flaxseed meal finely ground*
- 18 g psyllium husk finely ground*
- 14 g coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 eggs
- 2/3-1 cup golden erythritol allulose, xylitol or coconut sugar, to taste (I use 3/4 cup)**
- 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses totally optional!
- 2-3 teaspoons banana extract I use 3 tsp***
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 90 g full fat Greek-style yogurt or sour cream
- 2/3-1 cup roughy chopped pecans or walnuts optional
Instructions
- Heat up the butter in a small saucepan over medium/low heat. Continue to simmer the butter, stirring once in a while, until fully browned (about 4-6 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the rest. Note: browning the butter is totally optional, but it does add a tonne of flavor so it comes highly suggested!
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line (or grease and flour with coconut flour) a 8.5x4.5" or 5x9" loaf pan. I used the smaller size, but the larger one will work just as well (just expect a shorter bread!).
- Whisk together in a medium bowl almond flour, golden flaxseed meal, psyllium husk, coconut flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt. Set aside.
- Add eggs, sweetener and molasses (optional) to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 3-5 minutes until airy and lighter in color. With the mixer on, add in the banana and vanilla extracts, apple cider vinegar and browned butter.
- Add in the dry flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the yogurt. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes until fully incorporated and elastic, the batter will thicken as you mix (think cookie dough!). Fold in the nuts (optional).
- Distribute batter evenly into pan, smoothing out the top with a wet spatula. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until deep golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Check in on the bread after minute 15, and cover with aluminum foil as soon as it begins to turn golden (about minute 20 for me). Alternatively, feel free to make 12 muffins out of a batch (bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean).
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before removing, and cool completely in a rack before glazing or cutting. Keep in mind that your banana bread will continue to cook while it cools, so don't slice it before!
Notes
Nutrition
and some food (for thought) 👁️
a newsletter about functional food to nourish, create and evolve.
(p.s. we don’t talk about fight club 🪄 )
xo! Paola
Xanthum gum is not grain free nor gluten free as it is not a nixtilimated product of maize. Corn by definition means cereal grain and due to GMOs and pharmaceutical involvement in a crop there is definitely gluten in maize. It’s not correct to add this as it is not truly gluten free unless you are buying a specific xanthum gum which is not the case for most on the shelf’s. This can lead to people having problems and it’s not correct to propagate misinformation that harms other people.
Made this recipe today after watching High Faluti’n Low Carb’s review of the recipe. I made exactly as written with the lower range of sweetener (used Bocha Sweet) and extract/flavoring. Only change I will make is to use the high end of both next time I make this. Good enough to take to work and share with my non-keto friends.
Moist, delicate crumb and the nuts add the finishing touch.
I have all the ingredients except xanthan gum. Is there a substitute for it? Eg Chia seed?
Hello! I’m so excited to make this. Just wondering if the nutritional values you listed are including the optional nuts? Thanks!
Hi there, thank you so much for your awesome recipes. I have both of your books and I absolutely love them. Have you tried using Banana essence instead of extract? Thanks.
This recipe is nothing short of AMAZING! Only deviation for me was to eliminate the molasses bc I didn’t have any. Other than that, I followed it to a ‘T’ and did add the chopped pecans. FIVE AMAZING STARS! It’s great heated up with a slice of butter.
This was really delicious! I did not have yogurt or sour cream so I just used half the mass of cream cheese and half and half mix. But I added about 15 more grams of the half and half mix because I wanted it more moist and I live in Albuquerque where it is very dry.
I made this today. Excellent texture!
I didn’t have any banana extract on hand so I added a teaspoon of cinnamon and nutmeg along with 1 cup of pecans/walnuts.
This is such a great recipe to use as a blank canvas for different variations since the banana is just flavor and not an integral part. I have some banana extract on order so Ill be trying that next. Thank you for the recipes!
So glad I found my way back to your website!
I had downloaded one of the e books but the recipes in them were not complete. Maybe my phone maybe not. But I can’t wait to try this bread, and love reading the reviews and different ways people have made it.
Can’t wait to try!
I had a problem with incomplete recipes, too. I had to turn my ad blocker off for this website and the recipes were completely shown. I don’t know if you have tried that or if your recipes are complete or not since your post which was a while ago.
Hi Mary! Thanks for sharing that experience, what I know for sure with ad blockers is that they interfere with the video plugin (but it sounds like they also block the recipe card plug-in?).
I also want to take the time to mention something about ads, as they’re what literally allows me to create all this content for you guys for free (they cover hosting, email list etc not to mention ingredients. All of which cost a few $k a month… without even talking about a ‘salary’ for me).
So thank you to all of you guys who put up with the ‘pain’ of ads to keep gnom-gnom going unsponsored (which is vip for me).
🥰
What is the best way to store this bread?
