Oatmeal Banana Loaf – Gluten Dairy Egg Free

I wanted to come up with a banana loaf recipe that was gluten, dairy and egg free – and here it is! It’s so good and you won’t miss the ingredients it doesn’t have! If you want it nut free (for school lunches) or don’t have ground almonds, use additional oat flour. It really is a lovely, delicious treat!  This is my new go-to banana loaf recipe! 

Bananas are an antioxidant and contain potassium, VitC, fiber and VitB6. They are low in calories but on the higher side of the Glycemic Index from the starch in the unripe banana and the sugar content in the ripe banana – so if you are watching your sugar consumption, eat very ripe bananas in moderation. Underripe bananas have a starch type that actually benefits blood sugar levels and is beneficial for the gut.  The of the several antioxidant flavonoids in bananas (catechin) has been shown to support heart health.

As always, when you make this recipe, please post a photo of your Banana Loaf – Gluten Dairy Egg Nut Free goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!

Prep Time:  10 minutes / Cook Time: 60 minutes / Makes 1 Loaf  - 8 Slices

 Ingredients

• 3 Ripe Medium Bananas (photo shows 2 fresh and one frozen banana, thawed)

• 3/4 Cup Unsweetened Oat Milk – alternate: any other non-dairy milk i.e., soy, almond or cashew

• ½ Cup Coconut Sugar – alternate: brown sugar

• ¼ Cup Maple Syrup

• ¼ Cup Vegan Butter – melted – alternate: coconut oil

• 2 teaspoons Vanilla

• 1½ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder

• ½ teaspoon Baking Soda

• 1 Cup Gluten Free Flour – I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1

• 1 Cup (90 g) quick oats, plus a few for sprinkling on top of the loaf before baking

• 1/2 Cup Oat Flour (whirl oats in your food processor until a flour consistency)

• ¼ Cup Ground Almonds – alternate: additional oat flour

• 1 Cup Pumpkin Seeds – optional but delicious

• 1 Cup Chopped Dates – optional but delicious

 How It’s Made

• Preheat your oven to 375°F.

• Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper.

• In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork, then add the oat milk, coconut sugar, maple syrup, melted vegan butter and vanilla and stir together until smooth. Make a well in the middle and add the dry ingredients: the cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, gluten free flour, quick oats, oat flour and ground almonds.

• Mix together until the batter is smooth. Add the pumpkin seeds and the dates and stir to incorporate them into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.  Sprinkle the top of the loaf with a few oats and pat them down a bit so they stick.

• Bake the loaf for 1 hour. Check for doneness by inserting a sharp knife into the middle of the loaf – if it comes out clean (a few crumbs are ok) then it’s done. If there is still batter on the knife bake for 5-minute increments longer and check after each 5 minutes.

• Let cool, remove from the pan to a pretty plate and slice to serve!

Enjoy!