There is no better use of overripe bananas and there is nothing better than the smell of banana bread baking in the oven. Just the smell makes me happy; the taste is euphoric! This recipe went through several renditions before reaching perfection. Baking with gluten-free and grain-free flours can be a bit tricky and finding the right balance is important when attempting to develop recipes that taste as good as something made with traditional white flour. I played around with making this recipe grain free versus gluten-free and honestly, both versions taste delicious. If you eat grains, my suggestion is to make the gluten-free option (made with oat flour) because it comes out like a traditional bread. If you are avoiding grains, the grain-free option (made with almond flour) tastes amazing, it just has a more dense and fudgy texture. I personally love adding chopped walnuts to this recipe, but I listed the ingredient as “optional” because we are a divided house here. Some love and some despise walnuts in the banana bread. Very unfortunate!!
Ingredients
- 3 large bananas mashed (about 1 Cup)
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp vegan egg powder (favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mills Or you can use flax meal)
- 5 Tbsp. warm water to make the vegan eggs
- ¼ cup raw almond butter
- ¼ cup melted vegan butter or coconut oil
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Options & substitutions
If you want to make this bread grain free, use 2 cups of almond flour and eliminate the coconut flour and the oat flour from the recipe.
- Add 1/3 Cup of chopped walnuts
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Prepare the vegan eggs by whisking 2 tablespoons of vegan egg replacement powder or 2 tablespoons of flax meal with 5 tablespoons of warm water. Let sit for a few minutes to thicken.
In a large bowl, mix the mashed banana, maple syrup, vanilla extract, vegan eggs, coconut sugar, and melted butter or oil until well blended.
In a small bowl add the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and stir until blended.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and blend until well mixed.
Stir in the chocolate chips and the walnuts if you are using them.
Grease a loaf pan with some vegan butter and add the batter to the pan.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is firm to touch and lightly browned.
Cool completely before removing from the pan. Cut and enjoy!
