Vegan Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Banana bread is one of my favorite quick breads. It’s easy to make, delicious, has a soft crumb, and reminds me of my childhood. Heck, this vegan gluten-free banana bread is so simple to make, you could even bake one on a weeknight! Whenever I have really ripe bananas on my counter and need to get rid of them, this is the recipe that I reach for. The recipe that I am about to share with you, comes from my grandmother. I’ve made a few changes to make it both vegan and gluten-free, while still retaining the original flavor and texture. Let’s start baking!
How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?
The bananas should be very ripe, which means that they will be very brown on the outside and slightly soft. The bananas should not have mold on them though.
What is a quick bread?
A quick bread is a type of bread made from batter instead of a dough, and the rising agent is something like baking soda or baking powder, instead of yeast. And because yeast is not used, a quick bread can be baked immediately in contrast to a yeast bread that needs to go through longer rising times.
Why does my banana bread not cook in the middle?
There are a few reasons why this could happen. The first is that the ratio of wet ingredients to dry ingredients could be off. The second, is that the pan size is incorrect. Either way, if you find that your banana bread it turning brown too fast on the top and is liquid in the middle, try turning down the temperature by about 25 degrees, and cover the top with aluminum foil. And always make sure your oven rack is in the middle of the oven. For my quick breads, I also use an aluminum baking pan.
How to Make Vegan Gluten-Free Banana Bread: Step-by-Step
Step 1. The first thing we will need to do is to prepare our equipment. First, grease and flour a 9″ x 5″ x 3″ bread pan (mine was given to me by my grandmother, so it’s a weird size of 9 5/8″ x 5 1/2″ x 2 3/4″). I grease my bread pan with vegetable shortening and then put a little bit of gluten-free flour (about a teaspoon or two) and then kind of swirl the pan around to coat all of the inside surfaces of the pan. Then, make sure your oven rack is in the middle of the oven, and preheat it to 350F. Next, we need to make a flax egg. To do this, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of boiling water in a small dish. Set aside for 5 minutes to let it thicken. It’s also a good idea to weigh out your flour. If you are using Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour, it’s 4.8 oz/cup. If you are using regular all-purpose flour (not gluten-free), it’s 4.25 oz/cup.
Step 2. In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas. I did this manually with a waffle head style potato masher, but you can also use an electric mixer.
Step 3. To the bowl, add extra light olive oil, unsweetened applesauce, milk of your choice, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, iodized salt, and ground cinnamon. Mix until combined.
Step 4. Add in flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. If desired, fold in chopped walnuts.
Step 5. Pour batter into greased and floured bread pan. I like to lightly tap the bottom of the pan on a table or a countertop to make sure that the batter is level and settled into the corners. If you are baking with a breakable pan such as glass, you are better off kind of tilting the pan around to get it level.
Step 6. Bake for 60-65 minutes. To make sure it’s cooked completely, insert a clean toothpick into the center. When you pull the toothpick out, it should be clean or have a few crumbs on it. I like to test a few different spots. Just make sure you start with a fresh toothpick (you can also use the same toothpick, and just flip it around). Let the bread cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack prior to removing and cutting into slices. To store, you can either store at room temperature for two days, or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you want to freeze it, slice it up first, then put all of the slices in a labeled freezer bag and stick in the freezer. Consume within one month.
More Ways to Use Up Ripe Bananas:
- Vegan Banana Cookies {Vegan, Gluten-Free}
- Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream {Vegan, Gluten-Free}
Vegan Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 flax egg (see notes for non-vegan option)
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1/2 cup extra light olive oil
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 tablespoons milk of your choice (I used original almond milk)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon iodized salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour (I used Bob's Red Mill) (OR regular all-purpose flour)
- 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Grease and flour a 9" x 5" x 3" bread pan. Then, make sure oven rack is in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350F. Next, we need to make a flax egg. To do this, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of boiling water in a small dish. Set aside for 5 minutes to let it thicken. It's also a good idea to weigh out your flour. If you are using Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour, it's 4.8 oz/cup. If you are using regular all-purpose flour (not gluten-free), it's 4.25 oz/cup.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas. I did this manually with a waffle head style potato masher, but you can also use an electric mixer.
- To the bowl, add extra light olive oil, unsweetened applesauce, milk of your choice, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, iodized salt, and ground cinnamon. Mix until combined.
- Add in flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. If desired, fold in chopped walnuts.
- Pour batter into greased and floured bread pan. I like to lightly tap the bottom of the pan on a table or a countertop to make sure that the batter is level and settled into the corners. If you are baking with a breakable pan such as glass, you are better off kind of tilting the pan around to get it level.
- Bake for 60-65 minutes. Bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack prior to removing and cutting into slices.
- To store, you can either store at room temperature for two days, or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. To freeze, slice the bread and put the slices in a labeled freezer bag and stick in the freezer. Consume within one month.
Notes
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