Learning how to bake new treats is one of our favorite kitchen experiences. Because baking involves all senses, it can transport you to your favorite place with just one smell or taste. Plus, it's something that the entire family can enjoy. So if you're looking for a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon or want to slow down and work more self-care into your schedule, baking banana bread is the perfect way to do so.
Though baking banana bread might sound a bit more complex than cookies or muffins, this baking guide will prove that it's just as easy. Continue reading as our Bob's Red Mill Baking Experts explain how to make the ideal almond flour banana bread with step-by-step instructions.
What Is Almond Flour?
Curious to know how almonds can be used to make delicious banana bread? Almond flour, a popular baking flour, is made from ground and blanched almonds. The skin of the almonds is removed by boiling them in water to create meal. It is are then ground and sifted into a flour-like consistency.
Almond Flour vs. Almond Meal
While almond flour and almond meal may sound similar, they are different baking ingredients. Almond meal/flour comes in two different varieties: blanched and natural. Blanched almond flour features a powder made without the skin, whereas natural almond meal is made with the entire almond—skin included. The main difference between almond flour and almond meal is the texture. Almond meal has a much thicker and coarse texture, while almond flour is ground into a fine, powder-like texture comparable to most traditional flours. Additionally, because almond flour is made without the skin, it doesn't add much "almond" flavoring to food. Therefore, when creating baked goods, almond flour is usually the most popular choice.
The Benefits of Using Almond Flour
With the many flours on grocery store shelves, you might be wondering "what's the benefit of using almond flour?" While almond flour may not be your typical go-to baking ingredient, it's sure to become a family favorite after trying a slice of this banana bread. There are many benefits to using almond flour when making delicious baked goods. From keeping the ingredients plant-based to helping eliminate some carbs, almond flour is an excellent baking ingredient—especially when you're creating food for a specific diet.
Almond Flour Is Paleo
A paleo diet is based on foods similar to what people may have eaten during the Paleolithic era, which dates back nearly 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. Rich in lean meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, the foods enjoyed on this diet could be acquired by hunting and gathering. Dairy products, grains and legumes are limited when following a paleo diet, as these foods only became popular when farming emerged. However, because almond flour has one ingredient—finely ground almonds, it's an excellent paleo-friendly flour substitute.
Almond Flour Is Gluten Free
Gluten is a protein most commonly found in grain-based foods like wheat, barley and rye. While some individuals can process this protein without any problem, for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, it can cause a lot of digestive upset. When following a gluten free diet, products containing gluten-filled ingredients are avoided and replaced with wholesome foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, beans, legumes and dairy. Traditional flours like whole wheat flour and all-purpose white flour contain high amounts of gluten and are not recommended when following a gluten free diet. While there are many gluten free alternatives like Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, almond flour tops the list as one of the most popular celiac-friendly flours. It's naturally free of gluten and loaded with vitamins, nutrients, and healthy fats, making it an excellent way to continue baking your favorite treats sans gluten.
Almond Flour Is Low Carb
A low carb diet limits your daily intake of carbohydrates—a nutrient most commonly found in sugary foods, bread and pasta. Much like those following gluten free diet, individuals on a low carb diet focus on whole foods like fruits and vegetables and steer clear of foods containing carbs. When following a diet like the ketogenic diet, almond flour is a standard low carb substitute. Made from crushed almonds, it is significantly lower in carbs than other flours, containing only 3 grams of total carbs per 2-tablespoon serving.
How to Use Almond Flour to Make Banana Bread
Ready to begin baking with this superfood flour? Banana bread is the perfect recipe to start with! Simple to make and delicious, almond flour makes it possible to bake a gluten free and low carb banana bread in under an hour.
Moist and dense, the recipe below uses a mixture of almond flour, tapioca flour, and flaxseed meal to ensure that your bread is the perfect texture every time you bake it. Let's get started!
Almond Flour Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup Almond Flour
- ½ cup Tapioca Flour
- 2 Tbsp Flaxseed Meal
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- ¾ cup Organic Coconut Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 ½ cups Mashed Bananas (about 3 medium)
- ½ cup toasted, chopped walnuts (optional)
Step 1: Prep the Ingredients
Before beginning to bake your banana bread, you'll want to start by prepping all of the ingredients. First, lay the ingredients out on your counter and make sure you have the right quantities of each. Next, begin cutting, chopping or mashing anything that needs to be.
Step 2: Preheat and Prep
Before mixing the ingredients of the recipe, first, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Giving the oven time to preheat will ensure that your banana bread cooks to perfection. Next, spray an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with cooking oil and set it to the side.
Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, begin mixing the dry ingredients of the recipe. Start by combining the flours and then mix in the flaxseed meal, baking soda and salt. Set it to the side.
Step 4: Mix Wet Ingredients
In a larger bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until they are a light, fluffy texture and have doubled in size. This will require about 5-7 minutes of whisking. Next, add vanilla extract, and then mix in the oil slowly until it is dispersed evenly throughout the mixture. Finally, fold in the mashed bananas.
Step 5: Combine Ingredients
After thoroughly mixing the wet ingredients, begin adding the dry ingredients to the large bowl. Next, fold in walnuts and any other additional ingredients that you'd like to add.
Step 6: Pour the Batter
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake it until fully cooked. Test the banana bread for doneness by poking a toothpick into it and ensuring that it comes out clean. It will take approximately 45 minutes for your bread to cook. Let the cooked banana bread cool for 30 minutes before removing it from the pan to serve and enjoy.
Additional Ingredients
One of the best parts of baking goods at home is choosing the ingredients that go into them. So while the recipe above will create delicious banana bread, we encourage you to use your kitchen creativity to add additional components to it that will make it your own. Not sure where to start? Here are a few foods we love mixing into banana bread.
- nuts
- nut butter
- seeds
- chocolate chips
- toffee pieces
- Protein powder
- butterscotch chips
- citrus zest
- chia seeds
- spices
- espresso powder
- raisins
- dried fruits
- fresh fruits
- extracts
- shredded coconut
The Right Bananas for Banana Bread
Whether this is your first time baking banana bread, or you've been making it for years, using the perfect bananas is key to making a banana bread that is out-of-this-world delicious. Below we'll cover some of the best banana-choosing tips so that your bread is better than any load you've made before.
The Golden Rule: Ripe Bananas
When choosing bananas for bread, there is one golden rule: Ripe bananas make the best banana bread. And the riper, the better. If you have bananas turning black or those that will spoil soon, then it's time to make banana bread—just make sure the fruit hasn't gone rotten.
Dessert Bananas
Now, if you don't have bananas at home and can't find ripe ones at the grocery store, then there is still a way to make a delicious loaf of banana bread. Instead of purchasing regular bananas, choose a dessert banana, like "baby" bananas or Lady Finger bananas. Both of these varieties are sweet and fruity and have a creamy texture.
Ready to begin making your ideal banana bread? Use the steps above to create a bread that is up to your baking standards and get creative with it by adding in fun ingredients that you wouldn't usually think of. Your banana bread is truly what you make of it. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, happy baking!
