What’s not to love in an easy, delicious recipe that can be thrown together quickly yet taste like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen? That’s exactly what you get with this easy green banana flour bread.
This recipe is sure to be one that you’ll want to make time and time again. With minimal ingredients, and only one bowl, one spatula and a bread pan required, this easy banana bread will be sure to please.
Why Green Banana Flour Bread?
Banana bread is one of those things that I love to bake for my family. There’s a running joke in my home that I always let bananas get too ripe. I’d like to think it’s my inner calling to make more banana bread.
Pro tip: If your bananas start to ripen before you can eat them, try peeling, slicing, and freezing them to use in smoothies or other recipes at another time.
Green banana flour is a great substitute for regular flour if you are looking to make your favorite recipes gluten free or even just a little bit healthier. It’s important to note, however, that it’s not a 1:1 substitute to all-purpose flour.
Depending on the recipe, you may need to experiment a little with adding more or less green banana flour. For the purposes of this green banana flour bread, we will use 1 cup of green banana flour in place of 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour.
Health Benefits of Green Banana Flour
Green bananas are generally processed when they are fully green or green with a trace of yellow and are sometimes referred to as a functional food (1) or gut health superfood. Functional foods are thought to provide additional health benefits beyond just the nutritional value (ie. Calories, protein, fat etc.) of that item.
But what exactly is healthy about green banana flour? Let me tell you a few of the health benefits you can expect from this not so familiar ingredient.
Resistant Starch
Green banana flour is a resistant starch, which means it is not digested until it reaches the large intestine. Once digested in the large intestine it helps feed the good bacteria that is already living there. Resistant starch also creates the short chain fatty acid, Butyrate, may reduce inflammation, and help with digestive disorders such as constipation and diarrhea (2).
It’s important to remember that green banana flour loses its starch resistance during the baking process. So, the resistant starch benefits will unfortunately not be present in this green banana flour bread. Feel free to experiment adding a small amount of green banana flour to soups, smoothies, yogurt, and oatmeal to get the benefits of resistant starch.
High in Fiber
Green banana flour is a high fiber food, which contributes to gut health, feelings of fullness and appetite control, as well as blood sugar regulation (1). On average, green banana flour has approximately 8gm of Fiber per 1 cup.
Gluten Free
With the plethora of flour substitutes on the market now, you may not think of green banana flour as an option. However, in addition to having antioxidant properties (1), it’s also a great gluten free flour for baking. Green banana flour is a great choice for individuals that don’t tolerate nut flours and prefer a more nutrient-dense, gluten free option.
Where Can You Find Green Banana Flour?
Green Banana Flour can be found in most large supermarket chains and health food stores, and online from sites such as Amazon and Thrive Market. Smaller grocery stores and rural community markets may not have this item readily available.
But don’t fret, it’s very easy to find online. Make sure to select organic green banana flour rather than ripe banana flour, to reap the benefits of this ingredient.
Recipe Details
Let’s get to what you’ve been waiting for! Like I said, this recipe is simple, easy, and requires very little equipment. So, no worries on having to clean the whole kitchen when you are done prepping this recipe. I generally use one bowl for mixing all the ingredients and pour the batter straight into the baking dish.
Optional Add-Ins
If you’re looking to change up the recipe a little, here are a few considerations to try as add-ins:
- Dark chocolate chips
- Chopped Walnuts
- Coconut flakes
- Raisins
Green Banana Flour Bread
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Spatula
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- 1 Loaf Pan
Ingredients
- 3 Ripe Bananas mashed well
- 1 cup Green Banana Flour
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter melted
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Cinnamon optional
- 1 Tbsp Chia optional
- 3 Tbsp Water as needed to obtain correct texture
- Non-stick spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray.
- Mash 3 ripe bananas well in mixing bowl with a fork.
- Add remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix well with spatula.
- Add more or less water as needed to get the consistency desired. Batter should not be too thick or too runny.
- Pour batter into greased loaf pan.
- Bake for approximately 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Let cool before removing from the pan.
Notes
Conclusion
Green banana flour has so much to offer. Not only is it healthy for your gut but it’s also gluten-free for individuals that are gluten intolerant or gluten sensitive. This green banana flour bread is sure to please the whole family.
If you make this recipe and love it, please share a photo on Instagram and tag @eatloveguthealth! Happy, healthy baking friends!
Angela Lago is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and holds a Master’s of Science in Nutrition. She is passionate about researching the connection between gut health and mental wellness. Learn more about Angela’s journey from being depressed, anxious, and sleep deprived to being happy, healthy, and thriving!