Best Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipe
You won’t miss a thing when you make this gluten-free recipe!
It’s true! You really won’t feel like you are sacrificing a thing going gluten-free. This delicious Banana Bread Recipe is super moist, rich in flavor and fabulously gluten-free. So many of us have friends, family or even ourselves adhering to a gluten-free diet. When it comes to sharing a meal together I don’t want anyone feeling left out. What’s more, it can get awkward serving items that look similar when one item contains gluten and another doesn’t.
Baking banana bread has been a long time tradition in my family. As with most food traditions, over the years I have become a banana bread connoisseur! In other words - I have tasted a heck of a lot of banana bread! As you may know, one of the biggest challenges of baking gluten-free is overcoming a dry gritty texture and mild after taste. This happens when gluten-free flours replace traditional wheat flours. By converting recipes that are high in moisture and intense in flavor, the gluten-free recipe is much more successful! That makes Banana Bread a perfect match for a gluten-free conversion.
The secret is all in the bananas.
You simply can not make fabulous banana bread without knowing how to select the best bananas. Generally when you go to the store to select bananas to eat, you search for the perfect yellow skin color, no blemishes and more. When you select bananas for baking, you want the absolutely worst, ripe, ugly brown bananas that you can find. Generally this means you will take leftover bananas or age them before use. A few times I have even gotten lucky. I love a thoughtful produce manager who sets aside badly ripened fruit and discounts them for savvy customers! When I am not so lucky, I peel my leftover ripe bananas and put them in a ziplock bag and place them in the freezer. When I am ready to bake, I simply remove them from the freezer (the day before) and let them thaw in the fridge. Warning - they will look horrible when they have thawed out but don’t worry! You’ve got this all under control. You can pour off and discard any pure liquid and use the banana pulp that remains. It is good to remember that It is always best to use and combine ingredients at room temperature so be sure to let the mix warm up before using. Don't forget to puree in your food processor and you will be good to go!
Best Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature eggs
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
3 medium super ripe bananas - pureed
1 1/2 cup of Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour Mix (such as King Arthur)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Preheat a conventional over to 350 degrees.
1. In a food processor, peel and puree the over-ripe bananas. Set aside.
2. Pan spray a standard size large loaf pan (or other desired pans) and set aside.
3. In a electric mixing bowl, cream the soft butter and brown sugar together for approximately 3 minutes until fluffy.
4. Add the room temperature eggs and vanilla extract, scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to blend until combined.
5. Add the pureed bananas, scrape down and mix until combined.
6. Add all of the remaining ingredients, scrape down the sides (and bottom) of the bowl and continue to mix.
7. Once all of the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, pour batter into a prepared bread pan. You may also portion the batter into muffin cups.
8. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and a sharp knife inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
Ovens and times may vary. For my oven, a standard loaf pan takes approximately 1 hour to bake.
9. Store cooled bread in an air-tight container.
