This easy to make, tender and delicious, Gluten Free Banana Blueberry Bread is a must bake for banana bread fans. The flavorful combination of bananas and blueberries makes a gluten free quick bread you have to try!
Baking quick breads has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I often turn to my tried and true recipe when I have ripe bananas to use. Sometimes I change it up a bit, throw in some chocolate and nuts, and make my Gluten Free Chocolate Chip and Walnut Banana Bread instead.
When blueberries are in season, I’ll make my Lemon Blueberry Bread with Lemon Glaze. But, until recently I’d never combined bananas and blueberries in the same recipe. I didn’t know what I was missing!
Without the blueberries, the banana bread is a tasty but simple recipe. With the berries, the bread pops with fruit flavor. And the turbinado sugar adds a crunchy topping that adds a little extra sweetness to this quick bread.
As you probably know, a quick bread doesn’t require temperamental yeast and you don’t have to wait for dough to rise. If, like me, you enjoy baking quick breads, you’ll want to try this banana blueberry flavor combination.
(This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.)What kind of Gluten Free Flour should I use?
Make sure to use a good quality all-purpose gluten free flour when making these muffins. I like to use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1. Your results may vary depending on the gluten free flour you use.
Remember to use the “spoon and level” method when measuring your gluten free flour. Simply use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and then use the back of a table knife to level off the top.
Are my bananas ripe enough to make this bread?
If the banana peels are green, you’ll want to wait until the peels turn yellow before using them in this recipe. The perfectly ripe banana has a yellow peel with brown spots and soft fruit inside.
You can use overripe bananas (the peels are completely brown) by making adjustments to the recipe. The fruit of an overripe banana will be sweeter so try reducing the amount of sugar by ¼ cup. You may also need to increase the baking time to account for the gooeyness of the overripe fruit.
Bananas that are slightly underripe (the peels are yellow without any brown spots) can also be used. The fruit won’t be as sweet so consider increasing the amount of sugar by ¼ cup.
Should I use fresh or frozen blueberries?
I used fresh blueberries in the bread that is pictured. If you’re able to find them at your local store, fresh blueberries are a great choice.
You can use frozen blueberries if you prefer. You’ll want to thaw the blueberries completely and pat them dry between paper towels before tossing with the gluten free flour.
How to Make Gluten Free Banana Blueberry Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9″x 5″ loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set the bowl aside.
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar.
Add in the eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla and beat until combined.
Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of gluten free flour until the berries are well coated.
Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top of the batter. (Note: If your local store doesn’t carry turbinado sugar, you can find it here.)
Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Place the loaf pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then remove the bread and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Run a knife between the edges of the bread and the pan to loosen it before removing the bread from the pan.
Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Can I substitute milk for the buttermilk?
You can use regular milk if you like, but you’ll miss out on the subtle tang the buttermilk adds to the flavor. The buttermilk also adds a little more moisture to this banana blueberry bread.
Milk can be converted to buttermilk very easily by adding a little lemon juice or distilled white vinegar. For the amount of buttermilk required in this recipe simply add ¾ teaspoon of lemon juice to regular milk. Stir the two together and let stand for 5 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken.
Baker’s Tips
- Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour mix for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain it, try adding 1/2 teaspoon to the recipe. I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which contains xanthan gum.
- Spray nonstick cooking spray all around the inside of the loaf pan. Doing this will keep any part of the bread from sticking to the pan.
- Pay attention to the ripeness of your bananas. If the bananas are underripe or overripe, you’ll want to adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe to achieve a perfectly sweetened banana bread.
This Gluten Free Banana Blueberry Bread is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or an any time snack. A tender and tasty quick bread your friends and family will ask for again and again. Enjoy!
More Gluten Free Banana Recipes to Try
- Gluten Free Banana Muffins
- Gluten Free Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Caramelized Banana Bread (Gluten Free)
- Banana Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Banana Muffins
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- 1 3/4 cups gluten free 1 to 1 flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas (2 large or 3 medium bananas)
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 tablespoon gluten free 1 to 1 flour to toss with the blueberries
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan and set aside.
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In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla and beat until combined.
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With a wooden spoon, stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
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In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon gluten free flour until well coated.
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With a rubber spatula, gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
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Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over top of batter.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
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Place the loaf pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then remove the bread and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
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Slice, serve, and enjoy!
- Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour mix for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain it, try adding 1/2 teaspoon to the recipe. I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which contains xanthan gum.
- Spray nonstick cooking spray all around the inside of the loaf pan. Doing this will keep any part of the bread from sticking to the pan.
- Pay attention to the ripeness of your bananas. If the bananas are underripe or overripe, you’ll want to adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe to achieve a perfectly sweetened banana bread.
Delicious! We use our blueberries we canned this summer.
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Leslie. Thank you so much for the 5-star rating.
I made it exactly like the recipe instructed and my neighbors have got to be smelling the aroma! It turned out excellent and is moist and delicious. The only thing I added was pecans. Thank you for the recipe. I just love it!