3 Ingredient Banana Bread Without Flour or Oats
This 3 ingredient banana bread without flour or oats is soft, naturally sweet, grain-free, and easy to make with just ripe bananas, eggs, and smooth nut or seed butter. It works as a loaf or muffins and is perfect for using up overripe bananas.
Equipment
- 8x4 inch loaf pan
- Muffin tin
- Large mixing bowl
- fork
- Whisk
- spatula
- toothpick
- wire rack
- Airtight container
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 3 large ripe bananas about 340-360 g peeled; very spotty or blackened bananas work best
- 2 large eggs helps bind the batter since there is no flour
- ⅓ cup smooth nut or seed butter peanut, almond, cashew, or sunflower seed butter; use smooth and drippy, not stiff or crunchy
Optional Add-Ins
- 1 tsp baking powder or baking soda optional, for more lift and structure
- 1 pinch cinnamon optional, to add warmth
- 1 splash vanilla extract optional, helps round out flavor and mask any egginess
- 1 pinch salt optional, helps wake up the banana flavor
- chopped walnuts optional, for crunch
- dark chocolate chips optional, fold in at the end
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan, or line a muffin tin if making muffins.
- Add the peeled ripe bananas to a large bowl and mash with a fork until mostly smooth. A few small banana lumps are fine.
- Add the eggs to the mashed bananas and whisk until fully combined.
- Stir in the smooth nut or seed butter until the batter looks smooth, glossy, and evenly mixed.
- If using optional baking powder or baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, walnuts, or chocolate chips, fold them into the batter now.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes for a loaf, or until the top is golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- For muffins, divide the batter into the prepared muffin tin and bake for 16 to 22 minutes, checking with a toothpick to make sure the centers are fully set.
- Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool further before slicing.
- Slice and serve as is, or enjoy warm with extra nut butter on top.
Notes
Use very ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots for the sweetest flavor and best moisture. Underripe bananas will make the bread less sweet and less tender.
Smooth, drippy nut or seed butter works best. Avoid crunchy or overly stiff nut butter because it can make the batter harder to combine and may lead to a dense or gummy texture. If your nut butter is thick or cold, warm it slightly before stirring it into the batter.
Whisk the eggs thoroughly into the mashed bananas before adding nut butter. Since there is no flour or oats, the eggs are doing most of the binding work, so even mixing matters.
For a little more lift and structure, add 1 teaspoon baking powder or baking soda. For more flavor, add a pinch of salt, cinnamon, or a splash of vanilla extract. Chopped walnuts or dark chocolate chips can also be folded in before baking.
For a denser, more traditional texture, increase the nut butter up to 1 cup and bake closer to 55 minutes. Sunflower seed butter works well for a nut-free version.
If the loaf sinks in the middle, it likely needed a few more minutes in the oven or the bananas were especially large and added extra moisture. If the bread tastes flat, add salt and vanilla next time. If the texture is gummy, use riper bananas and slightly warmed, smooth nut butter.
Let the bread cool before slicing. Because this recipe has no flour, slicing too early can make it fall apart.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. For freezing, slice first and wrap pieces individually. Reheat a slice in the microwave for about 15 seconds or warm it in a toaster oven for a few minutes.
For a no-waste idea, crumble leftover slices into yogurt for a parfait or toast small cubes to use as banana bread croutons over ice cream.