Often we are the meanies who have to tell someone they need to modify their diet and, in some cases, go gluten-free. Take it from me, I know how hard it can be to make dietary changes. When I was encouraged to go gluten-free during my own personal functional medicine journey, I panicked. I was a gluten consumer. So many of my staple recipes included gluten. Needless to say, when I made my major diet changes I felt lost. I loved to bake and didn’t have the slightest clue how to continue making freshly baked goods that were gluten-free and free of refined sugar…how were they ever going to taste the same? Would I enjoy baking again?
Well, I can tell you the skill of learning to bake gluten-free did not come overnight, nor did finding great staple recipes. It took a while for me to find my grove and enjoy baking just as much as I did before. This is why I want to share one of my favorite gluten-free recipes with you. When this recipe was shared with me, I knew I immediately had to try it. This recipe has become one of our favorites and has been adapted from the original found on the Gimme Delicious blog. I added some personal touches to it to make it free of refined sugar-free and made it a little more healthy by adding protein powder and flax meal.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups gluten-free flour (we love Namaste found at Costco)
- 4-5 very ripe bananas mashed (1 ½ cups)
- ¼ cup maple syrup (modified from original)
- ½ cup butter 1 stick, softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk, I use oat milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon (added to original)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips, add more if you like
- 4 scoops Vital Proteins unflavored protein powder (added to original)
- ¼ cup flax meal (added to original)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan, set aside (I melt the butter in the pan while preheating the oven to melt the butter and grease the pan at once).
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Stir in eggs, milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas until well blended. Add the wet banana mixture into flour mixture, fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for at least 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool another 30 minutes. Slice and serve.
- HOT TIP: Try toasting a slice in the toaster oven (not an upright toaster) and for an added crispiness, and spread some more butter on top if desired…seriously it’s delicious!!
ENJOY!!!