Learn to make easy spelt flour banana bread! This spelt quick bread recipe is yeast-free, and you can make it with no breadmaker. You only need 7 simple ingredients (plus walnuts or other mix-ins) to make the best spelt banana bread around. Your whole family with love this sweet, soft, and delicious homemade banana bread recipe with spelt flour. Get tips on making it vegan too!
Is spelt flour good for bread making? Spelt flour is not hard to bake with, and has a nutty, somewhat sweet flavor that I prefer to whole wheat flour. In short, I love to bake with spelt flour simply because I think spelt tastes good.
You can substitute spelt flour and whole wheat flour 1:1 in recipes. In other words, you can use whole wheat flour as a spelt flour substitute, and vice versa. Rolls, scones, flatbread (for a spelt unleavened bread recipe), pancakes, cookies, soda bread, and more are all delicious with spelt.
Here, we’re making a healthy quick spelt bread recipe without yeast. This banana bread recipe is a great way to use up 2 bananas that have become overripe. No yeast spelt bread makes a great snack, or you could enjoy it as part of your breakfast.
Spelt flour used to only be available in health food stores like Whole Foods. Luckily, you can now often buy spelt flour in regular grocery stores. If you prefer to shop online, Amazon and Thrive Market also sell it.
Jump to:
- ➕ Best Spelt Banana Bread Recipe
- ⭐ Spelt Quick Bread Mix Ins
- 🍞 How to Make Spelt Banana Bread
- 🍌 How do you know when banana bread is done?
- ️🌡️ How long does spelt bread last?
- 🥛 What goes great with banana bread?
- 📋 Spelt Flour Nutrition
- 💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
- FAQs
- 👩🏻🍳 More Spelt Flour Recipes
- The Disclaimer…
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
➕ Best Spelt Banana Bread Recipe
Here are a few tips to make the best spelt loaf:
- Over ripe bananas are what you want here. They add a lot of sweetness to the recipe so you can use less added sugar. I recommend using fresh ripe bananas, as frozen bananas can be watery when thawed.
- Use whole spelt flour (wholemeal spelt flour in UK). This is the whole grain version of spelt flour, which provides more fiber than a highly refined spelt flour.
- Don’t overmix the banana bread batter. If you do, your bread may not rise as much as it should.
- You can make spelt banana muffins or banana spelt mini loaves, but you may need to adjust the baking time. If the batter is split into smaller pans, more surface area is exposed to the heat of the oven. This will result in a faster cooking time.
- Use a metal baking pan for this recipe. The food may cook differently if you use a baking pan made of another material. For example, the banana bread may have extra moisture if you use a glass baking pan.
Spelt Flour Banana Bread Ingredients
Here’s your shopping list for banana spelt bread:
- Whole Grain Spelt Flour
- Ripe Bananas
- Milk
- Large Egg
- Melted Butter
- Chopped Walnuts
- Cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
- Sugar
- Baking Soda
- Salt (pinch)
- Cooking Oil Spray
Specific quantities of all ingredients are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can use regular or sprouted spelt flour in this recipe. I really love the flavor of this sprouted flour.
To make the spelt banana bread no sugar added, swap the white sugar in the recipe for Swerve granular. The ripe banana adds so much sweetness, you don’t need a lot of sugar in this recipe either way.
There are also a few pieces of kitchen equipment I recommend for the best results. Here’s what you need:
- Food Scale (When you bake, it’s important to weigh dry ingredients for consistent results. Using volume measurements like cups can result in banana bread that’s too wet or too dry.)
- Hand Potato Masher (A potato masher is my favorite tool for mashing bananas for banana bread. You could also use a fork, but it will take longer.)
- 8-inch by 4-inch Aluminum Loaf Pan 20.3cm x 10.2cm (You may need to adjust the baking time if you use a different size pan or if the pan is made from another material.)
- Toothpick (Our banana bread doneness testing tool.)
