Home » Cakes » Gluten-free Apple Banana Bread

Gluten-free Apple Banana Bread

|

Sweet but healthy apple banana bread is a cozy treat. This super easy cake is delicious for breakfasts, brunches and to enjoy with tea and coffee.

Apple banana bread on wooden cutting board. The cutting board is on a white marble plate. Half of the bread is sliced. An overhead shot.

This post was updated on December 4th, 2021, replacing the recipe previously present in this URL.

Ingredients, Tips and Substitutions

These are the ingredients you need for apple banana bread. I also offer some substitutions suggestions; you’ll find them all below.  

Ripe bananas. You can use over-ripe bananas; the riper, the sweeter. Green bananas are unsuitable for baking, so make sure that the fruit you choose has brown spots.

Apples. Choose a tart variety suitable for baking. Any apples work well, but the sour ones give the best flavor and balance the sweetness.

Reserve some extra apples and slice them on top of the loaf for decoration.

Sweetening. Bananas are sweet, so no other sweetening is needed. Not adding sugar to the cake reduces carbs and makes this banana bread a wonderfully healthy treat.

If you want sweeter bread, you can add 1/3 cup of erythritol, an entirely sugar-free option.

Coconut sugar or maple syrup are also good, but both of them contain sugar. 

Gluten-free flour. I use a locally produced 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that doesn’t contain wheat. You can use your go-to flour blend.

Oats. Old fashioned rolled oats give the bread a nice texture, but you can also use quick oats. Make sure you choose gluten-free oats.

Eggs. I always use only organic eggs. If you want to bake a loaf of vegan banana bread, substitute the eggs with chia eggs or apple sauce.

Yogurt. I usually use full-fat Greek yogurt, but you can choose any natural yogurt. For vegan bread, choose a plant-based option like soy or oat yogurt.

Spice. A good banana bread needs a good amount of cinnamon. I always use Ceylon cinnamon because it doesn’t contain toxic coumarin. Therefore the measurement in the recipe is for Ceylon cinnamon. If you use the so-called common cinnamon, you might use a little less of it.

Apples love cardamom and every baked good is even better with a pinch of vanilla. 

You can use vanilla extract instead of ground vanilla. Use one teaspoon of the extract.

How to Make This Recipe

Mash the bananas. Peel them and place them on a large plate. Press them with a fork until they are pureed. The puree doesn’t have to be smooth; you can leave some lumps in it.

Grate the apples. Wash them carefully first. No need to peel them.

Mix the other wet ingredients with bananas. Move the banana mash into a large bowl and add the eggs and yogurt. If you use vanilla extract, it’s also a wet ingredient and goes in at this point. Use a whisk to combine all the wet ingredients.

Mix the dry ingredients. Measure all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and combine them with a whisk.

Combine wets and drys. Pour the dry ingredients into the large bowl with the wet ingredients and mix them well with a large spoon or spatula.

Prepare the loaf tin and bake. Line a loaf tin with non-stick baking paper. Pour the banana bread dough into the tin. Bake for about 45 minutes in 180 C / 375 F. Every oven is different, so the baking time may vary. 

An overhead shot of a sliced apple banana bread.

Possible Variations

Here are some ideas to make the apple banana bread differently.

Make it vegan. Replace the eggs with the same amount of chia eggs or 1/3 cup apple sauce and the yogurt with a plan-based option.

Use a food processor. You can make the banana bread dough in a food processor. Start by pureeing the bananas in the processor. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and pulse smooth. Add all the dry ingredients and pulse until mixed well.
Cut the apples into cubes. Instead of grating the apple, you can cut them into cubes.

A loaf of apple banana bread with fresh, red apple on a white wooden tray.

More healthy banana bread recipes:

Gluten and Sugar Free Banana Bread
Chocolate Banana Bread
Blueberry Banana Bread
Cherry Banana Bread

Omenabanaanileipää puisella leikkuulaudalla.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Gluten-free Apple Banana Bread

Veera Rusanen
Prep time15 minutes
Cooking time45 minutes
Total time1 hour
Category: Baking
American
Servings: 15 slices
Calories: 88.24kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 3 eggs
  • 100 g yogurt
  • 300 g apples + two apples for decoration
  • 75 g gluten-free oatmeal
  • 100 g gluten-free flour blend
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • teaspoon vanilla powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180 C / 375 F degrees.
  • Line a tin loaf with non-stick baking paper.
  • Peel the bananas and mash them with a fork on a large plate. Move the banana mash into a large bowl.
  • Grate the apples and mix the grated apples with the banana puree. No need to peel the apples.
  • Add the eggs and yogurt into the bowl and whisk until smooth.
  • Measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamom in a second bowl. Stir with a whisk until well combined.
  • Pour the flour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and spread evenly in the tin if needed.
  • You can decorate the bread with thin apple slices.
  • Bake for 40-50 minutes.
  • First, cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then transfer onto a cooling rack to cool.

Tips

Baking time is an estimate, as each oven is different.
Nutritional values ​​are only an estimate for one slice of banana bread.
The amount of cinnamon is for Ceylon cinnamon.

Nutrition

Calories: 88.24kcal (4%) | Carbohydrates: 16.51g (6%) | Protein: 3.07g (6%) | Fat: 1.73g (3%) | Saturated Fat: 0.5g (3%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.24g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.43g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 33.6mg (11%) | Sodium: 94.93mg (4%) | Potassium: 131.09mg (4%) | Fiber: 2.42g (10%) | Sugar: 5.51g (6%) | Vitamin A: 80.81IU (2%) | Vitamin C: 3.04mg (4%) | Calcium: 48.48mg (5%) | Iron: 0.75mg (4%)