Mary's Homemade Banana Bread

If you like the flavor of bananas, you’ll love this homemade banana bread. This quick bread is so tender and tasty, no one will guess its gluten free! 

My mom’s been making the same banana bread recipe for as long as I can remember.  She got the recipe, over 50 years ago, from a co-worker named Mary.

My family has always loved her homemade banana bread, but when Celiac disease entered the picture, my dad and I were no longer able to enjoy it.  A couple simple changes, like substituting gluten free flour for all-purpose flour, and increasing the baking soda by ½ teaspoon, put this favorite quick bread back on the table for everyone again.

If you’re not a fan of bananas, you’ll want to try my Lemon Blueberry Bread with Lemon Glaze or Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread.  Both of these quick bread recipes are full of flavor and free of bananas.

This banana bread is filled with delicious flavor and serves about 10.  If you want delicious banana flavor, but need to serve more friends or family, try my Gluten Free Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.  I know you’ll enjoy both recipes as much as my family does!

How to Make Mary’s Homemade Banana Bread

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and set aside a 9”x5” loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, add the melted shortening, eggs, and sugar.  Stir together, with a wooden spoon, until completely combined (photos 1 & 2).

Add the gluten free flour, baking soda, and salt to the sugar mixture.  Stir until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated (photos 3 & 4).

Add the mashed bananas to the batter and stir until combined (photos 5 & 6).  Make sure the mashed bananas are thoroughly mixed with the rest of the batter.  The bananas add flavor and moisture to the bread and you want every slice to be filled with flavor.

Transfer the batter to a 9”x5” loaf pan (photo 7).  Use a rubber spatula to spread the batter evenly in the pan.

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Cool the banana bread on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before removing from the pan.

How do you know if the banana bread is done?

Insert a wooden pick or cake tester into the center of the bread.  If the tester comes out clean, the bread is done.

If the tester doesn’t come out clean, continue baking for an additional 3-4 minutes and test again.  The center of the banana bread takes the longest to bake, so you always want to make sure the center is completely done.

Tips for Making Homemade Banana Bread

• Let the melted shortening cool a bit before stirring it together with the sugar and eggs. You don’t want the heat from the shortening to scramble the eggs.
• Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour mix for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain it, try adding ½ teaspoon to the recipe.  I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which has xanthan gum in it.
• Make sure to use ripe bananas for this banana bread. Under ripe bananas don’t add enough sweetness and overripe bananas can make the banana bread gooey.
• Be sure to measure the 1 & ½ cups of mashed bananas. Using more mashed bananas will make the bread soggy.  Not using enough mashed bananas will leave the banana bread dry.

If you have some ripe bananas you need to use, give Mary’s Homemade Banana Bread a try.  This quick bread is a perfect treat for breakfast or an afternoon snack.  Happy Baking!

More Gluten Free Banana Recipes To Try

• Healthy Quinoa Banana and Strawberry Muffins
• Caramelized Banana Bread {Gluten Free}
• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip and Walnut Banana Bread
• Banana Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
• Gluten Free Banana Blueberry Bread

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Recipe

Mary's Homemade Banana Bread

Connie @ Flavor Walk

If you like the flavor of bananas, you’ll love this homemade banana bread. This quick bread is so tender and tasty, no one will guess its gluten free!

4.50 from 2 votes

Print Recipe

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, Gluten free

Servings 10 slices

Calories 280 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ½ cup shortening (melted)
• 2 eggs (unbeaten)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups gluten free flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups mashed bananas

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees and set aside a 9"x5" loaf pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the melted shortening, eggs, and sugar.  Stir together, with a wooden spoon, until completey combined.
• Add the gluten free flour, baking soda, and salt to the sugar mixture.  Stir until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated.
• Add the mashed bananas to the batter and stir until combined.
• Transfer the batter to a 9"x5" loaf pan.  Use a rubber spatula to spread the batter evenly in the pan.
• Bake for 55 - 65 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
• Cool the bread on a wire rack before removing from pan.

Notes

• Let the melted shortening cool a bit before stirring it together with the sugar and eggs. You don’t want the heat from the shortening to scramble the eggs.
• Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour mix for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain it, try adding ½ teaspoon to the recipe.  I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which has xanthan gum in it.
• Make sure to use ripe bananas for this banana bread. Under ripe bananas don’t add enough sweetness and overripe bananas can make the banana bread gooey.
• Be sure to measure the 1 & ½ cups of mashed bananas. Using more mashed bananas will make the bread soggy.  Not using enough mashed bananas will leave the banana bread dry.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 410mgPotassium: 92mgFiber: 3gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 60IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1.1mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information provided is an estimate and will vary based on products and brands you use. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the ingredients you are using with your preferred nutrition calculator.

This recipe was first published in 2017, but was published again in 2019 to include updated images, step by step instructions, and nutritional information.