Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
This Healthy Carrot Banana Bread recipe is a delicious banana bread with a carrot cake twist! It is made with real food ingredients like almond flour, coconut sugar, and olive oil. It is Gluten-free, Grain-free, Dairy-free and Paleo.
This may be one of my most favorite healthy baked goods that I’ve made in a very long time. The texture is on point and the carrot cake banana bread flavor is just satisfying to the soul.
I think it would be perfect as a breakfast loaf, or an afternoon snack. And if you love both carrot cake and banana bread, then this is going to be the baked good for you!
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works:
- It is allergy friendly. Naturally gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and peanut-free.
- It is made with healthier ingredients, though you’d never know it by the taste!
- It combines the best of the banana bread and carrot cake worlds.
- It is a paleo carrot cake banana bread, and is perfect for breakfast or dessert. It also makes a wonderful snack with a cup of this mint tea.
- The cinnamon maple frosting on top is delicious!
Recipe Ingredients
- olive oil– this is used as the fat in this banana bread and replaces the butter used in traditional banana breads.
- coconut sugar– this has a lower glycemic index than processed white sugar.
- eggs– help to bind the bread together.
- almond flour– make sure to use blanched almond flour. It has a better texture for baking.
- tapioca flour– this helps give the banana bread it’s bread-like texture.
- coconut flour– this mixes well with the almond flour and tapioca flour to produce a bread texture.
- cinnamon– Ceylon cinnamon has great flavor.
- nutmeg– you can grind it yourself or buy it pre-ground.
- bananas– make sure they are extra ripe!
- carrots– you can shred them yourself or buy shredded carrots.
- maple syrup– make sure it is pure maple syrup and there aren’t any fake sugars or corn syrups added.
- coconut oil– this is used to make the frosting. Buy refined coconut oil if you want no coconut flavor.
- chopped almonds– to sprinkle on top of the banana bread.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions/Substitutions
- Instead of olive oil, you can use avocado oil.
- Instead of coconut sugar, you can use brown sugar ( but then it won’t be Paleo anymore).
- Instead of tapioca flour, you can use arrowroot flour.
- You can add raisins, walnuts, or pecans to the batter before baking.
Step by step carrot banana bread instructions:
Step 1: Mix the olive oil and coconut sugar together, then add the eggs and vanilla.
Step 2: In a different bowl, mix the almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together.
Step 3: Add half of the dry ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients.
Step 4: Add half of the mashed bananas to the batter and mix.
Step 5: Add the remaining dry ingredients then the rest of the bananas and mix.
Step 6: Fold in the shredded carrots.
Step 7: Bake!
Step 8: Make the maple cinnamon frosting and pour it on top of the banana bread.
Step 9: Spread the frosting evenly on top of the banana bread.
Step 10: Sprinkle the crushed almonds on top of the carrot cake banana bread.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Almond flour is the bulk of the dry ingredients in this recipe. I haven’t tested it with any alternative flours. I have heard cashew flour or sunflower seed flour works, but I haven’t tested it.
You can eat this on its own, as is. Or you can add butter to each slice. You can also make a cream cheese frosting to add to the top.
Keep the banana bread covered and you can store at room temperature on the counter for up to 3 days.
Other healthy banana bread recipes you may enjoy:
Paleo Coffee Cake Banana Bread – cinnamon and crumb topping in banana bread form, yes please!
Sunflower Seed Butter and Chocolate Chip Banana Bread– sunflower seed butter and chocolate are a match made in heaven!
Paleo Banana bread– a classic cinnamon laced banana bread. Perfect with tea!
Other healthy desserts with veggies you may enjoy:
This AIP Carrot Cake from Heatbeet Kitchen
Gluten-free Carrot Zucchini Cake
Gluten-free Carrot Cake from Gluten-free Palate.
Gluten-free Zucchini Bread from Allergyfree Alaska.
Healthy Lemon Zucchini Bread by Evolving Table.
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
Healthy Carrot Banana Bread
Ingredients
Paleo Carrot Cake Banana Bread Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour, (packed)
- ½ cup tapioca flour
- 2 Tbs coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 medium bananas, , ripe and mashed
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
Cinnamon Maple Coconut Oil Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 Tbs maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbs melted coconut oil
Optional
- chopped almonds or nuts to sprinkle on top of the bread
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan/tin. (I greased mine with olive oil spray). Line the pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the olive oil and coconut sugar with a fork or whisk. Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing well.
- In another bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well with a fork.
- Add half the flour mixture to the wet egg/oil mixture and mix. Then add half the mashed bananas to the bowl and mix again. Add the remaining flour to the bowl and mix. Add the remaining mashed bananas and mix. Note: this batter should be on the thicker side.
- Mix/Fold in the shredded carrots. Pour the batter into the lined loaf tin.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean/ with a few crumbs. ( I cooked mine for 50 minutes).
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then let the bread cool on a wire rack.
- Next, top the bread with the Cinnamon Maple Syrup Coconut Oil Frosting, and then with chopped nuts ( I used almonds). ( You can do this while the bread is still a little warm).
Notes
- Instead of olive oil, you can use avocado oil.
- Instead of coconut sugar, you can use brown sugar ( but then it won’t be Paleo anymore).
- Instead of tapioca flour, you can use arrowroot flour.
- You can add raisins, walnuts, or pecans to the batter before baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I will try this recipe .Awesome sharing.
Many thanksÂ
Let me know how it goes!
Delish! Very moist and wonderful for breakfast or snack (or even dessert). I added walnuts and raisins to the batter and it did not need the frosting at all–plenty naturally sweet. Will make again soon with walnuts and dried cranberries.
Love the idea of adding dried cranberries!
Made it again as I said I would, with walnuts and dried cranberries. Used just a tad less banana this time because it was a little too moist last time. Turned out perfect. My husband could not stop saying yum, mmmm, wow. So thank you for a wonderful recipe!!!
Do you need to squeeze the moisture out of the shredded carrots?
No you don’t need to squeeze the moisture out!
Help! my bread comes out gooey in the center and sort of raw looking despite cooking for well over the recommended time. I’ve made this twice now following the directions and wonder if my bananas are too large or my batter is too wet… I miss banana bread so much and would love to have a successful loaf – please help!
Hmmmm I have two suggestions! One, try packing the flours when you put them into your measuring cups. I tend to naturally do that when I bake. And two, does your oven run hot? That could also be the issue. Try cooking your banana bread on the middle rack and not the top rack so it doesn’t get too hot too fast. If your oven tends to run hot lower the heat and cook the banana bread for longer. Let me know if these tips help!
best banana bread bar none! You are amazing.
thank you!
Very happy to hear it 🙂 🙂
This was so good! I used coconut oil and added walnuts and golden raisins. Like carrot cake and banana bread had a baby!! My dream. Thx!Â
Love the additions!
This was great. I used two small containers of applesauce (4oz each), coconut oil to replace the olive oil, and added in raisins (1/3 cup) and walnuts (1/2 cup) to the batter and this was just as good as any other carrot cake I’ve had!
Love hearing tweaks that worked! Sounds delish!
Just made this and it’s lovely – thank you for the recipe! Just wondering how best to store this – in or out of the fridge? And do you know if it can be frozen in slices and defrosted? Thanks in advance! X
Oh my goodness, how delicious! I’m a pretty big fan of banana bread, so the fact that this one is also carrot cake flavored AND paleo is such a win!
Both, carrot cake and banana bread are my favorites) I like that you created a healthy version, want to try your recipe!)