Gluten Free Banana Bread

Found this tasty looking banana bread online. Had all the ingredients! Yay!!

Followed the recipe pretty closely, but did cut the brown sugar in half from 1/4 cup to 2 tablespoons. My bananas were pretty big and ended up weighing 400 grams which is probably a bit more then needed, but worked fine so that’s what I’ll do! Recipe called for a pinch of salt, I used 3/8 tsp. Was debating between 1/4 and 1/2 tsp so split the difference.

Nice texture, dense and mooshy in a good way! I like “mooshy”!! If you are one of the million people that has texture issues you probably don’t want to talk to me, I love interesting textures! This bread isn’t weird, don’t worry, but it’s a little more moist and dense than some. Doesn’t feel or taste gluten free to me!

Photos can be deceiving. Before I was able to take a photo of the finished loaf, my puppy Jojo got ahold of it… Thankfully she didn’t eat it all but I was rather irritated with her. I still managed to cut some nice slices, and am just didn’t think about where her mouth may have been earlier…

Gluten Free Banana Bread
Adapted from Early Brawd
Ingredients

• 3 medium very ripe bananas (mine were around 400 grams, but may have been closer to a “large” banana)

• 1/2 cup milk (I used whole milk, but can sub your favorite non-dairy milk if desired/needed)

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 3 tbsp (45 grams) melted coconut oil

• 2 tbsp (40 grams) maple syrup

• 2 tbsp (30 grams) almond butter

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup (90 grams) of oat flour

• 1 cup (160 grams) brown rice flour

• 3/4 cup (78 grams) almond meal

• 2 tablespoon (25 grams) brown sugar

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• A pinch of salt

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350F and grease and line a 9×5 loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir and set aside.

Peel and mash the very ripe bananas using a fork until puree. No need to over mash it, it’s okay if the texture is not perfectly homogeneous and small bites remain. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, almond butter and vanilla extract to the mashed bananas and stir to combine. Then the milk and whisk until well combined.

In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix using a wooden spatula until just combined. Don’t over-mix the batter, it’s okay if it’s not totally homogeneous. Transfer the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface using a spatula.

Bake for 50-60 minutes (I went closer to 50, may have been slightly undercooked but I like it that way and prefer to err on the side of under-baking vs over-baking) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool down for 20 minutes, then remove the banana bread from the mold and allow to completely cool down, for at least 1 hour.

Sour Cream Banana Walnut Bread

I’m loving baking in the new kitchen! Have I said that before? Probably! And I’ll be saying it again, I’m in love! So here’s another banana bread recipe. I just made a fantastic tahini banana bread which was so so good, but I saw this recipe not long after and really wanted to try it too! The tahini banana bread was oil based, and this one is butter based. I like having options so gave this one a try too. I’m so glad I did. I loved this banana bread. I can’t say whether I liked this one or the tahini one better (I didn’t have any slices left of the tahini version to compare) but there were both fantastic so you can’t go wrong either way.

As I said, this recipe uses 1 stick butter, and also has 1/2 cup of sour cream, so plenty of fat. The butter adds yummy flavor and the sour cream keeps it moist and tender. I added in walnuts and chocolate because that’s my favorite in banana bread. I’d probably add a bit more from the add-in standpoint next time, but it was still very acceptable! Add as much or as little as you like. Just make it!

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Sour Cream Banana Walnut Bread
From The Vanilla Bean Blog
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (213 grams) all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted and chopped (57 grams) [I used a mix of raw walnuts, 30 grams, and chocolate shavings, 25 grams]

• 1 cup (300 grams) very ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup (120 grams) sour cream

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick, 113 grams) room temperature

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (100 grams)

• 2 large eggs

Directions
Adjust an oven rack to the lower middle position. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan and line with a parchment sling.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and pecans together. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and mix on medium until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix on low until almost incorporated. Add the banana mixture and mix on low until completely combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and finish mixing with a spatula until the batter is completely combined

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is dark brown and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. [I baked mine for 53 minutes and it was cooked well, for banana bread at least. I can’t think of a time when a banana bread I’ve made has baked all the way through in the center without being dry on the edges. My loaf had a small gooey center, but the edges were all cooked well, and even the end piece wasn’t dry. I wouldn’t want to bake it any longer. I like the gooey center the best!]

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Using the parchment sling, lift the loaves out of the pan, peel off the paper, and let the bread finish cooling on the wire rack.

