Guest Post Friday ~ Gluten-free Banana Bread

Super- Easy, Super- Delicious Gluten and Sugar Free Banana Bread 

by Jessica Reagan

I (and by default, my family) switched to a Paleo style diet this last year. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, it basically means we eat veggies, pastured meat and eggs, fruit, and nuts. We gave up grains in all forms, sugar in most forms (raw honey and pure maple syrup are not forbidden but still should be consumed in extreme moderation), any type of processed “convenience food”, fast food, legumes, and rice. Now I’m sure at this point you’re thinking, “This lady is bananas”. You might be right! It’s certainly not for everyone, but I’ve had great success curing my acid reflux/heartburn, sciatica, joint pain, depression, fatigue, and I’ve lost quite a bit of weight. There are definitely benefits to cutting out grains and sugar but for some who suffer from celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or diabetes it’s mandatory. "Paleo Foodies" like myself often try to recreate foods we’ve chosen or been forced to give up. Here is a delicious, healthy recipe for banana bread. It’s super easy and best of all it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare and close to 40 to bake. So start now and in an hour you’ll have an amazing, warm piece of bread to enjoy!

What you’ll need:

3/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup almond flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
5 eggs
2T. coconut oil
2T. unsweetened applesauce (it's naturally sweet already)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 medium bananas, mashed
5 T. almond milk or coconut milk
½ c. chopped nuts (optional)

There are literally three steps to this, four if you count putting in the oven as a step! First, combine dry ingredients. Then, combine wet ingredients. Add the dry mix to the wet mix until combined. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. When it comes out of the oven let it cool down. Use a knife to separate the sides from the pan and turn it upside down. It should come easily out of the pan. Slice, slather with some clarified butter or ghee and you have a tasty treat! This bread is not as sweet if you’re used to regular banana bread, but you could add a tablespoon or two of honey to the wet ingredients to sweeten it a bit or load it on top with the butter. Enjoy!

Note: You could use all coconut flour, or all almond flour, or even add some flaxseed meal to this. You just need 1 1/2 cups of flour.

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Jessica Reagan is a cooking fanatic who loves entertaining and sharing her recipes with others, usually with a bottle of wine. She recently embarked on a journey to a primal/ paleo lifestyle which, in addition to diet, focuses on sleep, nature, and meditation for optimal health and general well-being. She is passionate about teaching people about organic, whole foods’ power to heal mind and body, as well as prevent and cure most maladies and disease. When she isn’t chasing around her 2 kids or whipping up something delicious, she enjoys making all natural beauty products and listening to her vinyl record collection. You can also follow Jessica on her blog, WholeDeliciousFood.

From Dee: Thank you, Jessica! I've been wanting to include some gluten-free recipes here on Dee's Kitchen. Jessica also writes for my daughter's website, Green Oklahoma. Check it out!