Banana Fruit Loaf

Easy, gluten-free, and a fun twist on an old classic

Have you ever had to make the very serious decision between banana bread and fruit loaf? Because, same. But good news — this recipe is the solution, bringing you the best of both worlds. It’s sweet, spiced, a little nutty, and packed with flavour. Banana bread… but make it a fruit loaf… but also gluten-free.

I made this on a whim when I was feeling very over the traditional banana bread, and honestly? I think I like this version more. It’s got texture, it’s super easy, and it only needs 7 key ingredients, with a few optional extras for spice and crunch.

Why You’ll Love This

• Naturally gluten-free

• Can be made dairy-free + refined sugar-free

• Customisable — switch up the fruit, the nuts, or the sweeteners

• Just one bowl (we love an easy clean-up)

• No flour! Uses ground almonds for a soft, moist crumb

The recipe...

Ingredients

• 4 ripe bananas

• 3 tbsp honey (or maple/agave syrup)

• 2 large eggs

• 140g plain yoghurt (use thick dairy-free yoghurt if needed)

• 250g ground almonds

• 1 tsp xanthan gum

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 tsp mixed spice

• 100g chopped mixed nuts

• 280g dried fruit (raisins, chopped apricots, cranberries — anything goes)

  
  

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C fan. Line a loaf tin with baking parchment and lightly grease it with coconut oil.

2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas and mix in the honey. Add the eggs and yoghurt, then whisk together until smooth.

3. Fold in the ground almonds, xanthan gum, baking powder, and mixed spice using a spatula. Stir until just combined. Add a splash of milk; it is a bit stiff.

4. Add your nuts and dried fruit, and gently fold them through the batter.

5. Pour the mixture into your prepared tin, and smooth out the top. Optional: decorate with extra nuts or banana slices if you’re feeling fancy.

6. Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until a knife/skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, just cover it with foil halfway through.

7. Let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

   
   

Allergy-Friendly Swaps + Notes

This recipe is naturally gluten-free and grain-free, but here are a few easy tweaks for other allergens:

Dairy-Free?

• Use a thick plant-based yoghurt (coconut or almond-based works well).

Refined Sugar-Free?

• This recipe uses honey and fruit to add sweetness to this loaf.

  
  

Vegan?

• Replace the eggs with 2 flax eggs or chia eggs (1 tbsp ground flax/chia + 2 tbsp water per egg, mixed and left to sit for 5–10 mins).

  Note: I haven’t tested it yet, so if you try it, let me know how it turns out!

  
  

Nut-Free?

• Instead of the ground almond base, oat flour could be used instead.

• A gluten-free plain flour would also work well.

• Swap chopped nuts for pumpkin or sunflower seeds, or leave them out entirely.

For Oat-Sensitive or Top 14 Allergen-Free Bakers:

• No oats in this one, so it's already oat-free! (If you swap the ground almonds for oat flour, just make sure they are gluten-free!)

• To make it Top 14 allergen-free, you’ll need to:

  • Replace eggs with flax or chia eggs

  • Use a nut-free flour substitute

  • Use a dairy-free yoghurt

  • Avoid any add-ins like nuts or allergen-risk dried fruits

    
    

This version will be a bit softer and more cake-like, but still delicious and nourishing.

This bread is one of those chuck-it-in-a-bowl-and-hope-for-the-best kind of bakes — and somehow, it always turns out right. Whether you're having it toasted with a smear of nut butter or just slicing it warm from the oven, it’s comforting, wholesome, and the perfect mix of two classics.

With only one bowl and using up all your old bananas, this is the perfect bake for when you want something super easy and nourishing! If you want to use this as an opportunity for meal prep, you can wrap slices up in cling film or foil and store them in the freezer for easy breakfasts or snacks!

For more gluten-free bakes and easy recipe inspo, you can find me over on Instagram @rubysgfkitchen — where I share behind-the-scenes bakes, tips, and very real kitchen chaos.

Let me know if you give it a go!

Happy Baking,

Ruby x