Buckwheat Banana Gingerbread

I love baking with buckwheat flour, it’s naturally gluten-free and is loaded with so many powerful phytonutrients for good gut health. Its hearty flavor is best combined with another grain, like oats, cornmeal or rice flour. Ginger has countless benefits and is growing in popularity in more American dishes. Mostly, known for its soothing properties in IBS; ginger can actually help with bad breath, so after eating this dish, find someone to kiss.¹

Makes: Servings – 1 9 x 5” loaf (10 slices)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hr 10 minutes
Total Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients for buckwheat banana gingerbread

• 3 large very ripe bananas (with brown spots), mashed
• 2/3 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• ½ cup almond milk
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• ½ tsp ground dried ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup canola or sunflower seed oil
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp molasses (optional, gives richer flavor and color)
• Optional mix-ins: 1/3 cup chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or candied ginger pieces

Directions for buckwheat banana gingerbread

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9 x 5” loaf pan with cooking spray or lightly oil on all sides (or line with parchment paper).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk buckwheat flour, rice flour, cinnamon, dried ginger, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and baking powder until well combined. Fold in optional mix-ins (coating in flour helps them to not sink to the bottom!)
3. In a large bowl, add banana, sugar, maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla. Whisk well, avoiding any clumps. Mix in almond milk, eggs, oil, and grated ginger, and whisk again until well combined. Mix in dry ingredients, scraping the sides of the bowl, until combined.
4. Pour batter into loaf pan and level on top. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick, comes out clean in the center or the top feels springy to the touch.
5. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely for 1 hour. Serve and enjoy!

*Nutrition analysis based on 10 servings and without optional molasses or other mix ins

References

1. Technical University of Munich (TUM). (2018, July 30). Pungent tasting substance in ginger reduces bad breath: How food ingredients affect our taste perception. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 25, 2020 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180730120353.htm