Gluten Free Banana Bread – Dairy Free & Sugar Free!
This is one of those heavenly recipes that gives rise to a fluffy, bouncy, moist gluten free banana bread. What makes ours special? It’s totally dairy free and sugar free.
I embarked upon this recipe when I was on a very restricted diet due to some health concerns I was having. Although I generally avoided dairy and sugar (when my self-control was intact, that is), I had never been a gluten free advocate. My motto: “Gluten until proven intolerant.” In this scenario however, I had decided to play it safe.
So aside from being fluffy, bouncy, moist and delicious, what’s the second best thing about our gluten free banana bread? You only need a few ingredients, and it’s an absolute synch to make – you can even make it on your stovetop! I did this the first time I made it, as I was living in Bali and had no oven, but it still turned out perfect! I’ve included the stovetop instructions below as well 🙂
So let’s get to what we’re all thinking….delicious, healthy, everything-free banana bread……what’s the catch here? You caught me. There is a big one. It’s so delicious that the first time I made it, I ate the whole loaf. Seriously. And as you can guess, eating a whole loaf of anything in one sitting renders it pretty unhealthy. Essentially, this banana bread challenges your self-control. So here’s my warning: try it if you dare.
What you’ll need for your gluten free banana bread:
– 2 cups rice flour (white or brown, depending on how healthy you’re pretending to be that day)
– ½ tsp cinnamon, or to taste
– ¼ tsp nutmeg
– 1 tablespoon instant yeast
– 2 large or 3 medium overripe bananas
– ¼ cup coconut oil + extra for greasing the pan (I used extra virgin organic, but any will do)
– ½ cup water
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract OR 1 tablespoon lemon juice (choose whichever you like depending on the flavor you prefer!)
Optional:
– Chocolate chips, or for a healthier option, add some of our 2 minute homemade dark chocolate chunks
– Chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds
– Seeds of any kind
– Raisins or sultanas
Baking Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the rice flour, yeast, and spices.
- In a separate bowl, use either an electric mixer or a fork to mash up the bananas. Continue mashing and stirring them until they turn into a thick liquid. Try and beat out most of the lumps, so the sweetness of the bananas can spread evenly within the bread.
- Add the bananas and the remaining liquid ingredients to the mixing bowl, and stir everything together. This is best done using a fork, as the mixture will be quite thick and sticky.
- Spread the mixture evenly into a coconut-oil-greased baking pan, or dispense it into muffin tins to make banana bread muffins.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the bread has risen and a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean.
- Remove the bread from the baking tray and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Stovetop Instructions:
- Follow the same instructions as above for mixing the ingredients together.
- Grease the sides of a saucepan with coconut oil and spread the mixture evenly in the saucepan.
- Cover the saucepan with a lid and turn the oven on very low, letting the bread rise for approximately 10 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean.
- Remove the bread from the saucepan and let the bread cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Enjoy! And may the self-control be ever in your favor…
Perhaps try some of our other gluten free desserts, such as the gluten free pie with banana filling!
