Gluten-Free Banana Bread

At the age of two and a half – like most toddlers – my son knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to tell me all about it. He flat out refuses to eat most things green and would rather avoid trying anything new unless it is coated in something sweet. I witness so many home-made meals being fed to the dog, and then cry a little inside when my hard work lands up in the bin.

In true toddler style, my son loves two things probably more than anything on earth: bananas and cake. He lived off brand muffins while we were away over the holidays under the guise that he was eating ‘brown cake’, and I was not surprised in the least when we arrived back home and he demanded cake for breakfast.

Determined to get him back into getting some real nutrients into his little body, I wanted to bake something truly delicious that would excite him as much as cake (sans the butter icing and sprinkles of course). I am also constantly on a quest to find delicious and healthy gluten-free and wheat-free recipes for all the little ones out there who aren’t able to tolerate regular wheat flour.

This gluten-free banana bread recipe is honestly one of the easiest things you’ll make and it tastes delicious (my husband gave it the thumbs up – someone else in my house who also isn’t afraid to tell me how he really feels about my recipes!).

I have opted to use coconut flour in this recipe, which is a high-fibre and gluten-free alternative to regular flour. It adds the most delicious flavour to baking and packs in a host of health benefits; lowering glycemic index (preventing those nasty sugar spikes), contains a powerful punch of protein and contains medium-chain triglycerides (the type of saturated fats that provide little bodies with instant energy).

If you would prefer to use regular flour, then use 1 cup of regular flour with 2 eggs and half the amount of oil (coconut flour requires more moisture as it soaks everything up!).

You’ll want to use very ripe bananas – the riper, the better. If you are using dried dates, then soak them in some boiling water for 15 minutes to soften and then drain them well before adding them into your mixture.

What you’ll need:

• 4 ripe bananas
• 3 free-range eggs
• 1 cup pitted, chopped dates
• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• OPTIONAL: 1/4 cup finely diced nuts (pecan or walnut recommended)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C
• Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl using a fork
• Sift the flour and baking soda into the mixing bowl
• Add in the rest of the ingredients
• Using a hand mixer, mix the ingredients together until well mixed (do not over-mix)
• Pour the batter into a loaf tin lined with baking paper
• Bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean, on the middle rack
• Allow to cool for a few minutes on a wire rack before removing from the tin
• Allow the bread to remain on the wire rack to cool slightly before serving
• Serve plain or with a spread of butter or sugar-free nut butter

If you have any leftover bread, store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It can be stored there for up to 1 week. You can also choose to freeze the bread in individual portions and then defrost before using.

*This recipe will need to be adapted should your child have an allergy to any of the ingredients listed above.

*Never leave your child unsupervised while eating.