This Flourless Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is made with NO flour, butter, or oil, but so soft, tender, and flavourful that you’d never be able to tell! It’s gluten-free, low in refined sugar, and whipped up in the blender in 5 minutes flat!
I was going to start this post with a killer opener like: “banana bread recipes are like little black dresses – everyone needs a good one in their arsenal…” but then I realized that it wouldn’t necessarily apply to the handful of male readers I have (Hi! I know you’re there!!), and I didn’t want to be rude and exclude anyone. SO! let’s modify that statement to something boringly generic like “everyone needs a good banana bread recipe in their arsenal” and talk about what brought about the LBD analogy instead.
So I was cleaning out my closet the other day (it’s an obsession – I hate clutter), when I realized that 90% of my clothes were either black or dark gray. No joke – a solid 90%. I do have a tiny little section in the back corner devoted to my neglected pinks, corals, and whites, but I honestly can’t even remember the last time I reached for them… and judging by the comments I get about “needing to add more colour to [my] wardrobe because [I’m] not goth or attending a funeral,” it’s probably safe to say that no one else can remember either.
BUT! In my defence, I do make an effort with more colourful accessories. Sometimes ?
What can I say? I love dark colours and monochromatic wardrobes… and it has nothing to do with wanting to portray a certain mood or image. I love them because they’re simple; and apparently I’m not alone on that.
Think about it. When all your clothes are one colour, you don’t have to worry about what goes with what because everything goes with everything else. You don’t have to spend time thinking about what you’re going to wear tomorrow because you basically have one signature look. And you don’t have to worry about sorting your laundry either ? Some might call it boring, but it actually frees up a lot of time and mental energy that you can redirect towards something else.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m definitely not saying that people who love fashion and colourful wardrobes are wasting their time – I think it’s awesome to be passionate about things. Fashion has just never been my thing (except o the rare occasion), so being able to remove 90% of the decisions associated with it is beautifully freeing, especially when it means that I can redirect that extra energy towards the work that I adore… like sharing healthy and delicious recipes.
How’s that for a smooth segue? ?
In all seriousness, though, my approach to recipes is like my approach to my wardrobe – I like to keep things simple. That’s why the majority of my recipes use pretty basic ingredients, and also why so many of them can be made in the blender — this flourless chocolate chip banana bread included.
I meant what I said about everyone needing a good banana bread recipe in their arsenal, and if you love them super moist, perfectly sweet, healthy enough to eat for breakfast, and decadent enough to enjoy for dessert, then this recipe may very well become your go-to.
It’s made with NO flour, oil, or butter, but so soft and tender that you’d never be able to tell. There’s also a really minimal amount of refined sugar, no dairy, no gluten, aaaaaand… plenty of tastiness? Sorry, it’s late and I’m kind of running on empty here. The point is! it’s healthy, it’s delicious, and it’s super simple to make. Wins all around!
I’d love to know if you make this recipe! Leave a comment and rating down below to let me know what you think, and subscribe to our mailing list to receive new recipes in your inbox!
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Flourless Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 loaf, 12 slices 1x
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (60 g) oats, quick or old-fashioned
- 2 medium, ripe bananas (200 g or 1 cup mashed)
- 1/4 cup (64 g) nut/seed butter*
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (50 g) coconut palm sugar**
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (85 g) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF (176ºC), and lightly grease a 9 x 5 (23cm x 13cm) bread pan or line it with a sheet or parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang for easy removal. Set aside.
- Add the oats to the bowl of a high-speed blender or food processor and process on high until they’ve broken down into a fine powder, about 2 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the chocolate chips and continue processing until the batter is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.*** Fold in the chocolate chips by hand.
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan, spreading it out evenly and topping with a few more chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, until the top of the loaf begins to turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
* Feel free to sub this with any nut butter you have on hand, or use a soy nut butter to make it nut-free. I do recommend using a no-stir store-bought variety, however, since the natural oils can alter the texture. ** You can sub this with brown sugar. *** If you don’t own a high-speed blender or food processor, you can mix this by hand by subbing the rolled oats with a heaping 1/2 cup of oat flour.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
Looking for more flourless banana recipes? Try one of these!