Dark Chocolate and Walnut Tahini Banana Bread

It’s quite fitting that one of the first things I made in my functioning kitchen was a loaf of banana bread, since it was the last thing I made in the old kitchen! The photos I saw of this recipe looked so yummy - a little gooey with big chunks of dark chocolate! I love baking with butter, but a good-old oil based banana bread is classic, and good to have a go-to version which I did not. This may be it! It uses vegetable oil, but also adds a little tahini for more fat which I love. The flavor of the tahini is super strong. The recipe did call for adding 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil as well which would be lovely and I’m sure would bring out the tahini/sesame flavor. I did’t have any though so I just skipped it. Next time!

Brown sugar, buttermilk, a couple of eggs, round out the main ingredients. She calls for dark chocolate as the mix in. I used a combo of dark chocolate and walnuts which I think was great, but I would probably add a bit more chocolate next time. I used about 1/2 of the amount called for, and substituted the other 1/2 with the walnuts. I think next time I will leave the amount of walnuts the same, but amp up the chocolate.

Mine baked a little longer (I think!) than the recipe said, and it was fairly well cooked other than the very center of the top which was still a bit gooey. I like that part the best so I’m always okay with that in banana bread! The rest was well cooked but not dry which is nice. I think my pan was a bit smaller than what the original recipe calls for so that may be why.

Final verdict: Recommended!

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Dark Chocolate and Walnut Tahini Banana Bread
From Butter and Brioche
Ingredients

• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour

• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

• ¾ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 350 grams ripe bananas

• 1 cup (200 grams) brown sugar - I used 150 grams, 3/4 cup

• 100 ml neutral vegetable oil

• 70 g tahini

• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract

• ½ teaspoon sesame oil - I didn’t have any so I just skipped it

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

• 190 ml buttermilk, at room temperature

• 125 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped - I used about 65 grams dark chocolate and 65 grams chopped walnuts

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for sprinkling on top

Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line a 9 x 5 1/2 inch loaf tin with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper. Let the paper slightly over-hang the sides.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, sift together the flour, powder, soda, and salt. Set aside until needed.

Add the bananas into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment. Beat until roughly mashed, about 30 seconds. Pause mixing and add in the light brown sugar and vegetable oil. Beat, on medium speed, until light in color and well combined, 3 more minutes. Add in the tahini, vanilla bean extract and sesame oil until incorporated. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set the mixer speed to low and slowly stream in the buttermilk. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated, no more than 15 seconds. Some dry flour pockets should remain throughout the batter. Add in the dark chocolate chunks (and walnuts if using), then, using a large wooden spoon, gently fold them throughout the batter until evenly incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Scatter the granulated sugar on top.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until risen, golden brown, and fragrant (I believe mine took a little long, 55-60 minutes or so, although I can’t remember for sure!). A skewer inserted into the middle should come out with a few moist crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and leave the bread to cool in its pan for 15 minutes before transferring it out and onto a wire rack to cool further before slicing and serving.

Sourdough Banana Bread

Last week I made my last baked good in my old kitchen. The day I was baking it was the first day of demo for my kitchen reno! That’s right, Lara and I are renovating our kitchen/dining room! We started thinking about this in June of last year. It was something we thought about doing “someday”, but then in June we decided to just go for it. Not sure exactly why the light switch flipped, but definitely think COVID had a lot to do with it, being stuck at home all the time. It also helped so much that the federal government changed the interest rate on all federal student loans to 0%. Yes, 0%. No interest has been collecting on my loans for months and months now. That has been so nice to see.

Anyway, I knew I had only a few days left in my kitchen so I did some baking and cooking. I had quite a bit of leftover sourdough starter in the fridge that I wanted to use up. I wanted a recipe that used a lot of it, but wasn’t difficult or didn’t take too long.

I wasn’t really even searching for a recipe that morning, but this sourdough banana bread recipe just popped up on my Instagram feed. I knew it was meant to be. I was able to get it whipped together and baked before the demolition crew showed up. Used up almost all of my leftover starter which was great.

It smelled amazing, as banana bread does, while baking. I heard the demo crew immediately comment that it smelled really good! Later in the day as they were heading out, the final loaf was still sitting on the counter and they commented again, “it’s the banana bread!”. :) When I cut it later that night I just had to set aside a few pieces for the guys the next day. I heard later that they really appreciated it!

