This recipe is quite amazing because I’ve literally been able to change all of the ingredients (except, of course, the bananas) and it still works and it still turns out yummy! Usually I make it gluten free, dairy free, egg free and sugar free!
I don’t know why this is called Joy’s Banana Bread, but that’s the name I have on the little paper with the recipe that I’ve been using for years.
Joy’s Banana Bread
3/4 cup sugar (OR 1 tsp stevia)
1/2 cup butter, margerine or oil
2 eggs (OR 3 tsp egg replacer mixed with 4 TB water OR an extra banana)
1 cup mashed bananas with 1 tsp baking soda mixed in (usually I do 2 bananas and skip the baking soda step, but my sister says it makes a difference)
2 Tb milk (cow, soy, rice)
1 tsp baking powder (OR 1/4 tsp baking soda mixed with 1/2 tsp of lemon juice)
1 3/4 cup flour (wh. or br. wheat, spelt, or rice flour OR my favorite mix: 1 cup br. rice flour, 2/3 cup chickpea flour, 1/3 cup tapioca flour – this mix can be used in place of wheat in almost all recipes)
pinch of salt
Bake at 350 degrees. 50 minutes for wheat, 45 minutes for spelt, 40 minutes for rice/chickpea/tapioca flours.
19 comments
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July 31, 2007 at 2:41 pm
angela rout
hey erika – where does one find chick pea flour???
July 31, 2007 at 7:15 pm
mudspice
Hey Angie, there is this amazing health food store not too far from me that sells chickpea flour in bulk, called Famous Foods. But I’ve seen it at all the other health food stores too, usually in different labeling packages (I’ve seen it in Bob’s Red Mill packaging before I think).
August 7, 2007 at 2:49 pm
lydia2007
I checked your site out this morning and couldn’t wait to try your Banana Bread recipe. It was super – and I even substituted unsweetened applesauce for half the oil called for in the recipe. I used spelt flour, stevia, and didn’t put any milk in it. Thanks.
August 8, 2007 at 2:07 pm
mudspice
Mmmm. Applesauce in place of oil sounds great. I’m definitely going to try that one.
September 10, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Anonymous
I have been using this recipe for over a year since I first read it here.
.
I make it with rice flour, stevia, eggs and rice milk. It is delicious and one of the few gluten-free recipes I use that tastes ‘normal’. Even my partner loves this banana bread (I put chocolate chips in one half of it for him
Thanks so much Angie for making our lives yummier!
I think I might try using less oil and applesauce as mentioned above.
March 12, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Angela
Wow. Thanks! I can not wait to try this! We found out recently that our 6yo daughter has several food intolerances (11 actually) the most common being: egg, dairy, wheat, and soy. I’ve been hard pressed to find breads that don’t use eggs. I’ve tried making a gf cake with the egg replacer, and it just didn’t work. I was thrilled when a friend fwd’ed this to me, and I can’t wait to try it! Thank you for posting it!!
Angela
March 16, 2009 at 1:03 pm
mudspice
Hi Angela,
Here are some other things you can use to replace egg:
* Powdered Egg Replacer – 1.5 tsp mixed with 2 TB water = 1 egg
* 2 tbsp cornstarch = 1 egg
* 2 tbsp arrowroot flour = 1 egg
* 2 tbsp potato starch = 1 egg
* 1 heaping tbsp soy powder + 2 tbsp water = 1 egg
* 1 tbsp soy milk powder + 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water = 1 egg.
* 1 banana = 1 egg in cakes.
* 1 tbsp milled flax seed and 3 tbsp water = 1 egg.
Good luck!
April 17, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Anonymous
This was a great treat, thanks! I realized the egg replacer at our local natural store has gluten in it so thanks for the other egg replacer tips! Everyone loved this treat, I look forward to making it again.
July 5, 2009 at 8:24 am
Anonymous
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July 17, 2009 at 6:58 am
healthnut
My husband and I both have sensitivity to wheat, so I’m trying to find ways to use rice flour…and I came across this recipie. I made it the first time, and it was pretty good, except that the texture was slightly gritty and there was WAY too much butter- the first few bites tasted just like a mouth ful of butter, yuk! SO this time I took the advice above and substituted 1/2 unsweetened applesauce. ONe thing I’m wondering about though, I’d really like to cut down on the sugar, but thought that reducing it would make it too soupy and not have enough dry ingredients to absorb all the moisture. But now I’m thinking that the applesauce will make it extra sweet… It’s in the oven now, We’ll see how it turns out. Another confusing thing about this recipie is that 3/4c sugar can be subbed with only 1 tsp stevia, which makes me think that I’m totally wrong about the dry ingredients. How can this work? This time I also sprinkled some cinnamon on top before baking. One thing I’m surprised no one has commented on– the baking times (at least for rice flour) are WAY OFF!! I checked after 40 minutes and the inside was like soup. SO the first time I made this and the second time (now) my bread has to stay in the overn for approx 1.5 hours just to cook through to the center!!
