Gluten-Free Banana Loaf
Have you ever walked past your fruit basket feeling guilty seeing your over-ripe bananas staring back at you? I’m sure there are plenty of you, so here’s a quick, easy recipe to convert 3 very ripe bananas into a magical, luscious, fragrant loaf filled with walnuts and hints of vanilla, cinnamon and coconut.
How to eat this banana loaf
This banana loaf recipe is not suitable for toasting, but it is perfect eaten on its own, warm or cold, with the ricotta honey cream. The ricotta is slightly salty and the honey brings some sweetness to balance this easy-to-make cream. This combination seems to really lift the flavour of the banana loaf. Just a small serving will be enough for each slice served. The trick is to slice the loaf when it has cooled down to a point that it doesn’t crumble nor go stone-cold. I timed 20 minutes after being removed from the loaf tin. If you are impatient, your loaf slice may appear crumbly, but still delicious!
Gluten-Free Banana Loaf
Equipment
- 1 loaf tin, either silicone or aluminium (11 x 24cm)
- 1 food processor or handheld whisk
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 245 g store-bought or homemade gluten-free plain flour
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Remaining Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas
- 140 g butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
- 200 g caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 100 ml milk
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50 g walnuts, halved
To Decorate
- 50 g whole walnuts
- 4 tbsp shredded, dried coconut
HONEY RICOTTA CREAM
- 50 g ricotta
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- ⅛ tsp cinnamon powder
- 2 tsp shredded, dried coconut, toasted in a dry pan, to sprinkle as a decoration (optional)
Instructions
BANANA LOAF
- Preheat the oven at 180°C/350°F.
- Grease and lightly sprinkle flour in a loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour over the sink.
- Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Mash the bananas until smooth either using a potato masher or a food processor. Set aside in a small bowl.
- Using a food processor or handheld whisk, beat the butter and sugar together until thick and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well.
- Add the milk, lemon juice and vanilla extract.
- Add the mashed bananas and halved walnuts, mix well.
- Add this combined mixture to the dry ingredients folding in using a large spatula. Try to be gentle while lifting and cutting through the mixture and stop the minute no more flour is visible.
- Pour the mixture gently into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it out evenly.
- Sprinkle the shredded coconut and whole walnuts on top in rows to create a pattern as displayed in the photo or make your own design.
- Bake for 35 minutes on the middle shelf. Do not open the oven door at all during this baking stage or the cake will sink in the middle.
- Cover the loaf with foil and continue baking for another 35 minutes.
- Insert a toothpick in the middle to check if it is cooked. When it is ready the toothpick should come out clean.
- Allow the loaf to cool down on a wire rack for 20 minutes before removing it from the tin. Then cool it down a further 20 minutes before slicing it. It will probably be slightly warm but it will slice easily without crumbling.
HONEY RICOTTA CREAM
- Combine the ricotta, honey, cinnamon and lemon juice together. Place it in a small serving bowl and sprinkle some toasted shredded coconut on top as a decoration.
- Serve the honey ricotta cream with slices of banana loaf.
Notes
- Keeps for 2 days in a sealed container
- Not suitable for freezing
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