Other than having the sourdough starter, this was a pretty basic banana bread. It was quick and easy to put together and it baked up beautifully. The baking time was actually pretty accurate, it rose well, and developed a lovely rounded and crackly crust. I am a big fan. It also taste delicious. I would probably up the cinnamon and other spices next time just because I like more of them in my banana bread, as written the spices are quite subtle.

A few specifics on what I did; I used 1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar instead of 2/3 cup as stated in the recipe. Since there is also 1/4 cup honey I thought this would be fine, and it was. I didn’t notice any missing sugar/sweetness. I also added a few additional spices, just a pinch of allspice and cloves. But as stated above I would probably add more spices next time, if nothing else I would increase the cinnamon. I used about 3 + 1/3 medium/average sized bananas to get to 397 grams required in the recipe. I also added a little whole wheat flour, using a little under a cup of home ground white winter wheat that I ground before the kitchen was gone and am storing in the freezer. I also added in walnuts, about half of what the recipe recommends, I threw in about 45-50 grams. It was a nice addition. I could definitely add more next time.

All in all this one is a keeper. I will be using this to use up sourdough starter in the future I have no doubt!

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Sourdough Banana Bread
From King Arthur Baking Company
Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature

• 2/3 cup (142g) brown sugar, packed

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 3/4 cups (397g) mashed ripe banana (from about 1 3/4 pounds unpeeled bananas) - I was too lazy to actually mash up the bananas, so I just chopped them up and through them in in chunks. They never really smoothed out in the batter, they stayed chunky, but once it was baked up it didn’t seem to matter. No chunks or weird spots in the final bread - Yay for lazy success!

• 1/4 cup (85g) honey

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup (113g) sourdough starter, unfed/discard

• 2 cups (240g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour - I used some whole wheat, a little under a cup

• 3/4 cup (85g) chopped nuts, optional

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, beating until smooth. Add the mashed bananas, honey, eggs, and sourdough starter, again beating until smooth. Add the flour then the nuts, stirring just until smooth.

Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Bake the bread for 45 minutes, then gently lay a piece of aluminum foil across the top to prevent over-browning.

Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven; a long toothpick or thin paring knife inserted into the center should come out clean, with a few wet crumbs clinging to it.

Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove it from the pan and cool completely on a rack.

Chocolate Greek Yogurt Banana Bread

My sister served me this bread last week for breakfast and I enjoyed it quite a bit, so this weekend I decided to make myself a loaf. It's a wholesome chocolate banana bread made with whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt. When eating a breakfast bread, I like like having a nice thick slice; something I can really sink my teeth into. This bread is perfect for that. And topped with a little peanut butter for a little extra protein umph is my favorite way to finish it off! 

I streamlined the original recipe here, just so I didn't have to use as many bowls! Mix the wet ingredients in one bowl, the wet in another and mix them together. Done. I also did what I seem to always do and cut back on the sugar from 1/2 c honey, to 2 tbs honey + 2 tbs brown sugar (so 1/4 cup total). Feel free to double this for a sweeter and more indulgent bread. 

Chocolate Greek Yogurt Banana Bread
Adapted from The Baker Mama 
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup (40 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons (42 grams) honey
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup (110 grams) milk
• 1 cup (225 grams) mashed ripe banana; about 2 large bananas
• 1/2 - 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the remaining ingredients until well combined. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix with a spatula until mostly combined. Add in the chocolate chips or chocolate chunks if using, and continue to mix until completely combined with no more streaks of dry flour in the batter. Batter will be thick.

Spread batter evenly into prepared loaf pan. Press more chocolate chips into the top of the batter before baking, if desired. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for about 50 minutes, turning halfway through, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely and serve.

Yields: 8-10 slices

Oat Flour Banana Carrot Muffins

I recently stumbled over this recipe for a simple and nutritions blender muffin. I had a carrot in the fridge, and bananas turning brown on the counter so it was almost like it was meant to be! I went to work putting it all together and am glad I did. These muffins turned out delicious; light and moist, full of whole grains, healthy fats, fresh fruit and fresh veggies. How great is that? They are also made with no wheat flour, and no dairy, so if you are avoiding either of those this is another plus. They are not vegan due to the 2 eggs, but you could always try a vegan egg replacement if this is something you care about. 

I followed the original recipe other than decreasing the honey just a bit from 1/4 c to 2 tablespoons and didn't miss it at all. The bananas themselves are nice and sweet. I also had a little freezer jam hanging out that I decided to add to the center of the muffin for a little sweet surprise! You can't see it in the picture, but it's there, I promise! It's a fun addition if you have some extra jam lying around. If you use peanut butter as your nut butter it'll turn these muffins into a "PB&J muffin"! Yum!

