Tag Archive: Banana Bread

Almond Flour Dessert Recipes

Written on June 9, 2013 by in Recipe Round-Up

It’s no surprise that I like making desserts with almond flour. It’s probably my favorite gluten-free flour to use. It’s great whether you’re trying to eat grain or gluten-free, has virtually no flavor, and has a perfect consistency in baked goods. You can buy it at most stores nowadays(I usually get the Trader Joe’s brand almond meal) or pulse almonds in a food processor to make your own at home(just be careful not to accidentally make almond butter).

Here are a few of my favorite dessert recipes with almond flour in them. A lot of them are readers’ favorites, too. You can read the comments on any of these recipes to find out what substitutions and success other readers had trying out these recipes.

The Basics:

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies Baked

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies: Everyone needs a good chocolate chip recipe they can rely on, right? This is definitely the one if you need to follow a gluten-free or grain-free diet. They come out flavorful and with just the right texture to match “regular” chocolate chip cookies. There are over 140 comments on the recipe page so it’s tried and true as well.

Almond Flour Brownies: Another readers’ favorite are these brownies. They’re also one of my favorites, too. I tend to make them or a variation on them monthly whenever I need a good brownie. They’re also gluten and grain-free, but you would never be able to tell from the taste or texture. They’re just a great, fudgy, chocolaty brownie.

A Little Different:

Gluten Free Cookie Dough Truffles newspaper

Gluten-Free Cookie Dough Truffles: Who doesn’t love eating raw cookie dough? That’s what these are, except covered in chocolate. And it’s all entirely safe to eat, gluten and grain-free. This recipe’s too good not to share. Almond flour is the perfect flour substitute in this one because the flavor is virtually undetectable.

Almond Flour Banana Bread: Banana bread is one of my favorite snacks when it’s around the house, especially with a cup of tea on a rainy day. This banana bread is very moist and reminds me of the kind you get at Starbucks. If you have a few browning bananas laying around the house this is a great go-to.

Almond Flour + Coconut Flour:

Gluten-Free Thin Mints

Gluten-Free Thin Mints: Until the Girl Scouts start making gluten-free cookies, the best kind are the ones you can make in your oven. Almond flour and coconut flour give these a great texture while chocolate and mint give them that perfect flavor; you won’t be able to taste the difference!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Flag Cake Finished

Gluten-Free Flag Cake: I made this last year and think I might have to make it again. If you’re looking for a good, basic chocolate cake recipe without the grains or gluten this is simple enough for anyone to whip up. Personally I like this with a vanilla cream cheese frosting but you can let your imagination go wild.

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Brown Rice Flour Banana Bread

Written on February 4, 2013 by in Breakfast

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread

I’ll be the first to admit that gluten-free baking is tougher than baking with flour. Instead of just wheat you have a hundred different varieties of flour and starches to work with and if you’ve never used them before you have no idea how they work in recipes. It’s a hassle.

I’m always drawn to making recipes that use just one type of flour because I don’t like to have to go out and buy 6 or 7 to make a single loaf of bread. This recipe only uses brown rice flour, which is a gluten-free whole grain flour that bakes well and doesn’t overpower any of the other flavors. You’ll have a hard time telling this bread is gluten-free.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread Serving

I used Bob’s Red Mill’s brown rice flour for this recipe which is the least grainy I’ve found and has a great texture when baked. In baking, weight’s always the most reliable measure so if you can

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 60 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 loaf):

  • 2 large bananas
  • 4 eggs
  • 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups(240 grams) brown rice flour
  • 1/2 Tablespoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup water

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread Slice

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mash the bananas until they’re completely smooth.
  3. In a large bowl, stir together the bananas, eggs, sugar, peanut butter, and oil until mixed.
  4. Add in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla, and chocolate chips and stir.
  5. Slowly add the water until the batter has a loose consistency.
  6. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan.
  7. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes until the center has set.
  8. Remove from the oven and let the loaf cool before cutting in.

I found my loaf got stale sitting on the counter after a day but microwaving a slice for 60 seconds between two paper towels made it taste fresh out of the oven.

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Almond Flour Banana Bread

Written on June 4, 2012 by in Breakfast

The last time I was looking through my recipe pages, one thing really struck me: I had no recipe for gluten-free banana bread. I thought that couldn’t be. If that was the case, it meant I hadn’t made banana bread in over 2 years, which seemed ridiculous because I can still clearly remember how soft and sweet and spicy and moist good banana bread should taste.

Somehow that was true and I realized I really needed to get with the program. As soon as some bananas turned brown, I mashed them up and made them into banana bread. Even without the gluten, this bread holds its shape with each thick, dense, moist and chewy slice and the flavor has just the right amount of spice and sweetness.

While I think coconut flour could make a texture slightly similar to regular banana bread, I used only almond flour in this loaf because I know what a hassle it is to go out and have to buy 15 different kinds of flour. I used vegetable oil but melted coconut oil would add a great boost of flavor and be slightly more healthy.

Almond Flour Banana Bread

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 55 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 loaf):

  • 1 1/2 cups almond meal or almond flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
  • 3 medium bananas, mashed(about 3/4 cup banana puree)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup walnuts(optional)
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips(optional) 

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, eggs, oil, sugar, mashed bananas, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt until there are no clumps.
  3. Fold the walnuts, chocolate chips, or any other mix-ins you might want into the batter.
  4. Lightly grease a 5 x 10 or similar sized loaf pan and pour in the batter.
  5. Bake for 55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before slicing.  

This is really great with butter, peanut butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, or even all on its own. You should keep it wrapped up in the refrigerator in between meals so it lasts longer.

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