Banana Bread Recipe: Easy Enough for a Weekday, Yummy Enough for Dessert

This easy chocolate chip banana bread is the ultimate healthy treat! Made with simple, wholesome ingredients, this moist and delicious loaf is paleo, gluten-free, grain-free, and naturally sweetened. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or a healthy dessert, it’s packed with rich chocolate chips and ripe bananas for the perfect balance of indulgent and nutritious. Whether you follow a paleo diet or just want a healthier twist on a classic, this one-bowl banana bread recipe is quick to make and full of flavor. Great for meal prep, freezer-friendly, and kid-approved!

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Easy Banana Bread Recipe

When I had my local organic bakery, we had a few tables and chairs in the front room. We had a small menu of delicious, healthy breakfast and lunch items.

One of our most popular breakfast items was banana bread french toast.

We made chocolate chip banana bread, using this exact easy banana bread recipe, dipped slices in an egg/milk/cinnamon mixture, and toasted them up on the griddle. Our whole bakery smelled especially delicious when we made this special french toast.

Though it sounds (and tastes) completely decadent, this simple banana bread recipe is delicious and healthy at the same time.

There is no sugar crash because this easy banana bread is sweetened with…

Bananas!

Yup, that’s it!

There is no added sugar in the banana bread batter.

For the chocolate chips, you can use these if you want to keep it no sugar added.

I personally use dark chocolate chips or chocolate chunks (these are amazing if they are available…they seem to sell out fast.) Sometimes I chop up a 90% dark chocolate bar and use that.

Any chocolate you use will be good!

This is my favorite recipe to use up ripe bananas – I hope you love it too!

Easy Banana Bread that’s Gluten-Free and Grain-Free

This is gluten-free banana bread too! I so wish these gluten free recipes were around when my grandmother (who had celiac disease) was alive.

I would have loved to bake for her!

That being said, there are not a lot of subs you can do with this recipe and still have it turn out.

You can absolutely add different add-ins or toppings  (walnuts, raisins, if you like…I’m a total chocolate chip purist in banana bread lol), but it will not be the same if you use regular flour or a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix.

I am a supporter of (mainly) cooking at home and making your own baked treats. If you’re watching your budget, it is one of the BEST ways to save money.

This is especially true when it comes to gluten-free or paleo baking because some of the ingredients can cost more.

The cost of this paleo banana bread loaf baked at home will be what you would spend on one or two slices in a coffee shop – except you get the whole loaf!

Related recipes:

• Healthy Single Serving Banana Bread
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones

Banana Bread Recipe: Easy and Healthy

This paleo banana bread is made with almond flour – the tastiest (in my opinion) and also highly nutrient dense flour. If you have never tried baking with almond flour, you are in for a treat!

Almond flour used to be niche, but now you can find it in most big grocery stores. I usually buy it online because I tend to find the best price here.

Again, don’t sub the almond flour, and definitely not with another gluten-free flour like coconut flour. These paleo flours act totally different.

For this banana bread recipe, you only need one bowl and about 5 minutes of prep time. Mix, stir, pour into pan, top with chocolate chips. Done.

I baked the banana bread in a cast iron loaf pan like this (my favorite for baking!)

It took about an hour to bake in my oven on the middle rack.

If you use a non-stick loaf pan or a glass loaf pan your baking time could be different. Also all our ovens are a bit different.

I would test it at the 45 minute mark and keep baking if it’s not ready.

Okay, ready to make the best banana bread?