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Quinoa Flour Banana Bread (gluten-free + vegan option!)

03/19/2012 by Camilla 43 Comments

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2012 quinoa banana bread 3

Shhh. This banana bread is made with quinoa flour.
I’m happy to let you in on the secret, but it is hush-hush at our household. My lovely husband Kevin is all for whole wheat flour (in moderation) and quinoa (as a side dish), but he is wary of what some would call “alternative” flours (he simply dubs them my “weird ingredients’).
I sympathize. We grew up in very different worlds (Arkansas for him; California for me), and while he has come around to my way of eating in many respects, I have budged little on the Southern food front save for cakes, gumbo, and hushpuppies (my father-in-law makes the lightest, tastiest version of the latter). I suspect he fears that if he gives me too much leeway on the health food front, I might start worshiping seitan.
Rather than unnerve him on his first day back to work following spring break, I am keeping the quinoa flour-ness of my quick bread on the lowdown. I promise to enlighten him, when he’s on the last slice. Given that he had a slice for breakfast and also packed a piece for a snack, it won’t be long.

2012 quinoa banana bread 1

I love the crusty ends of quick breads. I may make my next batch in my husband’s brownie edge pan to maximize the crunchy edges. I’ll keep you posted.

2012 quinoa banana bread 2

Note that this bread does not rise as high as wheat flour banana bread.Yet the texture is still light and tender. Quinoa flour–which is naturally gluten free– lends a delectable nuttiness to baked goods; I especially love it in combination with banana.

2012 quinoa banana bread 4

 

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Quinoa Flour Banana Bread (gluten free)


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Author: Camilla
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 60 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
  • Yield: 12 1x
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Description

This otherwise humble bread is a most delicious example of a true comfort food. It’s the perfect use for bananas that are past their prime for eating out of hand.


Scale

Ingredients

  • 1–2/3 cups quinoa flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder (GF, if needed)
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 large egg (see my vegan option, added 6/1/16)
  • 3/4 cup mashed VERY ripe bananas
  • 1/3 cup milk (dairy or nondairy)
  • 1/2 cup natural cane sugar, coconut sugar or sugar of choice
  • 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed, or unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease an 8- by 4-inch glass or ceramic loaf pan.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, banana, milk, sugar and oil until blended.
  4. Add the banana mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just blended.
  5. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
  6. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool.

Notes

Storage Tip: Store the cooled bread, wrapped in foil or plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Alternatively, wrap it in plastic wrap, then foil, completely enclosing bread, and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours before serving.

Vegan Option: Use the coconut oil option (or the vegetable oil of your choice). I have had the best success using a psyllium egg. Here is how to make it: mix 3-1/2 teaspoons water, 1-1/2 teaspoons whole psyliium husk and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken, then use in place of the egg! The psyllium provides great structure to the bread in a way that other egg replacements cannot.

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Related posts:

Chocolate-Banana Teff Muffins {Gluten-Free + Vegan} Double Quinoa Power Cookies {Gluten-Free, Vegan Option} Quinoa, Chickpea Flour & Blueberry Muffins (gluten-free, vegan, high-protein) 4-Ingredient Chocolate Quinoa Muffins {Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Fee}
Previous Post: « Grain-Free Apple Muffins {Paleo, Gluten-Free}
Next Post: Sweet Potato Bisque with West Indian Spices {Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-Free} »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amna

    October 02, 2019 at 11:47 am

    This is an amazing recipe! I added walnuts and flax seed for some crunch and used 2 eggs instead of 1 to make it fluffy. My bread was ready in around 40 minutes. Have to say, the bread turned out having just the right texture, not too crumbly, not too moist. Thanks for this gem.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Camilla

      October 02, 2019 at 11:55 am

      So glad to hear it was a success, Amna! And thank you for sharing your adjustments 🙂

      Reply
  2. Pete G

    June 25, 2019 at 1:06 pm

    OMG. This is soooooo good. In fact it is too good. I have no idea of the calories I’m putting in my body. My fiancee makes this for me and me alone. My biggest problem is I can eat it in one sitting but I don’t. Just how fattening is this?

    Reply
  3. Monia

    June 01, 2016 at 7:02 am

    Hi, I have just now tried your recipe, and even with good quinoa flour and REALLLLLLLY ripe bananas, i found the bread to be sour. However, the texture is amazing, so i will try to put in more bananas and a little chocolate chips magic into the mix.
    Thank you for this recipe, i’ve been looking for one for a long time! 🙂

    Reply
    • Camilla

      June 01, 2016 at 10:52 am

      Hi Monia! I am so glad the texture came out great, but also sorry to hear that the taste was sour. I’m not sure what could be causing that. The quinoa flour can have a bitter edge if there is some residue saponin–now I am curious… I hope the chocolate chip magic works to your liking. Choco chips can indeed do wonders 🙂

