Gluten Free Banana Bread

nicole's notes

My take on this recipe

You know how the crumbs from a truly moist quick bread like banana bread can be picked up with the back of a fork? This is that gluten free banana bread. Here's what you should know before you begin:

• No burning: The batter has tons of moisture from all those bananas, so it won't burn before it bakes all the way through.
• The best texture: The acid of the sour cream and the sugar in the ripest bananas you can find tenderizes the crumb.
• One bowl: Not having to pull a separate bowl for mixing dry ingredients means faster cleanup and less mess.
• Easy preparation: It's made with melted butter, so you don't have to wait for it to soften. Float cold eggs in warm water for a few minutes; warm up cold sour cream on low power in the microwave for 20 seconds.

substitutions

Ingredient substitutions

The full list of ingredients is in the recipe card, and you'll find dairy, eggs, and refined sugar. Here are my suggestions on how to replace them, or to add mix-ins:

Dairy free

In place of butter, try using vegan butter. My favorite brands are Melt and Miyoko's Creamery.

In place of sour cream, any plain, nondairy, gluten-free sour cream alternative should work fine. If you'd like to use plain nondairy yogurt, be sure to drain it of liquid until it's the consistency of sour cream or it will add too much moisture.

Egg free

There are two eggs in this recipe. You should be able to replace each of them with a “chia egg.”

For each “chia egg,” combine 1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water and allow to sit until it gels. If you have another egg replacer you prefer, try that. This recipe is so adaptable that it might work.

Vegan

Just follow both the egg and milk substitutions above, and you'll have a yummy vegan bread. Just be sure that your sugars are vegan, so they're not prepared with bone char.

Mix-ins

You can add about 1 cup of mix-ins to this recipe. Try folding in 1 cup of soft nuts like chopped walnuts or chopped pecans. Or fold in 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips once the batter is otherwise ready to transfer to the pan.

Alternative sugars

I haven't tried this recipe with a granulated sugar alternative, but it might be worth trying to replace the granulated sugar with Lankato brand granulated sugar alternative. It does tend to be drying, though, so you may need to add a bit of water. Add it slowly, though, and try to match the texture you see in the photos and video.

Keep in mind that you can't replace a granulated sugar, like the white sugar in this recipe, with a liquid sugar, like maple syrup or honey, without upsetting the moisture balance. That can result in a loaf that just won't bake through without burning, so it collapses as it cools.

I think you should be able to replace granulated sugar with coconut sugar, but try grinding it into a finer powder first since it's typically very coarse.

what's in it

Recipe ingredient notes

• Gluten free flour blend: I like Better Batter or Nicole's Best here (be sure to add xanthan gum), but Cup4Cup works great, too.
• Baking powder/baking soda: Add rise to your quick bread, and the baking soda also helps with browning in the oven.
• Salt: Brightens all the flavors and balances the sweetness.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar adds a sweet taste, but also helps keep the bread super fork tender.
• Butter: Adds richness and flavor, and also tenderness. Be sure to melt the butter and let it cool briefly so it doesn't heat the raw eggs.
• Eggs: Add rise, hold the bread together, and aid in rising.
• Sour cream: The tang of sour cream enhances the banana flavor; the acid tenderizes the bread and sour cream has less moisture than buttermilk so the bread holds its shape.
• Vanilla extract: Adds depth of flavor.
• Bananas: Ripe bananas have tons of natural caramelized sweetness in them. Never run out of this most important element of banana bread by freezing ripe bananas, then defrosting, mashing (with the liquid!) and adding to your banana bread.

My Pro Tip

Expert tips

To make the perfect gluten free banana bread, follow this recipe precisely, measuring by weight, not volume, wherever possible. And follow these tips:

Use very ripe bananas

Choose bananas that have ripened enough to be evenly speckled and have a strong aroma. Like I often have shredded and drained zucchini in my freezer to make gluten free zucchini bread, I keep ripe bananas on hand in the freezer. I peel, slice and freeze ripe bananas, and store them in the freezer in a zip-top bag. You can defrost them either at room temperature or in the microwave for about 20 seconds on 75% power.

Mix the bananas gently

Mash the peeled, ripe bananas very well before adding them to the batter. Then fold them into the batter at the end, rather than stirring aggressively.

Use room temperature ingredients

When you allow your ingredients to come to room temperature, you'll notice it's so much easier to mix them. You'll also notice a finer end product because you didn't have to overmix your ingredients to fully incorporate them.

Let the bread cool completely before slicing

As tempting as it may be to slice into your bread as soon as it's out of the oven, try to resist. When you allow your bread to cool, you'll enjoy a better texture. In addition to the improved mouth feel, the bread will be easier to slice and won't fall apart.

make ahead/leftovers

Storage instructions

This bread stays fresh at room temperature, wrapped tightly, for at least 3 days.

Freezing

For longer storage, I prefer to slice the bread fully, and wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap or Glad Press ‘n' Seal, then freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrosting/refreshing

When you ready to eat, you can defrost a slice by leaving it at unwrapped on the counter for about 30 minutes. To speed up defrosting, try defrosting the slice for 20 seconds in the microwave. For a refreshed taste, toast it on low in the toaster oven for 30 seconds.