Keto Banana Bread
Published May 13, 2020 • Updated March 3, 2026
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I make this keto banana nut bread with banana extract instead of real bananas, and it comes out spongy, moist and loaded with walnuts at only 2.6 net carbs per slice.
I’ve been making this keto banana nut bread for years, and it’s one of those recipes I keep coming back to. The whole trick is banana extract instead of real bananas, which gives you all that warm banana flavor without the carbs. I use the same kind of flavor-swap approach in my keto pumpkin bread and chocolate zucchini muffins, where one ingredient change makes the whole recipe work.
The base is almond flour with a couple scoops of protein powder, and that combination is what makes the texture right. Almond flour on its own can be dense and crumbly, but the protein powder creates a matrix that traps air bubbles from the baking powder. The result is bread that’s actually spongy, not just “keto spongy.” I’ve tested this side by side with coconut flour as a protein powder substitute, and while coconut flour works in a pinch, the protein powder version has better structure and a more natural crumb.
A note on the butter: I originally developed this with 2.5 sticks, and I’ve heard from several readers that it felt greasy. I went back and tested it with closer to 1.5 sticks and the bread still holds together, stays moist and has plenty of richness. If you’re sensitive to butter-heavy bakes, start with 1.5 sticks and see how you like it. The sour cream in the batter provides enough fat and moisture to compensate. You can also swap in full-fat Greek yogurt or heavy cream if you prefer.
I eat slices of this with my morning coffee or warmed up as an afternoon snack. It pairs well with a smear of cream cheese or a drizzle of butter. If you’re looking for other breakfast bakes, my lemon poppyseed muffins and almond flour pancakes are in the same weekly rotation at my house.
Each slice comes in at 2.6 net carbs per 60 gram serving, which means I can have a thick slice without thinking twice about it. The walnut topping gives it a crunch that makes it feel indulgent, and the cinnamon rounds out the banana flavor in a way that reminds me of the banana bread I grew up eating. This is the low carb version I actually want to make.
How to make keto banana bread
- Mix dry ingredients – almond flour, protein powder (or coconut flour), baking powder, cinnamon and salt. I always sift these together. Almond flour clumps badly if you skip this step, and those clumps show up as dry pockets in the finished bread.
- Cream the butter and sweetener. This needs a few minutes of mixing until the color lightens and the texture gets fluffy. I use monk fruit sweetener.
- Mix in wet ingredients – eggs one at a time, banana extract and sour cream. Adding eggs individually helps them incorporate fully.
- Combine wet and dry. Fold in chopped walnuts or sugar-free chocolate chips if you want them mixed throughout.
- Fill loaf pans lined with parchment paper and bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Key ingredients
- Almond flour – The primary flour. It behaves similarly to all-purpose but needs help with structure, which is where protein powder comes in. I use the same almond flour base in my pecan pie muffins.
- Protein powder – Creates a protein matrix that traps air bubbles and keeps the bread spongy. I use unflavored whey, but vanilla works too.
- Butter – Provides moisture and flavor. I’ve tested this with 2.5 sticks and 1.5 sticks. Both work, but if you prefer less richness, go with 1.5.
- Eggs – Four eggs strengthen the protein matrix that traps air from the baking powder, helping the bread rise.
- Banana extract – The whole trick. Instead of ripe mashed bananas (27g carbs per banana), I add a tablespoon of extract for all the flavor and none of the sugar.
- Sour cream – I add this for moisture and a slight tang that balances the sweetness. Protein powders and sugar-free sweeteners can dry out baked goods, and the sour cream fixes that. You can swap in full-fat Greek yogurt or heavy cream.
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Ingredients
1 ½ cups almond flour -
2 scoops unflavored or vanilla protein powder or 1/4 cup coconut flour
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2 teaspoons baking powder
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1 teaspoon cinnamon
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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2 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
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1/2 cup sugar free sweetener
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4 eggs
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1 tablespoon banana extract flavoring or 2-3 dropperfuls banana flavoring
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1/3 cup sour cream
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1/2 cup chopped walnuts, divided (optional)
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray two 3×6 inch loaf pans with cooking oil or line with parchment paper.
