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Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowMy keto banana bread recipe is hands-down one of my favorite keto recipes to share with family and friends… especially because no one ever realizes it’s low carb! I wait until after they’ve raved about it to tell them it’s actually sugar-free. Between the perfect blend of low carb flours, a high-quality natural sugar substitute, and an easy banana swap, it tastes like the real thing. Bake it with me for the best low carb banana bread you’ll ever have!
Why You Need My Keto Banana Bread Recipe
- Real banana flavor – With a secret ingredient, my keto banana bread actually tastes like it has bananas in it! Nobody will know it doesn’t. 🤫
- Moist, cake-like texture – Sometimes you need a blend of flours to get that “just right” texture, and this is one of those times. I love how moist this low carb banana bread turns out.
- Quick and easy – Just 15 minutes of prep time! Mix up the batter, pop it in the oven, and you’re set. Waiting for it to cool is the hardest part.
- Low carb & keto friendly – With just 2 grams of net carbs per slice, this bread fits perfectly into your gluten free or keto lifestyle. I love it with a bulletproof coffee or keto Starbucks drink to start the day!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my low carb banana bread recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
Low Carb Flours:
My keto friendly banana bread gets its perfect texture by blending Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour and Wholesome Yum Coconut Flour, and this works much better than using one of them alone.
The brand of flours you use can also make a difference, because many brands of almond flour are too coarse (read: gritty texture, ugh!), and some brands of coconut flour absorb too much or not enough moisture.
Can you substitute the almond flour or coconut flour?
If you can’t have coconut flour, swap it with 3/4 to 1 cup of extra almond flour. Unfortunately I don’t have a great swap for the almond flour in this keto banana bread, but sunflower seed meal might work.
Sweetener:
The sweetener you use makes a difference! I use this Besti sweetener. Not only does Besti taste just like sugar with zero net carbs, it keeps the bread moist. Other sweeteners (including erythritol, and most brands of monk fruit and stevia) won’t do that, so the texture will be more dry with those.
My Secret Ingredient:
Have you guessed what it is yet? 🥁 It’s banana extract! Seriously, this stuff is amazing — you get all the banana flavor without the carbs. And don’t worry, I’m not talking about artificial extracts here.
I use and recommend this one, made from real bananas. Many brands in stores have an artificial taste or are less intense, so keep in mind the amount you need can vary if you use a different brand.
If you’d rather use real bananas, try my almond flour banana bread instead. It’s higher in sugar due to the bananas, but has no other sugar added.
Other Ingredients:
- Unsalted Butter – I like this grass-fed brand. For a dairy-free option, swap with coconut oil or ghee. Since my recipe calls for creaming the butter, the end result will be a little different, but it will still work.
- Eggs – You can probably substitute flax eggs, but your low carb banana bread will be more fragile with them.
- Almond Milk – Whether store-bought or homemade almond milk, just make sure it’s unsweetened. You can also use other keto milks, like coconut milk beverage or watered-down heavy cream.
- Spices & Leavening Agents – Baking powder for lift (don’t use baking soda!), cinnamon for flavor, and sea salt to balance the sweetness.
- Xanthan Gum – I use this brand. It acts like a binder, so your keto banana bread doesn’t crumble apart, and improves the texture.
- Add-Ins – I add chopped walnuts for crunch. You can also use sugar-free chocolate chips (I like this brand), blueberries, or other nuts or seeds, like pecans, almonds, or pepitas.
How To Make Keto Banana Bread
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, xanthan gum, and sea salt.
- Cream the butter. In another large mixing bowl, beat the butter and Besti sweetener with an electric mixer, until fluffy. I have this hand mixer and love the multiple speeds, plus convenient storage.
- Add the other wet ingredients. Beat the eggs into the creamed butter, one at a time, until smooth and creamy. Then, mix in the almond milk and banana extract.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet, until thick and uniform.
- Fold in your add-ins. If you’re adding walnuts or any of my add-ins below, stir some in. I recommend reserving some of them for the top!
- Transfer the batter to a lined loaf pan. I use this one and it’s the perfect size. Smooth out the top. Sprinkle extra nuts on top and gently press them in.