⭐ Spelt Quick Bread Mix Ins
I’ve added walnuts to this healthy banana bread, but there’s many other mix ins you can use instead. Here are a few you could experiment with:
- Chocolate Chips
- Pecans
- Almonds (or other nuts)
- Shredded coconut
- Pumpkin seeds
- Dried cherries
- Dried blueberries
- Chopped dried apricots
You could also add vanilla extract or almond extract if you like those flavors.
🍞 How to Make Spelt Banana Bread
Here are the step-by-step instructions for quick spelt banana bread:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177C).
- Measure the spelt flour, sugar, and chopped walnuts using a food scale. Set aside for now.
- Mash the ripe bananas until smooth using a potato masher or a fork.
- Mix the mashed bananas, milk, egg, and melted butter together in a medium bowl.
- Mix the spelt flour, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just enough to moisten all the flour. Don’t overmix!
- Spray an 8x4 metal baking pan with cooking spray. Put the banana bread batter in the tin, and spread mixture into an even layer with the back of a spoon.
- Put the loaf pan on an oven rack ⅓ down from the top of the oven. Bake the banana bread for 45-55 minutes at 350F (177C).
- Test the banana bread for doneness with a toothpick. A toothpick inserted into the center of the banana bread should come out clean or with small crumbs.
- Let the banana bread cool before slicing and serving.
Why does my Spelt bread not rise?
Your spelt bread may not rise properly if the batter was overmixed or if the baking soda is expired. Another reason spelt bread won’t rise well is if there’s too much moisture in the batter. Make sure you’re using fresh ripe bananas instead of bananas that were previously frozen.
Does spelt flour need more water?
No. If anything, spelt flour recipes may require less water (or other liquids) compared to using whole wheat flour. Some sources recommend reducing the liquid by 25% if your spelt flour baked goods are too moist.
🍌 How do you know when banana bread is done?
Done banana bread is golden brown, and often cracks on the top of the loaf. The banana bread should also pass the toothpick test. This means a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread should come out clean or with small crumbs attached.
How do you fix undercooked banana bread?
What to do if banana bread is undercooked (i.e., when using the toothpick test, there is wet batter on the toothpick)? Simply stick the banana bread back in the 350F (177C) oven, and bake it longer. Check on it in 5-10 minute increments, depending on how underdone it was.
️🌡️ How long does spelt bread last?
Spelt banana bread can last up to 3-4 days in the fridge if covered in plastic wrap. Any wrapped bread not eaten within this time frame should be placed in a freezer bag and frozen. Banana bread should not be left out for more than 1-2 hours at room temperature.
🥛 What goes great with banana bread?
What can you serve with banana bread? This banana bread is so moist you don’t really need to spread it with butter, maple syrup, or honey. It’s great on its own!
Here are some foods that go with banana bread, so you can serve it for breakfast or brunch:
📋 Spelt Flour Nutrition
Here is the nutrition information for ¼ cup (33g) of spelt flour:
- Calories: 110
- Total Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 24g
- Fiber: 5g
- Net Carbs: 19g
- Protein: 4g
- Iron: 4% DV
- Calcium: 0% DV
- Potassium: 150mg
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). If you’ve been here a while, you know all recipes with flour get the bump to level 3.
That said, this spelt banana bread recipe has some good things going for it. For example, it’s a healthier option than a cupcake since it contains only whole grains. Use granular Swerve in place of sugar to make it no sugar added as well.
Many Americans eat excessive amounts of refined grains at the expense of more nutrient-rich foods. Grain-based desserts and bread are the top two sources of calories in the American diet. Though switching from refined grains to whole grains doesn’t cut calories, it does help shift you to an overall healthier eating pattern.
Extend this out into a full breakfast by adding plain Greek yogurt (calcium! protein!) plus some orange slices. You can also drizzle banana bread with peanut butter (healthy fat!). The nutrition info below is for the bread only; additions to your meal will alter the calorie count and other information.
Can diabetics eat spelt flour? If you’re using low carb or keto to manage your blood sugar in diabetes, spelt is not a good fit. If you’re using the carb exchange system, you can fit very small portions of grains, including spelt, in your diet.
