Recipes â€º Desserts

Simple Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipe

By Samira Kazan

updated March 24, 2025

A delicious, simple winter-warming gluten-free pumpkin spice banana bread recipe using almond flour. An easy gluten-free dessert option for all!

You’re probably used to seeing my various vegan tarts and no-bake treats, but I have to admit that one of my absolute favourite desserts of all is a delicious but humble easy banana bread recipe. This gluten free banana bread recipe uses almond flour and includes pumpkin spice (optional), for a fall twist (Plus, it’s low sugar too).

A delicious, Simple winter-warming gluten free pumpkin spice banana bread recipe using almond flour. An easy gluten free dessert option for all! - 6

As with most banana bread recipes, this works best with ripe and overripe bananas (think darker yellow skins with plenty of dark spots), so a great way to use up any leftover bruised bananas you haven’t eaten during the week.

A delicious, Simple winter-warming gluten free pumpkin spice banana bread recipe using almond flour. An easy gluten free dessert option for all! - 7

During 2019, you probably noticed that I’m trying to be a lot more mindful of my household waste. After some, somewhat terrifying, reading- I discovered that around 1/3 of all food globally is wasted. I don’t have the exact statistics for UK household waste in my mind right now but, it’s NOT good.

With a planet that is struggling to provide for everyone, I want to try and do my part to be more mindful of what I purchase, consume and waste. And, believe me, that can be a challenging task as a food blogger- But every little counts, I think.

Banana bread a jar of pumpkin seed butter and a slice of the banana bread with the pumpkin seed butter on it - 8

This banana bread recipe is good for waste reduction in a variety of ways:

not only will it help save bananas from the bin, but you can also use leftover almond pulp from making almond milk as your almond flour.

I tend to make a lot of homemade nut milks and then dry out the leftover nut meal to use for other purposes, so any new use is excellent. However, you can also use store-bought almond flour too, of course.

I prefer the use of almond flour to your standard gluten free flours, as I found it really adds that ‘something special’ to this easy banana bread recipe. It also keeps it wonderfully moist- which is something I love in any decent banana bread.

A delicious, Simple winter-warming gluten free pumpkin spice banana bread recipe using almond flour. An easy gluten free dessert option for all! - 9

Note * If you have any nut allergies, I can’t personally guarantee good results with any other gluten-free flour. Unfortunately, I’ve found that almond flour banana bread really is the best option for a moist cake that I’ve tried so far. Feel free to experiment with other flours, though and let me know how it goes.

A delicious, Simple winter-warming gluten free pumpkin spice banana bread recipe using almond flour. An easy gluten free dessert option for all! - 10

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How to make the Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread
Other Gluten Free Desserts you may like
Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread (GF) Recipe

How to make the Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread

ingredients to make a delicious almond flour banana bread - 11

The first step to making the banana bread is to mix the dry ingredients. This includes incorporating the almond meal with the pumpkin pie spice mix, baking soda and brown sugar.

Note* As I mentioned above, I often use leftover almond meal from making almond milk as ‘flour’. You can also use store-bought or use an alternative gluten-free flour if you have nut allergies. Unfortunately, I haven’t tried all the variations to know how they affect the texture of the bread.

The banana bread ingredients in a large glass bowl. - 12

Mash or blend the ripe bananas into a purÃ©e, using a fork. This usually is reasonably easy with soft, overripe bananas. However, if you’re having any difficulties for any reason, then you can use a hand-held mixer or food processor/blender.

Once the bananas have formed a smooth ‘paste’ like consistency, then add the softened butter and eggs to the mashed bananas and mix well, till thoroughly incorporated.

mashed bananas with butter and eggs - 13

Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix thoroughly, making sure there are no clumps of flour in the almond flour banana mix.

Mixing the wet ingredient into the dry flour ingredients. - 14

Pour the mixture into a prepared loaf tin, lined with baking paper and, as an optional step, you can sprinkle some raw pumpkin seeds on top.

Note* I have some loaf tin shaped ‘papers’, which I find handy for these types of recipes.

The banana cake is then ready to go in the oven. Bake it in a preheated oven at 170ÂºC (fan assisted) for 50-60 minutes.

Cover the top of the tin with foil after 30 minutes. This will stop the top from burning while the middle still cooks. Be careful not to let it touch the batter though, as it will stick.

To check that the cake is cooked through, this can be tested by a toothpick inserted into the center. If it comes out wet/messy with batter, then the cake needs slightly longer.

