Vegan Gluten-Free Banana Strawberry Bread

What is banana bread

It is a soft, spongy, moist sweet bread made with mashed ripe bananas. It has just the right amount of sweetness and flavor. Everyone loves banana bread and there are many ways of making it to suit the needs of different lifestyles.

I first made banana bread back in college and have been a fan ever since. In fact, it is the only way I can eat bananas! Making banana bread is also like therapy for me! I love the aroma in the house when anything being baked.

If you love baking loaf cakes, then check out this unique Chickoo Figs Loaf Cake recipe.

Banana and strawberries

Banana and strawberries make a great combo! The sweet and tart flavor of the strawberries help balance the flavors of the banana bread. It also makes it moist and also visually appealing. Do try this delicious twist to the classic banana bread recipe!

I have made the regular eggless version many times, so this time I wanted to make a gluten-free version using teff flour and strawberries in order to create a healthy yet festive bread recipe to serve during the holidays. After trying out a couple of variations, I have finally settled on this recipe because it's not as dry and dense as one would expect.

Why Teff

Teff is a seed with a subtly sweet, nutty flavor. It also gives the eggless gluten-free banana bread a kind of chocolatey flavor. I have been enjoying cooking with teff (an ancient Ethiopian grain), and have made many recipes such as, Teff Kheer Porridge, Teff idli, Teff Patties, Teff Roti, or Teff Masala Khichdi.

Teff is very easy to cook with, greatly flavorful, and extremely nutritious! It is a naturally gluten-free, and vegan grain. It's also the smallest grain on earth. There are many health benefits to including this millet in our diet.

Teff comes in 4 different varieties: Brown - has a slightly nutty flavor, Ivory - which has a sweet, mild flavor, Flour that can be used to bake homemade bread, cookies, or cakes and grain which you can use in cereals, soups, stews, etc. In today's banana bread cake recipe, I have used teff flour to make it gluten-free. I am just glad that I could use this flour to make this bread cake. It didn't compromise on the texture or the flavor.

Flour - I have used Maskal Teff brand's Ivory Teff flour and gluten-free all purpose flour in this recipe. If you are unable to find the ivory teff flour, buy the whole seeds and grind them in a blender or food processor to make nourishing gluten-free flour. 

Bananas - Use fully or even over ripe bananas to make bread. It should not be yellow but almost black. If it's got lots of brown spots then that makes it extra sweet. Ripened bananas convert starches to sugars, which makes them not only sweeter but more flavorful. But please don't use bananas if they smell bad.

Strawberries - Use fresh ripe strawberries. Frozen berries may not work because they have too much water and will weigh down the bread. If you have to add them, then do not thaw them.

Sweetener - I have used brown sugar in this banana bread recipe. It also gives it a nice dark brown color. You can also use jaggery powder, coconut sugar, or regular sugar instead.

Other baking essentials - vanilla extract, nutmeg (it adds that warm and cozy flavor), cinnamon powder, baking powder, baking soda, apple cider vinegar (gives the loaf bread cake a little lift because it reacts with the leavening agents), salt and lemon juice are what you need to make this vegan and gluten-free banana strawberry bread.

Coconut oil - Since this is an eggless banana breadcake recipe, oil acts as a substitute for eggs. Use any vegetable oil or even applesauce.

Nuts - Walnuts in Banana bread give it a nice crunch and flavor. You can also add raisins and/or pecans.

I used a 9x5 loaf pan to bake this vegan gluten-free banana bread cake. If you use a narrower loaf pan, you may have to bake it longer to make sure it is done in the middle of the loaf. Do the toothpick test to check if its done. Also note, every oven is different so baking times will vary.

1. In a mixing bowl add peeled bananas and mash them using a fork. You can also use a masher.
2. Add brown sugar.
3. Then add oil.
4. Next add vanilla extract, nutmeg powder, salt, apple cider vinegar, and cinnamon powder.

5. Using a whisk, mix all the ingredients together till the sugar melts and that there are no lumps.
6. Sift gluten-free all-purpose flour, Maskal Teff ivory flour, baking soda, and baking powder directly over the bowl.
7. Fold in the mixture carefully without deflating the batter.
8. Add half of the chopped walnuts to the batter at this stage. Give it a light mix.

9. In a blender jar, add strawberries, lemon juice and sugar.
10. Blitz to make a smooth puree.
11. Grease a loaf pan or line it with parchment paper and pour the banana batter into it. Smooth it out with a spatula to make sure the batter is evenly distributed. Drizzle strawberry syrup on top.
12. Keep alternating till the pan is filled upto ¾ capacity or till the batter is exhausted. Lightly tap the pan so that there are no air bubbles. Top it with the remaining chopped walnuts. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake this bread cake for 60-70 minutes or do the toothpick test to check if it's done. Once it's done, take it out of the oven.

Serving suggestions 🍽

Let it cool down before inverting it onto a plate. Using a serrated knife, cut slices and serve. Drizzle your favorite glaze on top to make it fancier. I poured leftover strawberry syrup on top. Alternatively, top it with cream cheese frosting of your choice. You can dunk a slice of this eggless strawberry banana bread cake in warm milk and eat or serve it with a vegan buttery spread or even ice cream!

These tea cakes can be served for breakfast or along with your evening tea/coffee session. You can also treat this vegan gluten-free banana bread cake as your dessert fix if craving for something sweet. It is also a great after school snack, for holiday gifting, brunches, special occasions, and during the holidays.

Top recipe tips 💭

You can mash the banana smooth or leave them little chunky. It's based on personal preference. Even frozen bananas can be used! Just let them thaw on the counter and turn into a soupy mess. Feel free to use fresh or frozen strawberries. Thaw them if using frozen. Instead of puree, you can also add chopped strawberries. Skip adding strawberries if you want. It will be regular banana bread. You can also add cranberries or blueberries instead.

You can use gluten-free bread flour or all-purpose flour. Brown sugar makes a denser and moister bread. Alternatively, you can also use white sugar. You can use any vegetable oil in this recipe. Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to give the bread a good lift. Skip adding nuts if you have allergies. Use sunflower seeds instead.

To give it a chocolate flavor, add ¾ cup of chocolate chips to the batter. Don't over mix. Stop mixing when everything comes together. By not over mixing, you'll get a light cake structure. Every oven is different so the baking time will differ. Keep checking the bread at regular intervals and prevent it from burning. 

Recipe FAQs 📖