Get a small bowl
In a small bowl, sift together almond flour, protein powder or coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
Cream the butter
In a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add monk fruit and mix together for several minutes until light in color and fluffy. Reserve ¼ cup of butter mixture for later.
Add the eggs
Mix in eggs one at a time, stirring in between until combined. Add in banana extract and sour cream. Mix until combined.
Add dry ingredients
Slowly add dry ingredients while mixing continuously.
Add the walnuts
Add ¼ cup chopped walnuts. Mix until fully combined.
Place the batter
Spoon batter into the loaf pans filling with batter to almost the top of the loaf pan (about 1/2 inch from the top) The batter won’t rise a whole lot.
Top with butter
Combine reserved butter with remaining 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts and spoon over the top of each loaf.
Bake it
Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and let cool before serving.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Are bananas keto?
I get asked this a lot. One medium banana has about 27g total carbs and 14.5g sugar, so no, bananas aren't keto friendly. Even half a banana would eat up most of my daily carb allowance. That's exactly why I developed this recipe with banana extract instead. You get the flavor of ripe banana without the carb load.
Why is my banana bread greasy? Can I use less butter?
I've heard this from several readers and I went back and tested it. The original calls for 2.5 sticks, which can feel heavy. I've made it with 1.5 sticks and the bread still holds together, stays moist and tastes rich. The sour cream provides enough fat to keep things tender even with less butter. One more thing: let the bread cool completely before slicing. Cutting into it warm makes the melted butter run, which makes it feel greasier than it actually is.
Can I use coconut flour instead of protein powder?
Yes. I've tested this swap and it works well. Use 1/4 cup coconut flour in place of the 2 scoops of protein powder. Reader Mark made it this way and confirmed it came out moist and tender, which matches what I found in my own testing. The texture is slightly denser with coconut flour since it absorbs more moisture, but the sour cream and butter compensate for that.
Can I use a regular-sized loaf pan instead of mini pans?
I use two 3x6 inch mini pans, but I've also baked this in a standard 9x5 loaf pan. The key difference is baking time: plan on 55-60 minutes instead of 30-35. Check the center with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, you're good. Joyce from the comments baked hers in a regular pan and needed about an hour, which lines up with my experience.
How do I prevent the top from getting too brown?
My go-to move is tenting the pan loosely with foil after 20 minutes. The almond flour surface browns quickly at 325 degrees, and the walnut-butter topping speeds that up even more. I lay a sheet of foil over the top without sealing it and let the bread finish baking underneath. This keeps the top golden instead of dark.
Can I make this dairy free?
I've done a dairy-free version using coconut oil in place of butter (about 3/4 cup) and swapping the sour cream for unsweetened almond milk yogurt. The bread came out a little denser but still had good banana flavor. You lose some of that buttery richness, but the coconut oil adds its own subtle sweetness that I actually liked.
What is a quick bread?
Quick breads use baking powder or baking soda instead of yeast for leavening. I love them because there's no rising time, no kneading, no waiting around. You mix the batter, pour it in a pan and bake. This recipe falls into that category, along with my pumpkin bread and muffin recipes. If you're new to keto baking, quick breads are where I'd start.
Banana bread was the hardest thing to give up when I went keto. Made this Sunday and when that smell hit the kitchen I actually teared up. 2.2 net carbs a slice. I genuinely felt like I got something back.
My son grabbed a slice while it was still warm and then came back to ask if I'd used real bananas because he couldn't figure out why it tasted so right. When I told him it was extract and almond flour he just stood there for a second. The texture got him, that spongy, moist crumb that holds together when you slice it. Making a double batch next Sunday.
That 'stood there for a second' reaction is what I'm always going for. The protein powder is what makes that crumb - without it it's just dense almond flour bread.
I've tried at least four keto banana bread recipes over the past two years and every one had the same problem: the banana flavor was either nonexistent or so artificial it tasted like candy. Almost passed on this one too. I was skeptical banana extract could do what real bananas can't. Wrong. Once it bakes into the almond flour base, you actually get that banana bread smell coming out of the oven. The sour cream keeps it from drying out the way most low-carb quick breads do, and the crumb holds together when you slice it cold from the fridge the next morning. I'd give it five stars if the sweetness were slightly dialed up, but at 2.2 net carbs per slice, it's the version I'll keep making.
