Keto Banana Bread has the perfect secret ingredient to give you the banana flavor you know and love. This quick bread is so easy to make and only needs 11 ingredients. The first taste is pure heaven when you bite into it. This easy low carb banana bread recipe has only 3.7 net carbs and is also gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
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When I started eating low carb food, I was terrified that I would never get to taste my scrumptious banana bread again. Or banana anything for that matter. Great news! You don’t have to give up the sweet, yummy flavor of bananas after all. Yes, bananas still aren’t low carb, but with my special secret ingredient, you can enjoy all sorts of banana-flavored baked goods. Any guesses what it could be? Yep...good old-fashioned banana extract.
Now you can enjoy keto banana bread and everything else banana! From sugar free banana cake, low carb banana muffins, low carb keto banana pudding, and this lovely sugar free banana bread without worry. I can’t tell you how happy some banana extract has made me.
Ingredients
- Cream Cheese - cream cheese works well in this to create a flavorful sweet bread.
- Butter - I use salted butter to balance the sweetness in baked goods.
- Sweetener - I use my blend of xylitol, erythritol, and stevia.
- Eggs - eggs are the binder in this recipe. I have not tried egg substitutes.
- Almond Flour - almond flour has a mild flavor and gives baked goods a great texture.
- Coconut Flour - I use coconut flour along with almond flour to balance the natural oiliness of the almond.
- Baking Powder - check the date to make sure it is fresh.
- Coconut or Almond Milk - either work well in this recipe.
- Banana Extract - the secret ingredient in making keto friendly banana recipes.
- Cinnamon - we like cinnamon in our banana bread but you can swap for vanilla extract, pumpkin spice, or ginger.
- Pecans - the pecans are optional, you can sub in another nut like walnuts, go for chocolate chips instead, or leave out the mix-ins entirely.
How To Make Keto Banana Bread
This almond flour banana bread is perfect for all occasions, but I especially enjoy making it for friends and family over the holidays. They don’t’ even notice the difference, and it’s great for my low carb-loving friends. Let’s get started!
First Step: Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.
Second Step: Use a standard loaf pan and line it with parchment paper. Grease it with some cooking spray.
Third Step: Using your stand mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, and sweetener until it’s smooth and creamy. Next, add in the flour, eggs, baking powder, banana extract, and cinnamon and mix until combined. Pour in the pecans and mix well.
Fourth Step: Add the banana bread batter to the loaf pan.
Fifth Step: Bake for 55-65 minutes until the center is firm. The edges should be a dark golden brown color.
Sixth Step: Cool completely, remove from pan and enjoy!
Substitutions and Ideas for Low Carb Keto Banana Bread
Chocolate Chips - you can add sugar free chocolate chips to this bread in addition to the pecans or in place of them.
Walnuts - prefer walnuts to pecans? Go ahead and swap them out. You can even use macadamia nuts or sliced almonds.
Nut-Free - if you need this keto banana bread to be nut-free the best sub for almond flour is sunflower-seed flour. And then just leave out the pecans or replace them with chocolate chips or sugar free dried cranberries.
Dairy-Free - I have not tested this but I think subbing in coconut oil for the butter and coconut cream for the cream cheese would work. If you try this variation please let me know how it turns out!
Common Questions
Is Banana Bread Keto?
Traditional banana bread is definitely not keto or suitable for a keto diet. Real banana bread typically has wheat flour, cane sugar, and plenty of mashed bananas. There are 51 grams of carbs in 1 cup of mashed bananas. None of those ingredients are keto friendly. That is why I take favorite classic recipes and turn them into low carb recipes for both myself and my readers. I don't like missing out on old favorites any more than you do.
How Can You Tell When Banana Bread Is Done?
This keto banana bread recipe will have a dark golden color along the edges when it’s done. Additionally, the center should be firm and not jiggle when you lightly shake the loaf pan.
One way you can check is by inserting a toothpick in the center. If you notice batter on it when you take it out, then it’s not done baking yet — Cook for a few more minutes.
