I've been trying for a while to come up with a deliciously moist gluten-free banana-nut bread recipe that stays moist even after sitting on the counter for a couple of days.
The old standby banana bread recipe I used to use before my gluten-free lifestyle began just wasn't adaptable for some reason.
I don't know why.
It would be great the day I baked it, but by the next morning, that banana loaf had already traveled into the French toast category.
The old standby banana bread recipe I used to use before my gluten-free lifestyle began just wasn't adaptable for some reason.
I don't know why.
It would be great the day I baked it, but by the next morning, that banana loaf had already traveled into the French toast category.
I can now make a super-moist gluten-free banana nut bread that doesn't taste like it's gluten free. Even three days after baking it, it's still as moist as the first day I made it.
In all fairness, I didn't just pull the recipe out of my head like I've done before.
I started with a recipe I found several years ago at Recipe Zaar.
The gluten-free reviews for that banana bread were sketchy, but I was new to gluten-free baking, didn't know what I was doing, and I was trying out a few recipes created by others in hopes of finding something we liked.
In all fairness, I didn't just pull the recipe out of my head like I've done before.
I started with a recipe I found several years ago at Recipe Zaar.
The gluten-free reviews for that banana bread were sketchy, but I was new to gluten-free baking, didn't know what I was doing, and I was trying out a few recipes created by others in hopes of finding something we liked.
Gluten-Free Baking is Fickle
This particular gluten-free recipe was originally created by Roben Ryberg.
Roben is not gluten free herself, but she has dedicated her writing career to creating and publishing gluten-free recipes.
At one time, she owned Roben's Gluten-Free Foods, but she sold that company in 1992, way before we became a gluten-free family.
Roben is not gluten free herself, but she has dedicated her writing career to creating and publishing gluten-free recipes.
At one time, she owned Roben's Gluten-Free Foods, but she sold that company in 1992, way before we became a gluten-free family.
The recipe I started with came from her very first gluten-free cookbook, "The Gluten-Free Kitchen," which is still available at Amazon if you want to take a look.
Gluten-free baking is quite fickle.
What works for one person on any particular day might completely fail for another person due to the:
What works for one person on any particular day might completely fail for another person due to the:
- humidity that day
- grind of the flour you're using
- accuracy of the measurements
- altitude you're baking at
- and even the brand of the ingredients you use
For that reason, the recipe reviews I read that first day were overwhelmingly not very good, but a few people offered suggestions and tips for making the bread better.
In particular, the bread was so moist that it was falling for a lot of people as soon as it came out of the oven.
One gluten-free baker suggested upping the baking powder by another full teaspoon. As the recipe already contained 4 teaspoons of baking powder, I was quite amazed at the suggestion, but didn't feel qualified to address the issue myself.
First Attempt at Baking Gluten-Free Chocolate-Chip Banana Bread
The promise that the reviewer gave to those who cared to read her recipe review was that you wouldn't be able to taste all of that baking powder in there.
Since the altitude I lived at back then was over 5,200 feet, I was even more reluctant to try out that suggestion, so I just followed the recipe.
This has always been my tendency, even before going gluten free. You can't really know how to adapt something until you know what it's supposed to originally look and taste like.
Unfortunately, the bread was a mess.
It tasted better than any banana bread I'd ever eaten, but it was too crumbly to pick up, the chocolate chips fell to the bottom of the loaf, and I had to eat the bread with a fork.
Since the altitude I lived at back then was over 5,200 feet, I was even more reluctant to try out that suggestion, so I just followed the recipe.
This has always been my tendency, even before going gluten free. You can't really know how to adapt something until you know what it's supposed to originally look and taste like.
Unfortunately, the bread was a mess.
It tasted better than any banana bread I'd ever eaten, but it was too crumbly to pick up, the chocolate chips fell to the bottom of the loaf, and I had to eat the bread with a fork.
In that condition, I couldn't even make French toast out of it. I made banana bread pudding instead. But I didn't want bread pudding. I wanted a decent loaf of banana bread.
After a couple more tries where I:
- added the extra baking powder in there
- (and no -- the bread didn't taste like baking powder)
- used almond milk and mini dairy-free chocolate chips
- made sure that I had baked the bread long enough
- and tried my favorite homemade gluten-free flour mix
My Breakthrough
Years went by.
I tried to convert my favorite banana bread recipe to be gluten free, but it wouldn't last more than a day.
No matter what I did to it, no matter how tightly I wrapped it afterward, whether I froze the leftovers or not, it was always too dry to eat by the following morning.
I still made it from time to time because I didn't have anything else to replace it with. I was hoping to be able to figure it out within a few weeks, but that never happened.
I tried to convert my favorite banana bread recipe to be gluten free, but it wouldn't last more than a day.
