Hi! I’m Becki, a functional medicine RD and mom of 3. I focus on real food that supports your body without overcomplicating your life.
This banana bread is exactly that.
It’s naturally sweetened, grain and gluten free, and made with simple, whole-food ingredients. It’s one of those recipes you can come back to weekly: easy, nourishing, and something everyone will actually eat.
I made this exact banana bread while I was in labor with my third baby, Otto...I'll post a full birth story here soon because its so good!
I woke up around 3 AM with contractions that felt different, walked into the kitchen, and decided it was finally time to make the banana bread I’d been thinking about for days.
By 4 AM, it was in the oven.
By 6:15 AM, I had my baby in my arms.
That alone tells you everything you need to know about this recipe. It’s simple, doable, and something you can make even when life feels a little chaotic.
Why I Love This Recipe
This isn’t just banana bread, it’s a way to take a familiar comfort food and make it more nourishing for your body.
Bananas and dates provide natural sweetness along with fiber. Dates are especially supportive in the third trimester, with research suggesting regular intake may help support cervical ripening and contribute to a smoother, more efficient labor. I ate dates with all 3 of my children and swear it helped contribute to relatively easy labors, at least with my second and third!
Eggs add protein, omega 3s and choline which is so essential for building baby's brain (and keeping yours, mama!) . Almond flour keeps it grain free and more blood sugar friendly. Collagen offers an easy way to increase protein intake and support connective tissue, which is especially helpful in postpartum recovery.
This was actually the first thing I ate after giving birth, with a generous slab of grassfed butter of course.
Ingredients
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
2 scoops collagen
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 dates, pitted and finely chopped
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line or lightly grease a standard loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, mash bananas until mostly smooth.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and olive oil. Whisk until well combined.
- Stir in almond flour, tapioca flour, collagen, baking soda, cinnamon and sea salt until a smooth batter forms.
- Fold in chopped dates and chocolate chips.
- Pour into loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake 40–45 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- Let cool for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
To Make this Into Muffins
Line or grease a muffin tin. Divide the batter evenly to make 10–12 muffins. Bake at 350°F for 18–22 minutes, or until the tops are set and a toothpick comes out clean.
Let muffins cool fully before eating—they firm up and improve in texture as they sit.
Notes
The riper the bananas, the sweeter the bread. Look for bananas with plenty of brown spots.
Collagen adds a subtle protein boost without changing the flavor.
Store at room temperature for 1–2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
This recipe freezes well.
Want More Like This?
If you’re looking for real food recipes and a functional approach to supporting hormones, fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum, you’re in the right place and I'm just getting started!
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