You can also lightly take your finger and touch the top of the bread. If it sinks in or leaves an indent, it’s not done. If it bounces right back up, then it’s good to go.
The edges of the bread will pull away from the sides of the loaf pan too. These are all indicators that the banana bread is done.
Can I Make This Into Muffins?
Yes, absolutely! You’ll need to follow the recipe, except using a muffin tin instead. You can use liners or grease the tin. It’s important to note that the time to bake is much less when you are making keto banana muffins. Start by baking them for 15-18 minutes then check to see if they are done. Bake longer as needed.
Does Banana Extract Taste Good?
Yes! Using banana extract is an excellent alternative to using real bananas in low carb baking. The flavor is pretty authentic to real bananas and equally delicious. Try it in my keto banana bread and see for yourself, because you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
How Do You Store Keto Banana Bread?
Low carb banana bread should always be allowed to cool to room temperature before storing it. Otherwise, you’ll figure out that condensation builds up and what was once a perfect keto banana bread becomes wet and soggy. Wrap the keto bread in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then put it in a ziplock bag or container. No matter how you store it, it needs to be airtight.
Never store gluten free bread (of any kind) in direct sunlight, near heat, or by steam. All of the things will damage it and cause it to go bad quicker.
Can You Freeze Banana Bread?
Yes, this low carb banana nut bread can easily be frozen and makes a great snack later. Wrap the loaf as a whole or cut it into individual pieces. Use plastic wrap or aluminum foil to tightly wrap the bread. Place the pieces of bread in a freezer-safe bag. It will last around 2 months in the freezer. I find having treats made ahead makes living on a low carb diet so much easier.
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Ingredients
- ½ cup cream cheese
- 8 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 4 eggs
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup carton coconut or almond milk
- 1 tablespoon banana extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper and grease well with cooking spray.
- Combine the cream cheese, butter, and sweetener in a stand mixer. Mix until smooth. Add the eggs, flours, baking powder, banana extract, almond milk, and cinnamon. Mix until well combined. Add the pecans and mix until they are evenly distributed in the batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 55-65 min or until the center feels firm when lightly pressed and the edges are deep golden brown.
- Cool completely to make it easier to remove from the pan.
Notes
Nutrition
Try these other sweet breads and pastries next:
- Almond Flour Cornbread
- Chocolate Chip Keto Zucchini Muffins
- Keto Zucchini Bread
- Blueberry Turnovers with Lemon Icing
Kathy martin says
Will it work to use a banana? I’m not concerned abt it not being kept. I have bananas to use up.
Taryn says
I think so but haven't tested it. I'd suggest adding an extra egg to balance it out.
Nikki says
Both my husband and I LOVED this! I made a couple of minor adjustments. I didn't have almond milk so I used 2 T heavy cream + 2 T water. I also use Ceylon cinnamon, which isn't as strong as the stuff typically sold, so I used 1.5 t. Ceylon cinnamon.
Alice Chasey says
I made this last night. About ½ way through, I checked the crust and decided to put a foil tent because I didn't want the crust to burn. I also used walnuts instead of pecans, and put in 1¼ cup Swerve, and added a light dusting if powdered Swerve on top. Its tastes amazing, but every time I cut a slice it crumbles so it's impossible to put butter on it, or even pick it up whole. What didbI do wrong? I'm relatively new to cooking and especially baking, so any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for all of your keto recipes, they make staying on track so much easier. 😀
Liz says
Hello 🙂 Any idea what amount of monkfruit/erythritol mixture I should sub in?
Taryn says
1.5 times the amount listed.
Shanna says
Curious could this be done in a bread maker?
Taryn says
Sorry, I don't think so. It isn't a yeast bread.
Karen says
You should be able to. I have made quick breads in my bread maker before, it’s been a while,.
