CINNAMON SWIRL BANANA BREAD BARS
on Nov 27, 2025
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Fluffy banana bread bars made with almond flour, coconut flour, and tapioca flour are sweetened with a maple syrup and cinnamon swirl for an extra delicious mid-day treat!
Let’s get the facts straight: Banana bread will always be the best bread!
Whether you agree with me in this statement or not, I have a feeling you’ll be swooning over these Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread Bars, too!
This healthified banana bread recipe starts by substituting all-purpose flour for gluten-free almond, coconut, and tapioca flour and replacing traditional white sugar with maple syrup, and canola oil with coconut oil.
But what really takes these over the top is the cinnamon maple swirl made from almond butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon. The swirl gets into all the nooks and crannies of the batter before it goes into the oven. It’s a surprisingly easy step that makes these bars a 10 out of 10!
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Can’t wait for all my fellow banana bread lovers to try this one… Enjoy!
Key Ingredients for Banana Cinnamon Swirl Bread
As with any gluten-free baking recipe, I suggest sticking with my measurements. I went through rounds of recipe testing to make sure it comes out perfect every time in your kitchen! Here’s what you’ll need.
- Ripe Bananas: A must for banana bread! The riper the bananas, the better.
Quick Tip
If you don’t have ripe bananas, you can bake them in the oven at 300°F for 15 or 20 minutes. Let cool before peeling.
- Eggs: I haven’t tried an egg substitute, but two flax eggs may work.
- Maple Syrup: This natural sweetener enhances the banana flavor.
- Coconut Oil: You only need 2 tablespoons. Unlike a traditional banana bread recipe, this healthier version relies on the sweet, ripe bananas and the maple syrup-sweetened swirl for moisture.
- Gluten-Free Flours: For this recipe, I use a mix of almond flour, tapioca flour, and coconut flour. This blend creates a light, fluffy texture, so I recommend sticking with these exact measurements. I use @bobsredmill flours for all my gluten-free baking needs.
- Vanilla Extract: A necessary ingredient for just about any baked good recipe!
- Cinnamon: Bananas and cinnamon are really a match made in heaven. This anti-inflammatory spice adds a cozy element to the batter and the swirl.
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Pin It- Walnuts: If you like a crunch, you can add some chopped walnuts.
- Almond Butter: To make these bars a real winner, a cinnamon, maple syrup, and almond butter mixture is whirled through the batter. You could also use tahini (sesame seed paste) in place of the almond butter to keep these nut-free.
How to Make Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
To start, go ahead and preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla.
Stir in almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until just combined.
In a small bowl, mix swirl ingredients (maple syrup, almond butter or tahini, and cinnamon) until smooth.
Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Drizzle 1/2 the swirl mixture over top and use a knife to create swirls.
Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top, if using. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes or until set in the center.
Cool completely before slicing. Drizzle the remaining swirl mixture over top (optional). Slice and enjoy!
Tips and Recipe Variations for Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread Bars
Sure! The batter may not fill an entire loaf tin, but it would be great as muffins. Reduce the cooking time and test with a toothpick to check for doneness.
If you aren’t gluten-free, you could use regular flour. I haven’t tested other flours, but an all-purpose gluten-free flour from @bobsredmill or a similar brand may work, too. For the tapioca flour, arrowroot flour is typically a good replacement.
More Healthier Dessert Recipes:
- Gluten-Free Starbucks Copycat Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Sandwiches
- No-Bake Chocolate Tahini Snack Bars
- No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars
CINNAMON SWIRL BANANA BREAD BARS
Ingredients
For the Bars:
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
- 2 eggs, at room temp
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts, for topping (optional)
For the Swirl:
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons almond butter or tahini
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla.
- Stir in almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until just combined.
- In a small bowl, mix swirl ingredients (maple syrup, almond butter or tahini, and cinnamon) until smooth.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan.
- Drizzle half of the swirl mixture over top and use a knife to create swirls.
- Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top, if using.
- Bake for 23 to 25 minutes or until set in the center.
- Cool completely before slicing. Drizzle the remaining swirl mixture over top (optional). Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
