Weekend Baking: Banana Bread and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Two classic American bakes made with almond flour: a moist banana bread and soft-centred chocolate chip cookies. Gluten-free and ready in under 70 minutes.
Banana bread and chocolate chip cookies are consistently among the most popular baking recipes searched online. The versions here use almond flour instead of wheat flour, which makes them naturally gluten-free and notably different in texture from the wheat-flour originals: denser and moister rather than springy or chewy.
Neither requires a mixer or specialist equipment. Both bake at 175°C and use many of the same ingredients, which means you can prep both on the same afternoon, using the banana bread time while the cookies cool. Banana bread takes about 65 minutes total (including prep and cooling); cookies take about 27 minutes. Start the bread first.
Banana bread
Good banana bread has one reliable requirement: very ripe bananas. Brown-spotted, soft, and fragrant bananas are not a problem to use up; they are the point. The sugars in an overripe banana have had time to develop fully, and the moisture content is higher, which means the bread comes out moist without extra fat.
This recipe uses almond flour, eggs, coconut oil, and honey. The result is denser than a wheat-flour loaf and doesn't have the same springy crumb: almond-flour breads set more like a moist cake. This matters for slicing: let it cool properly before cutting, or it will crumble. A serrated knife works best.
The loaf is small (two servings as written), which suits the dense, rich nature of the bake. For a larger loaf, double all quantities and add 10-15 minutes to the baking time; check with a skewer that comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
You can add walnuts, pecans, or dark chocolate chips to the batter. Stir them in gently at the end. Both add texture and flavour without changing the method. Store the loaf wrapped in beeswax paper or in a container with a lid, at room temperature for up to two days or in the fridge for up to five. It slices better cold. The loaf also freezes well: slice it before freezing and take out what you need.
Chocolate chip cookies
These cookies use erythritol (a low-calorie sugar alcohol used in many keto and low-carb recipes) as the sweetener. The base is the same almond flour and coconut oil as the banana bread. The texture when warm is soft and slightly fragile; they firm up as they cool and become more the consistency of a traditional cookie.
Key tip: let the dough rest for 5 minutes before shaping. Almond flour hydrates as it sits, and a slightly rested dough holds its shape better on the tray. Flatten each cookie to about 1 cm before baking; they spread very little.
For a less sweet result, reduce the erythritol by 10-15 g. For a more conventional cookie, use brown sugar instead of erythritol (this changes the keto/low-carb profile but produces a more traditional result).
The keto chocolate chips called for in the recipe use erythritol as the sweetener. Standard chocolate chips work equally well and give a less intensely cocoa-forward result. The cookie keeps the same method either way.
Cookies baked with coconut oil have a slightly different bite from butter-based cookies: firmer when cold, softer when room temperature. Let them come to room temperature before eating if you've stored them in the fridge.
Stored in an airtight container, the cookies keep at room temperature for 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month. They thaw in about 10 minutes at room temperature.
Both recipes together
Banana Bread
This paleo banana bread is moist, tender, and richly banana-forward, with warm cinnamon and vanilla in every bite. Almond flour gives it a soft, delicate crumb and subtle nuttiness, while honey adds gentle sweetness without overpowering the fruit.
Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
These almond flour chocolate chip cookies are soft in the centre, lightly crisp at the edges, and rich with buttery coconut notes and vanilla. They deliver the comfort of a classic American cookie in a simple keto-friendly version that's quick enough for a beginner baker.
Gourmate's per-serving estimates are shown on each card. Both recipes are calorie-dense because of the almond flour and fat content; standard serving sizes are small.
Allergens and storage
Both recipes contain tree nuts (almond flour) and egg. They do not contain wheat gluten, but depending on the facility your almond flour was processed in, cross-contact with wheat is possible; check the packaging if this matters. Coconut oil contains coconut, which some people with tree nut allergies also react to; check with your allergist if unsure. Check your chocolate chips: most contain soy lecithin, and some contain milk. If using keto-style chips, check the label.
The banana bread keeps for 2 days at room temperature wrapped in foil or cling film, or up to 5 days in the fridge. The cookies keep for 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Both recipes use raw egg in the batter. Do not taste uncooked batter. Wash hands and all surfaces after handling raw batter. Both are safe to eat once fully baked through.
Looking for more weekend baking recipes that work with your dietary preferences? Gourmate personalises recipe suggestions. Find out how the recipe discovery works.