Oat Flour Banana Carrot Muffins
Adapted from Running with Spoons
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (120 grams) oats
• 2 tablespoon (14 grams) flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tbsp (96 grams) almond or peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons (40 grams) honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 medium bananas (200 grams or 1 cup)
• 1 cup (115 grams) shredded carrot, about 1 medium carrot

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a muffin pan by lining the cavities with parchment paper liners or greasing them well with oil. Set aside.

Add all the dry ingredients (oats through salt) to a high-speed blender, and process on high until the oats have broken down into the consistency of a fine flour.

Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the carrots, and process on high until the batter becomes smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Periodically stop and scrape down the sides of your blender, if necessary. Transfer the batter to a medium-size mixing bowl and fold in the carrots by hand.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one about 3/4 of the way full.
Bake for 16 - 18 minutes, until the tops of your muffins begin to turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Yields: 10 muffins
Approximate calorie count: 165 calories

Banana Rye Muffins

Is there such thing as too many banana bread recipes? Not in my book! Here it is - a perfectly simple and wholesome banana muffin recipe. Not fancy, but oh so good. Perfect with my morning coffee. I decided to switch things up a bit by mixing whole wheat and rye flours, as well as some whole oats for chew. Of course I had to add a little chocolate for a few pockets of sweetness. They baked up beautifully, and I have been enjoying them all week, I'm sure you will too!

Banana Rye Muffins
Adapted from Broma Bakery
Ingredients

• 2 extra ripe bananas (approximately 200 grams, or 1-1.25 cups)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) butter
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) olive oil
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) plain Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (120 grams) whole wheat flour
• 1/2 (60 grams) rye flour
• 1/2 cup (40 grams) old fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chunks

Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 10 muffin tins with muffin liners, spray with non-stick baking spray, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk mashed banana, eggs, brown sugar, butter, oil, yogurt and vanilla extract until well combined.

Use a spatula to fold in both flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, mixing until combined. Fold chocolate in during the last few strokes of mixing.

Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins, they will be about 3/4 full. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then turn oven down to 375°F and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes, until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle has a few moist crumbs clinging to it, don't overbake as the end result will be dry. Remove from oven and allow to cool. 

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

As I type this, the sun is streaming in the window, blinding me as I sit. I love spring. :) The birds are singing, the buds are just starting to burst out in light green leaves, and the flowering trees are gracing gardens and yards with fragrant and beautiful blooms. Morning runs are warming up, making it easier for me to haul myself out of bed and out the door into the not quite as frigid conditions. Thankfully I can stop worrying about sliding around on icy sidewalks for many months. 

While I'm on the topic of things I love, I also love banana bread; almost as exciting as spring! For these banana muffins I adapted my favorite Greek yogurt banana bread , turning them into muffins with the scrumptious addition of some nice dark chocolate chips.  They baked up tall and fluffy with a moist and tender crumb. Easy to whip up on a lovely spring morning to enjoy with a cup of steaming coffee on your sunny porch. Happy baking!

Like I said, I took one of my favorite banana bread recipes and turned them into muffins. I started by cutting the recipe in half because I just wanted a small batch, so the final recipe makes 6 nice muffins. I increased the oven temperature to 375 degrees and baked them for 18 minutes. For a little extra flavor and fun I added some cardamom along with the chocolate chips, but you could also try adding a little cinnamon for that extra spice. A light and delicious breakfast muffin, perfect for spring!

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
Adapted from Greek Yogurt Banana Bread
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 very ripe bananas (approximately 7.5 ounces)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) plain Greek yogurt
• 2-3 tablespoons (about 1 ounce) sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour, or a mix of all purpose and whole wheat flours
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (I did 35 grams, but you can do a bit more if you like your muffins bursting with chocolate!)

Directions
In a large bowl, mash bananas with a whisk. Add butter, yogurt and sugar and whisk until combined and somewhat smooth. If it's still a little chunky, don't worry. Add the vanilla and egg and stir until combined.

Add salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom and flour and stir just until almost combined. Add the chocolate chips mix until just combined (don’t overmix).

Spoon batter evenly into 6 muffin cups that are either greased or lined with muffin liners. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out almost clean with a few moist crumbs. Remove muffins from pan and let cool on a wire rack.