Learning to cook gluten-free/nut-free/soy-free/sugar-free vegan hasn't been nearly as hard as learning to bake that way. I find cooking vegetables to be rather enjoyable, and I actually prefer it to the old days of cooking meat. But baking? Baking was a lot easier with eggs, butter, and sugar. Well, the success rate was higher anyway.
Lately I've been finding recipes and leaving out the things I can't have and hoping for the best. That method has led me to many failures. Breads don't rise or they turn to mush and cookies just taste generally unwell. I'm not interested in using a lot of substitutes but I'm guessing those are the things that would make this process easier.
I recently found this recipe for gluten-free vegan banana bread and my hopes weren't high and my expectations were low (just where I like them) but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it turned out. I only tweaked it a little bit and it rose! All by itself! In the oven! I used my typical combination of flours, coconut oil, and coconut crystals, and this time it turned into something quite pleasing.
So... here's to more baking adventures and to my first success among many, many failures!
P.S. If you were to ask my children if this was a baking success they would give you a sheepish and embarrassed "Uh, no." But they're young and jaded and already skeptical of any food that's been deemed okay for me to eat. If Mom can eat it, it must taste bad. Amazing how quickly they can turn on you.
Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Bread
From the Daily Dietribe
Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 medium overripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 coconut crystals
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon chia seeds
3 tablespoons unsweetened rice milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 8.5 x 4.5 inch bread pan.
Whisk flours, baking powder, and baking soda together in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
Place bananas, oil, coconut crystals, chia seeds, rice milk, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl. Beat starting on low then increasing to medium speed, until ingredients are completely mixed. The bananas can still have small chunks, but should be mixed in well.
Beat or stir in flour until completely mixed.
Scoop batter into pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool for ten minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Makes 1 loaf.
