In response to a request & in honor of “Uncle Howard’s Chocolate Ganache Tart” one of our most visited posts, we offer:
Banana Bread with Almond Glaze ~ a delicious gluten-free & vegan alternative ~ so rich it can be served as a cake!
Whilst we’re on the subject of How, I hope you’re clicking the link to his music video. A struggling musician and British Telecom technician when he married my sister, his father said at their rehearsal dinner: “the Statue of Liberty reads in part: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free…. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you my son.” Now an accomplished telecommunications executive with his own consulting company, Howard carves out time to write and record music. It’s in contrast to the funny, articulate, enthusiastic, well read guy you’d meet, but reflective of the fact that we’re all multi-dimensional.
And whilst we’re on the subject of vegan food, if you haven’t already, please try the cookie recipe we posted a month or so ago: https://glutenfreegus.com/2012/11/28/sexy-lacto-ovo-wheat-free-chocolate-chip-cookies/, and the aforementioned chocolate ganache tart: https://glutenfreegus.com/2012/12/28/387/. Also, search our site for Pan Forte, one of my all time favorite things to eat with a cappuccio any time of day!
The experience of shopping for, making, and tasting these vegan foods will change the way you think about eating. It could be the future – one doesn’t have to give up flavor to embrace it.
GF Vegan Banana Bread with Almond Glaze
INGREDIENTS
Vegan Banana Bread
2 good sized ripe bananas, not to big, not too small…
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar (2.75 oz.)
1/3 cup (2.75 oz.) coconut oil
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup (3 oz.) GF flour mix (ours or Trader Joe’s)
1/2 cup (2.5 oz.) sorghum flour
1/8 cup (1 oz.) almond flour (remember you can grind your own in a coffee mill with a little flour added to prevent sticking.)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xantham gum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
optional: 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
optional: 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
Glaze
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon almond milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (use vanilla if you prefer.)
1/2 cup confectioners sugar (more or less depending on the consistency you like.)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F, and prepare the baking pan.
2. Put the coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium speed until well blended and light in texture.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to blend.
4. Mash the bananas in a small bowl.
5. Add the dry ingredients and almond milk to the coconut/sugar mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape down, and mix to blend.
6. Add the bananas, mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. (Fold in the walnuts if using.) Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until fairly firm to the touch, the (cake) has just started to pull from the sides, and the top is golden brown.
7. Cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes before turning out and glazing. This is delicious warm from the oven!
8. Glaze instructions: combine the coconut oil and half the confectioners sugar – mix with a fork or small whisk. Blend in the almond milk before adding the remaining sugar. Flavor with the almond extract.
Gluten Free Gus 
hello dessert!!! yum-o is all I can say!!! I shared this on my FB page 🙂 maybe someone will make it for me since I’m too busy blogging! LOL!
Do like your tip about grinding almonds as I’ve never heard of that before. And the bread/cake sounds delicious.
I was just searching for V+ (vegan, for those who don’t buy soup at Portland Market’s Kamasouptra!) banana bread. This is the best recipe I have seen. Have you explained xanthum gum? because it sounds scary/hard to find.
Good point! Xantham Gum is available at most well stocked markets. It’s used in GF cooking to create (elasticity) and help GF baked goods be a little sturdier – less fragile to handle. If one uses too much, the (cake, muffin) can have a slippery, gummy “finish” on the tongue. Xantham gum is used in candies such as jelly beans and can sometimes be found as a thickener in processed foods (ice cream, salad dressings….) It’s expensive, but a little goes a long way. Some GF baking mixes, such as Pamela’s already contain it. FYI, one doesn’t need to use xantham gum when making pancakes or crepes…. The use of bananas in a recipe helps add body, but a vegan GF recipe has no eggs and none of the elasticity/body that comes from gluten. Give it a go without and let me know how it turns out 😉
Looks so delicious!
This looks easy and delish! Do you think it would work out the same if use regular whole wheat pastry flour instead?
Probably, but you’d omit the xantham gum and use less flour by about 20%. You might also need to add 1-2 ounces more almond milk…. Let(us) know how it turns out.
This banana bread sounds delicious; the fact that it’s both gluten-free and vegan seems like an afterthought!
That almond glaze looks like it just took this banana bread to a whole other world! Will have to give it a try (:
This looks delicious!!!
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