These decadent Gluten-Free Banana Bars are moist and delicious! If you have a ripe banana or two sitting around, come see why this recipe is a reader favorite! They are easy to make and even more fun to eat. Mix up a batch in under 45 minutes!

A slice of banana bar on a small black plate.

These incredible banana chocolate chip bars will surely please even the pickiest dessert lover. They are moist, loaded with ripe banana flavor, and dairy-free!

If you want even more banana deliciousness, try these Gluten Free Grilled Banana Whoopie Pies or these Gluten Free Banana Oat Muffins! You will want to try this amazing gluten free banana microwave cake…make it in just 3 minutes!

Recipe At A Glance:

  • Skill Level – Beginner
  • # of Ingredients – 12
  • Flour Blend Tested – King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1.
  • Reader Tested Blend – Krusteaz
  • Cook Time – 45 minutes.

Allergen Information:

These banana bars are gluten-free, soy-free, and dairy-free if you use dairy-free chocolate chips. I share a nut-free option in the Recipe FAQ.

Top Pick
King Arthur, Measure for Measure Flour 3 lbs

This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)

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Ingredient Notes:

Photos of the banana bars ingredients.
  • Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 and King Arthur Measure for Measure (pictured above.) Other blends should work, but you may need to adjust the wet and dry ratios slightly.
  • Almond Flour – Use almond flour and not almond meal.
  • Brown Sugar – You can use brown sugar or coconut sugar if you want a low-glycemic sweetener.
  • Baking Powder and Baking Soda – Use aluminum-free baking powder.
  • Coconut Oil – You can use another type of oil, or butter if you are not dairy-free. If you do use butter, use unsalted butter.
  • Eggs – Size large.
  • Bananas – Use ripe bananas. If your bananas are not ripe, see my banana ripening tips below.
  • Dark Rum and Vanilla Extract – The rum can be omitted if you do not want alcohol in this recipe.
  • Chocolate Chips – Use the Enjoy Life brand if you need dairy-free chips.

Tips for ripening bananas:

If your bananas are not ripe enough, don’t worry. Try one of these ideas to ripen your bananas:

  1. Place your bananas on a baking sheet and bake at 225º F for 20 minutes.
  2. If you are not in a rush, you can place your bananas in a brown paper bag and let them sit on the counter for a few days. (Don’t forget to close the bag!)
  3. You can grill the bananas. Use a knife to slit down the peel. Place the bananas on the grill. Close the lid and cook at 300º F for 15 minutes.

You may also want to try this delicious gluten free banana bread pudding. Are you ready to make them? If you prefer more of a cake, try my easy homemade Gluten Free Banana Cake recipe!

Tips For Sucess

1. If the coconut oil is hard (which happens when it is cold), warm it for 25 seconds in the microwave oven.
2. You can make this recipe as a cookie cake if you prefer.

Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:

Whisking the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to blend.

To measure your gluten free flour, I recommend using the spoon method or leveling method. In a perfect world, people weigh their flour, but most do not own a kitchen scale. Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour. Use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour.

Step 2: Add your wet ingredients to a smaller bowl and whisk to blend.

Bananas in a bowl ready to smoosh.

Step 3: Add your bananas to a bowl and mash them into a puree using a fork. Add to the wet ingredients and mix well.

Wet ingredients poured over dry ingredients.

Step 4: Combine the wet and dry ingredients and add the chocolate chips or mix-ins. Mix until the batter is the consistency of cookie dough.

Step 5: Spray an 8×8 baking pan with gluten free baking spray. Add the batter to the pan.

Step 6: Bake the banana bars at 350º F for 30 minutes or until done. Insert a toothpick into the bars. If the toothpick comes back clean, the bars are finished baking.

Step 7: Remove the bars from the oven and place them onto a cooling rack. Allow the bars to cool, then slice.

Mix-Ins:

  • Chocolate chips. Chocolate is made to go with bananas! You can use bittersweet, dark, or milk chocolate!
  • Nuts like pecan, walnut, or even almond!
  • Caramel chips. Did you know that caramel brings out the flavors in this banana bar recipe?
  • To make this banana bar recipe dairy-free, use Enjoy Life chips. Their chips are vegan and melt really well in recipes.
Banana bars on a paper towel. The sliced bars are next to a cup of espresso.

Recipe FAQ:

Can you make these gluten-free banana bars nut-free?

You can easily make these banana bars nut-free by omitting the almond flour. Add ¼ cup additional gluten free flour blend.

How do you store these banana bars?

Store these banana bars in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze them in a zip-style freezer bag.

Love This Recipe?

If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This helps others know that this recipe is delicious. Thank you!

Banana bars on a paper towel. The sliced bars are next to a cup of espresso.

Gluten Free Monkey Bars

Sandi Gaertner
Easy gluten free banana cake bars, aka monkey bars recipe.
4.86 from 47 votes
gluten free allergy icon
soy free allergy icon
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Gluten Free Cookies and Bar Recipes, Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 12 bars
Calories 229 kcal

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup gluten free flour blend * see note
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder aluminum free
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
  • ½ cup coconut oil or butter
  • 1 ½ cups smashed bananas
  • 2 tablespoons dark rum
  • â…› teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs large
  • ½ cup raisins or chocolate chips
  • ½ cup almond flour * see note

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350º F.
  • Use coconut oil spray to cover an 8×8 baking pan.
  • In a small bowl put mashed bananas, dark rum, coconut sugar, melted coconut oil, vanilla, and eggs. Mix well.
  • In a large mixing bowl add all dry ingredients and whisk thoroughly to blend.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
  • Add in the raisins or chocolate chips (depending on how much sugar you want in these.)
  • Pour mixture into baking pan.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, or until done.
  • To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the bars. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the bars need to bake longer.

Notes

  1. Make sure to use very ripe bananas if you want a sweet banana flavor.
  2. I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
  3. If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum, add 1 teaspoon.
  4. I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your bars grainy.
  5. These bars will keep for up to 4 days in an air-tight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 229kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 102mgPotassium: 95mgFiber: 2gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 52IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg
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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

(*Photos updated from the original 9/2015 post date.)

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