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A recipe for Gluten-Free and Vegan Banana Bread that tastes equally as delicious as your traditional banana bread. No one will know it is gluten and dairy-free!
I often get asked why my recipes use certain flours/starches and why some are vegan while others are not. My recipes are almost always gluten-free because I eat gluten-free (most of the time), but as I’m sure you’ve discovered I am certainly not vegan or paleo or follow any real diet for that matter. Honestly, there is no rhyme or reason to it, my recipes come out the way they do entirely based on what I have on hand.
Sure I make the occasional grocery shop, but especially when it comes to baking there’s always different combinations that can yield the same result. I’m not about to go running out to the store to buy cornstarch and buckwheat if I already have tapioca flour and brown rice flour on hand. Same goes for eggs. If I’m out but have some flaxseed in the fridge, flax egg here we come. When there’s a will there’s a way!
Of course I’m also a sucker for a good science experiment. A while ago I read that mixing applesauce and baking powder can act as a binder instead of eggs. Obviously I forgot to write down where I read it or how to do it, but I gave it a shot and the baking gods must have been on my side because it actually worked out in this recipe.
I really had no intention of posting this recipe when I was baking it because I made it last-minute for C when I visited Montreal a few weeks ago. I sneakily made it gluten-free so I could eat it too. He was shocked at how good it was despite its “healthiness” (healthy food can taste good people!!!) that I knew I had to recreate and photograph it. I then made them into muffins when I catered and fooled everyone there too. I declare myself the banana bread queen because damnnnnn this.is.good.
The Best Ever Banana Bread {Gluten-Free & Vegan}
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 slices 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Bake
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Dry:
- 3/4 cup brown rice flour*
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp gluten-free oat flour (ground rolled oats)*
- 3/4 cup potato starch*
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch*
- 1 tsp xanthan gum**
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet:
- 1/2 cup applesauce, warmed up and then mixed with ½ tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 4 ripe bananas
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: 1 cup chocolate chips or nuts (or a combination)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with coconut oil or non-stick spray (bread is big so don’t use a smaller sized pan)
- Combine all dry ingredients and set aside.
- In a separate bowl mash up bananas. Add in warm applesauce (premixed with baking powder), melted coconut oil, maple syrup, almond milk and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined.
- Add in chocolate chips or nuts if desired.
- Scoop batter into pan and bake for 55-60 mins.
- Remove from oven and let cool for at least 30 mins before removing from pan and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Will keep in a sealed container on counter for up to 5 days.
*Or replace brown rice flour, oat flour, tapioca flour and potato starch with 2 1/4 cups + 2 tbsp of regular all-purpose or whole wheat flour.
**If using regular all-purpose or whole wheat omit xanthan gum
***Can also be made into 12 large muffins (bake for 25-30 mins or until top is brown and springs back)
Like this recipe? Check out some of my other baked goods!
Best ever?! I think that would mean you have eaten a piece of EVERY SINGLE LOAF OF gluten-free & vegan bread EVER MADE! lmfao. I am utterly impressed that you can keep such a sexy body after chowing down so much! 😉
YES I have tried every loaf. I only speak the truth!
Adding this to my list to make! Gunshow loves BANANA bread so I think this will excite him since it is a healthier version!!!!!
I completely understand about a all over the place diet! Mine is too other than no dairy… allergy!
So cool to learn about the applesauce and baking powder trick! I’ve used applesauce in the place of fats/oil before, but never knew the science behind it. Anyways, it looks like it worked out fantastically because these seem SO moist! 😀
I just made banana bread last weekend because my husband loves it. It’s one of his favorites! However, I love this healthier version of it. Definitely need to remember this one!
This looks awesome! Banana bread with chocolate chips and nuts is the best! I once even put peanut butter chips in it too…amazing!
Genius!!! #winning
Don’t you love surprising people with healthy food? And my brother’s girlfriend is gluten and dairy-free and I always feel bad that I never have anything for her when i bake…I may have to make this up for Superbowl!
How did it turn out?!?
woman, you were not lying about the ‘best-ever’ part. It was so good!
hehe yay!!!! Any leftovers? I’m hungry….
Wow! This looks like one amazing loaf of banana bread. Can’t wait to give it a go 🙂
Thanks Ashley! Hope you enjoy 🙂
All hail the banana bread queen! We bow down to you oh Davida the Great. So this has real cooked brown rice in it? That’s super cool. I bet it would have a crazy good texture. I never would have thought to add that!
I’m a sucker for any banana bread recipe. It’s just so darn good. I always cook/bake vegan (obvs) but I like experimenting with GF as well. Grant’s sister is GF so I use her as my taste tester for new recipes.