Almond Banana Bread – The Almond Eater

This Almond Banana Bread recipe takes traditional banana bread to the next level! It uses almond extract and sliced almonds to add a subtle almond flavor to this moist banana bread.

Who can turn down a slice of banana bread with a side of coffee? Exactly, you can’t. This almond banana bread recipe is perfectly moist and a fun spin on the traditional recipe. Plus, banana bread is the perfect way to use up ripe bananas! Well, that and banana pancakes.

 

Oh, and if you’re looking for more banana bread recipes, be sure to check out my vegan banana bread and my paleo skillet banana bread.

It uses white whole wheat flour, coconut oil and almond extract, making it a bit healthier than traditional banana bread. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Recipe features

• It’s made with almond extract and topped with sliced almonds for extra almond-y flavor
• It’s the PERFECT texture
• It uses white whole wheat flour, making it a bit healthier
• The glaze on top makes it all that more delicious

Ingredients

Flour: This bread is made with white whole wheat flour, my personal preference for this recipe. If you need a substitute, use 1 cup whole wheat flour and ¾ cup all purpose flour instead.

Bananas: All you need is 2 ripe bananas and you’re good to go. The riper the bananas, the more banana flavor the bread will have.

Coconut oil: I’ve said it before, but coconut oil is my go-to oil when it comes to baking. With that said, feel free to substitute avocado oil or canola oil instead.

Eggs: The recipe calls for eggs, but if you want to keep it egg-free, feel free to use flax eggs instead (2 tablespoons flaxseed meal+5 tablespoons water).

Almond milk: While any milk will work, I’d say to stick with the almond milk, as it’ll only help to give the bread even more almond-y flavor.

Almond extract: Almond extract is the key ingredient in this recipe! Whatever you do, don’t leave it out or substitute it or anything — you’ll be blown away by the flavor it provides.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Mash the banana. Place ripe bananas in a bowl and use a fork to mash them, removing as many lumps as possible.

Step 2: Mix wet ingredients. Whisk the eggs, oil, milk, and almond extract together. Make sure the eggs and oil are at room temperature before mixing them; otherwise, the oil with solidify.

Step 3: Stir dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix both flours, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda together.

Step 4: Fold, then bake. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, being careful not to over-mix, then stir the sliced almonds in by hand. Scoop batter into a greased 9×5 bread pan, then bake the bread for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Tips

• Use sliced almonds rather than whole almonds. Sliced almonds will mix better and they’re easier to bake into bread!
• Be sure to use ripe bananas. I know this is a no-brainer, but the riper the banana the better the bread will taste and the easier they’ll be to mash down.
• When baking with coconut oil, make sure it’s cooled to room temperature before incorporating it with the other ingredients so it doesn’t solidify.
• Be sure to line your loaf pan with parchment paper before adding the batter. To line your pan: Place your pan on top of a piece of parchment, then use a pencil to trace the bottom of it. Use scissors to cut it out, then place it into your loaf pan. This guarantees that the bread won’t stick to the pan.
• Always wait until the bread has completely cooled to room temperature before slicing to ensure a clean slice and avoid the bread potentially falling apart.

Can I make this gluten free/vegan?

I haven’t tested this recipe with any gluten free flours, so I’m really not sure. If you want to try it, you can try using gluten free all purpose flour. Also, someone in the comment section said they tried this with almond flour and it worked, but I haven’t tested it.

To make vegan: Simply sub 2 flax eggs in place of real eggs. To do so, mix 2 tablespoon flaxseed meal with 5 tablespoon water, stir together and wait 5 minutes before incorporating it into the bread batter.

How should I store this?

You can either store the bread at room temperature or freeze it. This article from Yahoo explains how to perfectly store banana bread.

More bread recipes

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in October 2016. It was updated with new text in December 2023.