Flourless Banana Bread Muffins
Soft and Chewy Banana Bread Granola Bars
Banana Oat Greek Yogurt Muffins
Flourless Chocolate Banana Bread
Flourless Vegan Banana Muffins
Hi!
Would you mind telling me how I can adapt this recipe for a mini loaf pan? (8 mini loaves in one pan)
I’m particularly concerned about the baking time.
Thank you!
Sorry Angie, but Ive never done any mini loaf baking so I’m not entirely sure. My best guess would be to start at 20 mins and keep checking it after that.
I just made this recipe in a 30 mini loaf pan. Time was 15-20 min. They were perfect!
This is a great recipe! A friend of mine made it for our church women’s group. I was blown away! It was that good. So I had to make it myself and my boys LOVED it.
I do have a question, do you know the calories per serving for this recipe?
Thank you! 🙂
I’m so glad you liked it, Amarylis! I don’t include nutritional information in my recipes, but it’s something I’m thinking about introducing in the future. In the meantime, you can use a calculator like this one to figure them out – http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
Can you sub coconut oil for the nutbutter?
I haven’t tried it personally so I can’t say 100% for sure, Elizabeth, but I’m tempted to say no just because coconut oil has a much more liquidy/oily consistency and might not yield the same results.
Made this yesterday. The batter was vert thin and liquid so when I added the chips, they sank to the bottom. After 4 mins of cooking I sprinkled a few more on the top. At 38 mins, the sides just started to get overdone and I could smell that it might be starting to burn so I took it out and it was baked through. I used 2 T honey for the coconut sugar. It was delicious, moist, and you’d never know this was not a traditional recipe. I put it in MyFitness Pal for 12 slice and got 139 calories per slice. this will definitely be my new go-to banana bread recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it, Melissia! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂
this sounds perfect for my kids. can i make this without eggs
I haven’t tried it personally, Gina, so I’m not 100% sure how it would work with substitutions. My guess is that it would come out a little flatter though.
I just made this, and it’s absolutely delicious! I made a couple of sub’s: I only had one banana so I used that with about 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, and I used honey instead of coconut sugar. It turned out great and not overly sweet. I’ll definitely be making this again! Thanks Amanda!
When I made this, it turned out super yummy, but also quite flat. The slices were more the shape of biscotti. Is that how it’s supposed to turn out? If not, do you have any tips? (I ate the whole loaf in like 3 days, by the way)
Hmm. The bread comes out a little flatter than banana breads made with flour, but it shouldn’t be as flat as biscotti. Is your baking powder good? Sometimes that could cause flatness, or the ingredients not blending well enough. You could try adding another teaspoon of baking powder – that would def. help!
I agree, simple is so much better, in baking and in fashion. 🙂
A good banana bread recipe is always a must and this one looks PERFECT. Pinned!
I made this last night Amanda, and it’s almost gone!!! It was SO good! 🙂
I literally wear every colour… But I envy you as all I ever try and do is find staple wardrobe items in black/ white/ grey and I can never find them! Saying that I picked up an awesome tshirt dress on Friday – the colour? Black, and I adore it!
Confession: I only ever use the store bought no stir nut butters. I don’t want to mess around with all that separation and then recombining every time. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
I love banana bread and I love color. Black works for you though so I say own it and embrace it
Oh my goodness! I’m very tempted to make this, like, right now!
I kind of have the same problem with my wardrobe. Except with pink. Everything in my wardrobe is pink. I might as well go live in the Mean Girls universe…except I’d only have outfits to wear on Wednesdays.
Oh man, this looks great & so simple if you use a blender.
Think this may be a good use for my two brown bananas sitting looking sad on top of the fridge.
Enjoy the weekend!
You honestly can never have too many banana bread recipes, it is such a versatile recipe. And I loved that you used oat flour here, it looks SO scrumptious.
Ohhhh me oh my, this is the banana bread of my eye. Or at least I hope it will be. I want it allll.
Hi Amanda! This is a bit off topic (although this recipe looks awesome!) but I was wondering if you have any say about the ads on your blog? There’s one in particular that’s been driving me absolutely nuts every time I come here. It’s called Mod Video – something about desserts for Valentine’s Day. The ad expands into a video and is really annoying to get rid of. It slows down scrolling as well. I just thought I’d mention it – I’ve been reading your blog for ages and the ad won’t prevent that, but it’s still annoying to deal with every time I come onto your site, y’know? Thanks for reading this!
