Flourless Banana Bread (with Plantains!) – Grain-Free & Gluten-Free
Great news for those of us trying to avoid conventional grains… You can make banana bread without flour.
This nourishing flourless banana bread recipe is a staple in our kitchen. Whether you’re looking for a healthier breakfast option, a lunchbox-friendly snack, or a naturally sweet treat without refined sugar, this simple loaf delivers.
While everyone on the Green Child team isn’t gluten-intolerant, we all feel better when we avoid conventional wheat or opt for ancient grains. Whether it’s going in a lunch box to school or replacing cake at a birthday, we get a ton of mileage out of this simple flourless banana bread recipe.
Made with ripe bananas and green plantains, it’s moist, fluffy, and perfectly satisfying – with no wheat, almond flour, or oats required.
Can You Make Banana Bread with Plantains?
Absolutely! In fact, this recipe relies on plantains to give the bread its texture and structure. Green (unripe) plantains act as a binder and create that cake-like consistency you love in banana bread — without the need for any flour.
Green plantains are starchy, neutral in flavor, and naturally gluten-free, making them a smart choice for grain-free baking.
Like most banana bread recipes, you’ll want to use ripe bananas. But when it comes to the plantains, it’s the green, firmer plantains that help hold this bread together.
When using plantains in baking:
- Choose green, firm plantains (not yellow or spotty)
- To peel, cut off both ends, then score the peel lengthwise and remove it in sections
- Some tough spots might need a little help with a paring knife — that’s normal!
This grain-free banana bread is fluffy, delicious and completely gluten free! We add dark chocolate chips or pumpkin seeds, depending on our mood.
Why We Love This Flourless Banana Bread
This naturally sweet banana bread is:
- Grain-free and gluten-free (great for those with celiac or gluten sensitivity)
- Refined sugar-free – sweetness comes from the bananas
- Kid-approved and lunchbox-ready
- Customizable – add dark chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or seeds
Tips for Making Grain-Free Banana Bread with Plantains
- Blend, don’t mix. Mix the batter in a variable speed blender – not a stand mixer. You don’t need to completely blend the ingredients, but a mixer will leave the plantain pieces in too large chunks to give it the bread texture.
- Don’t over-blend. You want a smooth but not watery batter.
- Add-ins are optional. Stir in chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, or chopped walnuts at the end, or sprinkle on top before baking.
- Top tip: Want the chocolate chips to stay closer to the top? Add them after the bread has baked for 20–25 minutes.
This plantain banana bread also freezes well! Slice it and wrap individually for quick lunchbox additions or snacks on the go.
Grain-Free Flourless Banana Bread
Equipment
- high speed blender
Ingredients
- 2 green plantains
- 2 ripe bananas
- 3 large local eggs
- 1/4 cup Organic Coconut Oil
- 1/4 cup local honey
- 1 tsp aluminum free baking soda
- 2 tsp organic cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp organic clove
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds or Enjoy Life Dairy Free Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Peel and cut the plantains & bananas into chunks, add to a blender (not a mixer), along with the remaining ingredients — except for the pepitas and/or chocolate chips.
- Pulse until smooth.
- Pour the contents of the blender into a greased (buttered) 9 x 13 baking dish or standard bread loaf pan.
- Sprinkle pumpkin seeds or chocolate chips over the batter.
- Bake for 45 minutes at 350°F
- Remove from oven, let cool.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition
More Healthy Banana Recipes
If you love this banana bread, you might also enjoy:
Banana Coconut Tofu Pudding
Blueberry Banana Oat Smoothie
Summer Dream Smoothie Bowl