Freshly baked gluten free banana bread still in the baking tin. - 16

Enjoy the pumpkin spice banana bread with some Pumpkin Seed butter , peanut butter or any of these delicious homemade nut butter recipes . I like to serve mine warm by popping it in the toaster- this will taste and smell amazing!

Banana bread a jar of pumpkin seed butter and a slice of the banana bread with the pumpkin seed butter on it - 17

How to Store the Almond flour banana bread

This banana bread can be kept on the counter in an air-tight container for 3-4 days or kept in the fridge for up to a week.

Alternatively, you can freeze the banana bread for up to three months. It’s worth noting that it’s best not to slice it before freezing as this will affect it’s moisture levels. Although, I have been known to slice a loaf in half on occasion and haven’t been disappointed with the frozen and thawed results.

Other Gluten Free Desserts you may like

I have to admit, I’m still teaching myself about what exactly is and isn’t gluten-free so there may be quite a few recipes on the blog that aren’t labelled as such. I’ve made a note to update this in 2020 though. There are a few recipes I DO know are 100% gluten-free though and can share with you now.

For example, these little almond & pistachio thumbprint cookies . Lastly, for an on-the-go snack, you may like these healthy cacao & almond protein balls .

IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric1x2x3x

▢ 5 cups almond flour
▢ 2 bananas
▢ 2 eggs
▢ 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
▢ 1/2 cups butter softened
▢ 2.5 tsp baking powder
▢ 1/2 cups brown sugar
▢ raw pumpkin seeds for topping – optional

Instructions

The first step to making the banana bread is to mix the almond meal/ flour * with the pumpkin pie spice mix, baking powder, and brown sugar.
Mash the ripe bananas into a purÃ©e, using a fork. This usually is fairly easy with soft, overripe bananas. However, if you’re having any difficulties for any reason, then you can use a hand-held mixer or food processor/blender.
Once the bananas have formed a smooth ‘paste’ like consistency, then add the softened butter and eggs to the mashed bananas and mix well, till thoroughly incorporated.Â
Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix thoroughly, making sure there are no clumps of flour in the almond flour banana mix.Â
Pour the mixture into a prepared loaf tin, lined with baking paper ** and, as an optional step, you can sprinkle some raw pumpkin seeds on top.
The banana cake is then ready to go in the oven. Bake it in a preheated oven at 170ÂºC (fan assisted) for 50-60 minutes.
Cover the top of the tin with foil after 30 minutes – this will stop the top from burning while the middle still cooks. Be careful not to let it touch the batter though, as it will stick.
To check that the cake is cooked through, this can be tested by a toothpick inserted into the centre. If it comes out wet/messy with batter, then the cake needs slightly longer.Â
Enjoy the pumpkin spice banana bread with some Pumpkin Seed butter, peanut butter or any of these delicious homemade nut butter recipes.Â

Video

Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipes › Desserts

Almond Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

By Samira Kazan

updated September 21, 2020

Delicious gluten-free, vegan bite-size almond & pistachio thumbprint cookies. Not only are they easy to make- they can either be baked or kept as a no-bake cookie recipe!

Delicious gluten-free, vegan bite-size snacks; almond & pistachio thumbprint cookies - 20

These almond pistachio thumbprint cookies are a delicious vegan and gluten-free cookies recipe using almond flour and pistachio butter. Unlike your generic shortbread thumbprint cookies, these vegan bite-size snacks have a delightful crumbly almond base and can be cooked or kept as a no-bake cookie recipe.

Depending on whether you want these as raw snacks or baked cookies, they are delicious. However, it’s worth noting that there will be some textural difference.

For the raw version, these pistachio thumbprint cookies are a little more gooey and moist. In comparison, when baked, these cookies are more crumbly.

Delicious gluten-free, vegan bite-size snacks; almond & pistachio thumbprint cookies recipe. Not only are they easy to make- they can either be baked or kept as a no-bake cookie recipe! - 21

I always love to switch up classic recipes and decided that rather than using the usual choice of jam filling for this thumbprint cookie recipe, I used some homemade pistachio butter .

Pistachio butter is one of the most delicious, decadent version of all nut butters and yet can be made at home with just pistachios, salt and a blender or food processor. Plus the pistachio flavour compliments the flavour of the gluten-free almond cookies.

These cookies are then an excellent healthier cookie snack option. They can also be displayed in mini cupcake cakes, in a gift box, for a delicious homemade edible gift at Christmas (or any time of the year!).

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’ll know that I’ve been cooking up a storm this festive period, with a new recipe posted every day. Honestly, I couldn’t wait for the day to share these pistachio thumbprint cookies though because they are one of my favourite treats so far.

