Paleo Poppy Seed Almond Banana Bread

Grain-Free Paleo Poppy Seed Almond Banana Bread made oil-free with no added sugar. You’d never know this perfectly sweet and moist banana bread is gluten-free and sugar-free!

Oh hey! The 17 trillionth banana bread recipe in the last six weeks to grace the internet with its delicious presence. But just you listen.

Have you ever had simultaneous cravings for poppy seed muffins and banana bread?

I have. In fact, it may just be the story of my life. 

So you can imagine my pleasure when I combined forces and developed this grain-free paleo poppy seed almond banana bread made with the most basic ingredients. In a blender. Like a straight up samurai.

Suffice it to say, the craving for both poppy seed muffins and banana bread was precisely what inspired this recipe. I was missing that comforting coffee shop poppy seed treat and also momma’s homemade banana bread.

So I took my classic Paleo Banana Bread recipe, tweaked it a tad to add almond extract, poppy seeds and sliced almonds, and omitted the pure maple syrup from my original recipe just to see if it would be sweet enough. Trust, child, it was.

And once the loaf was born, I proceeded to eat half the thing, because that’s how I roll.

Here’s what you need to know about this almond banana bread recipe:

Recipe Highlights:

• Grain-free and gluten-free
• Oil-free
• No added sugar (sweetened only with bananas)
• Dairy-free
• Bursting with poppy seed and almond flavor
• Moist, dense yet fluffy, perfectly sweet.

 

Ingredients for Poppy Seed Almond Banana Bread:

Almond Flour: I use superfine almond flour for my banana bread recipes. You can also use almond meal, but the texture will not be as soft. Almonds are a great source of fiber, magnesium, and Vitamin E

Eggs: The fluff maker! Eggs are what help hold this bread together, since grain-free recipes need some help in that department. While you can substitute for flax eggs, just know the bread will turn out very dense. Eggs are also high in nutrients like protein, chromium, B12 iron, and folate.

Vanilla Extract and Almond Extract: both extracts add subtle flavor to the bread that you would think is easy to miss but really adds quite a bit of deliciousness to the loaf. The almond extract is what gives the banana bread that iconic poppy seed muffin flavor (classic poppy seed muffins use almond extract!)

Ground Cinnamon: Adds warm flavor and brings that familiar banana bread essence to the loaf. I add A LOT to my baked goods. Cinnamon is also great for blood sugar regulation.

Baking soda + lemon juice: The leavening agent here. This combo helps the bread rise. Don’t skip it!

Poppy Seeds: Add pomp and circumstance to the bread. These little pops of texture have a great deal of flavor.

Sea Salt: Salt is so important in bringing out the flavors in food. I always add it to my baked goods..a little bit goes a long way to enhance the palatability!

Sliced Almonds: I love topping the almond banana bread with sliced almonds for texture. My favorite poppy seed muffins have sliced almonds on top so I couldn’t resist adding them to the banana bread! You can omit them if you don’t have them on hand.

How to Make Poppy Seed Almond Banana Bread:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.

Add all ingredients to a blender except the sliced almonds and blend until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Baked on the center rack of the oven 50 minutes, or until loaf has set up in the center.

Allow bread to cool 30 minutes before pulling the loaf out of the loaf pan, slicing and serving.

Recipe Adaptations:

• For a sweeter banana bread, add 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup or coconut sugar.
• Swap the almond flour for hazelnut flour.
• For a coconut flour version of this recipe, follow my Coconut Flour Banana Bread recipe and add 1 Tbsp poppy seeds, 1 tsp almond extract, and top with ¼ cup sliced almond.
• Enjoy with a pat of butter and a drizzle of pure maple syrup or honey.

More Delicious Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipes:

• • Paleo Banana Bread Coffee Cake
  • Flourless Black Bean Banana Bread
  • The Best Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipe
  • Paleo Double Chocolate Banana Bread
  • Paleo Strawberry Banana Bread
  • Paleo Carrot Cake Banana Bread
  • Paleo Cranberry Orange Banana Bread

Enjoy the 17 trillionth…err…I hope you love this loaf!

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!

If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!