There’s something so comforting about the smell of fresh banana bread filling the kitchen as it bakes in the oven. It’s warm, familiar, and inviting—the kind of aroma that makes you slow down and savor the moment.

Unlike conventional recipes, this banana bread is made with einkorn: an ancient grain that’s easier to digest and packed with nutrients, giving you a wholesome, from-scratch treat without sacrificing flavor or texture. The natural sweetness and nutty flavor of einkorn combined with ripe bananas, creates a loaf that’s irresistibly moist, spongy, and flavorful.

Whether you’re looking for a satisfying breakfast addition, an afternoon snack, or a way to use up those overripe bananas sitting on the counter, this recipe is sure to become a favorite in your home. It’s straightforward and approachable, even if you’re new to working with ancient grains. 

What is Einkorn?

Einkorn is an ancient grain – the oldest form of wheat known to man – and one that has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Unlike modern durum wheat varieties, Einkorn has not been hybridized. It contains a much simpler gluten structure, making it much easier to digest overall.

In my kitchen, I prefer to bake with fresh milled einkorn flour. Milling your grain just before baking preserves more of its natural nutrients and gives baked goods a rich, wholesome flavor. 

I buy my einkorn wheat berries here. 

Alternatively, you can buy pre-ground whole wheat einkorn flour here. 

Keep in mind that pre-ground whole wheat einkorn flour is compacted because it has been sitting, while fresh milled einkorn flour is loose and aerated. This is important to note as it will change the weight of measured flour. For this reason, I have included the total weight of flour in grams. If you do not have a kitchen scale and plan to use pre-ground whole wheat einkorn flour instead of fresh milled einkorn, I recommend sifting your flour through a mesh strainer to loosen it up before measuring.

Serving Size & Estimated Time

This recipe makes 1 loaf of banana bread (5×9 loaf pan). Prep Time: 10 minutes. Bake time: 1 hour 10 minutes. Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes. 

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas (~350 g)

½ cup organic cane sugar (100 g)

1 egg (~50 g)

¼ cup milk (60 g)

¼ cup butter, melted (57 g)

½ tsp vanilla extract (2 g)

2 cups fresh-milled einkorn flour (200 g)

½ tsp baking soda (2.5 g)

¼ tsp salt (1.5 g)

Directions

1. Mash bananas

Peel ripe or overripe bananas and place them in a medium sized mixing bowl. 

Mash the bananas with a fork or pastry blender until they reach a smooth and creamy consistency, with some lumps remaining. 

2. Add wet ingredients

In the same bowl as the mashed bananas, add the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. 

3. Mix dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat einkorn flour, baking soda, cane sugar, and salt.

4. Combine

Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix until no lumps remain (besides the mashed bananas, of course).

5.Prepare the loaf pan: 

Coat the interior of your loaf pan in butter and then dust with einkorn flour, tapping the sides of the pan as you move it around to ensure the flour evenly coats the bottom and sides. 

5. Bake: 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

Once preheated, bake the banana bread for 50 minutes. 

Once baked, the banana bread will be completely set in the middle and the outer layer will be a rich dark brown color. 

6.Serve and Enjoy: 

Allow the banana bread to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes. 

Carefully remove from the pan by holding the pan upside down over a plate or cutting board until the loaf falls.

Flip the loaf over and slice to serve or store. 

This banana bread also freezes well for future use. See instructions below.

Ingredient Substitutions

Milk:

I recommend using leftover whey or buttermilk.

Water can be used instead of milk, but this may result in a denser banana bread. 

Butter: 

For a dairy-free option, unsweetened applesauce adds moisture and a subtle sweetness. 

Alternatively, Beef tallow is odorless and flavorless, so it does well in place of butter and is another great source of healthy fats.

Egg

In place of the egg, simply add one extra banana.

Baking Soda: 

1 tsp aluminum free baking powder can be used in place of ½ tsp of baking soda.

Cane Sugar: 

Coconut sugar or maple sugar can both be used in place of cane sugar 1:1.

