This buckwheat banana bread is vegan, gluten free, moist and super hearty! I love baking with buckwheat as it’s a highly nutritious superfood and creates an incredibly satisfying loaf. Buckwheat contains all 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete plant-based protein. It’s high in fibre, rich in antioxidants and a great source of B vitamins, magnesium, manganese, iron and zinc. Contrary to it’s name, buckwheat has no relation to wheat. It’s actually a seed with a grain-like consistency, making it a great alternative for celiacs or those living with gluten sensitivities.
In order for this banana bread to be 100% gluten free, make sure your rolled oats are labeled certified gluten free. While oats do not contain gluten themselves, they are often handled in facilities that produce wheat, rye and barley. This raises the risk of cross-contamination, making them unsafe on a gluten-free diet. You can easily make your own oat flour in less than 30 seconds by tossing GF rolled oats into your blender. I usually make a big batch every few weeks so that I always have some on hand in my pantry.
Banana’s are one of my favourite fruits as they are the base for many healthy recipes, such as my Banana Avocado Dream Bowl, Acai Berry Smoothie Bowl and this delicious buckwheat banana bread. Not only are they so versatile in cooking, they also contain many essential nutrients and health benefits. Banana’s are a great dietary source of fibre, antioxidants, vitamin C, B6, manganese and potassium. They also contain high levels of an amino acid called tryptophan, which is converted to seratonin in the brain. Seratonin is often thought of as the “feel-good” hormone due to it’s affect on mood balance and happiness. A lack of seratonin is often linked to depression, anxiety and insomnia.
The combination of sucanat sugar, dark chocolate, bananas and maple syrup give this loaf the perfect amount of sweetness. If you don’t have sucanat sugar, natural cane sugar or coconut palm sugar are both great substitutes. I recommend using Enjoy Life brand dark chocolate chips as they are gluten and dairy free. If you want to reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe, sub in half a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans instead of chocolate chips. And finally, always use the ripest bananas possible as they are easier to mash, taste sweeter and produce a better overall flavour and consistency.
A nutritious and gluten-free banana bread to satisfy your sweet tooth! Click To Tweet- ¾ cup buckwheat flour
- ¾ cup gluten-free oat flour
- ¼ cup sucanat sugar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
- Pinch of himalayan salt (or sea salt)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 heaping cup mashed ripe bananas (2-3 bananas)
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- 2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water (for flax "eggs")
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To make the flax "eggs", mix the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In the meantime, combine the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
- Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan and pour into a medium size bowl. Add the mashed banana, flax egg and remaining wet ingredients, leaving some chunks of banana in the mixture.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl containing the dry ingredients and combine.
- Line a 4.5' x 8' pan with parchment paper or grease the pan with a little extra coconut oil.
- Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Let cool for 15 minutes before placing on a rack to cool completely.
* Use this recipe to make muffins instead. Add batter to 12 muffin cups (about ¾ full) and cook for 20 minutes.
The aroma of freshly baked banana bread wafting through your home might make it impossible to resist letting it cool off. If you can fight the temptation, allow the loaf to cool for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan and placing it on a rack to cool completely. The longer it sits, the more moist and delicious it will become. I guarantee even the pickiest eaters will fall in love with this buckwheat banana bread!
Hope you guys enjoy this one! Let me know your thoughts by rating it or leaving a comment below 🙂
Wholeheartedly,
Gillian
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