Easy Gluten Free Banana Bread

Sometimes, I like taking the easy way out. Take today for instance, one-handed typing is slow and frustrating, so I'm having my daughter, Lisa, do my typing. This week's recipe is a quick conversion of our favorite banana bread recipe, taken from Gold Medal® flour's Alpha-Bakery Children's Cookbook. Our copy was published in 1987. The book is still available though the Betty Crocker® website.

I made two simple changes and added two ingredients that make gluten free bake goods possible. The recipe called for ¾ cup vegetable oil. To avoid mushy, gooey bread when using rice flour always cut the fat in half, when converting from original glutenful recipes. Instead of one type of flour I always use a little bit of Millet flour because it provides a crisper crust.

My first addition was, of course, guar gum used to hold the air that makes bread rise. Don't forget, you can use xanthan gum instead. My second addition, unflavored gelatin, is a stronger binding agent than the gums and is necessary to make a firmer bread, keeping it from falling apart at slicing time.

The bread is not as good as the original made with wheat flour, but it is nothing to sneeze at. Lisa made a loaf Friday and it was quickly eaten. Give this quick and easy recipe a try.


Gluten Free Banana Bread
1 ¾ cup rice flour
¼ millet flour
2 teaspoons guar gum
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 package unflavored gelatin
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ cup mashed banana
2 tablespoons oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup soy milk

Turn the oven to 325°, and grease a loaf pan with gluten free shortening. In a medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. Add wet ingredients and stir well. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake for 70 minutes.