Gluten Free Banana Bread
Finding gluten free dessert recipes can be hard to do. Especially ones that are moist, tasty, and not dried out. This easy gluten free banana bread is a wonderful dessert that you can make, and everyone will enjoy… not just the people who need gluten free food.
In this post you will learn how to make a gluten free easy banana bread recipe.
What Ripeness of Bananas Should I use?
The best bananas that you should use are the ripened, older bananas that have changed colour already and are a bit soft. If you use these ripened bananas, it makes them easier and softer to mash up. Also, ripened bananas are sweeter due to the bananas starch being converted to sugar as they ripen.
If you do not have any older bananas for this, do not worry. You can use fresher bananas. Or if you are planning to make this banana bread recipe tomorrow or in a few days you can use these methods below to ripen your bananas for your banana bread.
How to Ripen Bananas Artificially at Home
- Brown Bag Method: Place the unpeeled bananas in a paper bag and fold the top of the bag closed. Bananas release ethylene gas which will speed up the ripening process and since the bananas are in a bag, it will be trapped and ripen them quickly. Make sure to check the bananas periodically. They will ripen within 24 to 48 hours using this method.
- Oven Method: Preheat your oven to 300℉/150℃/Gas Mark 2. Place the unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake them for about 15-20 minutes, or until the skins turn black. Keep a close eye on them to prevent them from overcooking. Then, let the bananas cool before using them.
- Microwave Method: Make a few small slits in the skins of the unpeeled bananas. Place them on a microwave-safe plate and microwave them on high for 30 second intervals until the skins turn black and the bananas feel soft. Let them cool before using.
These methods can help ripen bananas quickly, but keep in mind that ripening your bananas this way may not yield the same flavour as ripening them naturally.
If I Use Fresh Bananas, Will It Change the Taste?
Using fresh bananas in your banana bread will not wreck it; however, the flavour and texture might be slightly different compared to using ripe or overripe bananas. These are the three things that could be changed if using fresh bananas for your banana bread recipe.
- Flavour: fresh bananas have a milder flavour compared to ripe or overripe bananas. If you use fresh bananas the banana flavour might be milder and not as pronounced as using ripe bananas. There will still be a banana flavour though with fresh bananas.
- Texture: fresh bananas are firm and contain less moisture that ripe or overripe bananas. So, this can affect the texture of your banana bread, making it slightly denser and less moist.
- Sweetness: fresh bananas are less sweet than ripened or overripened bananas. If you prefer sweeter banana bread, you may need to add a little extra sugar to the batter to compensate for the natural sweetness that ripe bananas would provide.
Overall, using fresh bananas in banana bread is perfectly fine for you to do, especially if you do not have time to ripen your bananas. If you want a stronger banana flavour and moist texture, you will need to artificially ripen your bananas or wait a few days for your bananas to ripen on the counter.
Can I Make This Banana Bread Recipe Dairy Free?
The only dairy used in this recipe is 1/3 cup of butter. You can replace it with vegetable or olive oil. For the 1/3 cup of butter, you would use ¼ cup of whichever oil you choose. You will get the best results if you use olive oil or vegetable oil.
I stay away from coconut oil as that has a very specific taste which could clash with the banana flavour.
If you do switch out the butter for an oil, this recipe will be a lovely gluten-free, dairy-free banana bread.
Do I Have to Make this Recipe Gluten-Free?
If you do not want to make this recipe gluten-free, that is no problem and easy to switch to a plain banana bread recipe. Merely switch out the gluten free flour for regular all-purpose flour/plain flour at a 1:1 ratio, and only put in three bananas instead of four bananas.
I put four bananas into the gluten free version of this banana bread because I have found that gluten free flour can make baked goods taste a bit dry so the extra banana is for more moisture.
After those ingredient changes, the rest of the banana bread ingredients stay the same.
Ingredients
Bananas: bananas are the star of this recipe. They provide natural sweetness, flavour, and moisture to this bread recipe. Ripened or overripened bananas are typically used as they have a stronger banana flavour and are easier to mash together.
Butter: butter adds richness and flavour to the bread. For this recipe, you should use softened butter.
Egg: the egg acts as the binder which holds all the ingredients together in the loaf and adds structure to it.
Vanilla: vanilla extract enhances the flavour of the banana bread by adding a warm, sweet aroma and depth of flavour. It complements the natural sweetness of the bananas and adds a subtle touch of sweetness to the bread.
Gluten-Free Flour Plain: gluten free flour is the ingredient that provides structure and helps the ingredients to bind together. Make sure that it is plain gluten free flour as you will be using baking soda in this recipe, and self-rising flour has baking powder in it.
Brown Sugar: brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture to the banana bread. It contributes to the golden colour of the bread crust and adds a subtle caramel flavour. Because of this, brown sugar is preferred over granulated sugar for its richer flavour and moist texture.
Baking Soda: baking soda is the leavening (rising) agent that helps the banana bread to rise. It produces carbon dioxide after being mixed with the acidic bananas and brown sugar.
Salt: salt enhances the flavour and balances the sweetness of the other flavours in the banana bread.
Walnuts (Optional): walnuts are optional in this recipe. They add a texture, crunch, and nutty flavour to the banana bread. Add them to the batter or sprinkle on top of the loaf directly before baking. For a nut-free option you could add chocolate chips instead and make a chocolate chip banana bread or a different type of nut like pecans.
Tips
- Use ripened bananas as that will give the best flavour, texture, and moisture content to the banana bread recipe.
- Whisking in the egg to wet ingredients adds extra air into the banana mixture. This method increases the lightness of your bread.
- Sprinkle the walnuts or chocolate chips on top of the batter before it goes into the oven for a lovely appearance.
Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 4 bananas ripened
- 1/3 c. unsalted butter softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 c. gluten-free flour plain
- ¾ c. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 pinch of salt
- Optional: handful of crushed walnuts pecans, or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉/175℃/Gas Mark 4.
- Mash bananas in a large bowl. Add softened butter and vanilla and mix well.
- Whisk in the large egg to the wet ingredients.
- In a separate medium bowl, add all of the dry ingredients together and mix.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and incorporate together.
- If adding walnuts, nuts, or chocolate chips add into the fully mixed batter.
- Pour batter into a buttered or greased cake 9x5 cake tin.
- Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour until a knife inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool and serve!