Gluten-Free Brown Butter Banana Bread

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Gluten-Free Brown Butter Banana Bread – This amazing gluten-free banana bread recipe gives you tender, delicious banana bread every time. Laced with caramel-y flavors, it’s yummy on its own, with nuts, or chocolate chips!

Front view of gluten-free brown butter banana bread being sliced

Let’s talk about banana bread.

It’s simple and cozy–there’s a reason it was THE recipe we all needed for comfort during 2020! But today’s recipe is a step up from the basic. We’re talking about gluten-free brown butter banana bread.

YUM.

We’re having a bit of a moment with brown butter recipes here at Sweets & Thank You. (I hope you don’t mind!) But brown butter is the secret ingredient you didn’t know your banana bread needed. It imbues every bite with caramel-y, sweet, almost toffee-like flavor. Plus, you’ll get a rich golden color and soft texture that you’ll dream about.

You’ll want to cut thick wedges of this gluten-free banana bread to tuck into on days when the weather turns cold, or you need to stress bake. The process of browning the butter, and the gorgeous smell that’ll waft through the house as it bakes will melt all your cares away.

(And it’ll reward you with the best gluten-free banana bread of your life! Just saying.)

Here’s what you’ll need to make it…

Here’s What You Need To Make Brown Butter Banana Bread:

  • Butter. Obviously. But it’s not *just* butter. We’re going to make brown butter. It only takes a few minutes, but I pinky promise it’s worth every one of those minutes. Because the banana + toffee combination is SO dreamy!
  • Brown Sugar. If you can, I recommend dark brown sugar for this gluten-free banana bread. It’s got a little extra molasses which means a richer brown sugar flavor AND extra moisture, which means you’ll end up with tender, light banana bread. Regular brown sugar will give you excellent results, too! Just a slightly softer flavor.
  • Eggs. For binding and puff. Easy enough!
  • Vanilla & Salt. Adding vanilla really plays up the toffee notes in the brown butter and brown sugar. Salt keeps the flavor perfectly balanced. Don’t skip it!
  • Baking Soda. To help this banana bread rise and stay light and tender.
  • Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour. We highly recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour for brown butter banana bread. It’s got a great blend of grains and starches to give you a lovely texture and its neutral flavor means the banana, vanilla, brown butter, and brown sugar will all shine through.
How to Make Brown Butter (Easy Step-By-Step Tutorial)

Psst! Here’s How To Make Brown Butter.

I’ve given quick directions in the recipe below, but this brown butter tutorial will walk you through the process in easy step-by-step detail (with a video to boot). If you’re nervous, the tutorial will make it feel easy for you!

Side view of gluten-free brown butter banana bread cut into slices
Front view of slices of gluten-free brown butter banana bread arranged on a platter

Mix It Up! Try One Of These Variations On Our Gluten-Free Brown Butter Banana Bread:

  1. ADD NUTS. Chopped walnuts or pecans are delicious if you like a little crunch. Both kinds of nuts pair beautifully with the brown butter flavor.
  2. TRY IT WITH CHOCOLATE! Or, if you’re a chocolate-chips-in-your-banana-bread kind of person (like me!), swirl in some chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. I like semi-sweet chocolate in our gluten-free brown butter banana bread.
  3. ADD CINNAMON OR SPICES. You can absolutely add cinnamon and nutmeg here if you like them in your banana bread. 1/2-1 tsp. of cinnamon is a good place to start, with just 1/8-1/4 tsp. of nutmeg.
  4. ADD A SLICED BANANA ON TOP. For a more pretty/dramatic presentation, halve a ripe banana lengthwise (the long way) and add it on top of the batter before adding to the oven to bake. I love doing this when I have one more banana to use up.
Overhead view of a slice of gluten free brown butter banana bread

FAQ + Tips & Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Banana Bread:

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO FREEZE BANANA BREAD? If you’re freezing the whole loaf to thaw later, let the banana bread cool completely. Then, wrap in plastic wrap/reusable food wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer. (The double-wrapping keeps it extra fresh!) If you prefer to freeze individual slices, lay the slices out on a baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze 30-40 minutes or until no longer tacky (this keeps them from sticking together!). Then, transfer to a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer.

WHAT’S THE BEST FLOUR FOR GLUTEN-FREE BANANA BREAD? In our experience, nothing beats King Arthur Baking’s Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free flour blend. This gluten-free banana recipe was developed with this flour blend in mind, so just know if you use a different brand or blend, you may get slightly different results. Follow the weight measurement (210 g.) for the flour instead of the volume measurement (1 3/4 cups) if you’re using another blend for best results. Also: make sure your flour blend contains xanthan gum!

HOW DO I KNOW MY BANANA BREAD IS DONE? The most accurate way to tell if your banana bread is completely cooked through is to insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of the loaf. It should register at least 200 degrees F. to be considered fully done. (If it’s very close (198-199 degrees, you can still pull it out of the oven, as the residual heat from the pan will help it continue cooking for a few minutes.)

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR BANANA BREAD BROWNS TOO QUICKLY. Thanks to the natural sugars in the bananas, plus the brown sugar AND brown butter, this brown butter banana bread will naturally look darker than other banana bread recipes. Don’t panic! That said, if it does start to look more brown on top than you like after about 40-45 minutes of baking, you can lightly tent the top of the pan with foil.

Pro Tip: Make Sure To Measure Your Flour Properly!

As with all gluten-free baking, it’s easy to throw off the recipe if you don’t measure your flour properly. Be sure to use the scoop-and-level method. That way you don’t pack extra flour into the cup, which can lead to gummy, dense baked goods. No bueno.

Front view of a slice of gluten free brown butter banana bread with a bite taken out of it

WE ♥

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Front view of gluten-free brown butter banana bread being sliced

Gluten-Free Brown Butter Banana Bread


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  • Author: Sweets & Thank You
  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Yield: 1 loaf (10-12 slices) 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Gluten-Free Brown Butter Banana Bread – This amazing gluten-free banana bread recipe gives you tender, delicious banana bread every time. Laced with caramel-y flavors, it’s delicious on its own, with nuts, or chocolate chips! 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 stick (4 oz./8 Tbsp.) butter
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (from about 3 medium or 4 small ripe bananas)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 3/4 cup (210 g.) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour (scooped & leveled)

Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips


Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Line a 9×5″ bread pan with parchment paper (I like to have the parchment hang over the long sides like handles so I can easily lift the bread out when it’s done cooking)
  3. First brown the butter. In a light-colored saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the butter starts to bubble and foam, pay close attention and watch for it to brown. When the butter under the foam is golden and honey-colored and smells sweet, remove the pan from the heat and pour into a stand mixer or mixing bowl to cool slightly.
  4. Add brown sugar and stir until the mixture looks like wet sand.
  5. Add the mashed bananas, eggs, vanilla, salt, baking soda, and gluten-free flour.
  6. Stir to combine until no lumps of flour remain.
  7.  If adding nuts or chocolate chips, add them to the batter and stir to mix in.
  8. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F. for 60-70 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden color. To be extra sure the bread is done, an instant-read thermometer should register 200 degrees F. when inserted into the center of the loaf. If you find the top is browning too quickly, you can lightly cover the loaf pan with foil.
  9. Allow the bread to cool 5 minutes in the loaf pan before transferring to a cooling rack.
  10. Allow the bread to cool at least 20 minutes before you slice it for best results.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 70 minutes
  • Category: Quick Breads
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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