Quinoa Banana Bread

 

Who would have thought that Quinoa Bread could be so tasty? I have been a big fan of Banana Bread since I was a little girl. I remember going out and picking fresh walnuts from my great grandmother's walnut tree in her backyard just so we could crack them open and get out the fresh nut to put in a fresh batch of nanny's banana nut bread. Talk about amazing childhood memories.

I still love my nanny's recipe today, but enjoying healthier versions of banana bread is hard to come by. And that's where this Quinoa Bread comes into play.

Queue the quinoa flour and flaxseed meal, please!

I'm on a quinoa and flaxseed kick right now, so I'm creating more and more recipes with those ingredients all the time, like these Protein Quinoa Bites. I've never combined quinoa flour with a flaxseed meal before, so I decided to take the typical banana bread recipe and turn it into a simple healthy banana bread recipe!

And....OMG...delicious!! Like crazy moisture in a cake type of delicious!

Before we go any further, this is not a sandwich bread recipe. This is a banana bread recipe made with quinoa flour and a flaxseed meal.

Another thing you need to know is that this is a gluten-free banana bread because quinoa is naturally gluten-free. Quinoa flour recipes are becoming more and more popular because it's extremely versatile in gluten-free baking and it contains protein, fiber, and other vitamins and minerals.

I also use flaxseed meal in this recipe. It's high in fiber, as well as contains a high amount of protein. It also contains omega-fatty acids. Flaxseed meal has a natural nutty taste, so it's the perfect partner ingredient for a loaf of quinoa flour-based banana bread recipe.

So what am I getting at here? You can eat this delicious bread and feel good about yourself!!

Ingredients You'll Need

Let's take a look at the players in this recipe. Quinoa is considered a "superfood" and when you grind it into flour, it's perfect to use when making breads, pastries, and desserts.

Notice there is no sugar in the list of ingredients above. Honey and bananas are natural ingredients and take the place of white and brown sugar in this recipe, which makes this a low-sugar banana bread. And you'd never know the difference. This is also a low-calorie banana bread.

Step-by Step Instructions: How to Make Quinoa Banana Bread

Because I want you to love this recipe as much as I do, I’ve included step-by-step instructions on how to make this. You're going to start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and set it aside.

Next, place the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix together with a large spoon until well combined.

In a smaller bowl, mash the bananas. I use a handheld masher. It works amazingly well. Once mashed, add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and honey. Using a standing or electric mixer, mix on medium speed until all the wet ingredients are well combined.

Now it's time to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the wet banana mixture to the dry ingredients. Using the paddle attachment on a standing mixer, combine the ingredients on low speed for 1 minute. If you don't have a standing mixer, use a large spoon to fold the wet and dry ingredients until mixed.

Note that the batter will have specks of brown grains. That's the flaxseed meal.

Once the ingredients are well combined, pour the batter into the prepared pan. The batter will only fill up about half of the loaf pan. Don't worry, it will rise while baking. Bake for 27-30 minutes until done. Expert Tip - the bread will turn a beautiful golden brown when it's done, so that will be a good gauge to let you know when you should remove it in those last minutes of baking. 

It is so important to let the quinoa bread loaf completely cool before removing it from the loaf pan. I wait at least 45 minutes to ensure it has cooled. The benefit to letting it cool is that the loaf stays perfectly in place. No crumbles!

After I remove the bread from pan, I place it on a wire cooling rack and let it sit about 10 more minutes before I slice it. I like to slice it into ¼ inch thick slices. Add some butter and honey and enjoy!

Expert Tips

• Bread Pans - I get a lot of questions about the type of bread pans I use. If you have a flexipan loaf, use it. It's perfect for bread recipes. The molds are made of silicone and glass and do a phenomenal job of trapping in the moisture! I also really like this Chicago Metallic Loaf Pan.
• Vegan Version - To make a vegan version, substitute 2 chia eggs for the eggs and added 3 tablespoons of applesauce.
• Use Overripe Bananas - Using overripe bananas are best for this recipe. You want the bananas to have some brown spots. Those offer a ton of flavor and sweetness to the bread. If you don't have overripe bananas, you can add a Tablespoon of milk to ripe bananas. The milk will make it much easier to smash.
• Overbaking - When you pull the bread out of the oven, it may appear to be a little moist in the center. That's ok. It's going to continue baking after you remove it from the oven. Don't overcook the bread. If you do, you'll lose a lot of moisture. I always insert a toothpick into the loaf of bread when it's been baking for 27 minutes. If it comes out clean with no batter, it's ready. If the toothpick still appears wet, let it bake a bit longer. All ovens are different so use this method to determine the doneness of the bread.
• KitchenAid Mixer - I am a huge fan of the KitchenAid mixer. When mixing the wet ingredients, use the metal wire whisk. When adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, use the white paddle attachments.
• Adding Nuts - If you want a little crunch, add in ¼ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans.
• Storage - Once cooled, I wrap the bread in plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for 3-4 days. It can also be stored wrapped in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. So if you're storing it in the fridge, you're buying yourself another day.
• Quinoa Banana Muffins - This gluten-free banana bread recipe with quinoa flour and flaxseed meal make for some delicious muffins! Use the same recipe and instead of filling a bread pan, use a muffin pan! Fill each muffin cup about halfway full, and bake for 14-16 minutes, or until golden brown.

