This outstanding banana bread is more fun to make than any other and arguably more delicious than our favorite Kona Banana Bread. Roasting the bananas takes a little extra time, but the dimension it adds to the flavor is worth every minute. Using coconut oil and almond milk make it dairy free, however substitute butter for the coconut oil and 2/3 cup buttermilk and omit the vinegar if you don’t subscribe to that dietary restriction.

INGREDIENTS:

3 unpeeled ripe bananas (over ripe is fine)

1/2 cup coconut oil, room temperature

3/4 cup (6oz.) granulated sugar

1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) dark molasses

2 teaspoons GF vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temperature

5/8 cup almond milk

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups (9 oz.) GF flour mix (yours, ours, or Trader Joe’s)

1/4 cup almond flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts or macadamia nuts (toasted and cooled if you have the time)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking pan with foil. Also prepare a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper and lightly greasing.

2.  Score the banana peels 5-6 times, place the bananas pierced sides up on the baking pan and cook in the preheated oven for 15- 20 minutes. Juices should be bubbling from the slices. Let cool to room temperature before peeling.

3. In a stand mixer combine the coconut oil, sugar, molasses, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions and scraping down as needed to evenly incorporate.

5. In a medium bowl combine the flours, baking soda, salt, and spices. Whisk to blend.

6. In a small measuring cup combine the almond milk and lemon juice. Whisk to blend.

7. Peel and squeeze the cooled roasted bananas into a bowl along with any banana juice from the pan and stir with a fork to blend fairly evenly.

8. Alternately add the dry ingredients and almond milk mixture to the sugar/egg mixture beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down as needed.

9. On low speed, fold in the mashed bananas, scraping down as needed. Fold in the the chopped walnuts.

10. Turn the batter into the prepared loaf pan, lightly cover with foil, creating a bit of a tent to prevent the top of the bread from sticking to the foil, and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes cleanly out of the center.

11. Cool in the pan for 10 – 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Cool a little longer before cutting.

As with most gluten free baked goods this is best served fresh out of the oven. Store well wrapped and refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to a month. Slice and toast or reheat in the oven.

Score the bananas and roast

Sugar, molasses, and coconut oil ready to blend

Chopped walnuts

Vinegar into almond milk

Adding the eggs one at a time

Whisking the dry ingredients to blend

Roasted banana peels will be black

Mashed roasted bananas

Alternately adding the wet and dry ingredients

Loosely covered for baking

Out of the oven

Ready to slice

Toasted or untoasted: delicious

With fig jam and almond butter