- Bake until golden. Then, tent the top with foil and continue baking until a toothpick comes out clean. Let your keto banana bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
My Recipe Tips
- Use fresh baking powder. Low carb baked goods don’t rise as well as traditional ones, and this “batter” is pretty heavy, so this is extra important.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Your butter won’t cream properly if it’s cold, and it can solidify if your eggs or milk are cold. If you forgot to set them out, here are my tricks to bring them to room temp faster:
- Eggs – Pop them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
- Milk – Heat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Just make sure it’s not actually hot.
- Butter – Fill a stainless steel bowl with boiling water. Let it sit for a few minutes, then empty, dry, and place upside down over your butter. It works faster if you cut the butter into pieces first.
- Round the top. Since keto banana bread doesn’t rise much, you’ve got to round it before baking if you want that classic bread shape.
- Baking time can vary. Keep an eye on it and cover once it’s golden. And don’t forget to use a toothpick to check when it’s done — it should come out clean.
- Don’t skip the cooling. I know it’s tempting to slice right away, but waiting for it to cool completely will keep it from falling apart and improves the texture.
- Want to add a glaze? Drizzle your low carb banana bread with my sugar free caramel sauce, or make a maple glaze by whisking together heavy cream, my Wholesome Yum Sugar Free Maple Syrup, and powdered Besti.
- Prefer to make muffins? My keto banana muffins are based on this keto banana bread recipe.
More Keto Quick Bread Recipes
Keto Banana Bread
My low carb keto banana bread recipe is sweet and moist, and my secret ingredient tastes like real bananas. Nobody will know it's sugar free!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Line an 8.5×4.5 in loaf pan with parchment paper, so that the paper hangs over two opposite sides.
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In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, xanthan gum, and sea salt.
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In another large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat butter and sweetener, until fluffy.
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Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the almond milk and banana extract.
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With the mixer running at medium speed, gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet, until thick and uniform.
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Stir in 3/4 cup chopped walnuts.
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Transfer the batter into the lined loaf pan and press evenly to make a smooth top. Sprinkle the top with the remaining chopped walnuts and press them lightly into the surface.
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Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden. Tent the top with foil, then bake for 20-25 more minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
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Cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 slice, ~3/4 inch thick
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above for the right batter texture and loaf shape, and glazes you can use on top of your keto banana bread.
- Store: It’ll keep for 1-2 days on the counter, or up to a week in the fridge. Wrap it in parchment paper (not plastic wrap), so it doesn’t get soggy.
- Reheat: If you like it warm, just microwave a slice for about 15 seconds.
- Freeze: You can freeze this bread for up to 3-6 months. I like to layer parchment paper between slices, so you can grab one at a time. Thaw in the fridge, or just microwave with a little butter.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook here and Keto EBook Bundle here!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Keto Banana Bread
343 Comments
Mary
0I like It but it was dry any recommendations?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mary, Most likely it was baked too long? Did you change anything else about the recipe? Mine wasn’t dry at all but it’s hard to tell what went wrong without more detail.
Dolly Ocasio-Huertas
0I made this banana bread recipe and it is absolutely to die for!!!!
I am so excited that I can have it with coffee, almond milk or just by it’s self.
You are awesome!!! I am so lucky I found your blog. Since I started following you religiously since the end of January, I am down 23 pounds.
Thank you Maya!!!!
Linda
0I wonder if you could use maple extract instead for a maple walnut bread ?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Linda, Yes, you definitely can! Sounds delicious!
Maxine
0I love this recipe! I wanted to make a Coconut Loaf (called a Sweetbread in the Caribbean) and this looked like the texture that matched it best. I don’t use erythritol as it doesn’t get along well with my stomach, and I don’t like other low carb sweeteners, so I was worried that the bread would not come out right if I dropped it altogether. I made a few changes and was thrilled with the result. I used coconut milk instead of almond milk (I make my own almond milk and was out of almonds), added some grated coconut, and spiced it up with nutmeg, etc. I used 2 tbsp honey as that still falls within my macros. I used the xanthan gum as I wanted to provide some support with all the additions. It was a massive success and so deliciously moist! I will try it again with a sprinkling of the walnuts which I also omitted. Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe!
LaToya Jennes
0THANK YOU so much for this recipe!! I also divided the batter into 12 muffins and baked for 20 minutes on 350. I didn’t use the xanthan gum and you are right, it wasn’t even missed. They were a huge hit with my husband and his friends.
