Gluten-free Banana Bread — Jessica Mitton

Banana bread was one of my favourites as a kid; however, since switching to a gluten-free diet I haven’t been able to enjoy this sweet, delicious treat…until now! After much experimentation in the kitchen, I’ve been able to come up with a super moist, delicious, gluten- and dairy-free banana bread that tastes just as good as the original!

But that’s not the only good news, because bananas also offer up so many nutrients, including potassium, fibre, and vitamin C. They also contain some very important phytochemicals, one of them being pectin. Pectin is a source of fibre and has so many health benefits. Foods containing pectin are great for removing unwanted metals and toxins from the body, and can also help lower cholesterol. Pectin also helps slow down the absorption of foods. So while bananas may be high on the glycemic index, the effect is offset by the presence of the health-packed phytochemical, pectin, which counters the rapid increase in blood sugar!

Why not try out this gluten- and dairy-free banana bread and get your fill on some of those plentiful pectin benefits!

Banana Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

¾ cup brown rice flour

¾ cup buckwheat flour

½ cup almond flour

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 bananas, mashed

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

2 eggs

½ cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan with coconut oil.

2. Combine flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl.

3. In another medium-sized bowl, whisk together banana, applesauce, coconut oil, eggs, coconut sugar and vanilla.

4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Pour batter into the greased loaf pan and bake in oven for 50 – 60 minutes.

Sources:

Balch, Phyllis A. Prescription for Dietary Wellness. New York: Avery, 2003. Print.

"Bananas." The World's Healthiest Foods. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.