Banana bread

I had nearly given up on gluten and dairy free banana bread.

It’s not that there aren’t a lot of recipes out there. There are plenty. But they never quite worked for me – the texture was not quite right, the taste a bit off, the ingredients a bit too complicated for my liking.

Perhaps the bottom line is that I don’t like baking with Xanthan gum. I find a lot of gluten free flours a bit bitter. And I always prefer to find recipes that are “naturally” gluten and dairy free, without relying on substitution products.

When I spotted this recipe by Tom Kitchin on the internet, I knew I needed to try it immediately. Several dozen loaves and a few tweaks later, it is a firm favorite with my children. And my children’s friends. And my children’s friends’ parents.

Which might explain how the loaf I baked yesterday was reduced to crumbs within minutes, before I even managed a slice for myself.

Gluten and dairy free banana bread (adapted from a Tom Kitchin article in The Scotsman)

4 medium bananas, peeled – about 300g

200g caster sugar

6 large eggs

200g ground almonds

1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder

Makes 10-12 slices

Preheat your oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3.

On a plate or cutting board, mash up the bananas into chunks using a fork. Scrape into a bowl and mix in the sugar.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Pour into to the banana mixture, and mix well.

Fold the ground almonds and baking powder into the batter, then transfer to a lined, greased loaf pan. I use a 25 cm silicone loaf pan greased with ghee (which is casein free), but you could also use a bit of sunflower oil to grease the pan.

Bake for one hour. I have no idea how long the cake can keep because it always gets devoured immediately.