We all need more recipes for our sweet tooth cravings. This gluten free banana bread can be a great dessert! And I am here to provide you with some options and give you some solutions for healthy ideas. Your family and future generations will thank you one day for not eating so much sugar. This recipe is adapted from an aunt’s recipe, and you can change as much or as little as you want! Here are some options and tips-
FLOUR: For the flour you can use any gluten free brand and mixture you like, Bob’s Red Mill is a great one. Another option is to do half spelt and half kamut flour (not for celiac). Use any flours you like to use and mix them to make 1 cup. The only thing I would not do is 1 cup of only one flour, you need a mixture. Spelt for example makes things crumbly, so you want to mix it with other flours. Find what works for you and your family’s diet. Some can do the barley, and kamut with a gluten sensitivity and others have to stay away from it. Even if you do not have any of these sensitivities, I believe cutting back on gluten is a great choice for your health.
SWEETENER: There are so many options for sweeteners! You can use regular cane sugar in this recipe, but we are trying to shift away from that. Some other options might be organic cane sugar, or even better would be coconut sugar, honey, stevia, or a mixture of these.
BUTTER: For healthier options in butter use Organic grass fed butter (Costco is $7 for 3), Ghee 1 to 1, applesauce 1 to 1, or 1/4 cup coconut oil and 1/4 cup coconut butter- tastes very good in sweet breads like this one.
Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup gluten free flour
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar, or 3/4 cup raw honey softened. You could do 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup coconut sugar and 1 squirt of liquid stevia.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon real salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 stick of softened butter
- 2 eggs or egg substitute for vegan option
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana
- 4 Tablespoons milk- Almond, cashew, coconut for dairy free
- 1 cup chocolate chips, carob chips, dairy free mini chocolate chips or skip altogether
- 1 cup shredded coconut
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a mixing bowl add the butter, eggs, vanilla, milk, banana in bowl and mix well. Then add the sugar or sweetener and mix, add flour, salt, baking soda, and mix well. Stir in any add-ins of coconut, chocolate chips, or nuts. Next, pour the batter into a glass bread pan and bake at 350 F for 50-55 minutes. I always go on the less side and then add on time as needed till knife comes out clean from the center.
Eat with butter or coconut oil or dairy free ice cream and enjoy your dessert guilt free!
Tips for the Best Gluten Free Banana Bread
Use the ripest bananas you can find, the ones with lots of brown spots. They are sweeter, so you can use less sweetener. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before you slice it, because gluten free breads are more delicate when they are warm. It keeps on the counter for 2 days, or wrap slices and freeze them for quick breakfasts and snacks. If you want to make it fancy, top it with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of coconut, or add a splash of my homemade vanilla extract. Want more ideas for baking without wheat? Check out my white flour alternatives post.
