Look no further for the best keto banana bread recipe. Ground chia seed, that nutritional powerhouse, gives this bread the perfect banana bread texture without the sugars or carbs.
I’m excited to bring you this updated Keto Banana Bread recipe, as well as a how-to video! This recipe first debuted on my blog in May 2014, but now it’s easier to make and lower in carbs. I know you’re going to love it.
This recipe bread took me a little while to perfect but it was definitely worth all the work. After all, banana bread is very possibly the most comforting of baked goods. Who among us hasn’t had a grandmother or caring friend make us banana bread as a sign of their deepest affection?
And if you’re a mother, surely you’ve made numerous batches of banana bread for your own kids to let them know how much you love them.
Baking keto banana bread is an act of love – all the more so because it won’t raise the blood sugar of you or your loved ones. Along with keto oatmeal cookies, or keto cinnamon rolls, this low carb banana bread recipe is a sign of your love and devotion.
Banana-free banana bread?
I do have to tell you a funny story about this keto banana bread. Back when it first came out in 2014, I jokingly referred to it as banana-free banana bread, and that seemed to spark a fun little Twitter debate.
Somehow, Nigella Lawson caught wind of it, and made some snide remark, wondering why anyone would make even THINK to make banana bread without any bananas. I wasn’t really offended – if you’re not part of the keto world, you don’t really have a clue about sugars and carbs and how detrimental something like fruit can be.
Very sweetly, however, numerous readers and followers jumped to my defense and fired back at the famous chef, pointing out how diabetes works and how delicious and healthy this bread actually is.
My 15 minutes of fame, all because I made banana bread without any real bananas.
Updated keto banana bread recipe
While my original recipe was very good, it was also a bit high carb, coming in at 9g per serving. It also had a cream cheese frosting, which was quite tasty but many readers found that they liked the bread best without it.
I’ve learned a lot in the past 6 years of keto baking, so it was time to tackle this recipe again and make it truly keto-friendly. But it still has a special ingredient that gives it real banana bread texture, without using any bananas whatsoever.
The trick is ground chia seed mixed with water. If you’ve ever worked with chia seed, you know it swells up and gels when mixed with water, and the texture is remarkably similar to mashed banana. And when mixed into this keto banana bread, it adds similar moisture and texture as real bananas would.
The banana flavor comes from banana extract. I really like this one from Olive Nation. It’s all natural and it tastes the most like real banana, in my opinion.
Tips for making Keto Banana Bread
This is an easy and family friendly recipe, and you can have some fun adding nuts or chocolate chips, whatever you like best in your banana bread. Here are my best tips for getting it right:
- The chia seed is best if it’s ground up first. I do this in a coffee grinder to catch all the little seeds. You might also have luck in a small food processor or a strong blender.
- Mix the ground chia and water first, and let it sit for a bit while you work on the other ingredients. When you’re ready to mix it in, it should be like a thick, gelatinous paste.
- How much additional liquid you will need depends quite a bit on your chia gel and how thick it was. If your batter is super thick, keep adding water, a little at a time, until it’s a scoopable consistency. It should not be pourable.
- How much banana extract you add depends on how strong it is. The Olive Nation extract I use has the best flavor and my kids love it so I use about 1 ½ teaspoons. Some baking emulsions or artificial flavors may be stronger and you’d want to stick with about 1 teaspoon.
- You can bake this in any loaf pan. An 8×4 inch loaf pan will make the batter deeper, so it will take longer to bake than in a 5×9 inch pan. The bake times are only rough guides so keep your eye on your keto banana bread when it’s in the oven. If the top is browning too quickly but the center doesn’t seem cooked through, cover it with foil.
- This is a wonderfully adaptable recipe! You can add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, shredded coconut… whatever you like best in your banana bread.
- As always, let it cool completely before turning it out of the pan or cutting into it. I do recommend running a sharp knife around the edges to loosen it. If your pan is not non-stick, you may even want to make a parchment paper sling to life it out more easily.
Ready to make some delicious keto banana bread?
More keto sweet bread recipes
- Keto Gingerbread Loaf
- Keto Blueberry Bread
- Keto Peanut Butter Bread
- Keto Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Keto Pumpkin Streusel Bread
- Keto Lemon Bread
Keto Banana Bread
Ingredients
Banana Bread:
- ¼ cup chia seed
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 ¾ cups almond flour
- ⅔ cup Swerve Sweetener
- ⅓ cup unflavoured whey protein powder
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup melted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoon banana extract (imitation would also be fine)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips, sugar-free
Instructions
Banana Bread:
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan very well (you can also use 9x5 but your bread will bake faster). If your pan isn't very non-stick, you may want to line the pan with parchment, and grease the parchment.
- Grind the chia seed in a coffee grinder or food processor. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the water. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, protein powder, coconut flour, baking powder and salt.
- Stir in the eggs, melted butter, chia seed mixture, banana extract, and vanilla extract, until thoroughly combined. Stir in the water to thin the mixture to a scoopable consistency. If it's still very thick, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Stir in the chocolate chips, if using, saving a few for the top of the bread. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake 60 to 75 minutes or until golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 20 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen. Continue to let it sit in the pan until cool, about 20 minutes more.
