There are many resources to learn to bake gluten free. There are many others to learn to bake sugar free. However, there are very few (read: none that I’ve found so far) that combine the two restrictions.

Both gluten free flours and sugar substitutes tend to dry out baked goods more than their traditional counterparts. GF bakers address the flour dryness, and SF bakers do the same for the stevia, erythritol, allulose, and the like. But I have yet to find a single baker sharing instructions for creating moist, delicious treats under both restrictions simultaneously.

As a result, I’m learning through a lot of trial and error. And that is how I’ve landed on recipes like this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, with some measurements in grams and others in cups. Here’s why!

When measuring gluten-free flour, take care to use a scale and measure to the grams given in gluten free recipes. However, 1:1 sugar replacements are so by volume, not by weight. Therefore, grabbing a bag of Swerve and weighing out the grams given for cane sugar in a traditional recipe is going to give you a drier, crumblier final product. This is why it’s best to use measuring cups with sugar substitutes instead of relying on the weight of the cane sugar in traditional recipes.

If you don’t need to avoid sugar, I highly recommend clicking on the original recipe link below. Kat at The Loopy Whisk has fantastic gluten free recipes using cane sugar. But if you, like me, need to avoid sugars as well, this recipe worked beautifully for me!

TIP: For variable ingredients like bananas, don’t stress the specificity; just make sure they’re completely ripened so the natural sugars have fully developed.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (gluten free and no added sugar)
(Original recipe: Loopy Whisk)

3 well-ripe bananas, mashed
150g butter, melted
3/4 cup brown Swerve sugar substitute
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla paste (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
275g gluten free flour blend (I use King Arthur’s Measure for Measure)
1/4 tsp xanthan gum (omit if your GF flour blend already contains xanthan gum)
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 C sugar-free chocolate chips (I use Lily’s)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8×4 loaf baking tin with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and light brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla paste. Whisk until well combined.

Sift together the flour, xanthan gum (if using), baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add them to the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until you get a smooth batter with no flour clumps.

Fold most of the chocolate chips into the banana bread batter, and mix until they’re evenly distributed. Transfer the batter into the lined loaf tin, smooth out the top, and sprinkle with the leftover chocolate chips.

Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until well risen, golden brown on top, and an inserted skewer comes out clean. IMPORTANT NOTE: If the banana bread starts browning too quickly or too much, cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking until done.

Once baked, allow it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing and allowing to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.