Healthy Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipe

This banana bread is everything you love about homemade comfort food — soft, naturally sweet, and deeply satisfying — but made with clean, wholesome ingredients. It’s completely gluten-free, baking-powder-free, and free from refined additives, yet it bakes up moist and tender with a beautiful texture.

Ripe organic bananas add natural sweetness, fiber, and potassium, while organic rice flour keeps the loaf light and easy to digest. Cold-pressed avocado oil brings heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and a subtle buttery flavor.

Instead of baking powder, this recipe uses baking soda and the natural acidity of bananas for gentle lift. Chia seeds replace xanthan gum — they bind moisture beautifully, add omega-3s and antioxidants, and help the loaf stay fresh and soft for days.

A touch of organic cane sugar enhances the banana flavor without overpowering it, and bits of bittersweet chocolate make every slice feel a little indulgent — in the best, guilt-free way.

It’s perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or a wholesome dessert. Pair it with almond butter, a drizzle of honey, or your favorite plant-based yogurt for a balanced treat that feels as good as it tastes.

Ingredients (for one 8×4-inch loaf)

• 1½ cups organic rice flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 ripe organic bananas, mashed
• 2 organic eggs
• ¼ cup expeller-pressed avocado oil
• ¼ cup organic cane sugar
• ¼ cup organic unsweetened rice milk
• 1 tbsp ground chia seeds + 3 tbsp water (let sit 10 minutes to gel)
• 2 oz (about ½ cup) organic bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it with avocado oil.
2. Make the chia gel:
   In a small bowl, mix ground chia seeds with water. Let it sit for 10 minutes until thickened.
3. Whisk the eggs:
   In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs for about 2–3 minutes until lightly frothy — this gives the bread natural lift.
4. Add wet ingredients:
   Stir in mashed bananas, cane sugar, rice milk, avocado oil, and the chia gel. Mix until smooth.
5. Combine dry ingredients:
   In another bowl, whisk together rice flour, baking soda, and salt.
6. Bring it all together:
   Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Fold in the chopped chocolate.
7. Bake:
   Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50–55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
8. Cool:
   Let the bread cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack.

Tips

• For extra lift, add 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar — it reacts with the baking soda naturally.
• Try mixing in walnuts, blueberries, or shredded coconut for variation.
• Keeps well in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to a month.
• Delicious served warm with nut butter or a spoonful of Greek yogurt.