Growing up with a baker mother, I was spoiled with the tastiest goodies. Not only did our house smell amazing ALL the time (seriously, you’d think we were trying to sell our house) but come over at any given time and you’re bound to find an abundance of baked goods on our kitchen table. Don’t believe me? Come over and see for yourself 🙂 My mother is the sweetest lady and she would absolutely send you back with an armful of baked goods — of course, only after hosting you with a slice of her famous banana bread.

Among all her incredible baked goods, her banana bread that topped my favorites list. Seriously, I would bring at least 2 slices with me to take along as I hopped on the school bus. EVERY. DAY. Call me crazy, but when you’ve tasted something as good as her banana bread, you can’t go back!

Anyways, as my mother experimented with new recipes and tweaks, I (of course) consistently volunteered to be her taste-tester. It was then that I started to develop an appreciation for baking, and through the years of taste-testing, I started to develop a knack for knowing what ingredients go together and what should never (ever) be mixed in the same bowl.

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Walnut Banana Bread. . #walnut #bananabread #homemade #cakes

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Why Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Refined-Sugar Free?

In the last few years, I’ve recognized that more and more people are following the gluten-free, dairy-free, and/or refined-sugar free lifestyles. I also recognize that finding delicious recipes that fit those lifestyles can be a challenge. Trust me, I understand the struggle. When I was diagnosed with a medical condition 2 years ago, I had to follow these protocols for a period of time too. In addition, I have several friends and family who follow these lifestyles. Whether due to medical or personal factors, one thing they have in common is how much they miss certain foods! To fill this need, I went into my kitchen and promptly whisked away. My mission? To find a version of healthy banana bread that closely resembles my mother’s famous banana bread, but checks off all these dietary criteria.

While I am no longer required to follow a strict gluten-free and dairy-free lifestyle (praise the Lord!), I still wanted to share with everyone how amazing my mother’s banana bread really is. So to accommodate these dietary lifestyles, I’ve modified her famous recipe into my own version of banana bread that is free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar — not to mention, delicious for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike!

RELATED: Super Easy Quaker Cornbread

Ingredients to Make The BEST Healthy Banana Bread

Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas mashed
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ cup coconut sugar , sub brown sugar or stevia
2 eggs
¼ cup maple syrup , sub honey
½ cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
2 cups oat flour *see notes
¾ cup rolled oats
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda

Toppings (Optional)

chocolate chips
dried fruits
chopped walnuts
sliced or chopped bananas

How to Make The BEST Healthy Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk the coconut oil and sugar. Add in mashed bananas, maple syrup, eggs, almond milk, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
Add in oat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix until just combined (don’t overmix).
Fold in your preferred toppings.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 65-70 minutes until done (see notes).
Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. ENJOY!

Mix-In Ideas

Now, the fun part of this banana bread recipe is that it’s SUPER customizable! I personally love this banana bread as is, or topped with some peanut butter and chocolate chips. But if that’s not your jam, here are a few additional ideas of mix-in’s that go really well with this recipe:

Cocoa Powder: take your chocolate game to the next level by adding 1/4 cup of cocoa powder + the recommended chocolate chips to make this an ultimate banana chocolate loaf!

Dried Fruits: raisins, dates, and craisins pair well with this recipe.

Chopped Nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans all work well – fold into batter and sprinkle on top!

Extra Bananas: fold in some extra chopped bananas for a chunky monkey bread, or top with sliced bananas before baking!

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If you make this recipe, feel free to drop a comment below! I’d LOVE to know what you think!

The BEST Healthy Banana Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Refined Sugar-Free!)

DWELL by Michelle

The ultimate, go-to banana bread just got a delicious (and HEALTHY) makeover! We like to think this is the BEST Healthy Banana Bread recipe out there – gluten-free, dairy-free, AND refined sugar-free!

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 5

Total Time 1 25

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Servings slices

Calories 172 kcal