Grain free no sugar added Banana Bread

Published March 22, 2023 by Dr. Stephanie Gray, DC

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Today, I am making a very delicious Grain Free No Sugar Added Banana Bread.    Made with ripe bananas, tahini (or natural PB), tapioca and coconut flours, unsweetened coconut flakes, pecan pieces and chocolate chips. Other than the chocolate chips, you will find no refined sugars or flours in this bread. This banana bread is a very healthy, no guilt snack!

Banana bread should always be made in a home kitchen, never a factory. But beware of homemade banana breads as well. A quick search for banana bread recipes on Pinterest quickly reveals that most  homemade banana breads are made with refined white flours, white sugar and pro-inflammatory seed oils (like canola or sunflower oils).  Store bought banana breads are even worse, usually boasting 1-2 cups of white sugar per loaf. There is nothing remotely healthy about store bought or (most) homemade banana breads.

One slice of banana bread I found at my local grocery store had 28 grams of sugar and 47 grams of refined carbohydrates which works out to be almost 11.75 tsp of sugar. Per slice! This is totally unnecessary in my opinion.

The WHO recommends that people limit sugar intake to 50 grams of sugar per day (12.5 teaspoons).  Twenty-five grams of sugar (6.25 teaspoons) for “added health benefits.” One standard slice of banana bread at your local grocery store will put you near the top limit of recommended sugar for your day.

This is just one example of the hidden sugars out there. If you care about your health at all, one must be mindful of what goes in your mouth. Read labels. Be picky. It’s a circus out there.

If you like banana bread like me, you must make it at home and be selective of your ingredients. At home you can control the ingredients and your body will thank you and work better on your behalf.

My Banana Bread has 8.5 grams of sugar which is equivalent to 2 1/4 tsp of sugar (less if you omit chocolate chips). Ripe bananas have enough sweetness on their own to make a very tasty bread.

This bread is gluten free, grain free, dairy free, low in sugars with nut free option.

For other great snacks, check out these other recipes:

Paleo Sweet Potato Muffins

1 Bowl Zucchini Trail Mix Cookies

GF Pumpkin Muffins

No Bake Coconut Energy Balls

GF Lemon Chia Loaf

GF Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Why you will LOVE these Grain Free No Sugar Added Banana Bread

• Simple ingredients using real food

• A ONE BOWL recipe, making less mess

•  A healthy, unprocessed baked good that has no added sugar (except for the chocolate chips)!

• Gluten free, grain free, dairy free with nut free option

• Bread freezes nicely so you can eat it on demand

• No wheat, less sugar, less INFLAMMATION

What equipment do you need? 

• oven
• 9×5 inch loaf pan
• large mixing bowl
• measuring cups/spoons
• wooden spoon

What ingredients do you need?

• 3 very ripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces

How do I make this Healthy Banana Bread?

It’s Super EASY!

Step 1:

Step 2:

In a large mixing bowl, add bananas. Mash with a fork. Add eggs, tahini, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla. Stir with wooden spoon.

Step 3:

Add flours, 1/4 cup at a time, using wooden spoon to mix in.

Step 4:

Add coconut, chocolate chips and pecan pieces one at a time, using wooden spoon to stir in.

Step 5:

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Top should be golden brown.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions:

• Tahini -Tahini is a paste/butter made from sesame seeds and is a staple in the Mediterranean/middle east. It is the key ingredient in hummus. Tahini is nut and gluten free but has a nutty taste, which makes it a good substitute for peanut butter, especially in baked goods. Natural peanut butter or almond butter are good substitutes for tahini in this recipe. 

• Tapioca flour– Tapioca flour is a naturally gluten free, low net carb “flour” that helps ingredients bind together. It is key to helping bakers achieve a fluffy, light and spongy texture. Coconut flour or arrowroot starch would be a good substitute.

• Coconut flour– Coconut flour is a naturally gluten free, low net carb flour that is good when used in small quantities. If you don’t have any, substitute with almond flour.

• Chocolate chips– Use sugar free chocolate chips or omit if avoiding refined sugars. Alternatively, I have broken up half a bar of 80% dark chocolate and  placed on top of the bread. This worked good too.

• Coconut– Use unsweetened coconut to add texture to your banana bread. 

• Pecan pieces– Pecans add a nice texture to this banana bread. Omit nuts to make this recipe nut free. It will taste ok without.

How to Store this Banana Bread?

Store bread in an airtight glass container or ziplock bag. It is ok on the counter for a couple days but after that they should be refrigerated.  Must be eaten within 5 days.

This bread freeze well. I will slice bread before freezing making it easy to eat a piece or two on demand. 

Tried this recipe? Mention @drstephanieskitchen or #drstephanieskitchen on social media