grain free banana bread

Grain Free Banana Bread

grain free banana bread

The other day I was on a hunt for grain-free, unsweetened desserts. I know, sounds pretty unappetizing. That’s why I needed to hunt. When I came across this recipe for grain free banana bread, my expectations were fairly low. But, I must give kudos to Michele at Paleo Running Mamma because that’s where I found the original recipe, and it’s genius.

I’ve made grain free cakes and breads before and more often than not, they don’t rise enough or they are really dense. But not this recipe. This grain free banana bread is delicious. And it rose. And it turned golden on the outside. And it tastes unbelievable — it’s sweet with no added sweeteners.

This month, I’ve been on an elimination diet. I’ve been indulging a tad too much since I moved into Manhattan. I mean, it’s just so easy to eat and drink way too much here. I really deluded myself into thinking that because there are so many healthy places to eat here that I would be in tip top shape. Haha — turns out even though I eat really healthy, I eat way too much. And don’t even get me started on happy hours and brunches…

This grain-free banana bread is sitting in my kitchen now and it’s making me smile because I know I can grab a slice of it later and have it with a great cuppa something. Yum.

And, if you are looking for another healthy baked goods recipe, try my Grain Free Peanut Butter Cookies.

grain free banana bread

grain free banana bread

This grain free banana bread has some great healing ingredients:

Bananas are good for your intestines (an old Asian remedy was to eat a banana every day to relieve hemorrhoids) and your lungs, and they even help relieve the effects of overindulging in alcohol.

I am a big proponent of eating the whole egg. So many of the nutrients and the taste are in the yolk; I’ll never understand separating nature’s perfect food. Eggs help with many types of dryness in the body. If you have a dry cough or a frog-in-your-throat, try eating some eggs. They have also been shown to help women with various conditions during and after pregnancy. Some people consider eggs to be a superfood. They contain a large amount of vitamins A and B and are a great source of protein. Eggs sometimes get a bad rap because of cholesterol, but it’s been shown that in 70% of people, eggs do not raise cholesterol, so don’t assume they are bad for you. Buy organic eggs and you are really doing the right thing.

In eastern medicine, nuts are known to be good for your brain, heart, skin and reproductive system. Almonds are particularly nutritious. They are a good source of protein and they give you energy. And, they are gluten-free. Almonds will help relieve a cough and asthma and are also good for constipation. This recipe uses almond flour.

Hemp seeds are a superfood. They are high in protein, easily digestible, and contain a full complement of amino acids. They contain disease-fighting phytonutrients that are good for your blood, immune system, tissues and skin. Hemp contains a specific fatty acid that acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory. It also helps balance hormones, making it a great choice to fight the symptoms of PMS. This super seed is also good for your liver and your brain.

Cinnamon is one of the best herbs to warm the body. It’s great if you have a cold. If you are nauseous or have diarrhea, go for the cinnamon. It also gives you energy and helps with menstrual pain. Cinnamon is a Chinese herb: “gui zhi” is the cinnamon twig and “rou gui” is the cinnamon bark. Both are warming and are used for a variety of ailments. In the winter I add cinnamon to all sorts of foods. It helps with the common cold, swelling, various menstrual issues and some aches and pains. Be careful with it if you have a fever because it is so warming. Here’s an article about the benefits of cinnamon from Well-Being Secrets.

grain free banana bread

Grain Free Banana Bread
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Recipe type: dessert, snack, paleo, vegetarian, gluten free
Cuisine: Recipe adapted from: Paleo Running Mamma
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10
All the taste of traditional banana bread, but no grains and no sweeteners! This is so easy and so delicious! Perfect with a cuppa....
Ingredients
  • 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • 1-3/4 cups almond flour
  • ½ cup tapioca flour
  • ¼ cuphemp seeds
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas and the eggs.
  4. Stir in the vanilla and the coconut oil.
  5. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients.
  6. Add the dry ingredients to the mashed banana and egg mixture.
  7. Stir to combine.
  8. Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan.
  9. Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (Mine took 65 minutes, but be sure to check yours at 45 minutes... all ovens are different.)
  10. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
  11. Slice.
  12. Enjoy!

grain free banana bread

2 replies
    • Stacey Isaacs
      Stacey Isaacs says:

      Sibyl, I like tapioca flour because it’s grain-free. Spelt flour is great and is very healthy, but it is a grain, and I wanted this recipe to be completely grain-free so as to avoid all possibility of creating inflammation in the body. That being said, I have had spelt flour banana bread and it’s great. I haven’t tried this particular recipe with any flour other than what’s listed in the recipe, but if you do try it, let me know because I’d love to know how it turns out!

      Reply

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