[This post contains affiliate links]
This is a tried and true recipe in our home. If you are gluten-free or are wanting to experiment with gluten-free recipes, this is a great recipe to try. It's easy and really satisfying.
Banana bread takes about an hour to bake, but the prep is pretty painless. All of the preparation takes just about 10 minutes and that's it.
This is also a very allergy friendly recipe. There's no gluten, eggs or dairy. My sensitivities have, unfortunately, only increased as I've gotten older so I have to cut out a lot of foods in order to not have my body react. I'm very allergic to eggs and if I eat them my skin breaks out. So I must give up one of my favorite foods. (insert sad emoji) But, it's a must if I want to keep my inflammation down and let my digestion do what it needs to do.
Controversy Over Gluten Sensitivity
There has been much controversy over gluten intolerance or sensitivity for many years with a great number of doctors saying that it's just not a 'thing.' There are, however, other researchers and physicians claiming that it is, indeed, a syndrome and one that deserves treatment and a protocol.
There was a review (1) just published in May of 2019 in the medical journal, Medicina, that details the symptoms and criteria of those who report gluten sensitivity or intolerance. The researchers reviewed 66 published articles which included 26 clinical trials. Their conclusion was the those who reported gluten sensitivity or intolerance had symptoms similar to other gluten-related diseases such as Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
These symptoms included flatulence, diarrhea, bloating and abdominal distress.
Why I'm Gluten-Free
I have also encountered all of the symptoms listed above when I regularly ate gluten. As a result, I've been (mostly) gluten-free for years now. I also feed my family (mostly) gluten-free. In addition, I have a history of stomach cancer in my family so I'm more cautious about my digestion as I'm more at risk because of this fact. I try to do all I can to keep this important system running as smoothly as possible
We derive our nutrients from our digestion so it's beneficial to take steps to keep our digestion fit and able to work at its best. Eating foods that are agreeable to my system makes life a lot more comfortable and I feel much better.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe
I've been asked several times for this recipe, so here goes. It's not complicated, thank goodness.
2 cups or 240 grams of your favorite gluten-free flour (I use Schär - most common in Europe)
3 large bananas (with brown spots as they're the sweetest)
1 tsp or 5 grams of baking soda
1/2 tsp or 2.5 ml of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)
3/4 cup or 180ml of melted dairy-free butter or ghee (if you tolerate dairy)
Mash the bananas then add all ingredients to a mixing bowl. Use a hand-mixer to combine all the ingredients and then place in a 9 X 5 inch baking pan. I use a silicone one for easy removal. Bake at 345 degrees fahrenheit or 175 degrees celsius (I use the convection setting) for 50 minutes. Use a toothpick to check doneness and put back in for 5 minute intervals if still not done. Remove and let cool.
Hope you enjoy!
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31142014