To All the Banana Bread We Made Last Year…
Remember when we spent the early months of pandemic life baking up a storm? Those times may have past, but banana bread is still delicious. Change up the add-ins with our two recipes to give it a sweeter taste or different texture.
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Sign InWhen making banana bread, feel free try out different flour combinations to allow for intolerances or allergies; these two recipes are both gluten-free. The first variation uses coconut flour, which gives the bread nice flavor and a lot of fiber. Plenty of cinnamon provides warmth; if you want a subtler flavor, use just 1 teaspoon. Change up the add-ins—use dried fruit for naturally sweeter bread or nuts to add texture and a bit more fat and protein. For a real treat, try adding dark chocolate chips.
Ingredients
Banana cinnamon bread
- Scant ½ cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
- Pinch of sea salt
- ¼ cup unsweetened dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped walnuts
- 2 large (or 3 medium) very ripe bananas
- 5 large eggs (or 6 small ones)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
Banana blueberry bread
- ¾ cup rice flour
- ¼ cup potato flour
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 2 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
- 1–2 tsp. cinnamon
- 3 large bananas
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup coconut cream or almond milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup frozen blueberries
Directions
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Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a 4 × 8-inch loaf tin with parchment paper.
For the Cinnamon Bread
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Step 1
Combine the coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and dried fruit or nuts in a medium-size bowl. In a separate bowl mash the bananas, then add the eggs and whisk to combine. Stir in the vanilla and coconut oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
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Step 2
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 30–40 minutes. Remove from the oven when the loaf is golden on top and a skewer or toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Let rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing and serving.
For the Blueberry Bread
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Step 1
Mix together the flours, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mash the bananas and mix in the coconut oil, coconut cream or almond milk, and vanilla. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir thoroughly until combined.
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Step 2
Beat the eggs until thick and creamy—you are aiming to incorporate lots of air to help the loaf rise. Add half the beaten eggs to the batter and stir gently until combined. Add the other half and stir until just mixed. Gently stir in the frozen blueberries.
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Step 3
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake until the loaf is golden on top and a skewer or toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean, about 60–70 minutes. Let rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Adapted from Racing Weight Cookbook: Lean, Light Recipes for Athletes by Matt Fitzgerald with permission of VeloPress.