Bananas are a wonderful fruit. I try to eat one every day either on its own or in a smoothie. There are many other great uses for bananas, such as pancakes. And banana bread! Fortunately, banana bread is something that I can bake.
During the summer, bananas go from a ripe yellow to spotted and brown fairly quickly around here. I often throw them in the freezer to use in smoothies at a later date. Today I realized that I already had a ton of bananas in the freezer and the ones on my counter were ripening fast. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to make banana bread!
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl using a whisk: 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Mash 4-5 medium bananas (you need 2 cups) in another large bowl with a fork.
Once the bananas are mashed, add 4 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1/3 cup canola oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Combine using a whisk.
Add the banana mixture to the flour and stir until just combined.
Spray two 4″ x 8″ loaf pans with cooking spray. Split the batter between the two pans. Chop 1/2 raw walnuts and sprinkle them over the top of each pan.
Bake for 45 – 55 minutes. At the 45 minute mark, insert a toothpick into the center of each loaf. If it comes out clean, they are done. If your bread is not done, return it to the oven for an additional 5 – 10 minutes until the toothpick does come out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes in your pans before removing them to continue cooling on wire racks.
Slice each loaf into 12 pieces. Enjoy however you prefer. A side of vanilla ice cream is one of my favorites!
Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 – 55 minutes
2 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4-5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2) In a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Combine using a whisk.
3) In another large mixing bowl, mash 2 cups (4-5 medium) ripe bananas. Add 4 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1/3 cup canola oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Use a whisk to combine thoroughly. Add banana mixture to flour and stir until just moist.
4) Spray two 4″ x 8″ loaf pans with cooking spray and pour an equal amount of batter into each of them. Chop 1/2 raw walnuts and sprinkle them over the top of each loaf.
5) Cook for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, checking to see if a toothpick stuck into the center of each loaf comes out clean. If your toothpick does not come out clean, return the bread to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from your pans and cool on a wire rack. Serve when cool.
*Adapted from Taste of Home.
Dessert, Gluten-Free
Marta in Michigan 