Threw in some of Lily's dark chocolate chips with the walnuts and now it's accidentally chocolate banana bread. Not complaining.
Lily's chips with the walnut crunch on top, yeah that works. Might have to try this on purpose.
Banana bread was the one thing I told myself I was just giving up when I started keto, so I made this half expecting to be sad about how different it was. It's not different. The banana extract comes through really strong (almost more than the real thing, which I did not expect), and that crumb is exactly what I missed for the last year. Took off a star only because I can't seem to make it fast enough to keep any in the house.
Can't keep it in the house is the review I didn't know I needed. I've started making two at a time just to have one that lasts past Tuesday.
I've worked through probably six keto banana bread recipes at this point, most of which either taste like almond flour with a faint banana note or come out so dense they're basically a brick. The sour cream here is what the others are missing. It gives the crumb that slightly tender pull you expect from real banana bread instead of that gummy, protein-powder chew. I go a touch heavier on the banana extract than the recipe calls for, but that's just what tastes right to me.
Six recipes is a solid test run. And yeah, heavier on the extract is fine - I've pushed it to nearly double without it going off.
My daughter walked in while this was cooling and immediately said 'is that banana bread?' (which, yes, it smells exactly like it). She's 11 and very vocal about my keto experiments, so her eating two slices without a word said it all. The banana extract surprised me too, more convincing than I expected from one tablespoon. Four stars, but I'd bump the sweetener up next time.
Two slices from a kid who doesn't hold back, that counts for a lot. On the sweetener, I've gone up to 3/4 cup before and the texture holds fine. Go for it.
Brought this to a spring brunch and waited to mention the banana extract until someone asked why the flavor tasted cleaner than actual banana bread.
That slow reveal is fun. Extract gives pure banana without the starch real bananas carry, so it does taste cleaner.
Tried probably four or five keto banana bread recipes before landing on this one and they all had the same issue: the almond flour taste coming through underneath everything, that faint bitterness that just doesn't belong in banana bread. This one doesn't have that problem. The banana extract is doing more work than I expected, and the sour cream keeps it from drying out the way the others did. Done testing recipes.
Yeah the extract fools everyone. Smells chemical straight from the bottle, bakes out completely. Sour cream keeps the crumb loose too - without it things get dense fast.
Banana extract sounds wrong but then your whole house smells like banana bread and suddenly it makes total sense.
That smell gets me every time. Baked it on a random Tuesday last month just because I wanted the house to smell like something.
Banana extract always makes me think of artificial flavoring, so I kept putting this off. Made it on a snow day and the crumb was spongy and moist in a way I wasn't ready for. Nothing chemical about it.
The smell straight from the bottle is intense, I know. Once it bakes it disappears completely. Snow day was the right call.
Used coconut flour instead of protein powder since I didn't have any and it still turned out SO good and moist. Beginner tip: soften the butter in 10-second microwave bursts, the batter comes together in like two minutes.
Coconut flour works great here honestly. Short bursts for the butter, I've gone too long before and had to start over.
Made this today, used orange extract instead of banana - great flavor! I also added 1/4 cup finely chopped cranberries - trying to recreate my favorite orange cranberry bread. But I agree with the other commenters, very greasy. I think 1 - 1/2 cubes of butter would be enough, especially with all the fat from the egg yolks. Also I baked it in a regular sized loaf pan - turned out fine but had to increase baking to an hour to set in the middle.
Orange cranberry sounds great actually. And yeah on the butter, 1.5 sticks is enough. I went back and tested it after the feedback came in and the bread still holds.
I carefully measured all ingredients to make this and it was waaaaay too much butter and the bread almost crumbles apart very easily. Overall it was ok and decent as far as any type of “keto” bread goes but I’m very picky about banana bread.
You can always decrease the amount of butter. I've made it several times and it doesn't crumble apart. You should let it cool completely before slicing into it.
Awesome banana bread, when l saw the above review l did less butter and it came out pretty good but l think next time l will use less again.
Overall best keto banana bread so far.
Go for it. I'd try 1.5 sticks next - that's pretty much the floor before it starts getting dry in the center.