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:
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!

Grain-Free Poppy Seed Almond Banana Bread
Paleo grain-free poppy seed almond banana bread made oil free and sugar-free
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe bananas, peeled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp pure almond extract
- 2 1/4 cups superfine almond flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice, or vinegar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- 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. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 50 minutes, or until the 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.
Nutrition Information
Yield 1 Serving Size 1 slice of 9Amount Per Serving Calories 233Total Fat 13gUnsaturated Fat 0gCarbohydrates 20gFiber 3gSugar 7gProtein 7g
Linda
Wednesday 27th of April 2022
Moistest, most scrumptious bread I’ve ever tasted. All the flavors meld together perfectly. Almond extract and poppy seeds are AMAZING in this banana bread. If I didn’t have self control, I would’ve eaten the whole loaf in one sitting. Even better than Mom’s!
I had only 2 ripe bananas, so I subbed 1/2 cup blended fresh Fuji apple for the 3rd banana. Excellent substitute.
Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Julia
Thursday 28th of April 2022
Yaaaay, I'm so happy you love it, Linda! Now I'm feeling the need to bake a loaf with blended apple...sounds delicious!! I appreciate the sweet note! xoxoxo
Irina Toker
Tuesday 26th of May 2020
Delicious and nutritious. Not over sweet and guilt free. Perfect for my grandkids and Nana once in a while
Julia
Wednesday 27th of May 2020
I'm so happy you like it, Irina!! It has been a big hit in my house! Appreciate your sweet note. :D xoxo
Shirley
Tuesday 26th of May 2020
Perfect for my granddaughter. She loves these flavors together.
Julia
Wednesday 27th of May 2020
Yees! It's definitely a great one for the littles, too! :D xoxo