This is the only Keto Banana Bread recipe you will ever need! Ground chia seed gives this bread the perfect texture with a fraction of the carbs. It has only 2.5g net carbs per slice!
It took me a while to perfect this Keto Banana Bread, but it was definitely worth the effort. 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 a tender loaf 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.
Making this low carb version is definitely an act of love. All the more so because it won’t raise the blood sugar of you or your loved ones. Along with recipes like keto chocolate chip cookies and sugar free hot chocolate mix, baking up some Keto Banana Bread shows just how wonderful and caring you are.
Even if you plan to keep it all for yourself. After all, self-care is extremely important!
Why this recipe is so awesome
This recipe actually first debuted on my blog in May 2014. But I’ve recently updated it to make it easier and even lower in carbs. And I know you’re going to love it.
One of the things that makes this bread so special is that it really has a banana bread texture. But it contains no bananas at all! How is that possible, you ask?
The secret is ground chia seed. Chia seed swells up and and becomes a gel when mixed with water, and one day I realized that the consistency reminded me of mashed bananas. So I tried adding some to my keto banana bread.
Lo and behold, it added similar moisture and texture as real bananas. I was thrilled to pieces! Adding a little banana extract gave the bread just the right flavor too. And it has only 2.5g net carbs per slice.
Reader Reviews
“Made this yesterday and, WOW, I love it!! I followed the recipe exactly and am so happy with the flavor and texture, especially the outside has a bit of a sweeter taste and crust. Thanks, Carolyn!” — Karen L.
“By far the best tasting banana bread recipe that I’ve ever made! Know one believes it was made without real bananas!” — Susan M.
“I made this no banana keto banana bread today, and it’s so moist and delicious. I love the addition of ground and soaked chia seeds that produced the tell tale black flecks mimicking those left behind by bananas to it look perfectly authentic.” — Diane K.
Ingredients you need
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- Chia seed: You will want to grind the chia seeds before mixing it with water. I recommend doing this in a coffee grinder or small food processor, as large processors don’t catch the small seeds as easily.
- Keto flours: I use a combination of almond flour and coconut flour for the right consistency and structure.
- Sweetener: I love Swerve Brown in this recipe, because I think it works well with the banana bread flavors. But you could use other sweeteners as well. Do keep in mind that allulose may make the outside of the bread brown too quickly.
- Protein powder: The addition of a dry protein like whey protein powder helps keto baked goods rise properly and hold their shape. You can also use egg white protein powder.
- Banana flavor: I recommend a natural banana extract rather than an imitation flavoring.
- Chocolate chips: I love the addition of keto chocolate chips like ChocZero in my banana bread but you can also mix in chopped walnuts, shredded coconut or blueberries.
- Pantry staples: Baking powder, vanilla extract and salt.
Step by Step Directions
1. Prepare the chia: Grind the chia seed in a coffee grinder or food processor. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the water. Set aside.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, protein powder, coconut flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add the wet ingredients: 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.
4. Transfer to a loaf pan: Stir in the chocolate chips, if using, saving a few for the top of the bread. Spread the batter in a grease 8×4 inch loaf pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining chocolate chips.
5. Bake the bread: Bake at 350ºF for 60 to 75 minutes or until golden brown and the top is just firm to the touch. 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
Expert Tips
This is an easy, family friendly recipe, but here are a few added tips:
There really is no good substitute for the chia. You can omit it but you will need to add additional liquid to the batter and the texture of the bread won’t be the same.
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 need depends on the chia gel, as well as other ingredients like the coconut flour. If the batter is overly thick, add water a little at a time until it has a scoopable consistency. It should not be pourable.
Brands of banana extract differ in strength. I like the Olive Nation brand and find 1 ½ teaspoons to be right for a good banana flavor. Some baking emulsions or artificial flavors may be stronger, so stick with about 1 teaspoon.
Sweetener options: You can use your preferred sweetener in this recipe but there are a few things to keep in mind. Allulose tends to brown very quickly and your bread may become very dark, particularly on the sides touching the pan. You could try using a silicone loaf pan.