Alternatively, you can sweeten your loaf with honey. Use 6 tbsp of honey as a substitute for ½ a cup of cane sugar.

6 tbsp honey (~ 128 g)

Reduce or Omit Sugar:

You can decrease or completely omit the sugar if you so desire. Just note that this will make the banana bread a much lighter color. The texture will still be spongy, but it will not be sticky like banana bread made with cane sugar.

The pictures for this blog post actually feature a loaf of einkorn banana bread made with only half the sugar, which is why it’s so much lighter in color. If you’re looking to reduce glycemic index, or simply prefer your banana bread on the more mild side, reducing or omitting the sugar is a good idea. 

Notes

Fresh-Milled Flour

For the best flavor and nutritional benefits, I highly recommend using freshly milled einkorn flour.

I buy my einkorn wheat berries here. Alternatively, you can buy pre-ground whole wheat einkorn flour here. 

Keep in mind that pre-ground whole wheat einkorn flour is compacted because it has been sitting, while fresh milled einkorn flour is loose and aerated. This is important to note as it will change the weight of measured flour. For this reason, I have included the total weight of flour in grams. If you do not have a kitchen scale and plan to use pre-ground whole wheat einkorn flour instead of fresh milled einkorn, I recommend sifting your flour through a mesh strainer to loosen it up before measuring.

Use a mixer: 

To make a smooth batter, I like to use a hand mixer or stand mixer. I’ve mixed this recipe by hand, but it can be a lot of work, and the butter may clump up instead of smoothly blending in. 

Baking with cast iron: 

If using a cast iron loaf pan, be sure to preheat it prior to baking. 

Storage Instructions

Counter 

Allow the baked banana bread to cool completely before slicing and transferring to a bread bag or airtight container to avoid trapping in moisture.

Store in a waxed bread bag or airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days at room temperature. 

Refrigerator 

Allow the baked banana bread to cool completely before slicing and storing.

Transfer the loaf of banana bread to a bread bag or airtight container. If using a plastic bag, compress the bag to ensure there is no extra air before twisting or tying it off. 

Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 

Freezer

Allow the banana bread to cool completely before slicing and storing. 

You can freeze the banana bread at any time before it goes stale, but I recommend freezing them on the day it was made for optimal freshness. 

Transfer the loaf of banana bread to an airtight container or plastic bread bag. If using a plastic bread bag, compress the bag to ensure there is no extra air before twisting or tying off. 

If you’re worried about the banana bread slices sticking together, you can separate each slice with a sheet of butcher paper or unbleached parchment paper to prevent them from freezing together. 

Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

If you choose to freeze the banana bread for later, I do not recommend thawing the frozen bread as it will become sticky and soggy. Instead, reheat the frozen slices of banana bread whenever you intend to eat them. 

Reheating Instructions are included below. 

Reheating Instructions 

Skillet or Griddle 

Remove as many slices of banana bread from the freezer as you intend to use.

Preheat your griddle to 250°F. If using a cast iron skillet, set the heat to medium-low. Place the banana bread slices on a buttered griddle or skillet as it preheats to allow them to thaw quickly.

Warm for 1-2 minutes on each side. 

Oven 

Remove as many slices of banana bread from the freezer as you intend to use.

Line a baking sheet with butcher paper or grease with butter.

Preheat the oven to 250°F, or put on a warming setting. 

Place each frozen slice of banana bread onto the lined baking sheet and allow them to warm in the oven for about 5-10 minutes. 

Toaster Oven

Remove as many slices of banana bread from the freezer as you intend to use.

Line a toaster oven tray with butcher paper or grease with butter.

Preheat the toaster oven to 250°F, or put on a warming setting. 

Place each frozen slice of banana bread in a single layer onto the baking tray and allow them to warm in the oven for about 4-8 minutes. 

If you prefer lightly crisp edges, increase the temperature to 300°F for the final 1–2 minutes.

Serve warm and enjoy as-is or with butter.

If this fresh milled einkorn banana bread found its way to your table, please let me know how you enjoyed it in the comment section below!

With love from my kitchen to yours,

Katherine