No matter what I did to it, no matter how tightly I wrapped it afterward, whether I froze the leftovers or not, it was always too dry to eat by the following morning.
I still made it from time to time because I didn't have anything else to replace it with. I was hoping to be able to figure it out within a few weeks, but that never happened.
Whenever the craving for banana bread hit, I would simply make it for dinner the first day, and then use the rest of it for French Toast throughout the week.
I didn't know what else to do, and I didn't have enough confidence in anyone else to try another recipe.
I didn't know what else to do, and I didn't have enough confidence in anyone else to try another recipe.
One day, while starring into the face of three black bananas that were sitting in the white basket that I kept on a corner table in the living room, it suddenly hit me that crumbly bread was really all that was wrong with Roben's recipe.
Even three or four days after I baked it, the bread was still moist. Too moist, maybe. But it wasn't too dry to eat. Just a pain.
Even three or four days after I baked it, the bread was still moist. Too moist, maybe. But it wasn't too dry to eat. Just a pain.
Who wants to eat gluten-free bread with a fork?
With a little bit of gluten-free experience under my belt (okay -- a LOT of experience by then), I knew that the tweak for crumbly gluten-free bread wasn't extra baking powder, although a little bit of vinegar will help to prevent a cake from falling.
The tweak for fixing crumbly gluten-free baked goods was adding more xanthan gum!
Maybe, that's all the recipe needed!
The tweak for fixing crumbly gluten-free baked goods was adding more xanthan gum!
Maybe, that's all the recipe needed!
My Own Tweaks to Roben Ryberg's Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipe
Enthusiastic, I searched through my old CDs for the recipe and was grateful to discover it among some of the recipes I had backed up onto a disk a few years back.
Looking it over, I noticed that the gluten-free flours used were actually starches: 1/2 cup of potato starch and 1/2 cup of cornstarch. There was 3/4-teaspoon of xanthan gum and only 1 egg.
Looking it over, I noticed that the gluten-free flours used were actually starches: 1/2 cup of potato starch and 1/2 cup of cornstarch. There was 3/4-teaspoon of xanthan gum and only 1 egg.
The standard amount of xanthan gum used in gluten-free bread recipes is 1 teaspoon of xanthan per cup of flour. That is the average amount.
When mashed bananas or applesauce is included, you can sometimes get away with a little bit less, which is probably what Roben did.
However, after thinking about a discussion I had with RoseWrites at InfoBarrel about how humidity affects gluten-free pie crust, I realized that the wet climate in Utah might have been part of the problem that the recipe didn't work, as written.
On a humid day, it takes more xanthan gum to hold a pie crust together.
When mashed bananas or applesauce is included, you can sometimes get away with a little bit less, which is probably what Roben did.
However, after thinking about a discussion I had with RoseWrites at InfoBarrel about how humidity affects gluten-free pie crust, I realized that the wet climate in Utah might have been part of the problem that the recipe didn't work, as written.
On a humid day, it takes more xanthan gum to hold a pie crust together.
I also had concerns about there only being one egg for the whole banana loaf and only a maximum of 3/4 cup of mashed bananas in the entire recipe.
That 3/4 cup was less than 2 bananas.
Most gluten-free banana bread recipes I've looked at so far use 3 to 5 bananas.
I didn't want to use that many though.
I wanted a recipe where I could use up the last couple of bananas we didn't quite eat fast enough before they turned black.
That 3/4 cup was less than 2 bananas.
Most gluten-free banana bread recipes I've looked at so far use 3 to 5 bananas.
I didn't want to use that many though.
I wanted a recipe where I could use up the last couple of bananas we didn't quite eat fast enough before they turned black.
As I worked my way through the recipe, I nipped and tucked things here and there.
I raised the amount of mashed bananas, xanthan gum, and baking soda.
I used 2 eggs and lowered the milk to compensate for the extra moisture.
I also added a touch of molasses since C&H cane sugar has been lowering the amount of molasses in their brown sugar over the past few years.
In fact, the last time we were at the grocery store, hubby and I put a package of dark brown sugar and golden brown sugar side-by-side and couldn't tell the difference in the color.
I raised the amount of mashed bananas, xanthan gum, and baking soda.
I used 2 eggs and lowered the milk to compensate for the extra moisture.
I also added a touch of molasses since C&H cane sugar has been lowering the amount of molasses in their brown sugar over the past few years.
In fact, the last time we were at the grocery store, hubby and I put a package of dark brown sugar and golden brown sugar side-by-side and couldn't tell the difference in the color.
The other thing I did differently was change the size of the pan.
And yes, the size of the pan matters.
Where the recipe called for an 8x4-inch loaf pan, I decided to use a 9x5 metal loaf pan instead.
