Banana Bread, low sugar and gluten free.

 A friend shared this recipe with me. It was one she'd cut out of a magazine.   It immediately piqued my interest for a few reasons: the minimal amount of oil and sugar per loaf.  And it was also gluten-free.   

It's also Avocado and Banana month, and I honored the Avocado with my Spicy Avocado Deviled Eggs earlier this week, and now we get to the other part of the month, the Banana.  

I've been making a good banana bread for years, but honestly, I wasn't crazy about how much oil the recipe called for, so when my friend, Lisa, shared this recipe, I sat up and took note.   It's still really delicious, and for those of us who seek a little less sugar and oil in our diets, well, all I can say is this,  WOOHOO!!!!  

My only quibble when I read the recipe was that I didn't have any oat flour on hand.  And when I raised that little quibble to my friend, she told me she'd made her own oat flour from some oatmeal she had on hand.  I fixed that little issue, though.  I took some of the oats I'd purchased, threw them into my blender, and whizzed them into flour. Best part, it costs about .05/oz., versus .34/oz. for the processed oat flour, and I don't know about you, but that is a pretty significant saving.  And I do like to save, where possible.  

I also used up the frozen bananas I had.  I buy bananas a lot, but usually don't eat them quickly enough, and they get overripe.  At which point I consign them to the freezer, in their original packaging.   When I want to bake banana bread, I usually have enough for a couple of loaves of banana bread.  

Hint:  I take the bananas out about a half hour or so before I'm ready to bake. I then cut off one end of the frozen banana, squeeze out the innards into a bowl, and set it aside as I gather the rest of the ingredients.     I also like to lay a banana slice lengthwise on top of the bread and use the natural division in the banana to separate it into thirds.   

I have to admit to not really caring for Banana Bread that much, but if I'm going to eat it, I want some walnuts in it. 

And since I made a second batch of bread and was feeling a touch lazy, I decided to use my gluten-free flour in it, instead of the oat flour.   It did make a big difference.   The oat flour seemed to make the bread very soft, whereas the gluten-free flour made it look more like traditional bread.  

I also taste-tested both, and ummm, can I just say, they were both pretty darn tasty.    I do think I prefer the one with the walnuts and gluten-free flour, though, but I wouldn't say no to the one made with the oat flour either.   I also want to add I've made a lot of recipes using bananas.  And while Banana Bread is not really high on my list of faves,  I've made Oatmeal Banana Muffins, and I also love making these Banana Coconut Pecan Pancakes from time to time.   A friend of ours always ordered the Banana Coconut Pancakes when we'd go out for breakfast.  I can't remember if there were pecans on them as well, but I like pecans, so I usually add some.    I also live in the south, and I'm not sure, but I think that everyone who lives here has to have a Banana Pudding recipe.  I honestly do not know if it's still a requisite for living here, but just in case...   I've also made a Banana Bundt Cake a few times.  Talk about a sugar rush, this delivers it.  

As you can see, I've celebrated Bananas a lot.    And now for this edition of Banana Month. 

 

Here's the recipe: 

Banana Bread - gluten free

Yield: Makes 2 small loaves or 1 large one

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking - Adapted from many recipes

Prep time: 10 MinTotal time: 10 Min

Love banana bread, but don't like all the oil in it? Try this method, it's a low-sugar, gluten-free loaf of deliciousness.

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas + 1 ripe banana, divided lengthwise into thirds, using the extra third for the batter.
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup Canola or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed almond flour
• 1 1/4 cups oat flour - made from quick oats or Gluten-free flour. The texture will be different with each one.
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt - I use extra fine Himalayan Salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 8x4 or 1 9x5 pan/s with nonstick spray, then set aside while the batter is made.
2. Mash bananas in a bowl until smooth, add the eggs, honey, oil, and vanilla, and mix well.
3. Divide a banana into thirds lengthwise, using the banana's natural divisions. Add one-third of a banana to the mashed bananas and set the other two pieces aside.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and mix until well combined.
6. Pour batter into the two pans, evenly, and place the 1/3 piece of banana on top, and press down lightly.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, checking after 35 minutes to see if the bread is browning too quickly, and test for doneness by inserting a toothpick; if it comes out clean, the bread is done. If the bread is not done, place a piece of aluminum foil over the top, and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes.
8. Cool the bread in the tins on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before removing the bread from the tins. Let cool completely before slicing and serving. Store in an airtight container.

Estimate only

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