Malorie Edie
0You can add nonsweet lily’s choco chips instead of nuts, right?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Malorie, Sure, you can!
Carrie
0Wow, love this bread! Used the optional xanthan gum with great results. Can’t wait to try with real banana extract. So glad I found your blog! Made the cheeseburger casserole last night and that was great too! Can’t wait to make more.
Darryl
0Bake only setting on my bread maker for 30 minute, shut it off and let it sit in the machine until cool. Do not open the lid. It allows it fully cook, but not get crumbly. No gum needed.
Best Keto banana bread recipe I have found by far. You crushed it.
Mayte
0Hello! This recipe had me drooling and then when I got to the ingredients I started crying. I’m allergic to coconut. Is it possible to substitute it with something else?
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mayte, unfortunately there aren’t many suitable substitutes. If you need a bread recipe without coconut flour, try this one.
Donna
0The recipe looks great but I was wondering if there is something else you could use beside the xanthan gum can you sub psyllium powder to help as a binder?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Donna, The xanthan gum is optional, so you can omit it if you don’t have it. I haven’t tried it with psyllium. It might work, but the recipe would need other changes made.
Sarah Winter
0I LOVE these!! I made muffins out of them and they are wonderful!! Thank you!!
Andrea
0Tastes great but it didn’t rise very much…am I doing something wrong?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Andrea, Is your baking powder fresh? That could be part of it. But in general, low carb breads don’t rise as much as regular wheat breads do.
Rabia
0Can I use banana essence instead of banana extract? If yes, what will be the quantity? Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rabia, You can, but it’s hard to say the amount because they vary widely. Sometimes something labeled essence is actually imitation extract, which works in a pinch (similar amount) but don’t recommend it. Sometimes essence is a super concentrated form of extract. If what you have is the super concentrated type, you’d need about 1/2 to 1/4 of the amount of extract called for in the recipe.
Rabia
0Hi Maya! I can’t find banana extract at any store where I live. Is there any alternative or can u suggest any online store that has this extract and delivers worldwide?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rabia, This is the banana extract I use. If that doesn’t deliver to your country, try the same one available here.
Kiley Ward
0I just made this and it tastes just okay. I used granular Swerve and McCormick’s banana extract. Also, it was done at 35 minutes. What went wrong?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kiley, Was it imitation banana extract? That could it be the issue if it tastes bland. A quality extract is pretty important, not that there’s anything wrong with McCormick, but it needs to be real extract and not imitation. The time to bake could vary depending on your oven or your pan.
Liz
0I made this today and added a 1/2 c sugar free chocolate chips to the recipe. It’s so yummy!!!! Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
Trish
0I made this banana bread, it came out wonderful. I did add one banana instead of the extract, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp xanthan gum, 1 tablespoon flaxseed, sliced almonds, unsweetened coconut & sprinkled a few sugar free chocolate chips on top. Perfect for my treat when a craving strikes!
RD
0This was fantastic! I didn’t have almond milk, so I sub’d with heavy whipping cream but it turned out fantastic. Thanks so much for the great recipe/instructions!
Donna
0OMG THIS BANANA BREAD IS AMAZING
MADE IT THIS AFTERNOON AND MY SON AND MY HUSBAND LOVE IT!!!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Frank
0Can I use real bananas? I know it would not be sugar-free but can I?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Frank, The recipe would need other changes to use real bananas. Make my almond flour banana bread if you want to add them.
Simone R.
0Thank you for another delicious recipe! I’m so pleased with how these turned out. For my own convenience, I made these into 12 muffins (baked about 25 min), instead of a loaf. Next time I may add some Lily’s Chocolate chips!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love to hear that, Simone! Thank you!
Myrna
0I simply love your recipe for banana loaf. Moist, flavorful and great taste. With such a great base, could we add other flavorings to make it a different loaf. I’m thinking lemon loaf, cinnamon loaf, chocolate loaf, etc. Just switch the flavorings. Would that work?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yes, the possibilities are endless, Myrna!
Lisa Meyer
0Are there substitutes for Erythritol? Don’t have any here at the moment.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lisa, You can use a different granulated sweetener – check the low carb sweetener conversion chart here.
