Have you ever looked at your fruit bowl and the brown spotted bananas are telling you something? They are quietly chanting banana bread, banana bread, banana bread. Then the next day it is a little bit louder - BANANA BREAD, BANANA BREAD. Declaring the official time to make gluten-free banana bread with chocolate chips right now!
This gluten-free version is soft and has just the right amount of sweetness. Most people cannot tell if it is gluten-free.
Banana bread is a staple year-round. There isn't a time of year when banana bread isn't a welcomed treat. It is excellent for a quick breakfast and goes perfectly with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, even if it is decaf.
This recipe comes from my mom's cookbook. It is labeled as Dawn's Banana Bread. I adapted this recipe to be gluten-free, swapped out the shortening for softened butter, and added mini chocolate chips.
Ingredients
The best gluten-free flour for this recipe is Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour. It is a blue bag. I have purchased this flour at Walmart, Target, and Amazon. It is readily available and tastes great with zero aftertaste. I also like using 1% milk with a bit of vinegar to replicate the buttermilk flavor. Surprisingly I have tried using actual buttermilk and it made the banana bread dense.
- Ripe Bananas, but not too ripe otherwise it has more FODMAPS
- White Sugar
- Butter
- Eggs
- Mock Buttermilk Mixture
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Gluten-Free Flour
- Mini Chocolate Chips
See the recipe card for exact quantities.
Instructions
I have a secret, I am not a fan of mashing bananas or having large pieces of banana in my banana bread. Pureeing my bananas first in my mixer bowl solves that problem. I also don't wash the bowl after doing this. I like to live on the edge.
"Mashing" bananas like the rebel I am, without a fork.
Barely mix the flour. Once it looks like this, add the milk mixture and bananas.
Fold in the mini chocolate chips. Feel free to add more, prefer dark chocolate chips they will work too. Like walnuts, add them.
Spray the mini loaf pans with cooking spray. Separate the batter evenly in pans and bake at 350°.
Hint: I love to use the mini loaf pans because you get more of the caramelized edge pieces. It also magically convinces everyone there is more banana bread than if we use one regular-size loaf pan. We love banana bread math!
Substitutions
- FLOUR - If you are lucky and do not have to eat gluten-free, we may give you an evil eye, but feel free to use All Purpose Flour if you do not have a gluten-free eater.
- Low FODMAP - Make sure the bananas you use are not entirely brown. The more ripe the bananas are the more potential fructose they could contain. As always please consult the Monash App for exact amounts. I am just a girl who follows the Low FODMAP diet and adjust according to how my body responds.
Variations
Quick breads are just that, a quick bread-like shape that doesn't require yeast to make it rise. There are many variations of quick bread recipes out there. One of the things you will notice in other recipes is melted butter versus soft butter. Soft butter creamed with sugar, like in this recipe for gluten-free banana bread with chocolate chips, will give the quick bread a more cake-like texture. Versus melted butter will have a different order to combine ingredients with being sure the warm butter does not scramble the eggs.
Equipment
You can use a hand mixer, a stand mixer, or even good ole fashioned raw muscle wooden spoon power to make this banana bread! The key to good bread is not over-mixing the flour. It will make your gluten-free banana bread tough.
I also like to use non-stick mini loaf pans. If you have a glass, or a standard-size non-stick loaf pan they will both work. Just be sure you are greasing your pan. If you do not like to use cooking spray, use butter and dust with gluten-free flour.
Storage
It is very important to cool your bread completely before you store it. Either in a sealed plastic bag or an air-tight container. Moisture in the form of condensation is not good for bread. In an ideal world, I would freeze one of the mini loaves in a freezer-safe plastic bag. It would be perfectly defrosted on a Saturday to enjoy with coffee. It is good to have dreams!
Top Tips
Do not over-mix the batter!
Don't overcook the gluten-free banana bread. Gluten-free anything comes with a default dry factor already. No need to help it along.
FAQs
Why did my gluten-free bread sink in the middle?
Because it wasn't cooked enough. Stick a wooden toothpick in the middle of your bread. If it comes out clean it is done. Toothpick comes out with chocolate on it, try again. If it comes out with little pieces of bread crumbs, it is not done. Add some more cooking time until the toothpick comes out clean.
Does gluten-free chocolate chip banana bread need to be refrigerated?
No, it does not. However, if you want it to last a little bit longer, feel free to put it in the fridge. Pop it into the microwave for a short ten seconds to warm it back up. You may want to do that either way. Warm gluten-free chocolate chip banana bread with just a tad bit of butter is the bomb.
Recipe
Gluten-Free Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
Equipment
- 3 Mini loaf pans
Ingredients
- 3 large Bananas
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Softened Butter
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Milk
- 1 ½ tsp. White Vinegar
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp. Salt
- 3 cups Gluten-Free Flour
- ½ cup Mini Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F Add bananas to the mixing bowl and mix until they are the consistency of baby food. If you like a more rustic banana you can mash with a fork. Empty bananas into a different bowl and set aside.
- To your mixing bowl add your sugar and butter. Cream them togther until fully combined. Next add the eggs, one at a time. Incorporate fully into the butter and sugar mixture. Measure out your milk in a liquid measuing cup and add the vineager. Mix until combined. Add mock buttermilk mixture to the mixing bowl.
- Next add your baking soda, salt and flour. It is important to not overmix the flour. Mix until barely combined then add your bananas. Allow the mixer to turn five times and then fold in your mini chocolate chips.
- Grease your mini loaf pans with either cooking spray or butter dusted with gluten-free flour. Pour batter evenly into the three mini loaf pans.
- Place in a 350°F over and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
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