      Reply
  4. mohan

    January 24, 2016 at 9:15 pm

    Very gud….. i followed recipe but made muffins instead… loved it

    Reply
  5. Melissa

    January 08, 2016 at 11:35 am

    I have been looking for a recipe like this 🙂 I am not GF, but I wanted to make banana bread w/ quinoa for the health benefit. I made this last night, and my husband said it was as good as “regular banana bread.” I made some modifications:
    Added 1 T milled flax seed, 1/2 c chopped walnuts, 1/3 c natural applesauce, and 1 tsp vanilla. I also increased the coconut oil to 1/3 c and used about 1 c mashed bananas.
    We ate our slices warm and a la mode last night and room temperature with peanut butter this morning 🙂
    I think it would be good w/ chocolate chips if you wanted to turn it into a sweet dessert bread, as well.
    Thank you for your creativity!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      January 15, 2016 at 9:39 am

      You are so welcome, Melissa! Your variation sounds great!!!

      Reply
  6. Raluca Nicolescu

    April 20, 2015 at 7:56 pm

    OMG! I have tried other banana bread recipes with quinoa flour and I couldn’t get past the gluey consistency. Most took a long time to bake and turned out dense. This recipe is a keeper. It’s fluffy and the quinoa gave it a pleasant, nutty taste. It must be the addition of the coconut oil that makes this loaf so moist and airy. Thank you! My son urged me to bookmark it to bake it again and again!!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      April 28, 2015 at 12:37 pm

      Yay!!!! So glad it worked out for you, Raluca! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Debbie

    April 08, 2015 at 10:23 am

    Can walnuts be added to recipe ?

    Reply
    • Camilla

      April 28, 2015 at 12:45 pm

      Absolutely! 🙂 Any nuts or seeds..or chocolate chips 🙂

      Reply
  8. Lola

    October 05, 2014 at 2:13 am

    Hi Camilla,
    I’m trying this recipe out in the UK and I’m not used to the cup measuring system.
    I just wanted to check if it is 1 and 2/3 cups of quinoa flour or 1 to 2 thirds?
    I’m hoping to make this today to take as a yummy protein snack for work this week.
    Hopefully you can reply soon!
    I can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      April 28, 2015 at 12:45 pm

      one and two thirds–sorry for any confusion, Lola

      Reply
  9. Svetlana

    August 27, 2014 at 12:00 pm

    Camilla! Thank you so much for the recipe! I used coconut sugar instead of cane sugar, homemade almond milk and coconut oil! It turned out wonderful! I am totally hooked on it!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      August 28, 2014 at 7:52 am

      OOh, I will have to try with the coconut sugar! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Svetlana!

      Reply
  10. Stacy

    August 05, 2014 at 5:50 pm

    This was my first time to try a dairy-free, gluten-free recipe and it was fabulous. I liked it even better than my light banana bread recipe. I used Almond milk, coconut oil and quinoa flour with some super ripe bananas and it was fabulous. I tripled the recipe, but it seemed a tad too sweet though. Could I have reduced the sugar by 1/3 or 1/2 when using really ripe bananas?

    I’m a believer!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      August 28, 2014 at 7:54 am

      Great, Stacy! es, definitely cut back on the sugar some when the bananas are super-sweet. You may want to add 1 to 2 tbsp of additional liquid *since the sugar provides moisture as well as sweetness). Cheers!

      Reply
  11. Allison

    April 12, 2014 at 10:07 pm

    Yeah… So mine’s been in the oven for over 90 minutes and it’s still basically porridge in the middle and near burnt on the outside. Sigh…

    Reply
  12. caro

    January 08, 2014 at 11:53 am

    Just made this and omitted the sugar and added shredded coconut. Really bad. Tastes almost sour…maybe it was the milk I used?

    Reply
    • Camilla

      January 22, 2014 at 11:07 am

      I’m pretty sure that omitting the sugar is the problem. Quinoa flour has a slightly bitter flavor–you really need the sweetness to balance it. The sugar also adds moisture and contributes to the browning of the bread.

      Reply
  13. Ivy

    September 06, 2013 at 2:52 pm

    Hi, just wanted to ask if this recipe do in a muffin version? Thanks!
    P.s. I just made coconut banana muffins with quinoa flour ( another recipe ) but it came out very moist inside…Is that quinoa flour or I just put too much liquid ( almond milk)?
    Ivy

    Reply
    • Camilla

      April 13, 2014 at 2:42 pm

      Sure, this would work in muffin form. I would aim for 12 muffins at 18-23 minutes. Not sure about the other recipe you tried, but quinoa flour, in general , tends to absorb more liquid than wheat flour. The ratios must have been off in the recipe.

      Reply
  14. Leslie

    May 13, 2013 at 3:18 pm

    Any idea if I can substitute liquid Stevia or xylitol for the sugar?
    I’m a low-carber and the bananas alone would cause a higher Glycemic index. I also don’t do artificial sweeteners like Splenda.
    Any suggestions would be appreciated; I don’t want to mess up the ratio of wet to dry and have my bread flop 🙂

    Reply
    • Camilla

      April 13, 2014 at 2:40 pm

      Hi Leslie,
      That should work, but yes, you will wwant to up the liquid a bit (perhaps 1/4 cup more milk?)

