Have you started craving banana bread lately? Many people love this tasty dessert because it’s simple to make and it always seems to be a crowd-pleasing treat.
If you haven’t made it yourself too often, you might not have a preferred recipe yet. There are many ways that you can approach making this quick bread, but it’s always fairly simple overall.
Some people like to use different types of flour when baking banana bread. Which one is the best option to choose, though?
Continue reading to learn about your best options. This will ensure that your bread will turn out tasty and satisfying.
Can I Use All-Purpose Flour?

Yes, all-purpose flour is commonly used to bake banana bread. This is likely the most common type of flour that people will use when making this type of bread.
Most standard banana bread recipes call for all-purpose flour. If you want to have a good experience, finding a recipe that calls for all-purpose flour is a good idea.
This will ensure that you’ll get consistent results. All-purpose flour is easy to find at any grocery store and it doesn’t cost a lot of money.
You’ll easily make banana bread that will turn out delicious if you use this type of flour. That doesn’t mean that other types of flour can’t be used, though.
Can I Use Cake Flour?
Cake flour is excellent and it’s commonly used to make desserts. As you’d expect by the name, most people use cake flour to bake cakes.
It’s also used to make many other types of pastries. If you want to make banana bread that will please your whole family, using cake flour is a good idea.
This type of flour is said to be the best flour to use for banana bread. Many bakers swear that cake flour is better to use than all-purpose flour.
That doesn’t mean that most recipes call for cake flour, though. All-purpose flour is still the most common flour type that is asked for in banana bread recipes that you’ll find online.
Cake flour can be used as a substitute. You need to use a bit more cake flour than you would all-purpose flour, though.
For every one cup of all-purpose flour the recipe calls for, you’ll need to use one cup and two tablespoons of cake flour. Keep this in mind when baking so you can get the right results.
Can I Use Bread Flour?

Bread flour isn’t a good ingredient to use when baking banana bread. While this flour is used to bake many types of bread, it’s not appropriate for banana bread.
Why is bread flour so bad for banana bread? Well, it makes it turn out very dense, and that’s not the most pleasant type of banana bread to eat.
Banana bread is meant to be moist, light, and easy to eat. When you use bread flour to make it, it turns out far differently.
You’ll be left with a dense and heavy type of banana bread. It might still taste pretty good, but it’ll be a slog to try to eat it.
Can I Use Self Rising Flour?
It’s perfectly fine to use self-rising flour for banana bread if that’s all that you have in your pantry. This is a very common substitution for all-purpose flour.
All-purpose flour is the type of flour that most people keep around and use in the kitchen regularly. Self-rising flour is another handy flour type that’s worth purchasing.
Any recipe that calls for all-purpose flour can use self-rising flour as a substitute. This is a good general rule to remember.
Recipes that use all-purpose flour will typically call for a leavening agent such as baking soda or baking powder. Banana bread recipes are no different.
It’s easy to use self-rising flour to make banana bread. There are even specific self-rising flour banana bread recipes that you can seek out.
You can make mistakes or run into problems when using this type of flour, though. Sometimes the bread will rise too much, but so long as you’re following instructions it’ll be easy to get consistent results.
Can You Make Banana Bread With Almond Flour?

Almond flour is an option that you can turn to when making banana bread. The only thing you need to know is that sometimes you need to use more eggs in a recipe when using almond flour instead of regular flour.
Otherwise, it’s easy to use almond flour as a substitute for regular flour in banana bread recipes. Also, there are many almond flour banana bread recipes online that you can turn to.
Many say that banana bread that’s made using almond flour is especially delicious. If you’d like to make a type that adheres to the “keto” diet, you can do so using almond flour.
Can You Use Coconut Flour?
Coconut flour is an interesting type of flour to use in baking. Many people love using it, but many also say that it can be tough to work with.
This isn’t like grain-based flour, and that means that substituting it for all-purpose flour isn’t wise. It isn’t a simple swap and you need to seek out specific recipes instead.
So you can find specific coconut flour banana bread recipes to follow. Doing so will allow you to make banana bread that turns out well.
This means that it’s an option, but it’s not going to make the standard type of banana bread that you’re familiar with. The bread will turn out a bit differently, but it’s still very good overall.
Can You Use Plain Flour?
Yes, plain flour is a very common type of flour that’s used in banana bread. Many people get confused about the different terms.
All-purpose flour can be either plain flour or it can be self-rising. It just depends on what you choose to buy.
So the all-purpose flour that’s in your pantry right now might be plain flour. Just look to see if it says “all-purpose plain flour” on the packaging.
The term “plain” just refers to what ingredients go into the flour. When nothing has been added, it means that you’re working with plain flour.
Do I Need to Sift Flour for Banana Bread?

No, it isn’t necessary to sift flour when making banana bread. The vast majority of recipes out there don’t ask you to do so.
Sifting flour is something that some people choose to do, though. This is a process that helps to make the bread turn out even lighter and fluffier than usual.
This process involves passing the flour through a fine-mesh strainer. You put the flour in the strainer and then hit the sides until the flour falls into a bowl.
It doesn’t take too long to sift flour. You can decide whether you want to take the time to do this or not.
How Much Flour to Use
How much flour you’ll use in banana bread will depend on various factors. For example, some recipes might call for more or less flour.
You might need to use more or less flour depending on the type that you’re using. Also, it might depend on how big the loaf is that you’re trying to make.
Most recipes ask for 1 and ½ cups of all-purpose flour. Some might ask for a slightly different amount.
It’s advised to follow a recipe if you’re a beginner. This will make it easier to get good results and enjoy the bread.
Which Flour Is Best
The best flour for banana bread will come down to personal preference. It’s easy to say that the most common type is all-purpose flour.
Some people might prefer using other types as well. Both almond flour and coconut flour can be used to make banana bread that will turn out differently.
There are big fans of almond flour banana bread out there that say it’s the best. Likewise, many people love making it using coconut flour.
It’s also common to use cake flour. Many experts say that cake flour is the best flour to use when making banana bread, but it’s somewhat subjective.
Simply choose the flour type that appeals to you the most. You will want to avoid bread flour since that can make banana bread turn out too dense, though.
Final Thoughts
So many different types of flour can be used to make banana bread. Depending on what you want, you might wish to go with one flour type over another.
Most people will simply stick to all-purpose flour since it’s convenient. Others might want to use cake flour specifically when making banana bread.
Almond flour and coconut flour will be good choices for many people. You can use self-rising flour when making this bread as well.
You might even want to try out several different recipes to see which types you enjoy the most. Try out different types and then come to a conclusion about which flour makes the tastiest dessert.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.