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
Rachel says
I was kind of leary since it didn’t have real bananas but decided to make it anyways. Followed the recipe as written and it turned out surprisingly good with the texture just like normal banana bread. It was a little salty though. I used salted butter so next time I would use unsalted or leave out the extra salt. Overall it was great with a little cream cheese on top.
Sylvie Bouchard Groulx says
Hi Carolyn,
Would like to try this recipe but wondering if there is something to replace the whey protein since my granddaughters are lactose intolerant. I found a non dairy protein from Botanica but not sure if this would be a good replacement for whey. Thank you!
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61YRcX-iw2L._AC_SX679_.jpg
Carolyn says
I am not really sure what that is, from the photo. It’s protein powder? I guess it might work but egg white protein powder is your best bet as a substitute.
Elaina says
These are great!
Question: should you refrigerate or leave out when finished?
Thanks!
Carolyn says
You can leave on the counter, covered or wrapped up, for 3 days. Refrigerate if you think it will be around longer.
Stephanie Ahmed says
I’m allergic to bananas so can’t wait to try this!
Carolyn says
Does banana extract set it off too, though?
Emily says
I would love to make the banana bread . Could I use rip banana and if yes how many bananas . Unyil my banana extract comes in .
Thank you
Emily Morales
Carolyn says
Honestly I don’t bake with them anymore so I really can’t guide you.
Melanie Rodgers says
5 stars!! This banana bread is delicious! Will definitely make it again. Thanks Carolyn!
Shy says
Hello. I am just wondering if you really need to use whey protein? If so, what’s the brand that you’re using. I am not familiar with this. Please advise. Thank you!
Carolyn says
Yes, you do… if you want it to rise and properly hold its shape. It’s linked in the recipe.
Shelley says
Banana bread without bananas? It does sound crazy, but I totally get it, and I love all the testing and tweaking and retesting you went through to create this recipe that allows people on a keto diet to enjoy one of the most comforting of all comfort food recipes! Such a brilliant technique with the chia!
Betsy says
Good stuff! I love the way you take non-keto friendly food and make it keto friendly! I can indulge without all that keto guilt! 🙂
Matt Taylor says
Awesome! I love banana bread, the perfect way to make it more healthy. 🙂
Sandra says
Wow! I really didn’t have faith this would be a success but just WOW! I was disappointed with the banana muffin recipe due to the McCormick extract I used. I ordered the Olive Nation banana extract but a quick sniff and this one too smelled like that fake banana taffy candy. I made the bread anyway and what a wonderful surprise…the taste/smell/texture are all spot on! (I assume it’s the chia seed paste that gives it that traditional banana bread look once sliced??) It’s unbelievable how close this is to the real thing…I had to freeze half the loaf to keep myself from nibbling at it all day.
Carolyn says
So great to hear. I love the Olive Nation banana extract but I agree that it has an artificial smell when it’s not in anything.
Lynn says
I haven’t had banana bread in years so I decided to give this recipe a try. If for nothing else than to see how chia seed mush could pretend to be a banana. It. Is. Amazing. It tastes exactly like wheat flour banana bread. I accidentally put in a whole tablespoon of banana extract, but it’s the crappy McCormick brand, so I figured no harm, no foul. I can’t wait to make this for my kids when we go to visit them at Thanksgiving. Slather on some butter along with a cuppa…breakfast Nirvana.
Carolyn says
Hooray! I am so happy to hear it met with expectations.
Lisa says
I made this today and the texture and flavor were very good! Thank you for another great recipe, Carolyn!
Mariea S says
I’m sorry but I was reading comments and someone asked about using heavy cream plus water instead of almond milk but I don’t see almond milk in the recipe?
Carolyn says
If you read the blog post, you see that it’s an updated recipe so that comment is no longer applicable.
Mariea S says
Excuse me. I did read the post. I was still confused so I asked for clarification.
Leslie says
I am a sucker for a good banana bread! This looks like it would make the taste buds happy.
Trudie says
In the description of the recipe at the top it says 16 servings but in the nutritional facts it says 12. Which is it? Thank you.
Carolyn says
Oh sorry, it’s 12. When I re-worked the recipe, the carb counts were significantly lower.
Jacque says
I’m eager to make this, but a bit confused—is it 12 or 16 servings?
Carolyn says
It’s 12… fixing the recipe now…
Joanne Tarabicos says
A question. What do you use to grease the pans in your recipes.
Carolyn says
Usually butter and coconut oil spray. Butter first, worked into the pan, then spray after.
Pam Bradley says
Thank you for including the nutritional info without the chocolate chips. I was going to ask for the info. Then I saw that it was included.
I recently purchased Banana extract, so this came at the perfect time.
BettyAnne says
Carolyn, is it 1/4 cup chia seeds ground or 1/4 cup ground chia seeds? Thanks.
Carolyn says
You will see in the video… it’s whole chia, and then you grind it.
Amy says
Hi Carolyn, I want to try this recipe today! I have already ground chia seeds. How much of that do you suggest I use? I feel like if I were to grind a 1/.4 c of seeds, the amount of ground would be less.
Carolyn says
You can use the full 1/4 cup. It works out about the same and you can always add a bit more water if your paste is too thick.