See below for notes on making, storing, and reheating this easy recipe for banana bread.  

Tips for Making This Low-Sugar Banana Bread Recipe

  Read on for tips to make this low-sugar banana bread recipe   

Use Very Ripe Bananas

  The riper the banana, the sweeter the banana bread. If you can find ripe bananas in the store they will be ready in a day or two. Be mindful because bananas can ripen quite fast. Sometimes they can go bad in a week.  If you’re not ready to use your bananas put them in the freezer first.   

Can’t Find Ripe Bananas? Use These Quick Ripening Methods 

  If you can’t find ripe bananas in the store use these quick ripening methods:  

• Paper bag method
• Bake them in the oven. 

  The paper bag trick involves some time so this one you may need to plan ahead for this. Place your bananas in a paper bag and let them sit on the counter for up to a day and a half. You can also speed up the process by adding some already-ripened fruit.    After a day or so they should be ready to be made into bread.   If you need to make bread sooner than later you can use the oven to speed up the ripening process. Place the bananas on a baking sheet and place them in an oven set to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes. They will be ready when you see them turn brown.   Once these bananas are ripened they are ready for use in your recipe!  

Mash the Bananas with a Potato Masher

  Easily mash your bananas into a puree with a potato masher*. This will ensure the bananas are easily mixed with the rest of the ingredients.  

Use a 1 to 1 Gluten-Free Flour

  In this recipe, I used a 1:1 gluten-free flour substitute. I like these products because they make baking so much easier. There is no need for additional flour substitutes. Just measure out what you need and move on to the next ingredient.   You can find these types of flour on Amazon*, Vitacost*, and Thrive Market*.  

Use A Spoon and Knife to Properly Measure Your Flour

  Instead of scooping the flour with the measuring cup you want to use a spoon to fill it up. Once the measuring cup is overflowing with flour you want to cut off the excess at the top with a butter knife. This will give you exactly what amount of flour you need.   I recommend doing this over a large bowl so you don’t lose any excess flour on the counter. You can also do this over the opening of the bag of flour if it is big enough.   

Grease or Add Parchment Paper to the Pan

    This is necessary to prevent the bread from sticking to the pan. Any oil will do. Pour a small amount into the pan and then use a napkin to spread it around so the entire pan is greased.   Alternatively, you can also line the pan with parchment paper* to prevent sticking.   If you want an easy clean up parchment paper is also a good way to go.  

Test For Doneness Before Taking the Bread Out of the Oven

  Since ovens are all different the cooking times may vary. Cook the bread for 40 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once this cooking time is up, check to see if the bread is golden brown.    You also want to check to see if the inside is cooked as well. Take a butter knife or toothpick and stick it in the center of the bread. If it comes out clean the bread is done cooking.   If it’s still raw on the inside cook for another 10 minutes and then redo the toothpick test. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes until the bread is completely done.  

Let the Bread Fully Cool Before Slicing

  Be sure to let the bread fully cool before you cut into it. This should be about 10 minutes.

Additions, Substitutions, and Variations

  Don’t have fresh bananas? No worries you can make banana bread with frozen bananas. Just let them thaw to room temperature before you mash them. Be sure to add the liquid left over from the defrosted bananas.    Want to turn this into banana nut bread? Add a cup of your favorite nuts.   Before you pour the batter into the loaf pan mix in a cup of chopped nuts. Or sprinkle them on top of the batter.   Are you a chocolate lover? Mix in a tablespoon of gluten and dairy-free chocolate chips*  into the bread batter prior to pouring it into the bread pan. Or just sprinkle a few on top of the bread before you put it in the oven.   In place of dried figs, you can use the following:  

• 4 prunes
• 1 ounce of raisins
• 1 ounce of dried apricots.

  Do you want to make this vegan? Substitute cornstarch, flaxseed, chia seeds, or a store-bought egg replacement*.  A cornstarch egg  (2) tablespoons cornstarch + (3) tablespoons water A tapioca starch egg is (1) tablespoon tapioca starch + (3) tablespoons water A flaxseed egg is (1) tablespoon flaxseed meal + (3) tablespoons water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. A chia seed egg is (1) tablespoon of chia seeds + (2.5) tablespoons of water. See the chia egg recipe here. For 2 vegan eggs double these recipes. If you want to lower the carb count in this recipe you can use  

• Almond flour
• 2 bananas instead of 3
• 2 tsp of banana extract* instead of bananas 
• Nix the carrots and figs
• A low-carb sweetener like monk fruit

 

How to Store and Reheat This Recipe

  Let your bread cool, slice it, and then wrap it up for storage. You can wrap it as a whole loaf or you can wrap each piece individually in plastic or aluminum wrap.   Well-wrapped bread will stay fresh for 2 to 3 days on the counter. In the fridge, the banana bread will stay fresh for up to a week.   To freeze it place the plastic-wrapped banana bread in an air-tight container. You can freeze it for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat leftovers you may want to heat up your banana bread. If the bread is frozen you can place it in the fridge overnight to thaw.   Then heat it up in the toaster oven until it is lightly toasted. If you want a quick reheat you can throw it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.  

Nutrition Information for this Banana Bread (No Added Sugar)

  *Nutritional information is estimated using Nutrifox nutrition label maker*