simple banana bread (gf + df)
This banana bread has gotten us through many a quiet evening in the pandemic. But we all know that banana bread is beautiful anytime. It’s soul level nourishing, filled with whole ingredients, and the perfect slice of something I'm looking for. This recipe is inspired by Aran Goyoaga's Banana Bread with Sunflower Seed Icing from her wonderful first cookbook Cannelle et Vanilla. My take is a stripped-down, adapted version that suits my full (read: busy) life. Aran's recipes showed me the glory of rice flour combined with almond flour. This is the kind of baking that allows me time to make my cake and eat it too.
ingredients:
3 medium ripe bananas + 1 for topping* optional 1/3 cup melted coconut or olive oil ¾ cup cane sugar 3 large eggs 2 tsp vanilla ¾ cup rice or GF flour *I haven't tried with all-purpose, but I think it'd work! 1 cup almond flour 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp kosher salt 1 heaped tsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
instructions:
Step 1: preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prep your loaf pan by lightly greasing it with a bit of coconut oil and lining it with parchment paper. Leave an overhang on two sides.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, add the 3 peeled bananas and smash with a fork till it's a lumpy puree. Now add the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla and give it a whisk until incorporated.
Step 3: In a large bowl, add the rice flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt, and give it a quick mix. Then add the wet ingredients to this bowl and mix till everything combines.
Step 4: Pour the batter into your prepped loaf pan and top with an optional additional banana, sliced lengthwise. Sprinkle the top with 1 heaped tsp coconut sugar or brown sugar and pop the pan in the oven for 50-60 minutes - mine takes 55 minutes. The banana bread is done when the top is a toasty golden brown, and a toothpick or knife inserted through the centre comes out clean with a few crumbs. Let the bread rest for 10 minutes before taking it out of the pan.
Enjoy any time of the day. My favorite is to have a slice with coffee in the morning. This bread keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Substitutions:
I haven’t tried this with all-purpose flour, but if you’re not gluten-free I think it would work just fine
I love baking with organic cane sugar, particularly because it has more flavor and is a bit less processed. Granulated white sugar works perfectly too!
I’ve been meaning to try this bread with flax eggs instead of eggs. I’m unsure if it would hold everything together, but I think the next time I make it I’ll give it a try!
I’ve made this bread with both coconut and olive oil and love it equally. I try and use a more neutral tasting olive so that the flavor of the olive oil doesn’t overpower.
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