Justin
0Amazing bread! Very moist and lots of flavor. It tastes like it should be bad for you, but it isn’t
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the banana bread, Justin! Thanks for stopping by!
Delyssa
0I followed the recipe but it came out crumbly. The slices don’t hold together. Not sure what I did wrong but it still tasted great!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Delyssa, I’m glad you liked the taste! It does come out a little crumbly, but if you want it more sturdy then adding 1/2 tsp xanthan gum to the dry ingredients will help a lot.
Patti
0Hello Maya. I made this for the second time and mine came out crumbly as well. The first time it was perfect. I used the xanthan gum both times. Not sure what I did wrong the second time. The flavor is superb! I’m going to try it with flax and chocolate chips next time as well.
Jacqueline
0Why are there no bananas used in this banana bread?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jacqueline, There are no bananas to keep it low carb. I used natural banana extract instead, and it truly does taste like banana bread. Hope you’ll try it!
Kasey
0I made this today and its delicious! I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to try it . I did use the xanthan gum and it held together nicely. Thank you for a tasty recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the banana bread, Kasey! Have a great day!
Kelly
0How long would I cook this for if I wanna make them into mini muffins?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kelly, I don’t have an exact time since I haven’t tried it, but you can definitely make mini muffins. I would start with 20 minutes and check every 5 minutes after that to see if they are done (when an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back).
Jessica L
0Can you replace the coconut flour with almond flour?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jessica, No, sorry, unfortunately they are not interchangeable.
Elaina
0Is there anything that could be used in place of the coconut flour? I have an allergy to coconuts.
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Elaina, unfortunately there aren’t many suitable substitutes. If you need a bread recipe without coconut flour, try this one.
Tatyana
0Made this today and turned out soooo delicious! I don’t have a hand mixer so I just used a spatula and my immersion blender for the liquid stuff. Don’t laugh lol it worked! It’s so good that I ate almost half of the loaf at one sitting. Oops! Love the cinnamon in it a lot. Yum!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy that it worked, Tatyana! And that you liked it 🙂
Felicia
0Hi, I used the xanthum gum and did not add the nuts (i do not like them). I have not had bread in a month in a half, but this was the best thing ever! I had enough macros to make it 8 big thick slices! The texture was perfect and buttery and felt like real banana bread. I will be trying all kinds of flavoring because I know I will be making a loaf at least every other week!
Oh yes, I feel like I need you to turn this into regular bread. I could slice it thinner for sandwiches. I think it just needs maybe honey flavor instead of banana and less butter (so it doesn’t have butter aftertaste) ? Not sure, I just know you can do it! Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love to hear that, Felicia! Have a great day!
Sarah
0I LOOOOOVED this recipe. I added lily’s chocolate chips and used pecans instead of walnuts. Also I added some allspice with the cinnamon.
One thing—maybe my oven gets too hot— but it was perfect at 40 minutes. Started to burn on the edges a tiny bit. So I would def check at 35-40.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Sarah! I’m so glad you liked it. Those add-ins sound yummy. Oven time can vary a bit depending on your oven and even the pan you use, so definitely a good idea to check on it.
Heather
0This turned out so delicious – I did use xanthan gum and the texture was excellent and held together beautifully. It was so tempting, I had to put some in the freezer so I wouldn’t eat it all. It freezes nicely. I ordered banana extract just for this recipe and I’m so glad I did. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked it, Heather! Have a great day!
Paola
0Instead of banana extract, i added 3 mashed bananas and cooked it for 35 minutes. It came out delicious.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks for sharing, Paola. It’s not low carb with the bananas, but would still be paleo.
Kelly
0I’ve made 2 variations on this people may be interested in.
The first was lemon/blueberry bread. I used 2 tsp lemon extract and a bag of Trader Joes unsweetened freeze dried blueberries. I didn’t use cinnamon or nuts, but everything else was the same. This adds 1-2g carbs per slice depending on the size of the slice.
The second was lemon poppyseed muffins. I used 1 tbsp lemon flavoring (2 tsp lemon extract would also work) and 1 tbsp poppy seeds. I didn’t use cinnamon or nuts, but everything else was the same. I baked for 25 minutes and left in the pan until cool. Made 12 regular-sized muffins. These actually hold together way better than the loaf.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks, Kelly! Those variations sound delicious!