One yummy option for making banana bread that's more macro-friendly is the Naked Bake Protein Banana Bread Mix. This protein powder-based mix is certified gluten free and has 14 grams net carbs (17g total carbohydrates) and 15 grams protein per serving. You can buy it on Amazon here.
FAQs
You can find a highly rated whole wheat banana cake recipe here. To make spelt banana cake, simply substitute spelt flour for the whole wheat flour.
To make spelt banana bread vegan, use vegan butter or coconut oil in place of regular butter. Experiment with nondairy milk (almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, etc.) and a flax egg in place of the dairy milk and eggs. Coconut sugar is a good alternative if you’re worried your sugar may have been processed with a bone char filter.
Try my recipe for Air Fryer Banana Muffins made with spelt flour. The recipe card includes oven directions as well, in case you don’t have an air fryer.
Spelt flour is not a self-rising flour, so you will need baking powder or baking soda to make spelt bread quickly. (Unless, of course, you’re making an unleavened bread, like pita.)
Yes, but will change taste of recipe. If you replace whole grain spelt flour with all-purpose flour, you’ll also lose out on fiber. It may be best to only swap out half the white flour for spelt.
Spelt flour contains gluten and is not celiac friendly. Spelt is actually an ancient form of wheat, so spelt flour is not considered a wheat free flour. If you have gluten intolerance (NCGS), spelt will not be easier to digest.
👩🏻🍳 More Spelt Flour Recipes
Here are some other spelt recipes to try. I think once you try spelt flour in baking, you’ll be hooked!
Join our community! Subscribe and be kept up-to-date on the latest and greatest recipes. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!
The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Spelt Flour Banana Bread Recipe (Spelt Quick Bread)
Ingredients
- 1 cup spelt flour 132 grams
- 2 medium bananas, mashed (overripe)
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts 28 grams
- 2 tablespoons sugar 24 grams
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt (optional)
- cooking oil spray of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Measure the spelt flour, sugar, and chopped walnuts using a food scale. Set aside for now.
- Mash the ripe bananas until smooth using a potato masher or a fork.
- Mix the mashed bananas, milk, egg, and melted butter together in a medium bowl.
- Mix the spelt flour, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just enough to moisten all the flour. Don’t overmix!
- Spray an 8x4-inch metal baking pan (20.3cm x 10.2cm) with cooking spray. Put the banana bread batter in the tin, and spread mixture into an even layer with the back of a spoon.
- Put the loaf pan on an oven rack ⅓ down from the top of the oven. Bake the banana bread for 45-55 minutes at 350°F (177°C).
- Test the banana bread for doneness with a toothpick. A toothpick inserted into the center of the banana bread should come out clean or with small crumbs.
- Let the banana bread cool before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Terrified Amateur says
Winning idea, Summer, particularly as a "full" loaf might remain half-uneaten, thus tempting you to finish it yourself, "just so it doesn't go to waste."
As you know, the temptation would be overwhelming, especially with a concoction as alluring as what you've baked. Oh, and nice use, too, of the spelt! Would you believe I hadn't heard of it until a year or so ago? Now a pouch of it (Bob's Red Mill, of course) sits on my pantry shelf, in varying fullness.
You mentioning your son not being terribly fond of cake triggered my own memories. See, I do like cake, both now and as a child. One thing I didn't like then, though, was zucchini. Completely different story nowadays.
Anyway, when visiting my grandparents, they mentioned serving "cake" after dinner. Certainly motivated me to clean the plate. Imagine my disappointment, then, to learn that by "cake," they meant zucchini bread. Naturally, that development would thrill me nowadays. At the time, though, not so much.
Summer Yule says
Haha, tricky grandparents! Have you tried chocolate zucchini bread? It’s tough to tell the zucchini is in there, especially if it’s peeled before grating.
I look forward to seeing what you end up doing with the spelt! I use it in practically anything I make with flour.