Banana bread: gluten-free and original recipes
Banana bread was always a staple baked good in my house growing up. Once a banana started to get even a few brown spots, I would basically demand that no one eat it so my mom could use it to make banana bread. Now, I pretty much do the same thing! Except now I have my own bananas and don't need to guard them from my crazy banana-eating monkeys (I mean, brothers...). This is by far my favorite banana bread to make. It is based off a recipe from Nancy Clark, an awesome RD who helped to pioneer sports nutrition. My mom and I still use recipes like this one from her 80s cookbook!
This recipe is super versatile. The basic one uses white flour, which you could easily substitute with some whole wheat flour if you're looking for whole grains. You can also sub some of the flour for oats for an interesting texture.
To make it gluten-free, I used buckwheat flour and oats, and added an extra egg to bring back some structure that might be missing from the lack of gluten. Neither of the grains I used were certified gluten-free, which is fine for me (just experimenting) or someone with IBS or another non-celiac gluten-sensitivity, but NOT for someone with Celiac disease, as cross-contamination can be really dangerous.
You can also add in chocolate chips, nuts, seeds or dried fruit for a fun twist. I recently topped the GF banana bread with chia seeds, and enjoyed the crunch! I also tried using mini-loaf pans, which is fun and decreases baking time by about 10-15 minutes, but gives you more dishes to clean.
Let me know how you make this recipe your own :)
Classic Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 1/4 cup milk (any type will do)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- splash of vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Dash of cinnamon
- If desired, 1 cup chocolate chips, nuts, seeds, dried fruit
Instructions
- Grease a loaf, 8x8, or 9x9 pan and preheat oven to 350 F.
- Mash bananas in a medium mixing bowl with a wire whisk. Whisk in egg, oil, milk, sugar, and vanilla.
- Mix in salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Fold in flour and cinnamon.
- Add any desired mix-ins and gently fold into the batter.
- Pour batter into greased loaf pan and top with any nuts or seeds used as a garnish.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes. Bread will be done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Gluten-free Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas
- 2 eggs (if doubling, only use 3 eggs total)
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 1/4 cup milk (any type will do)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- splash of vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/4 cups buckwheat flour
- 1/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- Dash of cinnamon
- If desired, 1 cup chocolate chips, nuts, seeds, dried fruit
Instructions
- Grease a loaf, 8x8, or 9x9 pan and preheat oven to 350 F.
- Mash bananas in a medium mixing bowl with a wire whisk. Whisk in egg, oil, milk, sugar, and vanilla.
- Mix in salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Fold in flour, oats and cinnamon.
- Add any desired mix-ins and gently fold into the batter.
- Pour batter into greased loaf pan and top with any nuts or seeds used as a garnish.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes. Bread will be done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.