Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread

My family loves banana bread!  However, given that one of my granddaughters has recently been diagnosed with celiac disease, baking this family favorite became a challenge.  So, I decided that this past Saturday afternoon was a perfect time to tackle the challenge; it was raining--a perfect time for a warm loaf of banana nut bread!

For the "flour" I used King Arthur Gluten Free All-Purpose Mix; I purchased this at my local supermarket, so there was no need to blend gluten free "flours."  While making your own mix is not difficult, I don't always have the combination of rice, sorghum, and other non-gluten flours necessary for baking.  Having a pre-mixed package is very handy!

The result was wonderful!  Everyone loved it!  The end result was dark, rich, moist banana nut bread that tastes just as if wheat flour was used--no one could tell the difference.  The steps are easy.  First, spray a 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick spray.  I actually line my loaf pan with non-stick foil and then spray.  I've found that using the foil as a liner allows the loaf to be lifted effortlessly from the loaf pan; the foil can then be peeled off easily when placing the loaf on a wire rack for cooling. I'll include the recipe at the end of this post, but I thought including  pictures of the process might be helpful.

Here goes:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set it aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix the canola oil and sugars. Then add the eggs; mix well.

Add the bananas and vanilla.

Mix well.  The next step is to add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  Fold in the flour mix and stir until well blended.

Finally, add the nuts, stirring to mix well.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan.

Bake the loaf for 65--75 minutes.  At this point, I must add some comments about my experience.  I started checking my loaf at 50 minutes.  I also thought that the loaf was becoming too brown, so I placed a piece of foil over it to prevent further browning.  While the recipe calls for 65--75 minutes of baking time, my loaf actually needed almost 90 minutes.  I recommend that you check the loaf every 10 minutes or so beginning at about 55 minutes.  I initially used a toothpick to test the loaf, but something told me to check the bottom of the loaf, so I inserted a thin knife blade--it wasn't done when I first checked.  However, after adding the additional baking time, the loaf was perfect. 

After allowing the loaf to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, I removed it from the pan and then peeled off the foil in order to allow the loaf to finish cooling.

This is the end result!  It didn't last long once I sliced the first piece!

Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread
*2 cups King Arthur Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Mix (or equivalent)
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*1/8 teaspoon salt
*1/2 cup canola oil
*3/4 cup sugar
*1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
*2 large eggs
*3 bananas, mashed (I used 4 small bananas)
*1/2 teaspoon gluten free vanilla
*1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts) (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick spray.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour mix, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the canola oil and sugars.
Add eggs, mashed bananas, and vanilla, stirring until well blended.
Fold in the dry ingredients and pecans (if using).
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 65--75 minutes (check periodically for doneness) or until toothpick (or thin knife) inserted in center comes out clean. 
Allow loaf to cool in the pan for approximately 15 minutes.
Transfer loaf to wire cooling rack to cool before serving.