Hey Paola,. I really do love your recipes but I must have done something wrong🥴 the top of the bread sank in. Like all four sides are still up but the top part that should be puffed up sank in. What did I do wrong ?
It just sounds like it wasn’t baked long enough!
This is a fabulous recipe! I’m looking forward to trying the variations
I used 3 tsp of Frontier banana flavor, and it was perfect!
The texture of the crumb is spot on and I believe it’s because I used allulose for the sweetener. Allulose tends to keep baked goods softer, which I love, however, allulose also browns much faster, and as such, the sides and bottom of my bread were very dark and slightly bitter. No matter, though, as I’ll simply slice off the dark bits when I have a serving. I used a full cup of allulose, but I found that it wasn’t sweet enough for me. Next time, I’ll add maybe 1/4 cup of Lakanto granular to the cup of allulose and see how it turns out. This is a beautiful bread, and so versatile with other flavor combinations. Paola, hats off to you for another winner!
This has become my Master Muffin recipe! I love it’s original incarnation of banana bread but have used the base recipe (minus the banana extract and walnuts) to make almond poppyseed muffins (1/2 tsp almond extract, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 or 2 T poppyseeds, 1/2 cup sliced almonds): blueberry muffins (1 tsp vanilla, 3/4 cup blueberries), strawberry muffins (1 tsp vanilla, 3/4 cup sliced strawberries), lemon poppyseed muffins (1 tsp lemon extract, 1 or 2 T poppyseeds), chocolate chip muffins (1tsp vanilla, 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar free chocolate chips), and plain sweet muffins (1 tsp vanilla). Every incarnation of these muffins has been amazing! In the banana nut muffins and chocolate chip muffins I use 3/4 cup Lakanto golden, in all the others I use 3/4 cup Lakanto classic. Also works well with 1 cup allulose, but that can get expensive so I save my allulose for your brownie recipe. 😍 Even the nonKeto eaters in my family love these muffins. Best low carb muffin recipe there is! Thanks so much, Paola! So happy you are doing well in your recovery and have ditched your “wheels”. 👍🏻😊
Thank you Cat, so grateful to be getting back to full mobility!! And thanks for reporting back with your twists, I never fail to learn so much from you guys 🙂
Thanks for the modification tips. Gonna use the almond poppy seed version. Sounds YUMMY
Anyone have a conversion of all the grams in recipe Into cups
Never mind..found it…duh
Hi i would love to mal a this banana bread but impossible really allergic To flax seed
What would you use to substitute it to the recipe??
Please help me i would love to fond something To be able to make bread of all Kind
Best regards
Rene! Psyllium husk is a good sub, but its not perfect- your bread will likely come out a tad bit denser. xo!
To me, this is a very important question!
Do you like all the Olivenation extracts you have tried…over and above the banana flavour? Which have you tried? Do you regard Olivenation products as real quality?
This is important to me, a couple of months ago, I bought their GLUTEN FREE Za’atar Lebanese Spice blend. (Suddenly all the major brands sold on Canada suddenly include gluten) so, when I found gluten free Olivenation brand, i was over joyed and I hurried up to purchase it. What a disappointment, the product is of such poor quality that I slammed it in my review on Amazon Canada. I recommended that reps actually travel to Dearborn, Michigan to taste what real za’atar is. I also openly disclosed that based on a simple spice blend being so wrong…. I openly doubted the quality of the handful of baking extracts that I had my eye on to buy. But, alas, once bitten, badly bitten, once shy! I do not want to pay this company any more money for expensive garbage products.
Please, advise.
Please clarify!
Za’atar is a tangy blend of thyme, sumac for lemon zing, and sesame seeds. It is combined one to one with extra virgin olive oil, spread on pizza dough, now gluten free Keto dough…and baked until golden. It is a pizza pie of just spice and olive oil. I grew up eating this due to the fact my mother has the pleasure of growing up in the Middle East.
Regards,
Gladys O’Brien,
Toronto, Ontario
Hi Gladys! I’m sorry you had that experience…! I do like (most) of the olive nation extracts I’ve tried. But, correct me if I’m wrong, the za’atar I know is usually a spice blend used in savory Mediterranean cooking and not an extract?
I haven’t tried that one specifically so I can’t comment on it. But I do stand behind my recommendation of the banana extract, as its all natural and does taste great (and I know many of you have confirmed in your reviews!) xo!
I bought the wrong banana extract, it was confusing and they had so many different ones. Didn’t care for it. Also their pistachio was HORRIBLE. The anise was good but weak. Cotton candy was good. I’ll probably give their other banana a shot though, even though they asked me to mail it back to them for an exchange. It cost more to mail it so…
I have made this several times. My husband and my 5 year old granddaughter love it. I changed it up once and made it pumpkin spice. I substituted the sour cream with pumpkin puree and added 1.5 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of the banana extract. Came out great also. Two great recipes to make in the next holiday season. Thanks