Video
Notes
Total fat: 13.8g
Carbohydrate: 5.3g
Total dietary fiber: 3.2g
Protein: 6.3g
Marsha says
What is the cream cheese frosting recipe that you used to use on your banana bread? I would love to try it. Thanks!
Laky says
Wow. love this recipe. So moist and flavorful. You wouldn’t know there were
no bananas in this. The chia seeds are such an ingenious idea. Always love your recipes.
Cheryl says
Another winner. I didn’t have chia, just a trilogy seeds ( hemp, chia,flax) it worked so good I didn’t need the extra water, texture was perfect. This is going to top if my list. Thank you for all you do.
Sandy says
Thank you Cheryl for this idea. I have these seeds in my pantry but didn’t remember why I bought them!
Lorry Norton says
So good!!! I used vanilla flavored whey protein powder because that’s what I had. The texture was perfect, it tastes like banana bread. My chia seeds didn’t get ground up, but they did a great imitation of banana seeds. Love this!!!
Andrea says
Have you tried freezing the bread? DIdn’t know how the texture might be.
Carolyn says
It’s fine! Things like this freeze well.
Karen Bratton says
I cant find banana extract locally. Could I substitute banana liqueur? If so should I use the same amount?
Carolyn says
I have never used banana liqueur but I assume it has sugar. And it won’t be nearly as strong. YOu need to order banana extract usually online. It’s linked right in the recipe.
Carol Renteria says
I had all the ingredients lined up when I realized I couldn’t find my coffee grinder…RATS! Trying to smash the chia didn’t work at all. So I went ahead and made your recipe exactly using the whole chia seeds. It is delicious! The seeds kinda provide a crunch like poppy seeds. I certainly will make this again. Thank you for sharing your recipes
Carolyn says
Glad it still worked!
Maria Frank says
I have a hard time digesting whey protein. What can I substitute for it please? Thank you
Carolyn says
Egg white protein powder
Tara says
I’ve also substituted with oat fiber and had no issues
Amy says
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes. I made this last night because I was craving the texture of a “real” bread. You hit the target on this one! It has the taste and texture of traditional banana bread that I was hoping for.
Wendy Boutwell says
OMG…..so good! The chia seeds are genius…giving the lovely moist texture of real bananas and the flavour is wonderful. I made this recipe into muffins and it will definitely be in my Make Again List.
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes Carolyn.
Carolyn says
I am so glad!
Dona says
I made this bread yesterday and it exceeded my expectations. I followed the recipe exactly and it was the same consistency as regular banana bread. I used the same banana flavoring at 1 1/2 teaspoons….it was perfect flavor not too strong and no artificial taste at all. Next time I will add walnuts. Absolutely delicious!!!!!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Patricia says
Is the baking time giving is for the 8×4 inch loaf pan?
Thank you.
Susan says
I made this “banana ” bread into yummy muffins. We all, even non keto, simply loved them. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Carol Murphy says
Can you more almond flour instead of the coconut flour? I find coconut flour causes bloating because it’s high in FODMAPS. Thanks for your recipes, the ones I’ve tried have been fantastic! Can’t wait to try this one!
Carolyn says
Yes, but you need to add triple the amount.
Fran says
hi again, Carolyn
I just emailed re the amount of chia seed (1/4 cup whole seed = close to 1/2 ground) and I went through the comments more closely and found the answer I was looking for (1/4 cup whole seed, then grind and add water to the resulting finely-ground seed) so you don’t need to post or respond to my previous email. Thank you!
Fran
Fran says
hi Carolyn, I do a lot of baking for my sister, who has been doing keto (very strictly) for several years. I’m making your banana bread for the first time today and wanted to know if the 1/4 cup chia seeds is BEFORE grinding…I measured out 1/4 cup chia seeds, but when I ground them, the ground chia amounted to almost a half cup; I added the 2/3 cup of water and it’s a gelatinous mass! Should I thin it a bit and use this full amount, or start over and use 1/4 cup GROUND chia seed? .Any help would be welcome! Thanks!
Carolyn says
I saw you got your question answered but… in future, if the ingredient list doesn’t specify that they are ground, and since I actually talk about grinding them in the instructions, it means that you measure out the 1/4 cup BEFORE grinding.
Beth H-K says
Hi Carolyn,
I love your recipes but am having a little trouble with this ingredient.
Can I substitute Garden of Life Fit Protein Powder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CLD74U8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_3D8EK11D15SWZZPHZTKN?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
for the whey protein powder in this recipe? Thank you.
Carolyn says
I honestly cannot say if it would work but did you see the carb count? 10g of carbs for a protein powder???? That’s crazy. I think you should be looking at whey protein or egg white protein. I like this one: https://amzn.to/3KOduup
Vanessa says
I gave my mom all of my loaf pans thinking loaves will never be eaten in my Keto future. I have made the recipe and put them into muffin pans. Here is hoping they turn out. I set the timer for 20 minutes, but will be checking on them a lot! Really easy recipe to follow. Will let you know how they turn out!
Vanessa says
20 minutes in the oven was plenty of time for 1/4 cup of batter for a cupcake liner. They tasted great!
Diana says
Can I omit the chia for something else? What can I substitute? Thanks
Carolyn says
It’s pretty integral to the recipe.