I have an exciting recipe to share with everyone today! Let me introduce to you, GAPS banana blueberry bread! I have been experimenting with almond and coconut flour to reach the perfect consistency for a banana bread recipe. Whatever I did worked! Yipee. This one is for sure a keeper.

A Family Tradition

Every since I was little, my mom used to make banana blueberry bread. She had 1 recipe, and at that time we considered it to be SUPER healthy. It had whole wheat organic flour, honey, banana’s, butter, and, all the other stuff you put into banana bread. It is pretty healthy, other than the whole wheat flour. I am not saying that wheat is bad, but if you are on GAPS, then it would not be a good idea. Sometimes she would even put in chocolate chips or blueberries (my favorite!). Whenever she used to put blueberries into the bread I would always pick them out 🙂

My GAPS Life

Things have changed, and now that we are on GAPS, whole wheat is no longer an option. My brother and sister who are not on GAPS have a wheat allergy, and eating it makes my brother act grumpy so my mom tries to keep it away from him. I bet he needs some repairing of the gut too, but he first had to go off of wheat and sugar. One step at a time. I don’t see any wheat coming into our kitchen for a while because I also have a SUPER sensitivity to it. My body has an allergic reaction to floating flour in the air. I have not really discussed my health problems a lot yet, but I plan on sharing them here in the future.

To make my long story short, if I get exposed to a crumb of wheat (I have never gotten tested for celiac, because I would do the same things anyways) I will swell up and lose my coordination. The gluten affects my cortex of my brain so I have a hard time walking without tripping over myself. It is quite unusual, especially because corn and potato do the same thing to me. The molecules are so similar to gluten that my body just recognizes the shape as the same.

GAPS Banana Blueberry Bread

Ok, I think I got a little side tracked there, don’t you think? Lets get on with the part you have all been waiting for….GAPS banana bread! Oh, by the way you can switch out the blueberries for cranberries (really good), GAPS chocolate drops, soaked/dehydrated nuts, or anything that is yummy to you in banana bread. To make it easy on you, I separated the ingredients into wet, dry, and egg whites. You will need 3 bowls for this bread.

You may be wondering why I put apple cider vinegar (ACV) and baking soda into it. The ACV and baking soda react when they come together to produce more air bubbles = a lighter banana bread. The egg whites whipped also help fluff up the bread. Once you have everything combined, act quick so the batter does not “fall”. If you cannot do baking soda on GAPS, then just skip it. But still keep the ACV in for flavor (it just enhances the banana flavor).

INGREDIENTS:

wet:

3 medium very brown bananas

3 egg yolks

3 TBS melted coconut oil or ghee

1/4 cup real maple syrup or honey or vanilla honey

2 tsp ACV

10-20 drops of stevia (optional if you like your bread a little sweeter)

2 tsp of vanilla extract

dry:

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 1/2 cups of almond flour (I use Honeyville)

2 TBS of coconut flour

2 tsp of cinnamon (add a few extra tsp if you want cinnamon banana bread)

egg whites: 3 egg whites

DIRECTIONS:

**I have gotten some comments that this bread is too wet. Remember, your ingredients and oven are not the same as mine. If the batter seems too runny, add another TBS of coconut flour. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Grease your 2 small or 1 big bread pan with coconut oil generously (I used a pastry brush, but your fingers work too). Measure and cut the parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper 3. Smash bananas in a mixing bowl. I used my hands..but you can use a fork or potato masher.

Don’t forget the vanilla!

You can tell that one egg was fresh from a local farm (right) and one was form my coop (left).

4. Add in all your wet ingredients into the smashed banana bowl and mix.

I love my Spicily spices! They have no cross contamination with anything!

5. In another bowl combine your dry ingredients

  6. In another bowl whip your egg whites into stiff peaks with beaters. 7. Swiftly add your wet ingredients int your dryingredients (or other way around, which ever bowl is bigger). Don’t over stir, but make sure it is all combined. 8. Fold in your egg whites until fully combined.

These were picked fresh from a local farm by my bother and sister.

9. Mix in your blueberries! I used 1 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries

Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top!

10. Pour your batter into your bread pan.

11.

• (Big bread pan) —> I use this glass bread pan. Cook for 50 min at 350. Turn down your oven to 250 and cook for 25 min. Take out of the oven and let it cool in the pan for 15 min.
• (2 small bread pans) –> I have not found one yet that is not “non stick” (which is very toxic). Cook for 50 min at 350. turn down your oven to 250 and cook for 10 min. Take out of the oven and let it cool in the pan for 15 min.
• (muffin tins)—> I have these stainless steel ones. I did not make regular muffins but just keep an eye on them and insert a tooth pick. It it comes out clean, they are done. I would suggest to check them after 30 minutes. Let them cool for 15 min in the pan before yo take them out. Line with unbleached baking cups.
• (mini muffin tins) —> I have these stainless steel ones. Cook for 15 min at 350. Let cool for 15 min before taking them out. Line with unbleached mini baking cups. **Since ovens still seem to vary, a rule of thumb would be to make sure the top is golden brown. Once the muffins are golden brown they are probably done. Since the bread is thicker, it takes longer to cook. So that is why I reduced them temp to 250, so the bread can cook more without it getting too brown.

12. Carefully run a knife or mini spatula around the edges so it comes out clean. I do this many times to ensure that it won’t stick to the sides when I go and flip it out. Place a plate onto of your bread pan and hold it in place with your hand. Carefully flip the bread and plate upside-down so the plate is on the bottom. Lift up the bread pan to release the bread. Flip the bread back over onto another plate or cutting board. This is how I take bread out of a pan, If you have a better way, feel free to do that instead.

13. Cut into it with a bread knife, and Eat! It is good warm, or cold. Keep leftovers (if you have any..my bother ate 1/2 the loaf when I made it!) in the fridge.

~Stay Gutsy, Caroline