BochaSweet would work well in this recipe. You could also use a mix of sweeteners, such as Swerve and some liquid stevia or monk fruit extract. That can help reduce the erythritol and minimize any aftertaste you may experience from either sweetener.
Frequently Asked Questions
While real bananas are not recommended on keto, you can still enjoy some treats and baked goods that have the same flavor. This keto banana bread recipe uses chia seed for texture and banana extract for flavor. And many readers swear you can’t tell it’s not the real thing.
Conventional banana bread recipes can have upwards of 40g per slice. But this keto banana bread has only 7g of carbs and 4.5g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.5g net carbs per slice.
This delicious bread freezes very well. Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil . You can also leave it on the counter, covered or wrapped up, for 3 days. Refrigerate if you think it will be around longer.
Keto Banana Bread Recipe
Equipment
- 1 8×4 inch loaf pan
Ingredients
- 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 8×4 inch loaf pan very well (you can also use 9×5 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 the top is just firm to the touch. 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.
Denise says
After making real banana bread for non-keto family members (and stealing a slice because – well – who can resist, really?) for a few years now, I was excited to try this recipe because you never let me down.
I’ve never worked with chia seeds before so that was a new experience (lol) but I was SO impressed with how the loaf baked. It had risen like no other keto bread I’ve made. That alone was promising.
The texture was perfect – and tasted great slathered with butter. I will add a bit more banana extract next time, but this definitely hit the spot and cured the craving! Thanks so much for all you do!
Wendy Walton says
So yesterday I made this banana bread. I used the exact extract that you recommended, but the banana flavor just wasn’t there for me. I like the bread! The texture is second to no other keto bread I’ve ever made!!! It’s very buttery, which is awesome! I guess I was just expecting a little sweeter, and more banana taste, and not so savory. I guess next time I’ll have to triple the banana extract. I look forward to trying other recipes of yours!!!
Carolyn says
Hmmm, I wonder if maybe you got a bad batch? We definitely get strong banana flavor out of it. But add more if you like!
Heidi Scribner says
This completely scratched my banana bread itch!
Cheryl says
I make a lot of Carolyn recipes, according to my husband i am not to lose this one..he not only loved the flavor, but the texture. He is suggesting different things i can put in the bread besides banana
I didn’t have chia, but I had the trilogy flax, chia, hemp; and used that, worked great.
He ate half the loaf, ????.
Thanks for all you do Carolyn, your hard work is greatly appreciated
Pam Dondaneau says
If I already have pre-ground chia, how much does 1/4 cup seeds equal once ground??
Carolyn says
It fluffs up a bit when being ground so maybe 1/3 cup?
mary says
I can’t wait to try this, looks good. I don’t have unflavored whey protein.. i do have vanilla. Ill try that first and see how it turns out.
Rosa says
I made this exactly as written and it was AMAZING!!! I think the real banana extract and the chia seeds do a fantastic job at selling this as REAL banana bread. I gave some to my dad and he loved it too (not knowing anything about the recipe!). THANK YOU for all your hard work. Your keto recipes are truly the best I have ever found.
Sandy says
Hi Carolyn, what would be the best way to store this, and can it be frozen? I would be the only one eating and would hate for it to go bad or dry out. I’m new to Keto baking, so I don’t know how these ingredients behave.
Thank you in advance.
Carolyn says
All keto baked goods like this can be frozen. Just wrap it up tightly!
Steve Fisher says
Can I ask a question about cake / biscuit recipes in general please? I’m new to Keto and using this recipe as an example, can I taste it as I’m making it – like you sometimes can with some high carb cake recipes?
I ask, because I would like to use the brands, you’re using but because I’m in the UK, I can’t get the banana flavouring your using in this one. I would try this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00H7HLMHE but by the looks of it I wouldn’t be adding 1 ½ tsp of it. So, can I try the mix as I add it?
I enjoy cooking but I’m not a natural so I love to follow recipes precisely. Plus, low carb ingredients are very expensive so I don’t want to waste them by messing it up. I hope my question makes sense. I have bought your book and have a load of recipes from your website to try. So far, we have had the Keto crustless pizza which was delicious. Thank you for all you do and thanks for the metric conversions. Really helpful.!!!