Sorry, it’s called Mode Video, not Mod Video.
We might disagree about the need/importance of colour in our wardrobes but not about chocolate and bananas. They’re a match made in heaven. I don’t eat eggs but I’m sure my family would enjoy this loaf.
YOU ARE SO RIGHT about the LBD analogy! Omg… game changer right there. My mom has a fantastic banana bread recipe that I am obsessed with, but I’ll have to keep this in my arsenal on the off chance I come into contact with someone that is in dire need of a baked treat without flour. Or, if I run out of flour (often happens), this is a recipe for me! Thank you for the recipe, Amanda!
This is the second banana bread post I’ve seen this week. I think it’s a sign. I haven’t had it in so long!
I haven’t made banana bread in way too long (because I always eat the bananas before they are ripe enough). Need to remember to get an extra bunch solely for bread next time! This recipe looks amaaaaaze
I remember reading a while ago that you have a lot of grey in your wardrobe because I’m the same way. I love having grey or black and then funky red shoes or a bright green layering tank peeking out from under it all.
Sometimes I feel the need to do my hair, and other times I feel like I need to concentrate on my makeup, like bring out my eyes or something. I think it’s whatever I’ve got going on the inside that usually manifests its way into my outside (clothes, hair, makeup, etc).
Oh, great looking BB by the way. 🙂 The chocolate hemp smoothie was killer. I’m hooked.
I love wearing black and grey! Everything in my life is accidentally pink, which everyone loves calling me out on… my phone case, water bottle, lunch box, pens… its awful.
My wardrobe is mostly neutrals as well, though I’d have to say I typically prefer whites over blacks. Still, plain jane is the way to go 😀 These photos are gorgeous and yes, everyone needs a good banana bread in their life!
I am allll about carbs these days. And chocolate 🙂
I wear a lot of black and grey. I try to wear colors but it just doesn’t work for me haha
Another delicious episode of Running with Bananas and Chocolate 🙂 haha! Your recipes are the best!
You read my mind or maybe I read yours! Either way this morning I was just thinking about making another chocolate chip banana bread and thinking you seriously can’t have enough of these recipes!
Love the look of this banana bread! I must make it….I wear alot of pink…when I hate everything in my closet, I turn to my makeup which always makes it better.
Love the look of this banana bread! I must make it….I wear alot of pink…when I hate everything in my closet, I turn to my makeup which always makes it better.
Sooo I just added chocolate chips to my grocery list so I can make this. It looks awesome!
I wear a lot of neutrals too. Half my closet is either black, gray, or white. I agree that it makes life so much easier!
Hahaha “When all your clothes are one colour, you don’t have to worry about what goes with what because everything goes with everything else.” YAAASSSS – I agree completely! I am a jeans and black fleece (in winter) kinda gal and I hate to sway from that – I’d much much rather put my energy into food too! As for make-up, hair or an outfit – gawsh I need help in all those three – though I’d rather ask for AND accept a loaf of this deliciousness! I so love your healthier recipes, Amanda – the ones I have made have indeed been inhalacously WONDERFUL! Hope you have a wonderful weekend! xo
p.s dark clothes are great staples to have… just like banana bread. 😉
you can never have too many banana bread recipes. they freeze well, are nourishing, and well.. YOU JUST MAKE THEM LOOK AMAZING –> runs with bananas. So calling you that.
My regularly clothes are pretty plain (same colors/styles) but my workout clothes are often where I let the colors shine…it’s kind of an interesting phenomenon actually.
In other words, in my current breakups suck state, I hardly have an appetite and no desire to cook so if you just want to ship a loaf my way, I promise I’ll drown my sorrows in chocolate chip banana bread and come out on top. kthnxbye. 😉
I could have used this recipe yesterday! I had three brown bananas on my kitchen counter – a rarity! No worries. I made another one of your banana muffin recipes. 😉
I honestly cannot believe this is no flour in the bread. It looks great and I would have never guessed.