Banana Bread Loaf (GF, NF, YF, V+)

Egg-free, dairy-free, nut-free banana bread

I had four not too big but very ripe bananas. What to do with them? Another silky chocolate avocado? I am off cocoa to improve my sleep, so I needed something else. Banana bread, perhaps? Sounds good enough.

We have looked at many, many banana bread recipes. Those that were gluten-free most of them contained almond flour and a good few of them eggs as well. I wanted neither of those ingredients, so I came up with my own version. You could call it grain-free as well since buckwheat is a grass. It only has 1 tbsp. added coconut sugar, no any other sweetener (apart from the bananas of course).

We have made this bread three times in the past two days and every time it turns out the same, moist but not mushy. It is light, with air holes here and there. Not sticky, easy to slice. Simply lovely. We enjoyed it warm on its own, fresh on the day of baking but it was equally great toasted the next day with jostaberry jam. Try for yourself!

You will need (makes one loaf):

½ cup buckwheat flour

½ cup chestnut flour

¼ cup cassava flour

1 tbsp. psyllium seed husks

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tbsp. coconut sugar

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

2-3 tbsp. poppy seeds

½ tsp. fine sea salt

4 medium-size ripe bananas (yellow skin with lots of brown spots)

4 tbsp. coconut oil, melted

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large glass bowl.

2. In a smaller glass bowl mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. Add the liquid coconut oil, mix, then add the vinegar as well.
3. Line a bread loaf mould (I have used Pyrex, 9cmx21cm at the bottom, 11cmx24cm at the top) with baking paper. I have used a strip on the wide side of the mould to make it easier to lift the baked bread out.

4. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet. Stir gently until no dry bits left, shouldn’t take more that 10-15 sec.

5. Put the mould into a preheated oven and bake at 180C for about 40-45 mins, until the top is golden. Use a bamboo skewer to test the middle. If it comes out clean, your bread is ready.
6. Remove the mould from the oven. Lift the bread out onto a wire rack. Remove the baking paper from under it and let it cool down to room temperature.
7. Ready. Steady. Slice! Enjoy!

Tip: Slice the leftover bread up and store in an air-tight container in the fridge. Great toasted with jam or just butter!