Julie says
Hello, just checking to see if 1/2 cup stevia could be used instead of the blend? Thx
Taryn says
Which brand of stevia do you have? 1/2 cup pure stevia extract powder would make this way way too sweet.
julie says
I have Great Value Stevia - says 1 packet equals 2 tsp of sugar
Taryn says
Ok. So, 1/2 cup of my sweetener is equal to 1 cup of sugar. 1 cup of sugar has 48 teaspoons. According to that, you would need 24 packets. That sounds like a lot to me. I'd suggest starting with 10-12 and tasting the batter or cooking a little of the batter like a mug cake in the microwave. Then you can add more packets if you would like it sweeter.
Pam says
This was delicious! Your recipes are wonderful and a blessing to those of us avoiding sugar!
Jessica says
HUbby didn't even notice it was coconut and almond flour which means this was a WINNER!!!! I loved it, soft and flavorful.
Miranda says
Don't know you. Don't like your incessant plugging of your horribly named sweetener. Omg. I wouldn't ask for your product out loud because it sounds soooooo dumb. Please continue your seemingly delicious and healthy recipes, but with easier? conversions using swerve, etcetera.
Ty,
Miranda H.
Taryn says
Ummm.. that is not my horribly named sweetener. It is an actual product that I did not come up with. It is the first sugar-free sweetener I ever tried that I liked. It is called "Gentle Sweet" and it is made by a company called "Trim Healthy Mama". I did make my own copycat version to save money and so it was more readily available. My version just uses generic erythritol, xylitol, and stevia. It is too difficult to listen the amounts of each of those individually in each recipe. And it's much much cheaper than swerve, etc. About 1/3 of the cost.
Llora says
I use Allulose. Tastes better and gives your product that nice soft and chewy baked good experience. Xylitol is bad for the gut. Can cause GI upset.
Mary Lee says
Can I say that Miranda is rude as all get out? That’s crazy to insult the author for her choice of sweetener in her own recipe! If you like swerve sub it 1:1. It’s pretty much an exact exchange! I use gentle sweet, swerve, and make my own mix. They all sweeten similarly and depend on taste. You though should use some manners and not insult the recipe creator in such an obnoxious way! She deserves more respect than that.
Abigail Raines says
Before I saw this, I never thought it possible to make a keto version of banana bread so wow! Love the cream cheese flavor added here - so tasty!
MB says
If you dont have banana extract, could you use a 1/2banana without taking it out of Keto mode?
Taryn says
Half of a medium banana has 13 grams of carbs so this could still be low carb but most people wouldn't use real banana when doing keto.
Terri says
Am I reading this right... do you add 1 Tablespoon of the Banana
extract, or is that supposed to be 1 teaspoon?
Taryn says
It is one tablespoon. One teaspoon wouldn't be enough to make this taste like banana bread.
Carla says
Can this be made in a muffin tin instead?
Taryn says
Yes. I haven't tried yet but my guess is 25-30 minutes at 350.
Baker Judy says
What's a standard loaf pan size? Is that 9"x5" or 8.5"x4"?
Taryn says
Generally, it is 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches. Slight variations on that won't really affect the recipe.
Judy says
Thank you very much. I’m making it today. I had a flat loaf with another banana bread recipe. I’m trying to avoid that and spilling over.
Hopeful for a fabulous loaf. A Facebook buddy loved your bread
Sue Gaddy says
I am making this Leto banana as we speak it smells delicious!!! One little problem though it didn’t see where to put the coconut/almond milk in so I forgot it . Will it still taste good??
I hope so
Thanks
Taryn says
I hope so! I edited the recipe to clarify, sorry about that!
Lisa says
Does the butter and cream cheese need to be room temp/softened or is cold straight from the fridge ok?
Taryn says
They don't need to very soft but it's harder to mix if you add them right from the fridge.
Cynthia Crockett says
Do you have to add the nuts
Taryn says
No, but you will end up with a smaller loaf.
Brandy says
Looking for new keto recipes and happy I came across this. Banana bread is one of my favorites and this recipe came out great! Can't wait to make it again!
Jacque Hastert says
Love that this is keto-friendly! I can't wait to make it this weekend to satisfy my sweet tooth.
Beth says
Banana extract?! Genius!! Low carb and delicious that's just what my New Year needs!