Carolyn says
Well, Steve, I would say that’s up to you. I taste my batters as I go but because they have raw eggs, I can’t advise others to do the same. But I do it all the time… always have, always will!
Steve Fisher says
Thanks Carolyn. That’s all I needed to hear. If it’s just the eggs as a concern, I’ll mimic you!
Cheryl says
I have made your previous banana bread recipe & loved it. But this is definitely next level. Am pretty sure no one would notice this is a Keto recipe.
The middle of my loaf was moist because the top of loaf was getting too brown but once refrigerated, the middle moistness wasn’t noticeable. This will be my forever go-to recipe for banana bread.
Thanks for this amazing recipe Carolyn!
Margaret DeVol says
I made this recipe yesterday and I have to admit I was skeptical. Regular banana bread is a family favorite. This version was so GOOD. The texture was so very similar to the regular recipe I used to make. The flavor was spot on, just enough banana but not too overpowering. I added 1/2 cup chopped pecans as well. I baked it a little too long, so it was just a tad dry. I will make again scaling the cooking time. I am not sure someone could tell this was keto if you served them a slice! Thank you for your recipes; they have made my no sugar/keto journey so much more enjoyable.
Diane says
This is fabulous! I omitted the chocolate chips and found Watkins natural banana flavoring at Menards. The chia seeds whirled up just fine in my old Magic Bullet. In the summer, I bake in my toaster oven that I keep on my screened in porch. It took exactly 60 min. Thank you Carolyn for another great recipe!
Carolyn says
Glad you liked it!
Belinda says
I made the keto banana bread yesterday and substituted the chocolate chips with blueberries. It is super delicious and moist too! Thank you very much for the recipe.
Shakir Malik says
The first thing that left me puzzled was the inclusion of ‘banana’ in this keto diet but then I went down to read the whole recipe only to be left amazed! I’m a beginner in the keto diet and quite know it’s a bit of work to get the diet right 🙂
Deb Chrisman says
Who knew ground chia seeds and banana extract could substitute for the smashed bananas I used to use in bread. The resemblance is amazing once you add the water and it gels. I used my blender with grind attachment for that then added in the rest of the wet ingredients and made quick work of that to blend together. Poured it all into dry ingredients hand mixed it all including the addition of some mini chocolate chips and sunflower seeds. Tasted and added a little more sweetener since I wasn’t making a frosted bread, instead I scooped the batter into 12 muffins cups and baked about half the loaf time. It is fluffy, yummy and less carbs than most muffin recipes. Thank you for this amazing food I can now enjoy again right from my own kitchen. It is even better after a day in the fridge just like regular banana bread was. ????
Carol says
Hi Carolyn — My husband is on a restricted Keto diet for cancer that does not permit whey protein powder. Is there something else I could use to get similar results? He LOVES banana bread and is looking forward to eating some.
Thanks!
Carolyn says
Egg white protein is the best alternative. This is a good one: https://amzn.to/3teOVgP
Grace Davila says
This bread is perfect! The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for it to cool. I’ll definitely be making this again.
Jennifer says
For anyone wondering how this would work with real banana (2 medium bananas, mashed) in place of the chia seeds and water mixture, it worked great. I replaced the remaining water with buttermilk and baked at 350 for about 45-50 minutes.
I am trying to get my daughter onboard with Keto for various health issues. I made the banana bread as is with the chia and banana extract and I loved it but I’ve also been keto for 4 years. My daughter took one bite and spit it out. It may have been too much too soon. 🙂 So I froze that one for me and made it again with real banana for her. Baby steps. Still no wheat flour or added sugar (except the sugar in the bananas, obvs) so still a win. I loved the recipe as is, such a great idea and tastes to me exactly like real banana bread!
Melissa says
Loved this recipe! So tender and tastes just like the real thing. Thanks for coming up with these amazing recipes.
Hayley says
Would I be able to trade the chia seeds put for 1 actual banana? Obviously of course it’ll be a bit high carb.