Gluten Free Blueberry Banana Bread

Today I’ve got a new recipe to share with you - a moist blueberry banana bread!

This gluten-free banana bread recipe is a variation of my classic banana bread recipe - a tender gluten-free banana bread with fantastic taste and the perfect texture.

THIS moist banana bread, though, is bursting with juicy blueberries!

It might just be my favorite gluten free banana bread recipe. It’s the perfect combination of bananas and blueberries

Like other quick bread recipes - traditional banana bread, my original recipe for gf banana bread - this gluten-free bread takes only a few minutes of effort.

Just whisk the base gluten-free banana bread batter together, fold in some blueberries, dump it in a pan, and bake!

An hour or so layer, you can be enjoying a slice of banana bread, fresh from the oven!

You can make this gluten-free blueberry banana bread recipe with either fresh or frozen blueberries, which means you can be enjoying this delicious treat any time of year.

This is great as an easy breakfast, but is also a delicious bread to serve up as a sweet treat with afternoon tea.

Just a really good banana bread recipe, all around!

Oh, and it’s a great way to serve a mixed crowd - it may be a gluten-free recipe, but the choice of flours makes for a banana blueberry bread that doesn’t have the “gluten free texture”.

Even those NOT on a gluten-free diet will love this moist bread - my husband requests it!

Anyway, let’s take a look at this easy banana bread recipe...

Ingredients

For the most part, this wonderful recipe uses really simple ingredients - pretty much everything will be easy to find in any larger grocery store.

The items that are a bit more specialty are ones that are likely to be pantry staples, if you’ve done any of my gluten free baking recipes.

As always, I have a few ingredient notes for you:

Overripe Bananas

The key ingredient in this recipe, you’ll want to use VERY ripe bananas.

I mean... extra ripe bananas. Brown, really spotty, really making you question whether you should be tossing them out.

Ugly brown bananas have add a lot more sweetness, moisture, and banana flavor to the bread, than less ripe bananas.

This recipe uses large bananas - if you have medium or small bananas, add an extra banana - or two!

Fresh or Frozen Blueberries

Part of what makes this a great recipe is that it’s not limited by blueberry season.

You can use fresh blueberries when they’re available, and you can use frozen blueberries the rest of the year.

This sweet bread works well with both cultivated blueberries (larger), and wild blueberries, which are smaller and more flavourful.

The big thing to keep in mind is that a loaf made with fresh berries will require a bit less time to bake than frozen berries will.

Just keep an eye on it!

Gluten Free Flours

As with all of my gluten-free baking, I use a custom gluten free flour blend - using a few different types of gluten-free flour - rather than a commercial all purpose flour blend.

Pretty much everything marketed as an all purpose flour uses types of gluten free flour that aren’t necessarily great for everything.

The thing is, the properties of wheat flour are far more universal than anything you’ll achieve with any one specific gluten free flour mix.

Some flours are better for browning, some gf flour types crisp up in ways that others don’t, others will take up moisture in different ways.

Regular flour is also far more neutral tasting than many gluten-free flours are.

The use of any of the bean flours, for instance (common in those “all purpose” mixes) are DEFINITELY better suited for savory uses - like when you’re battering something to deep fry it - than it is for sweet baking recipes.

For the best texture and flavor in your final product, you really want a gluten-free flour blend chosen so that the tastes, textures, and behavior of that blend work well with the specific food you’re making.

Sure, it’s a bit of a pain, but I like to look at it the way I do seasonings - I wouldn’t use one “multipurpose” herb seasoning on everything I cook, you know?

Anyway, in this recipe I use:

Light Buckwheat Flour
Sorghum Flour
Coconut Flour

... No xanthan gum in this one, though. Between the properties of the flours + bananas, and the nature of quick breads, you don’t need it!

Vegetable Oil

While butter tastes a little better than vegetable oil, I’ve taken to using vegetable oil in my quick breads, as it gives them a better texture.

It will be softer and more moist, right from the fridge - that’s the big one.

You can use the same amount of melted butter if you prefer - but you’ll want to serve it warmed up to at least room temperature, or it could be a bit dry.

Coarse Sugar

An optional ingredient, but a fun one.

Also known as Pearl Sugar is a a chunky sugar that is sprinkled over sweet goods before baking. The sugar doesn’t dissolve, so it gives it a bit of a crunchy, crusty finish.

You may have seen it on my recipes for Gluten-Free Cranberry Walnut Muffins, Gluten Free Banana Muffins, Gluten-Free Blackberry Muffins, and Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins, and others.

Everything Else

Rounding out this easy gluten free quick bread recipe, you will need:

Granulated Sugar
Large Eggs
Pure Vanilla Extract
Baking Soda
Salt

... I just don’t really have anything else to add, as far as these last few ingredients go! Very simple, mostly pantry staples.

How to Make Gluten Free Blueberry Banana Bread

The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, this is the pictorial walk through:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 1 regular bread pan, and/or line it with parchment paper.

Parchment paper lets you lift the whole loaf out, easily! I like to spray first, then line with parchment - the spray holds the parchment in place while I pour the batter in.

In a separate bowl - you’ll want a large mixing bowl - mash together together bananas and sugar until smoothish.

(You CAN use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer for this if you need to, I just do it with a potato masher!)

Add vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the mashed bananas, stir well to combine.

Add the dry ingredients mixture to the mixing bowl of wet ingredients.

Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir just until combined, with no obvious streaks of flour in the batter.

In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the 2 tablespoons of flour, until coated. Add floured blueberries to the batter, gently folding in to incorporate.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 60-70 minutes (Expect a bit longer if using frozen blueberries), or until crust is a rich golden brown, and knife, toothpick, or cake tester inserted into middle of loaf comes out clean.

Note: Take the baking time as a suggestion only. It can vary fairly wildly between different ovens, different sizes/proportions/materials of the loaf pan, etc.

Take the loaf out as soon as it’s done, over baking can lead to dry banana bread!

Let the bread cool slightly before cutting.

Serve warm, or cooled.

Leftovers

Once cooled to room temperature, leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap or transferred to an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to a week.

Gluten-Free Banana Bread is best served within 2-3 days, at room temperature or warmer.

More Gluten-Free Breakfast & Brunch Recipes

Looking for more breakfast food recipes for the whole family? Here are some easy gluten free recipes to try:

Gluten-Free Apple Pancakes with Caramel Apple Topping
Gluten Free Bagels
Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Gluten Free Banana Muffins
Gluten-Free Banana Nutella Ebelskivers
Gluten Free Blackberry Muffins
Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins
Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Bread
Gluten-Free Cranberry Walnut Muffins
Gluten Free Crepes
Gluten-Free French Onion Soup Tart
Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
Gluten-Free Lemon Mascarpone Ebelskivers
Gluten Free Mushroom Soup & Eggs on Toast
Gluten-Free Paska [Easter Bread]
Gluten Free Pop Tarts
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
Gluten-Free Sourdough Waffles
Gluten Free Zucchini Bread