Perfected Vegan Gluten Free Banana Blueberry Bread

I started the journey of creating the best breakfast muffins or bread a few months ago. My challenges were the fact that I could not use anything with gluten because of my husband's celiac disease, including oat flours. Unfortunately, EVERY recipe I found for gluten free, vegan muffins had oat flour. I was so frustrated. So I started to experiment and it took a few months, but I have finally perfected a breakfast loaf that both my husband and I can enjoy. 

This recipe is refined sugar free, gluten free, oil free, and completely plant based. This bread is healthy, delicious, and perfect to grab on your way out to work for breakfast or a mid-morning snack. It's seriously delicious. 

Recipe:

4 Large over-ripe bananas
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup unsweetened organic non-dairy milk
2 cups organic unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup coconut nectar or date syrup
2 cups rice flour or other gluten free mixed flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups blueberries

Optional Ingredients: 
1-2 Tbsp ground chia seeds
1-2 Tbsp Kate Hill Unsweetened Greek style yogurt
Small packet of green stevia leaf (if you want it a little sweeter)

Preheat oven to 350, line loaf pan with parchment paper. 

Mix almond milk and lemon juice until it curdles (skip this step if you are using the yogurt). 

In a small bowl, mash bananas. 

Add bananas to a large bowl, add the lemon juice and almond milk mixture, sweetener and applesauce, and zest. Stir well to combine. 

Add dry ingredients to the banana mixture. Stir until well combined. Fold in the blueberries. 

Spread into pan and bake 70 minutes. 

Allow to cool before slicing. 

The first time I made this recipe, I did add a mashed avocado as a way to add extra moisture, but it really didn't need it.  It also added some green specs that I had to explain to my husband was not mold, but avocado. However, if you like a more wet banana bread, the avocado adds some extra fat and sort of works like an oil. You could also add the avocado instead of the applesauce, but it might be less sweet that way. Feel free to experiment with it if you want. The last two times I've made it, I've left the avocado out and it's turned out great. 

If you want a banana bread that is a bit more dry and does not need to be refrigerated, I would add the optional chia seeds. They seem to soak up some of the moisture. Sometimes I add more blueberries on top of the bread before putting it in the oven. This just adds more moisture and flavor, but it's not necessary. 

I encourage you to try it. It's my new favorite recipe and I try to keep it around for my husband and I. He likes to have something to eat for a mid morning snack at work and I need something mid-morning as well to take my all my pills with. So, this has worked out perfectly. :)

I'm still working on perfecting my muffin recipe, for some reason it keeps coming out on the dry side. So I'll keep working on that and share my perfected recipe when it's ready.