Funfetti Banana Bread (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Funfetti Banana Bread is the perfect way to celebrate! Full of fun and sprinkles, this birthday cake banana bread recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free! Moist, fluffy, and delicious, this naturally sweet loaf is just as quick and easy as the classic, with less than 10 ingredients and freezer-friendly, it's kid-friendly and perfect for a festive breakfast, dessert, or snack!

One of the most classic baked treats, combined with one of the most FUN. Funfetti Banana Bread! It's comfort and celebratory joy all baked into one delicious quick bread that's guaranteed to make you smile, laugh, and get that warm cozy feeling inside! Gluten-free, vegan, and allergen-free, this birthday cake banana bread can be loved and devoured by everyone for any and every occasion!

Banana Bread With Sprinkles

Just add sprinkles to a classic loaf of banana bread to get the party started! The add-ins for banana bread are endless, but the most fun and colorful option happens to be rainbow sprinkles! With the perfect combination of sweeteners and vanilla, you get the flavors of your favorite Funfetti birthday cake baked into the classic banana loaf! Not only that but this delectable gluten-free and vegan recipe is...

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
• Low in Sugar
• Kid-Friendly
• Quick & Easy, Less Than 10 Ingredients
• Make-Ahead & Freezer-Friendly
• Perfect Dessert, Special Breakfast, or Sweet Snack

Ingredients For Gluten-Free Funfetti Banana Bread

• Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: This is still a quick bread, not a cake, so a hearty all-purpose gluten-free flour will bake up perfectly for this extra colorful banana bread!
• Ripe Mashed Banana: You want your bananas super ripe and naturally sweet! The mashed bananas add sweetness and moisture, and act as the eggless binding for this vegan recipe!
• Baking Powder + Baking Soda + Salt: Both leavening agents and a pinch of salt allow this birthday banana bread to become perfectly fluffy and domed in the oven so you don't end up with a sad flat loaf!
• Granulated Sweetener: Funfetti cake is sweet like birthday cake so a little extra granulated sweetener is needed. You can use a sugar-free sweetener like Swerve or your preferred granulated white sugar.
• Brown Sugar Sweetener: Light brown sugar is optional, but it adds a nice note of molasses-like richness that would come in a classic cinnamon banana bread. Again, you can use sugar-free brown sugar-style sweetener or your preferred light brown sugar (Note: light, not dark, you don't want the flavor too prominent.)
• Neutral Oil: A flavorless neutral oil keeps this gluten-free Funfetti loaf even moister and helps retain the crumb's structure.
• Vanilla Extract: You can't have cake without vanilla extract!
• Rainbow Sprinkles: Bright allergen-free rainbow sprinkles are the star of the show!

The Best Sprinkles To Use For Funfetti Banana Bread

When it comes to choosing the best type of sprinkles for your banana bread, there are some nuisances you should be aware of. Not all sprinkles are created equal and when you need to use allergen-free and vegan sprinkles, your options are even more limited.

I don't recommend natural colored sprinkles as the colors are not intense enough to show in the baked banana bread. You should also stay away from using nonpareils. The colors in this type of sprinkle bleeds immediately when wet. The best type of sprinkle to use is rainbow jimmies. The long ice cream rainbow sprinkle. The color of these won't bleed into the batter and they stay bright and intact even after baking. Make sure your sprinkles are allergen-free (meaning no soy!) and safe for your dietary needs. I love this brand.

Achieving Perfect Birthday Cake Flavor

Funfetti cake is essentially birthday cake with sprinkles in the batter. The flavors are the same. It's that moist, vanilla, sweet, cakey flavor you think of. A lot of this flavor always requires the right mouthfeel and texture. Moist, airy, fluffy. That's what you get with this Funfetti banana loaf. The combo of white and brown sugars, lots of vanilla extract, enough leavening to make the loaf rise and remain fluffy, plus the oil which doesn't weigh down the bread, like using butter would.

For a true vanilla birthday cake flavor, use imitation or artificial vanilla extract (sometimes called baking vanilla). This is because pure vanilla doesn't retain all of its flavor when baked at a high temperature of over 300°F. Imitation vanilla provides a creamy, sweet, vanilla flavor that's akin to "birthday cake flavor" and will remain pronounced after baking.

How To Make Funfetti Banana Bread

1. Add all the dry ingredients, except the sprinkles, to a large mixing bowl
2. Whisk them together until you have a smooth even mixture.

3. Mash the super ripe bananas until mostly smooth (a few banana chunks is fine!)
4. Then add and mix the vanilla and oil into the mashed bananas.

5. Add the wet ingredient mixture to the whisked dry ingredients.
6. Mix the batter together until combined and mostly smooth. Don't over-mix! It should be thick.

7. Add the rainbow sprinkles to the mixed banana bread batter.
8. Gently fold in the sprinkles until evenly distributed throughout.

