Banana Bread (LC)
So ... banana bread, Mr. Foodie? Hmmnnn ... ?! Seriously?! Can he do that!?! Is that ... LEGAL?!?! Aren't banana made of pure evil? Aren't they loaded with sugar? REALLY?!
Yep! I'm doin' it! And ... I'm doing it WELL, too! THIS banana bread was nothing short of spectacular! It was beyond moist ... almost "creamy" in texture. Like it's distant cousin, the Zucchini Bread, it was also almost not entirely unlike a banana pudding, but ... a baked one ... shaped like banana bread! IT WAS FANTASTIC!!!
See, the thing is ... bananas aren't evil. They're high in potassium, they're TRULY yummy and ... they even come in their own unique little packages. An almost perfect food! The issue comes in, in that they ARE quite high in sugar, while also being quite high glycemic. A perfect-ish food, but ... also one to quickly mess with blood sugars. HOWEVER! When selecting a banana, select one that's still a bit green. I know that banana bread is a GREAT use for those soft black bananas, that have almost turned to candy, but ... we're trying to get the banana flavor before a lot of that sugar develops. Using them a bit on the green side will help. Also combined with other ingredients, the sugary banana-ness of it is diluted. I personally add a bit of banana extract to it, as I find that helps carry over some of the stronger tastes and aromas. However, I also find that banana oils, emulsions and extracts have a sharp flavor if used too much. I included it in the recipe, but ... recognize that it's TOTALLY optional.
In the end, by using a bit less than an ordinary banana bread, using green bananas and then stretching the flavor with emuslsions, extracts or oils ... well ... you'll get something just as good as the real thing! (It's been years since I've had the real thing, but ... Scout's Honor ... I thought this was even BETTER than any I'd ever had before.) TRULY delicious!
- Preparing Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Served Person: 10
vegetarian
white meat free
tree nut free
nut free
contains gluten
red meat free
shellfish free
contains dairy
contains eggs
pescatarian
- dash salt
- 2 small (202g) bananas still a bit green
- 8 ounces (227g) regular cream cheese (not low-fat) softened
- 1/2 cup (112g) coconut oil melted
- 1/2 cup (119.5g) sugar free maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (120g) 'swerve' or other sugar equivalent
- 2 large (100g) whole eggs
- 1 tsp (4g) banana (or vanilla) extract
- 1 3/4 cups (184.16g) splendid gluten-free bake mix (use reci
- 1 1/2 tsp (6g) baking powder
- 1 tsp (4g) baking soda
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (23g)
- Sodium 31.0064 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour (with gluten free mix) a standard loaf pan. In a small bowl, mush the bananas with a fork and then set aside. In an electric mixer, combine cream cheese and coconut oil. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add maple syrup and sugar replacement. Beat until well combined. Add the banana, eggs and extract and beat until well combined. Finally, add gluten free baking mix, baking powder, baking soda and a nice dash of salt. Beat until well combined. Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove place on a rack. Because it's so soft, allow it to fully cool down before slicing (but I'll understand if you just grab a fork and dig in!)