One almond & pistachio thumbprint cookie with pomegranate seeds - 22

I’ve very recently compiled a post for the ultimate guide to homemade nut & seed butters, so I have spent a LOT of time this year in the kitchen blending up delicious nut butters and nut butter recipes. As much as I have a soft spot for good old almond butter, pistachio butter has taken my heart.

While it’s not a nut butter you’d want to eat by the spoonful every day (or rather you would – but your hips wouldn’t like it!), pistachio butter has an incredible luxury element that works well in so many different recipes. Check out my pistachio butter post for some inspiration.

two-ingredient Homemade pistachio butter in a jar - 23

Want to save this recipe?

Variations on these thumbprint cookies
How To Make The Thumbprint Cookies
Other great snack recipes you may like
Pistachio Almond Cookies Recipe

Variations on these thumbprint cookies

Obviously, my filling of choice is my homemade pistachio butter. However, you can experiment with various fillings including a delicious vegan homemade Nutella , the classic choice of jam, or even some vegan chocolate chips (that will melt from the heat and be heavenly!).

For a sweeter pistachio creme style filling, melt some white chocolate in a heatproof bowl then mix in some pistachio butter with a dash of homemade vanilla powder .

You can also make a delicious chocolate version of these pistachio thumbprint cookies by adding some cocoa powder into the base almond cookies recipe. If the biscuit mix feels too crumbly after adding the powder, add another tsp of coconut oil to offset the powder.

Plus, you can experiment with additional toppings for the pistachio thumbprint cookies. For example, a drizzle of melted white chocolate is a lovely dessert-like touch.

Note* For vegan cookies use dairy-free white chocolate and chocolate chips.

How To Make The Thumbprint Cookies

This pistachio thumbprint cookies recipe is super simple and can be made in just five minutes if you’re keeping them raw. Or around 20 minutes, if baking- which means they’re an excellent option for a last-minute edible gift idea or to whip up on busy days when you don’t have much time to spare.

the ingredients for vegan, gluten-free thumbprint cookies - 25

The almond cookies base is made up of almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, coconut flour and cardamon.

Don’t fret if you don’t have almond flour to hand though as this can be whizzed up in a couple of minutes. Blitz some raw almonds in a high-speed food processor for a couple of minutes and you’ll get homemade almond flour, which is a great gluten-free flour to have to hand at all times.

This recipe is also a great way to use leftover almond pulp after making homemade almond milk . Simply allow the pulp to dry out, and it’s ready to use as almond flour.

Note* For this particular recipe the ground almonds don’t have to be too fine, which is why any of the above options will work fine for the almond cookies recipe.

The method

To begin, mix the almond flour with the other base ingredients and then form small, one bite-sized cookies. If you want you can measure these out and use around 1tbsp per cookie. However, I eyeballed it and made 14 of them.

To make them into thumbprint cookies, the process is precisely what it says. Roll each piece of dough into a ball, and then you can use a finger/ thumb to make the indentations. You could also use the rounded back of a spoon. In fact, I used a small 1/2 tsp measuring spoon for an even indentation in each cookie.

If you’re in a hurry to enjoy these delicious cookies, then you can have these as a no-bake cookie recipe by simply adding some pistachio butter to them now and decorating with some pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios.

Note* Due to the gluten-free nature of these cookies and the lack of dairy, these cookies are more crumbly than general cookie dough so cracking around the edges when pressing your indentation is perfectly normal.

However, if you want to bake the cookies, then you can now bake them in the oven either in mini cupcake cups or on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

delicious thumbprint cookie recipe for gluten-free almond cookies - 28

These only take ten minutes to bake in the oven and will turn a lovely golden colour around the edges.

delicious thumbprint cookie recipe for gluten-free almond cookies - 29

If you want to use some chocolate chips as a filling, you’ll want to add these to the cookies while they’re still warm, so they melt into the thumbprint.

For the pistachio butter-filled cookies, allow the cookies to cool down a bit before filling them.

homemade two ingredient pistachio butter - 30

Again you can decorate the pistachio cookies with pomegranate seeds and ground pistachios or even a sprinkle of desiccated coconut. Also, feel free to experiment with other fillings and toppings of your choice.

For a sweeter, dessert-like version you can drizzle some white chocolate over the cookies at the end. Or, for a chocolate thumbprint cookie version, you can add some cocoa powder into the base almond cookie recipe.

Other great snack recipes you may like

For another delicious no-bake snack recipe, you may like these healthy cacao & almond protein balls or these coconut bliss balls . These 4-Ingredient Stuffed Dates: with home-made almond butter & Chocolate are always a winner too!