This easy banana bread recipe is best warm. I ate 3 pieces...I just couldn't stop myself! The moisture in this loaf was like cake, but the difference is I didn't feel guilty eating that many slices because of all the nutritional benefits.

You're going to love every single bite of this delicious and "good for you" bread!

Other Bread Recipes To Try

I am a lover of bread and I think you'll really like some of my recipes here. If you're looking for a healthy breakfast muffin, you'll love my Acorn Squash Muffins. The moisture is out of this world! My Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins are also great for breakfast, but I enjoy them as a dessert. These Carrot and Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting are also delicious and healthy and great for a snack or dessert!

If you're looking for more bread loaf recipes, check out my Zucchini, Carrot and Apple Olive Oil Cake and Lemon Blueberry Bread!

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Quinoa Banana Bread

This Quinoa Banana Bread is a healthy banana bread that bakes up and results in the most amazingly and moist loaf! Bread so tender, perfectly moist, and packed with flavor, this is an even healthier version of the classic recipe that's going to wow your tastebuds!

4.95 from 17 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 28 minutes minutes

Total Time: 38 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 154kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup Quinoa flour
• ▢ ¼ cup Flaxseed meal
• ▢ 3 bananas, overripe and mashed
• ▢ 1 teaspoons baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 eggs, large
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons honey
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
• Place all the dry ingredients in large bowl. With a large spoon, mix together until well combined.
• In smaller bowl, mash the bananas with a hand held mixer. Add in the eggs, honey, and vanilla extract and mix with a standing or electric mixer until well combined, about 2 minutes on low speed.
• Add the wet banana mixture to the large bowl of dry ingredients and mix until combined. I use the paddle attachment on my standing mixer for this step. If you don't have a standing mixer, use a large spoon to mix the ingredients.
• Pour the batter into a prepared bread loaf pan.
• Bake for 27-30 minutes until done. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the loaf of bread when it's been baking for 27 minutes. If it comes out clean with no batter, it's ready. If the toothpick still appears wet, let the bread bake a bit longer. All ovens are different so use this method to determine the doneness of the bread.

Video

Notes

• Bread Pans - I get a lot of questions about the type of bread pans I use. If you have a flexipan loaf, use it. It's perfect for bread recipes. The molds are made of silicone and glass and do a phenomenal job of trapping in the moisture! I also really like this Chicago Metallic Loaf Pan.
• Use Overripe Bananas - Using overripe bananas are best for this recipe. You want the bananas to have some brown spots. Those offer a ton of flavor and sweetness to it. If you don't have overripe bananas, you can add a Tablespoon of milk to ripe bananas. The milk will make it much easier to smash.
• Overbaking - When you pull the bread out of the oven, it may appear to be a little moist in the center. That's ok. It's going to continue baking after you remove it from the oven. Don't overcook the bread. If you do, you'll lose a lot of the moisture. 
• KitchenAid Mixer - I am a huge fan of the KitchenAid mixer. When mixing the wet ingredients, use the metal wire whisk. When adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, use the white paddle attachments.
• Adding Nuts - If you want a little crunch, add in ¼ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans.
• Storage - Once cooled, I wrap the bread in plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for 3-4 days. It can also be stored wrapped in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. So if you're storing it in the fridge, you're buying yourself another day.
• Quinoa Banana Muffins - This gluten free banana bread recipe with quinoa flour and flaxseed meal makes for some delicious muffins! Use the same recipe and instead of filling a bread pan, use a muffin pan! Fill each muffin cup about halfway full, and bake for 14-16 minutes, or until golden brown.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 368mg | Potassium: 265mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg

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