Fancy recipes with fancy names are all the rage these days. I will admit, I am guilty of trying to create recipes outside the box, or name them fancy names, however, sometimes there is just something special about the old fashioned recipes like grandma made. They are simple and sweet and everybody loves them. Come home with me and enjoy the recipes grandma or even mom used to make and enjoy my Gluten Free Old Fashioned Banana Bread wtih Crumb Topping.
My exchange student from Thailand was home visiting wtih our family and she loves bananas. There were a couple of very ripe bananas that she was about to throw away and I was like, NO!!!! She says they aren’t good when they get like that. I explained to her that they are wonderful in breads and muffins, so I taught her how to make Banana Bread.
Chances are you have some overripe bananas on your counter right now too! So before you throw them away remember they are delicious added in shakes. If you aren’t ready to use them, just peel them, slice them and place in sealed airtight container and put them in the freezer until ready to use. Then you can add them to smoothies, shakes or make this delicious Old Fashioned Banana Bread. In addition, bananas are an excellent source of potassium, dietary fiber, and vitamin b-6. Whenever, I use bananas, I always add 2 tsp. chia seeds too. No one will know they are in there, because they mimic the look of black flecks you see in ripe bananas and they add an extra portion of nutrients, omega-3’s to your baked goods or shakes. However, chia seeds are optional, so feel free to leave them out if you prefer.
For this recipe, it was my first time using my Le Creuset Bread Pan. I was so excited to see how it baked breads. It is a little smaller than a typical metal bread pan, so keep that in mind. So my bread batter filled the pan pretty full and it just barely didn’t overflow. This will probably not be the case with a regular bread pan. Nevertheless, it still baked up beautifully. So whenever making a bread with a crumb topping, I always place a piece of foil under the pan on a lower shelf and that way if any of that delicious crumble breaks off, it won’t burn on the bottom of your oven.
If you want to keep this bread on the “healthier side” just leave the crumb topping off. However, you will be missing my favorite part if you do. I have to have a piece of crumb with every bite, but that is just me.
Now for the recipe!
Gluten Free Banana Bread with Crumb Topping
Recipe Type: Muffins & Quickbreads
Author: Rachel Carlyle Edington – Gluten Free Mama
Prep time: 1 hour 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hour 15 mins
Total time:1 loaf
Old Fashioned Banana Bread with Crumb Topping
Ingredients
- 2 cups Mama’s Almond or Coconut Blend Flour
- 1 ¾ tsp. xanthan gum
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- 2 tsp. chia seeds, optional
[br]
- ½ cup butter, dairy free margarine, Spectrum shortening or coconut oil, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup ripe mashed bananas
- 2 eggs[br]
- [b]Crumb Topping (Optional)[/b]
- ¾ cup Mama’s Almond or Coconut Blend Flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- 6 Tbsp. butter, dairy free margarine, Spectrum shortening or coconut oil, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray bread pan with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, xanthan powder, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and chia seeds. Mix together until combined. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter, margarine, shortening or coconut oil until soft. Add sugar, vanilla and bananas and mix well.
- Scrape down sides of bowl and bottom of bowl. With mixer running on low speed, add one egg at a time until completely mixed in.
- Slowly add flour mixture until all flour is mixed in well. Scrape down sides of bowl again and then mix for about 30 seconds longer to completely mix.
- Spread evenly into bread pan. If you are not adding crumb topping, with a sharp knife, make three diagonal slashes across the bread batter.
- Prepare crumb topping.
- Mix together flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Using room temperature butter, margarine, shortening or coconut oil, (coconut oil, you may need to heat in microwave for about 20-30 seconds), press it in to the flour mixture until flour mixture resembles pea size crumbs. Don’t over mix, you want it to look like a crumb, yet be mixed in equally.
- Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over batter.
- Place an oven rack in the center of rack of your oven and one under the center rack. Place a piece of aluminum foil on the lower rack, to catch any drippings of crumb topping and protect your oven.
- Place bread on center rack in oven. Bake for 1 hour. Without removing from oven, check center of bread with a toothpick. If toothpick does not come out clean, then reduce heat in oven to 325 degrees and bake for about 15 minutes longer or until toothpick comes out clean. (Cover after about 45 minutes by lightlly placing a piece of aluminum foil over bread, to prevent over browning of crumble.
- Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Slice gently with serrated knife.
Notes Chia Seeds are optional, but do add a great source of Omega 3’s. [br]For a healthier Banana Bread, leave the crumb topping off. [br]To prevent pieces of the crumb topping from spilling over into oven, it is wise to place a piece of foil on lower rack. [br]Cover after about 45 minutes to prevent bread crumb from over browning. [br]Slice gently into at least 1/2 inch slices.
To purchase Gluten Free Mama’s Almond or Coconut Blend Flour, Click Here
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