Banana bread is a hearty, satisfying, and delicious go-to comfort food for many. So is gluten-free banana bread even possible? After all, a gluten-free diet excludes any grains, wheat, spelt, barely, or rye. Well, we have some tasty news for you gluten-free eaters out there – gluten free banana bread is possible.
Bananas are part of a gluten-free and wheat-free diet, and can easily be paired with some homemade all-purpose gluten-free flour for a gluten-free banana bread concoction. We know that your mouth is watering and your bananas are ripening, so let’s get on to the recipe.
How to Make All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
All delicious bread recipes involve flour, and there is a gluten-free option for flour as well. This flour alternative is known as all-purpose gluten-free flour. A great thing about this recipe is that, for future reference, you can use this flour to make a variety of other baked treats, such as: pancakes, biscuits, and even onion rings.
You will need:
- Brown rice flour
- Tapioca starch
- Potato starch
- One tin container
- Xanthan gum
- A good freezer
- Sorghum flour (optional)
- Teff flour (optional)
- Buckwheat flour (optional)
- Coconut flour (optional)
- Almond meal (optional)
- Corn starch (optional)
- Sweet rice flour (optional)
- White rice flour (optional)
Steps:
- Take your brown rice flour and pour six cups of it into a large bowl. Brown rice flour is a staple for gluten-free diets because it is much less processed than other types of flour available. If you are curious, brown rice is usually available in most health food stores and large supermarkets. However, if you are tight on money, you can use white rice flour for this recipe. White rice flour can be found for very decent price at most ethnic grocery stores.
- Now, take your potato starch and measure 2 cups of it into your bowl. Remember: do not use potato flour. Potato starch is needed for this recipe because it will help add moisture and thicken gluten-free baked goods. It also handles higher temperatures better than other starch options. However, you can substitute your potato starch for corn starch. If you do use corn starch in your recipe, you will need to add an extra 1/3rds of a cup more starch so that it is lighter than the potato starch alternative.
- Take your tapioca flour or starch and measure out one cup. This will be used a thickener for your flour as well.
- Time for your xanthan gum. Add 2 tablespoons of this to the mixture. Xanthan gum will act as a binding agent for your baked goods, and as you get into more gluten free recipes, you will notice that it is commonly used in gluten-free baking. Know that if your flour has xanthan gum, you will not have to use in during the baking process as well.
- Next, take your whisk and use it to mix up the flour mixture. To make the mixing easier, pour the flour contents into a sifter to help break up the clumps that could have formed in the flour. This recipe will make a large batch of gluten-free flour, so you are going to want to un-clump it as much as possible.
- Your flour should be close to done now, so go ahead and sift through your flour before using it. The sifting will help allow your ingredients to settle.
- Once your flour is done, store your all-purpose gluten-free flour in a tightly-sealed tin or container. If you have more flour than you need to use at the moment, then store the remaining portion in the refrigerator. However, be sure to defrost the flour to room temperature before you use it again.
How to Make Gluten Free Banana Bread Using Gluten-Free Flour
Now that you have your gluten-free flour, you are ready to move on to your main event: the gluten-free banana bread.
You will need:
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups of very ripe mashed bananas
- 1 cup of sugar
- ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon of real vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup of melted butter or coconut oil
- 1-½ cups of your all-purpose gluten free flour
- ½ cup of sorghum flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ½ cup of walnuts and or chocolate chips, depending on your taste preference
Steps:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In your mixing bowl, beat your eggs lightly.
- Add in your mashed bananas, sugar, applesauce, butter, and the vanilla and mix all ingredients thoroughly.
- Now take your flours, salt, and baking soda, and add all of these ingredients to the wet mixture.
- Mix wet and dry ingredients until all of the contents are moist.
- Take your 2 greased 8×4-inch loaf pans, or a single greased 9×5-inch loaf pan, and pour your batter in evenly.
- Bake for about 45 to 55 minutes for the smaller pans, and around 60 to 75 minutes for the larger pans. Or, bake your bread until it is no longer wet in the middle. You can determine this by using a toothpick or the touch test to gauge the moistness of the bread.
- Once your banana bread is done, your kitchen should reek of deliciousness. Remove the gluten free banana bread from the pan after about 10 minutes. Place the bread on a wire rack to allow it time to cool.
- Slice the gluten free banana bread and enjoy!
Delight Your Taste Buds
With this gluten free banana bread, you will be able to taste the deliciousness of traditional banana bread in its gluten free version. Not only that, but you will also be able to reap the nutritional benefits of bananas. Bananas are packed with potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. For the best tasting banana bread, use bananas that have a few dark spots on them for natural sweetness.
Via: GlutenFreeGirl | TasteOfHome | AllRecipes
