Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread

This healthy blueberry banana bread recipe is the perfect summer treat! It’s naturally gluten-free, sweetened without refined sugar, and made with high protein flours.

When you just can’t decide between banana bread and blueberry muffins, blueberry banana bread is here to save the day. (Or at least save you from having to make a decision.) It’s the best of both treats—moist, tropical banana bread studded with fresh, juicy berries. And my version of blueberry banana bread is healthy, too!

The base of our healthy blueberry banana bread is a blend of almond flour and quinoa flour, which is my favorite combination for quick breads. You might recognize this combo from my Cinnamon Apple Banana Bread and Vegan Gingerbread Loaf; I love using almond and quinoa flour together in quick breads because it yields the most amazing texture and both flours are nutrient-rich.

Because quick breads should be, well, quick, this blueberry banana bread comes together in just 10 minutes and you can easily make it in one bowl if you’d like. The hardest part is waiting for it to cool so you can slice it and enjoy a summery, berry-filled treat!

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

• Blanched almond flour – It's super important to use superfine, blanched almond flour in this blueberry banana bread recipe since it has the finest texture and a mellow color. 
• Quinoa flour – This is a great flour to add to your gluten-free baking because it's high in protein and helps with structure. Here's where to get the best deal on quinoa flour.
• Flaxseed meal
• Arrowroot powder – Sometimes this is labeled as arrowroot starch. 
• Coconut sugar
• Coconut flour – Coconut flour is surprisingly high in protein and fiber, making it another healthy addition to our blueberry banana bread.
• Ground cinnamon
• Vanilla powder or extract
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Eggs – Let these come to room temperature before you start the recipe. Room temperature eggs will hold more air when you beat them, giving your banana bread more rise.
• Mashed banana – The darker, the better! An over-ripe banana doesn’t only add sweetness, it also gives the bread a more pronounced banana flavor.
• Olive oil – Or your oil of choice.
• Maple syrup – Or your liquid sweetener of choice.
• Apple cider vinegar
• Blueberries – You can use fresh or frozen in this recipe.
• Turbinado sugar – Optional, for garnish.

Can I Make This Recipe Without Eggs?

This is one of the most common questions I get about my almond flour quick breads and I'll be honest and tell you that I haven't found a good option for an egg-free version.

The benefit that eggs provide here, aside from the binding properties, it's that they also help the bread rise and stay risen. Flax eggs make the bread too dense because it doesn’t rise properly, and sometimes this results in the bread not baking all the way through.

How to Make Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread

Now that you’ve gathered your ingredients, it’s time to make blueberry banana bread! Here’s what you’ll need to do.

Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. 

Mix the wet ingredients. In another mixing bowl, beat the eggs, mashed banana, oil, syrup, and vinegar until the mixture is smooth.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in the blueberries.

Bake. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar. Bake on the center rack for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top of the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cool. Let the bread cool in the pan for an hour, then turn it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling before slicing and serving.

Tips for Success

Here are some hints and tips to make this healthy blueberry banana bread even easier.

• Make it in one bowl. If you want to save on dishes, start with your wet ingredients and then fold in the dry ingredients. You can just mash the banana in the bowl, whisk in your eggs, add the remaining wet ingredients, and then add the dry ingredients.
• Don’t switch up the recipe base. While you can put your own unique spin on this recipe (more on that below!), the base of the recipe is carefully formulated and tested with these exact flours in these exact proportions. If you make changes, it won’t turn out the same!
• Let it cool completely. Although it’s hard to resist warm banana bread, let the bread cool before you cut into it. You’ll get cleaner slices that way!

Blueberry Banana Bread Variations

There’s a lot of room for customization with this recipe! Here are some ideas:

• Add lemon or orange zest to the batter.
• Slather the top of the bread with coconut butter icing.
• Melt coconut butter and a tiny bit of coconut oil in the microwave and drizzle it over the cooled bread. (That’s what I did in these photos!)
• Swap half the blueberries for raspberries or chopped strawberries.
• Stir chopped walnuts or hemp seeds to the batter.

Serving Suggestions

This healthy blueberry banana bread is perfect as-is, but I love giving it a light toast in the toaster oven and spreading it with some homemade chia jam. It's filling and comforting, but still light and refreshing. 

You can make it dessert-worthy by topping it with a dollop of coconut whipped cream, or make a personal-sized breakfast trifle by layering cubes of blueberry banana bread with vegan yogurt, fresh berries, and lemon zest.

Can I Make This Blueberry Banana Bread into Muffins?

Yes, you can easily pour the bread batter into a muffin tin and make muffins instead. You’ll get about 12 muffins from this recipe; bake them at 375ºF for about 25 minutes (start checking them for doneness around the 23-minute mark).

How to Store

This healthy blueberry banana bread stores just as well as the traditional recipe! Wrap it tightly and it will keep at room temperature for about 3 days. 

Can This Recipe Be Frozen?

Yes, you can freeze your blueberry banana bread for up to 3 months. Wrap it tightly and let it thaw at room temperature before serving.

Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread

This is the healthiest Blueberry Banana Bread recipe you'll find. Made with almond flour and quinoa flour, so it's high protein and naturally gluten-free. It makes a delicious breakfast treat!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 16 slices

Calories 130kcal

Print Pin

4.63 from 16 votes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
• 1/2 cup quinoa flour
• 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder or extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup mashed banana about 1 medium
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or oil of choice
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup or liquid sweetener of choice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar to garnish optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, mashed banana, oil, syrup and vinegar and beat until smooth.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold together. Once combined, fold in the blueberries.
• Transfer batter to the prepared loaf tin, sprinkle with turbinado sugar (if using). Bake on the center rack for 45 – 50 minutes until the top has turned golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan for 1 hour then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

Video

Notes

Wrap the bread tightly and it will keep at room temperature for about 3 days, or it can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 88mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 1.1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 0.8mg

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