      Reply
    • Sheila

      April 04, 2016 at 3:18 pm

      Use the bananas right after the go from green to yellow, the more brown the higher the glycemic index.

      Reply
      • Camilla

        April 20, 2016 at 12:23 pm

        Hi Sheila,
        Actually, that would lead to poor results here. You need the starch to break down so that the bananas are really mushy. The bread will be too dry and starchy if you do not use really ripe bananas.

        Reply
  15. SARAH

    May 02, 2013 at 7:20 pm

    Hi im just wondering what the gooey goodness is on the top of the cake in the main picture? i CANT FIND A MENTION IN THE recipe THAT WOULD EXPLAIN THIS WHICH I PRESUME YOU DO AT THE END?

    Reply
    • Camilla

      May 06, 2013 at 9:23 am

      Hi Sarah! It is some homemade plum jam 🙂

      Reply
    • Camilla

      April 13, 2014 at 2:40 pm

      Hi Sarah.
      It’s just jam, strawberry I think. Love jam on everything 🙂

      Reply
  16. Camilla

    September 10, 2012 at 10:43 am

    I’m thrilled, Theresa!

    Reply
  17. Theresa

    September 10, 2012 at 4:40 am

    This was my first recipe with quinoa flour and it wonderfully! Delicious! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      April 13, 2014 at 2:41 pm

      Yay! So glad, Theresa!

      Reply
    • Vivian

      July 18, 2019 at 8:54 pm

      This is my first time using Quinoa flour too. I put a Lille extra brown bananas in and 1/4 cup of milk. It’s in the oven now. When I eat some I will post again!😊

      Reply
      • Camilla

        July 19, 2019 at 2:22 pm

        Wonderful! I hope that you like it 🙂

        Reply
  18. Trish

    April 25, 2012 at 6:07 pm

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply
  19. Camilla

    April 19, 2012 at 6:29 pm

    Kristin! Oh I am so sorry it did not work out for you!

    I have a strong suspicion that the flour you bought was rancid given that it had such a bad smell when you opened it, and then , of course, when it came out! That is the same brand I buy and used for this recipe. Since quinoa can spoil more quickly than regular flour, I am guessing that it went bad somehwhere along the way.

    I would suggest trying another brand or grinding your own in a coffee mill (1/4 cup quinoa yields about 1/3 cup flour; shake the grinder as you pulse it).

    Cheers,

    Camilla 🙂

    Reply
  20. Annette

    March 21, 2012 at 3:42 am

    Camilla, I just found your blog this morning and have already made your mock “Clif” bars and I am now on to this banana bread. Thank you for these terrific gluten free recipes and ideas. Your writing, recipes and lovely photos are ery inspirational. Cheers from Orinda! ( I read you are from Berkeley originally). -Annette

    Reply
  21. Anonymous

    March 20, 2012 at 12:15 am

    Do you think you could do any subs for egg and yogurt to turn in to a “vegan friendly” bread? Or would it make it too dense? I would use regular baking powder, and maybe flax meal, and maybe some coconut milk… any thoughts or might just try and see how it works!

    Reply
  22. Anonymous

    March 19, 2012 at 11:55 pm

    Thanks so much for posting this! I’ve been trying to get away from using xanthate gum in my GF baking and have just started baking with quinoa flour. I cannot wait to try this!

    Serena

    Reply
  23. www.apronsandapples@blogspot.com

    March 19, 2012 at 8:42 pm

    Thanks for this recipe! I love your blog. I have made the bean protein bars, the lara bars, southwest eggrolls ( i think you)will make this today and have made others. THANKS for incorporating coconut oil and alternative flours! I have been using barley flour lately and looking to try making bean flour in my vitamix and add some to breads. THANKS! I posted the ling for this on my blogs facebook page! WWW>apronsandapples.blospot.com a crafty, healthy blog!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Bring on the Pumpkin | Wait...are those...cookies?! says:
    10/19/2015 at 8:11 am

    […] Yield: 1 loaf. FODMAP friendly, IBS friendly, gluten free option (Just sub the 1/3 c spelt flour with an equal amount of quinoa flour), refined sugar free, high in beta-carotene and omega 3’s… and absolutely delicious. Inspired by Power Hungry, here! […]

    Reply
  2. Gluten free | PracticalBean says:
    05/16/2014 at 10:49 am

    […] quinoa banana bread – worked well with substitution of soymilk for the dairy. i didn’t have coconut oil on hand so used earth balance and canola oil.  Baked one loaf in my glass pan in the toaster oven. Kids ate it up! […]

    Reply

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Welcome!

I’m Camilla, food writer, author, runner, and spin instructor. PowerHungry® is where I share my easy, minimalist, plant-based recipes, designed for living a healthy, delicious, empowered life.

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