9. Line an 8x4 loaf pan with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
10. Add the Funfetti bread batter to the lined loaf pan and smooth it out evenly in the pan.

11. Bake the funfetti banana bread in a preheated oven at 350°F for 40-50 minutes.
12. Remove the loaf and use the edges of the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan before allowing it to cool completely on a wire rack.

Baking Tips & Tricks

• Don't over mix the batter! This can always get tricky when you include add-ins that require additional batter manipulation. That's why you want to gently FOLD in the sprinkles with a spatula. Don't aggressively mix them in which will leave you with a deflated loaf at the end.
• Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. Not too cold or hot when you make this banana bread.
• Add a few extra sprinkles to the top of the batter after you smooth it out in the pan. Just like chocolate chip cookies, your Funfetti loaf will come out with beautifully visible colors right on top.
• Let the baked quick bread rest in the loaf pan for about 5 minutes before using the parchment paper to lift it out and onto a wire rack to cool completely. When removing the parchment paper, gently peel it away from the loaf so you don't end up riping the still-warm bread.
• Make sure the Funfetti bread is completely cooled to room temperature before slicing! Banana bread slices so easily once it's nice and cool, don't rush it! This also helps keep the pockets of rainbow color from bleeding!

How To Make-Ahead & Store Instructions

• Make-Ahead: If you bake this banana bread ahead of time, you can simply let it cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container for 3-4 days, un-sliced, at room temperature, or chilled in the fridge for up to 7 days. Include a paper towel sheet in the container to prevent excess moisture from accumulating on the outside of the loaf.
• Leftovers: To store leftover Funfetti bread, store the unsliced portion of the bread in an airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature or about 7 days in the fridge.
• Freezing: You can freeze the birthday cake bread by slicing the loaf, but keeping it together in one form (you can also freeze an entire uncut loaf). Wrap the entire loaf in plastic wrap, then foil, before storing in a freezer-safe storage bag for 6-8 months.
• To Thaw: Thaw the frozen loaf in the fridge overnight, before unwrapping and bringing it to room temperature. You can eat this banana bread chilled, at room temperature, or warmed in the oven or microwave!

Additional Serving Suggestions

• Add frosting or glaze: If you want to make this Funfetti bread even more like a birthday cake, you can add a layer of vanilla vegan frosting or a simple glaze of powdered sugar and water (or non-dairy milk).
• Add ½ cup of allergen-free white chocolate chips to the batter! Fold them in along with the rainbow sprinkles.
• Serve it warm with ice cream: Warm a thick slice of the birthday cake banana bread and serve it alamode with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream!
• Gift it: Warm the baked loaf in gifting wrap and tie it up with festive ribbon to give to hostesses or birthday recipients!

Can You Bake Bread In A Different Pan?

Don't have an 8x4-inch loaf pan? You can use a 9x5-inch loaf pan, your loaf will just be a tad more flat and wide. You can also pour this banana bread batter into an 8x8-inch square or 8-inch round baking dish. You can also make this Funfetti banana bread into about 12 large muffins (or cupcakes).

How To Quickly Ripen Bananas

Don't have overripe bananas? You can quickly ripen your bananas for baking by wrapping the unpeeled bananas in foil and baking them in an oven set at 350°F for 10-15 minutes (depending on how much ripening they need). Make sure you have a drip-try or baking sheet underneath the wrapped bananas in case they leak! Then let them cool enough to handle before unwrapping them and mashing the insides for baking!

Can You Make It Oil-Free?

If you don't want to use oil in your banana bread, you can use ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce. However, this will yield a gummier, slightly mushy loaf with less rise.

What's The Difference Between Funfetti and Confetti?

Funfetti is the trademarked Pillsbury name, but it's also the most fun and iconic name. If you want to call this Confetti Banana Bread, go ahead. However, confetti also refers to flat round sprinkles (i.e. looks like confetti). Confetti sprinkles can be used in this birthday cake banana bread, but allergen-free confetti sprinkles can be harder to find than normal rainbow jimmies.

More Banana Bread Recipes:

• Classic Gluten-Free Banana Bread
• Blueberry Yogurt Banana Bread
• Gingerbread Banana Bread
• Peanut Butter Espresso Banana Bread
• Strawberry Banana Bread

More Funfetti Recipes:

• Funfetti Blondies
• Funfetti Cupcakes
• Funfetti Waffle Cake
• Funfetti Cookies
• Funfetti Doughnuts
• Funfetti Pancakes

Print

Whether you're celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or celebratory milestone, this Funfetti Banana Bread is the best way to enjoy comfort, joy, fun, and smiles all baked up into a delicious gluten-free hug!

So tell me:

+ What's your favorite Funfetti infusion? Y'all know when June rolls around we celebrate with Funfetti here on Strength and Sunshine! This year is my 26th birthday and Strength and Sunshine's 9th!

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