I don't know if Roben's 8x4 pan was metal, or not. I used to use an 8x4 glass Pyrex loaf pan, and breads always came out soggy, so I switched to metal instead.
I chose a 9x5 because that's what was available locally at the time I bought it. Today, I have an 8x4 metal loaf pan that I use instead.
And yes, the size of the pan matters.
Where the recipe called for an 8x4-inch loaf pan, I decided to use a 9x5 metal loaf pan instead.
I don't know if Roben's 8x4 pan was metal, or not. I used to use an 8x4 glass Pyrex loaf pan, and breads always came out soggy, so I switched to metal instead.
I chose a 9x5 because that's what was available locally at the time I bought it. Today, I have an 8x4 metal loaf pan that I use instead.
A Few Words About the Ingredients
With gluten-free cooking and baking, you can't just follow a list of safe foods.
The brand you use matters and often the style or size of the package.
Some companies take cross contamination with gluten seriously and some do not. Some companies put a warning statement on their labels about what other items are processed in the same facility or on the same line as gluten items, and some do not.
The brand you use matters and often the style or size of the package.
Some companies take cross contamination with gluten seriously and some do not. Some companies put a warning statement on their labels about what other items are processed in the same facility or on the same line as gluten items, and some do not.
For that reason, once I find a brand that works for me, I tend to stick with it pretty loyally.
I am very sensitive to gluten, so I have to eat way below the legal limit of 20 ppm.
I look for products as close to zero (non-detectable) as possible.
Cornstarch is a problem area for me. Some brands are processed in facilities where wheat flour is packaged and some brands are run on lines that also process wheat-foods.
Since Argo is easily accessible in our area and it's says "a gluten free food" on the label, that's what I use. So far, I haven't had any problems with it.
I am very sensitive to gluten, so I have to eat way below the legal limit of 20 ppm.
I look for products as close to zero (non-detectable) as possible.
Cornstarch is a problem area for me. Some brands are processed in facilities where wheat flour is packaged and some brands are run on lines that also process wheat-foods.
Since Argo is easily accessible in our area and it's says "a gluten free food" on the label, that's what I use. So far, I haven't had any problems with it.
Gluten-Free Banana-Nut Bread
Ingredients:
- 2 medium-sized bananas, as ripe as possible
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/4 cup milk or milk substitute
- 1/2 teaspoon molasses
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is dairy free)
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 or 8x4 metal loaf pan and set aside. Mash the bananas on a plate, then toss them into a medium-sized bowl.
To the bananas, add eggs, brown sugar, oil, milk, molasses, and vanilla.
Mix that all up together really well.
In another medium-sized bowl, combine potato starch, cornstarch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir well. Add to the wet ingredients.
The batter will be on the thin side, about like pancake batter. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.
Mix that all up together really well.
In another medium-sized bowl, combine potato starch, cornstarch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir well. Add to the wet ingredients.
The batter will be on the thin side, about like pancake batter. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.
Pile the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes. Test by sticking a toothpick into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, it's done.
Cool briefly on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, while still in the pan, then remove the bread from the pan and place on the wire rack to cool completely.
Cool briefly on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, while still in the pan, then remove the bread from the pan and place on the wire rack to cool completely.
When cool enough to pick up, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Slip the wrapped loaf into a zip-lock bag to store. It will keep 3 to 4 days before it starts to dry out.
Final Thoughts
This doesn't make a really tall loaf of bread, but regular banana bread made with wheat isn't large either unless you one-and-a-half times the recipe.
I don't know if I can do that with this recipe or not, as gluten-free recipes not always double well, but that will definitely be on my "to try" list for the coming weeks.
I don't know if I can do that with this recipe or not, as gluten-free recipes not always double well, but that will definitely be on my "to try" list for the coming weeks.
Do you have a favorite gluten-free banana bread recipe? If so, what kinds of goodies do you like to add to the batter?
The Banana bread looks moist even though it's a picture.
ReplyDeleteI like how you broke down how barometric pressure, ingredients and how delicate it is to reproduce recipes with the same ingredients. It shows that GF cooking is both art and science. I wonder how many bakeries are aware of this.
Also, Mr. Banana man(in the picture) won my heart.
The Banana bread looks moist even though it's a picture.
ReplyDeleteI like how you broke down how barometric pressure, ingredients and how delicate it is to reproduce recipes with the same ingredients. It shows that GF cooking is both art and science. I wonder how many bakeries are aware of this.
Also, Mr. Banana man(in the picture) won my heart.
Mr. Banana man won my heart too. I couldn't pass him by, lol.
ReplyDeleteMr. Banana man won my heart too. I couldn't pass him by, lol.
ReplyDelete