It’s a distinct smell. Not too sweet, but just sweet enough. It brings back childhood memories of warm, soft, butter-laden treats… oh, to be able to eat a glorious slice of freshly baked banana bread once again.
Unfortunately, for most of us who have histamine issues, the type of bananas that are needed for an ooey-gooey banana loaf aren’t well tolerated. Too much sugar, too much fiber, too high on the FODMAP list! For some of you, even the thought of a ripe banana can send shivers down your spine.
Luckily, just like you, I used to love a warm slice of banana loaf before I found out I had histamine intolerance. And because of that, I went and search far and wide to come up with the perfect recipe that allows me to enjoy those flavors once again - of course, without any of those nasty banana-related side effects!
And now you too can enjoy the same texture and sweetness of a ‘nana loaf, using only the best low histamine ingredients. Let me show you how!
Low Histamine Faux Banana Bread Recipe: Nutritional Info
You don't have to suffer without baked foods if you've said goodbye to gluten as part of your low histamine diet. If you're living with histamine intolerance, it really is best you want to stay as far away from the stuff as possible. It's simply too risky to allow its inflammatory properties to run rampant in your body, and not worth the ordeal you'll have to deal with in terms of symptoms after you've ingested it. That's why we used rice flour in this recipe.
Rice flour offers a great, gluten-free, low-histamine alternative to normal wheat- and gluten-based flours. It also acts like traditional flours in that it doesn’t require much more liquid, like coconut flour would. It's notable that histamine intolerance and gut health issues are related, which is why we often recommend choosing to go gluten-free - at least for a while to trial it out - when you're living with histamine intolerance (1).
Cream of tartar and baking soda, which are needed to get the banana bread feeling light and fluffy, are both on the ‘safe’ list for histamine intolerance sufferers. It certainly simplifies the qualms of low-histamine baking to have both of these ingredients on the 'green' list.
Ground ginger is a particularly good choice of ingredient for those with histamine intolerance. Not only does it provides a strong kick of flavor, it actually has antihistamine properties! That's right. Ginger has been shown to reduce the release of histamine from the body, especially when the release is triggered by the immune system's response to a threat. It's also through it's anti-inflammatory effects that ginger can provide exceptional benefits, from reducing the pain response and treating headaches (2).
Coconut oil is a great source of healthy fats, especially for those wanting to increase dietary fat content. Additionally, coconut oil has antibacterial properties that can contribute to healthier digestion and balanced gut microbiome overall (3). Coconut oil also possesses antiviral properties; if you've read my blog post about various conditions that may be linked to histamine intolerance, you'll know that viral infections can be one of those sinister underlying causes of histamine intolerance, which coconut oil can help combat against.
Raw, organic honey is often well tolerated by those who react to higher histamine foods, and also carries a broad nutrient profile and antibacterial properties (4). However, if you find that honey is a reactive food for you, you can always try another form of sweetness, like blackstrap molasses, or maple syrup. If any form of sugar doesn't sit well with you, you can simply leave it out of the recipe, the very next ingredient is sure to keep things tasting sweet and delicious...
Sweet potato offers the same ‘gooey’ texture that the bananas would, as well as the mild sweet flavour of a dessert. Not to mention, sweet potatoes contribute to digestion by encouraging the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes. They're also fibrous and packed with a whole whack of nutrients, so they're a real plus when it comes to a rich, nutritious ingredient to use in baking.
Eggs, when fully cooked, are typically well tolerated for those with histamine intolerance. It’s raw eggs, and more specifically, raw egg whites, that cause a problem! However, for those with an egg allergy or who are intolerant to eggs for non-histamine issues, flax ‘eggs’ are popular in vegan and eliminations diets. A flax ‘egg’ is an egg-free substitute that can be just as great a binder in a recipe like this as a real egg, and it will add moisture and texture to the loaf.
With the addition of alcohol free, pure vanilla extract and optional macadamia nuts (only for those who have tested and reintroduced macadamias), this loaf will not only be a satisfying treat, it won’t send your nose streaming, your eyes watering, or be the cause of a build up of any other undesirable symptoms you’d get if you had eaten a standard, traditionally made slice of banana loaf.
Ok, enough with the ingredient benefits already! Let's get to the recipe, shall we?
Low Histamine Faux Banana Bread: Recipe
Makes 10 slices
Calories per serving: 236
Carbohydrate: 30g
Protein: 3g
Fat:11g
Ingredients
- 1½ cups rice flour
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato
- ¼ cup raw honey (blackstrap molasses or maple syrup)
- 2 tsps alcohol free vanilla extract
- 2 eggs (or 2 tbsps flaxseed meal mixed with 6 tbsp water, microwaved for 1 minute if you are vegan or intolerant to eggs)
- ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts (optional for those who have reintroduced macadamias)
Directions
- Prepare the sweet potato by boiling two medium-sized sweet potatoes with the skin on. Once cooked, allow to cool and peel the skin off before mashing thoroughly.
- In a mixing bowl combine the rice flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and ground ginger. In a food processing bowl, mix the sweet potato, oil, honey, vanilla extract and flaxseed/water mixture. Process until smooth and then add the dry ingredients. Remove from the food processor and add the macadamia nuts.
- Pour the batter into a well greased baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes or until a wooden skewer in the centre comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan and then turn out onto a wire rack to allow to cool completely.
- Slice as desired.
For leftovers, freeze the loaf in individual slices. Defrost a slice or two as you eat them, or pop them into the toaster for a slight variation and toasted flavour. Freezing anything that you don't want to eat fresh will keep the histamine levels of your snack low, while reducing the pressures to meal prep!
And that's it. Now you have the most delightful faux banana bread recipes to enjoy as if it was the real deal.
References
- Schnedl WJ, Lackner S, Enko D, Schenk M, Mangge H, Holasek SJ. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity: people without celiac disease avoiding gluten-is it due to histamine intolerance?. Inflamm Res. 2018;67(4):279-284. doi:10.1007/s00011-017-1117-4
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Yamprasert R, Chanvimalueng W, Mukkasombut N, Itharat A. Ginger extract versus Loratadine in the treatment of allergic rhinitis: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2020;20(1):119. Published 2020 Apr 20. doi:10.1186/s12906-020-2875-z
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Peedikayil FC, Remy V, John S, Chandru TP, Sreenivasan P, Bijapur GA. Comparison of antibacterial efficacy of coconut oil and chlorhexidine on Streptococcus mutans: An in vivo study. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2016;6(5):447-452. doi:10.4103/2231-0762.192934
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Mandal MD, Mandal S. Honey: its medicinal property and antibacterial activity. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2011;1(2):154-160. doi:10.1016/S2221-1691(11)60016-6
Anita Tee
My name is Anita Tee. I'm a nutritional scientist who specializes in histamine intolerance. I hold a Master of Science in Personalized Nutrition and a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Psychology.
For the past ten years, I have used my experience in nutritional and medical health sciences to create a scientifically backed, natural approach to healthcare that relies 100% on evidence-based research.
As I previously suffered from - and overcame - histamine intolerance, my focus is to increase recognition and expand the available resources and protocols available for resolving this particular disorder. To date, I have helped over 4,000 individuals fully resolve or better manage their histamine intolerance symptoms.