September 7, 2009 at 1:45 pm
mudspice
Hi! Sorry it took me so long to get back to you! Thanks for all of your feedback on the recipe. I suspect that I have an overly hot oven and perhaps you have an overly cold oven. When I bake things in my sister’s oven downstairs I have to do it longer than in my oven.
The slightly gritty texture is based on what flour you use. Straight up rice flour leaves that kind of texture. I usually make my own gluten-free flour mix.
Also, stevia has a different taste than sugar and yes, you use soooo much less than sugar because it’s 200-300 times sweeter than sugar. Which is why I’m always on the lookout for more recipes that work with stevia because a lot of times the straight sugar to stevia substitution doesn’t work.
Regards,
Erika
October 5, 2009 at 6:30 am
Jenifer
Any suggestions for using any alternative flours? My son can’t have wheat, rice, or bean/chick pea flour. I have used potato, amanranth, tapioca, sorghum, and arrowroot in some cookies. I’d love to bake this for my 5yr old son.
October 11, 2009 at 10:48 am
mudspice
Hi Jennifer! Thanks for the inspiration for posting new recipes. Here is a great one for a Banana-Quinoa muffin (or waffle) which I believe your son will be able to eat everything in it.
http://mudspice.wordpress.com/2009/10/11/banana-quinoa-flour-muffins-or-waffles-dessert-recipes-gluten-free-egg-free-sugar-free-dairy-free/
In fact, I’m going to make my baby some cooked quinoa flakes today as well!
October 31, 2009 at 9:16 am
lara
Karina The gluten free goddess has amazing recipes that everyone-not just food restricted people-enjoy.. She recently became dairy intolerant and her newer recipes are dairy,gluten,egg free…For her older recipes she has several pages that discuss different flours and substitutions, tips for cooking gluten free and page to help newly diagnosed celiacs on there waY…..
The link to her truly good tasting bread is…http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/02/delicious-gluten-free-bread.html
October 31, 2009 at 9:18 am
mudspice
Thanks for the link!
October 31, 2009 at 9:21 am
lara
oh.. yes ,Erika your recipes are very tasty yoo.. i just think that the more delicious recipes a mom with a food intolerant family has the easier her job is..Your recipes are a great addition to my ever growing collection…This gf/df life is not half as hard as it appears, these days ..20 yrs ago it would have been a nightmare…many thanks for sharing your recipes and tips
October 31, 2009 at 10:06 am
lara
It is often difficult to replace sugars with stevia or severely reduce the amount of sugar in some recipes because the melted sugar creates a web like frame that can be essentials for the spreading out, crispiness and rise of a baked product..To make up for it you have to adjust the balance of other ingredients..here is a link to help
..http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/low-sugar-baking-tips.htm
If the link does not get you directly there(argh!!!) it is the TLC Baking low sugar tips…
Egg substitutes can be great and nsccesary The ones listed above work well depending on the purpose of the egg in the recipes..eggs are binders and leveners ..so in a recipe where its primary job is to bind the flax water etc would work. Most of those listed above are binders…a banana with a dash of baking soda would leven things.. You could use the above replacers and add a 1/4 tsp of baking soda and a 1/4tsp of lemon juice for levening..Gluten fee baking can always do with a little extra leavining so don’t worry about it possibly being too much..
oh yes one more tip about anything free baking..always choose e recipe that does not require very much of what you are replacing…example..Don’t even bother trying to make the flour free chocolate cake that requires 8-10 beaten egg whites if you have to substitute eggs.. You can substitute for 1-2 eggs but nooo not 8
ok..ok..I lied…one more thing.. gluten free baking can take a long time and the middles are often gooshy so the smaller the pan you use the better..It is so much easier and faster to make several mini loaves than one big one..
i hope these tips help..they are the result of many hours of scouring the net..good luck and happy baking
October 31, 2009 at 10:13 am
mudspice
That’s so helpful! Sounds like you know a lot. I’m always searching for great new baking tips. It think it’s because I have a huge sweet tooth, but I want to satisfy it in a healthy way that won’t make my kids or I sick.
December 9, 2009 at 11:14 pm
Sharon BALDONI
Hi Erika,
You are a wonderful cook, a delightful artist and a devoted mother. A perfect Baha’i. My daughter, Sara found your recipes online as she, my husband and I are all gluten-free and sugar-free as well, and truly enjoyed your recipes. I just finished your banana bread and added a teaspoon agave to the stevia and extra bananas and it smelled so great I took a taste before it was totally done. Just a note, with a convection oven the spelt gets done almost 15 minutes sooner and it was incredible! We loved the recipes and when we discovered that you are a Baha’i it all made sense. Your strong values and excellent taste shine through–of course we are all Baha’is as well and live in Southern Oregon. You have a truly beautiful family. Thank you for all your experimenting and saving us all the failures. Bravo!