Suzanne D.
01/2 tsp of xantham gum is not enough to bind this bread. I bake GF all the time and for the quantity of ingredients, I would add at last 2 tsp of guar gum or xantham gum, and 1 tsp of ACV (vinegar helps to digest nuts).
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for the recommendation, Suzanne. I try to avoid gums when I can, and thought it was fine without even if a little more crumbly. Good to know about the ACV!
Tresa Lovejoy
0This sounds great, I look forward to trying it. I see the serving size is 1 slice. How many slices do you get per loaf?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Tresa! Using a 9×5″ loaf pan, the recipe makes 12 slices, each 3/4″ thick.
Tracie Fisher
0Will definitely try. Thank you.
Tracie Fisher
0Thoughts on doing as a mug cup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Great idea, Tracie! I haven’t tried this as a mug cake, but I’m almost certain it would work. I recommend entering “3” for the number of servings on the recipe card and it will adjust the ingredient amounts accordingly. (Use 1 tablespoon for anything that says 1/16 cup.) The reason I say 3 is because the measurements come out weird (hard to measure) if you enter 1 or 2. You may need two mugs for the 3 servings of mug cake, or you could even use three if you don’t mind them not being all the way full. I would microwave for a minute to start, then check and add more time in 15 second increments as needed until the mug cake is firm. Let me know how it goes!
Melissia Wagner
0finally made this today! really tastes a lot like the full of carbs banana bread recipe I used to love to make. I did add a little extra sweetener and baked it for 50 minutes and it turned out fantastic! Even my super picky 6-year-old loved it and she claims to dislike my low-carb foods lol.
Adrienne Edwards
0Fantastic! This was my 2nd try at making a low carb bread item. 1st was biscuits which were good.
I used 2 bananas on this recipe and 1/4 cup of zing baking blend. No other changes. I must say it tastes better than my usual go to banana bread recipe from the Joy Of Cooking book! Definitely has me excited to try other low carb recipes while I’m restricted by gestational diabetes.
Justmy2cents
0What’s the point of low carb bread when you’re adding bananas? Bananas are not good for keto.
Vanessa
0Did you even read the recipe? She didn’t add bananas… She added banana ‘extract’.
SJ
0She didn’t say she was Keto, she has gestational diabetes which requires a reduction of sugar intake but actually bananas are good for diabetics. So, don’t be mean.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Adrienne! I’m so glad to hear you liked both recipes.
Gigi
0Delicious! Made it with Swerve. I cooked it about 50 minutes.
Leesa Woodbery
0So the swerve (or monkfruit in my case) will work the same?? How much did you add? Is it one for one “?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Leesa, Use the sweetener conversion calculator here to find out how much to use if you use a different sweetener from the original recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Gigi!
Nicole
0I made this tonight and mine turned out dry and bland. I felt it needed more butter and sugar substitute. I sliced it and poured on some sugar-free maple syrup and whip cream…wow! It tasted like banana french toast!!! So good.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nicole, Sorry to hear that it turned out dry for you. Most likely the cause is too much time in the oven, so you could try reducing the baking time if you make it again. Either way, topping with sugar-free maple syrup and whipped cream sounds absolutely delicious!
GG
0You can get banana extract at the grocery store… Walmart, Kroger, etc.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yes, some stores carry banana extract too, but I haven’t seen it at the stores in my area. The ones in stores that I’ve seen are an “imitation extract” using artificial flavors, which are not as good as the real thing. I really like the quality of the kind I buy online. But if you can find it in stores, that’s even easier!
megunprocessed
0That looks fantastic! Great idea on that secret ingredient.
Dita MacDonald
0Approximately how many slices do you get please?? This looks scrumptious.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Dita, This yields about 12 3/4″-thick slices. You could get more or less if you cut thicker or thinner.
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons
0This looks so good! Great way to start the day!
Rachel@{i love} my disorganized life
0Oh wow – never thought to use extract! I bet it tastes amazing!
thatskinnychickcanbake
0Such a terrific idea!!! This is one scrumptious looking loaf!!!
Sarah
0I love banana bread! With a steaming cup of coffee, that sounds like the perfect way to start the day! Thank you for the awesome recipe!