The Story
I developed this recipe in response to a reader's request. I couldn't believe I didn't already have a banana bread recipe on my website and was happy for the reminder!
After extensive testing, making several batches of loaves and muffins, and tweaking the recipe along the way, it's finally ready for you! Don't get me wrong. We were happy to taste-test the trial runs! This gluten-free banana bread is super moist and soft without falling apart or being crumbly.
At first, I tried adding ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum, in addition to what is already in my flour blend, as I had seen in other recipes. That was too gummy. What was already in my All-Purpose Flour Blend was enough.
Then, I had an opportunity to make this same recipe into a dozen gluten-free banana muffins, which I frosted to look like cupcakes.
My family is great about making gluten-free food for gatherings that include me. However, as I was testing this recipe, an occasion came up for me to bring myself a gluten-free cupcake to enjoy while everyone else was eating birthday cake. I made this recipe into 12 muffins, following exactly the same steps except they finished baking in 28 minutes.
When the muffins had cooled, I topped them off with Cream Cheese Frosting and enjoyed mine as much as any cupcake. The remaining "cupcakes" are in my freezer awaiting the next special occasion.
Ingredients for Healthy Gluten-Free Banana Bread
- Ripe Bananas: These are those soft, ripe bananas that are just on the verge of going bad. Not only do ripe bananas mix into your batter more easily, but they are sweeter, so they add more natural sweetness to your gluten-free banana bread.
- Cathy's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend: You can make your own batch with readily available ingredients. Alternatively, Better Original Blend would be the best substitute because it has similar ingredients.
- Butter: needs to be at room temperature to cream properly
- Eggs: best to be at room temperature, so they don't chill the butter
- Raw Sugar: When I'm not sweetening recipes with honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar, I use raw sugar because it is less processed than white or brown. I also try to use less of it. It's amazing how you can develop a taste for less sugar.
- Mash ripe bananas.
2. Cream butter by beating it.
3. Beat in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and the mashed bananas.
4. Add gluten-free flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. After mixing the other ingredients thoroughly, stir in walnut pieces.
6. Spread the batter into an oiled or parchment-lined loaf pan.
7. Bake the loaf of gluten-free banana bread for about 55 minutes. A toothpick or fork poked into the center should come out clean and warm.
How to Store Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Once your banana loaf has cooled completely, you can store it, covered, at room temperature for a day. It keeps well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for two or three days. Beyond that, I would recommend freezing to retain better freshness.
Since there are only my husband and me in our household, I slice the entire loaf and freeze it in such a way that the slices are not jammed together. Then, whenever we want one or two, we can remove individual slices, and they thaw fairly quickly.
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Recipe
Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe bananas (1½ cups, mashed)
- ½ cup butter at room temperature
- ½ cup raw sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups Cathy's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour Blend
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup walnut pieces
Instructions
- Oil a loaf pan or line it with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃).
- Peel and mash the bananas.3 large ripe bananas
- Cream the butter by beating it, either in a stand mixer, with a handheld electric mixer, or by hand with a spoon.½ cup butter
- Cream the sugar with the creamed butter.½ cup raw sugar
- Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and mashed bananas.2 large eggs½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the flour, either having whisked the baking soda and salt into it, or by adding it directly to the wet mixture and sprinkling them evenly over the top.1½ cups Cathy's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour Blend1 teaspoon baking soda½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Beat or stir the batter until all of the ingredients are mixed together evenly.
- Stir in the walnut pieces until they are evenly distributed.½ cup walnut pieces
- Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake it for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
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