This is the allergen-free version of Jazzed Up Banana Bread, as promised…. but first, a note on flours:
I keep a variety of gluten-free flours and starches and just mix and match when experimenting with recipes. My general rule is to dump small amounts of several different ones — trying to keep a ratio of 1 part starch : 1 part grain or other “flour” — in a large bowl, and then when everything’s in there, feeling the mixture with my hands and seeing if it’s “floury” enough, adjusting amounts as necessary. Too much starch means it might feel pasty in the mouth when baked, or simply will need to bake/cook longer. Too much of a particular grain and I get a dominant flavor or texture that isn’t pleasant, i.e., rice or amaranth. I’ve found that small amounts of different starches and flours up the yum-factor, because there isn’t ONE dominant flavor that the kids are likely to hate. The good news about experimentation is that because of the increased availability and affordability of alternative flours and starches in recent years, compared to 10 years ago — it’s not as cost-prohibitive to play with them and come up with decent substitute recipes. Most things we make these days are edible even if they might need some future tweaking and retweaking. Enjoy the process, that’s the key!
So that means, in this particular recipe, if you can’t find amaranth flour where you are, let’s say, feel free to substitute another gluten-free flour or increase amounts of other things, like teff (I <heart> teff!!).
Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons flax seed meal
- 1/4 cup sorghum flour see note on flours and starches above
- 1/4 cup amaranth flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
- 1/4 cup teff flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour sub other flour for nut-free
- 1/4 cup potato starch
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2/3 cup sugar or sub like sucanat, or coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips and/or cocoa nibs
- 1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
- 3 pcs ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- cooking spray or other oil for prepping loaf pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a bowl or glass measuring cup, add vinegar to almond milk. In another bowl, mix flax seed meal with some water (~3-4 tablespoons) until you have a thickish slurry — this will thicken as it sits.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all the flours and starches, plus the xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips/cocoa nibs, chopped ginger and mashed bananas. Add vanilla extract to almond milk mixture and fold into the rest of the ingredients, along with the flax seed meal slurry. Fold in melted coconut oil last, making sure everything is nicely combined.
- Transfer to lightly-greased loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes to an hour, turning pan halfway, until skewer comes out clean when inserted in center of loaf. Let cool in pan, on a rack, 5 minutes, then turn out and let cool completely before slicing. (Riiiiiight.)
Recent Comments