Awhile ago while flipping through an older issue of Bon Appétit, I stumbled upon an article claiming “the best banana bread ever”. Yum. Best of all, there was a recipe.

A moist banana bread sounded like just the thing I wanted to make. I stared at the recipe trying to figure how best to make it without granulated sugar. And free of gluten. I also wanted to use a different kind of oil. I was super nervous about my first attempt to bake the bread since I changed so many ingredients: flour, oil, sugar, amount of salt, etc. But oh my goodness if that bread did not look lovely once removed from the oven! Best part, it tasted delicious.

I was so happy it was a success. Then I felt compelled to share the recipe. I do not think anyone will regret making this bread. It is that good. I made the bread a couple more times (no sweat off my brow) to ensure it was successful, and am pleased with the results. Light brown in tone with a delicious aroma while baking. So pleasant and hearty. Slightly dense and heavy in texture, without dryness. Not abrupt with a strong banana taste, and the olive oil is barely perceptible.

I decided to use olive oil because I tend to buy large containers of the stuff as a money saver, so it is often within reach. Olive oil is a usual go-to oil for me if I am not using coconut oil since it has a better heat tolerance for higher temperatures. Olive oil is also nutritionally high in Vitamin E and monounsaturated fat, a fat healthy for your heart.

As an aside, I do buy organic extra virgin olive oil in darker containers. Why? Because it protects the oil from being exposed to light, an element that ages the oil more rapidly causing it to turn rancid quicker. Be sure to store olive oil away from heat as well.

Note: Toothpick test bread prior to removing from oven. Vegan egg substitute is included in the recipe card below. I used a mix of gluten-free flours. You could use only almond flour for the recipe, but I would not recommend using only coconut or rice flour. For example, coconut flour absorbs more moisture, thus it would yield a drier bread. It is up to you though.

Bread Recipes: