Green Banana Quinoa Bread

Enjoy moist, gluten-free green banana flour bread with quinoa and apricots-easy, gut-friendly, and perfect for breakfast or snacks.

Hands down, the best banana bread without using actual bananas! This banana flour recipe is sweet, moist, and with plenty of banana flavor. It's a classic comfort food that you can serve for breakfast or dessert.

Why I love this bread

• Moist and healthy: Green banana flour bread is a rare gluten-free option that offers a moist crumb, slightly sweet flavor, and valuable health benefits from resistant starch.
• Fool-proof recipe: It's easy enough for first-timers and satisfying enough for seasoned bakers looking to experiment with wholesome ingredients.
• Snack item: Perfect for breakfast, packed lunches, or a snack, it pairs well with nut butters, avocado, or a drizzle of honey.

Key Ingredients

• Quinoa flour: This is the main dry ingredient, giving the bread body and a mild, nutty flavor. It's gluten-free and healthy.
• Green banana flour: This is the special ingredient-it adds resistant starch, which is great for your gut health. It also adds slight banana flavor and keeps the bread moist.
• Brown sugar: Dark brown sugar has molasses that will caramelize during baking and turn into more moisture as well.
• Vegetable oil: Oil keeps the bread soft and moist, so it doesn't turn out dry or crumbly.
• Eggs: Eggs help hold everything together and give the bread structure so it rises nicely and isn't too dense.
• Orange juice: Adds some liquid moisture and because it's acidic, it works with the baking soda to help the bread rise.
• Lemon juice: Just a little bit helps activate the baking soda and brightens the flavor, balancing the sweetness.
• Baking soda: This makes the bread rise and fluffy by creating air bubbles when it reacts with the citrus juices.
• Sea salt: Enhances all the flavors and balances the sweetness.
• Dried apricots (optional): They keep the bread moist without needing to add extra sugar or bananas.

How to make Green Banana Quinoa Bread

1. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, vegetable oil, dark brown sugar, orange juice, and lemon juice until smooth.
2. Mix dry ingredients: In another bowl, mix quinoa flour, green banana flour, baking soda, and sea salt.
3. Combine them together: Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring well. Fold in the chopped apricots.

Pour and bake

1. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake at 350 F. for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
2. Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Pro Tips

• Batter should not be thick: It should easily slide off the spoon into the loaf container. In other words, you shouldn't be shoving it there with great difficulty.
• Start checking at 40 minutes by placing a toothpick in the middle of the bread. Do not go over 55 minutes of baking time.
• Brown sugar is the best kind of sugar to use in this recipe: Please do not substitute with regular granulated sugar.
• Do not add less sugar than what the recipe calls for. Doing so will result in less cohesive green banana flour loaf. you need that sugar for the right molecular structure of this green banana flour bread.
• Don't Overmix: Mix just until ingredients are combined to avoid dense, tough bread.
• Add Moisture if Needed: Green banana flour can absorb a lot of liquid; if your batter feels dry, add a tablespoon of extra orange juice or water.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Bread Too Dense: This can be caused by overmixing or too much flour. Be gentle and measure flours accurately.
• Bread Not Rising: Make sure your baking soda is fresh and that you include the acidic ingredients (orange and lemon juice) needed to activate it.
• Dry Bread: Adding the apricots and orange juice helps, but if your bread turns out dry, try adding an extra tablespoon of oil or a bit more liquid next time.

Healthy Quinoa Bread

• Gluten-free and grain-free, safe for those with allergies or sensitivities.
• High in resistant starch, which promotes digestive health.
• Naturally low in sugar and calories.

Variations to the recipe

• Add dried figs instead of dried apricots in the same proportion.
• Add ½ cup chopped walnuts.
• Increase the proportion of banana flour to 1 cup instead of ½ cup to up the resistant starch amount.
• Make it with chocolate chips. You can simply follow the recipe for gluten free chocolate chip bread.

To make it egg free

To make it egg free, use chia seeds instead of eggs.

• Chia seed/water ratio: ⅓ cup chia seeds + 1 cup water.
• Flour ratio: I then reduced quinoa flour about from 1.5 cups to 1 cup and did not use orange juice.

Storage

Store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week. Slice and freeze for longer storage.

More gluten free bread recipes:

• Quinoa Bread with Sunflower and Pumpkin Seeds
• Red Quinoa and Chia Bread
• Chocolate Chip Quinoa Loaf