Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread is dark, moist and hearty tasting.
Banana bread has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid, and now as a mom, I’ve made it more times than I can remember. My go-to recipe has always been the recipe my mom used when we were growing up, which was more of banana cake than banana bread. Today, I’m sharing a Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread recipe based on Jenna Weber’s recipe for “My Brother’s Favorite Banana Bread.” Although I modified Jenna’s recipe slightly (using coconut palm sugar, gluten-free whole grain flour mix + almond flour, and added pumpkin spice), I can tell you that, similar to Jenna’s brother, my husband and youngest son couldn’t wait for this bread to cool before digging in.
Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread topped with Fresh Blueberry Spread, Peach Spread and Peanut Butter
This banana bread turned out dark and moist in part due to the molasses in the recipe as well as the darker coconut palm sugar. I took Jenna’s suggestion of serving a few slices of banana bread with peanut butter and jam (I actually used homemade fruit puree), and barely got a few pictures of these. It’s really stressful trying to take photos when your husband is hovering over you just waiting to chomp down the food you’re trying to photograph!
I’ve always loved books that intertwine recipes throughout the stories told – somehow it helps me relate better to the storyteller as I visualize the dish that is being created. I still remember making the applesauce cake recipe in a book I read as a young girl based on the TV show, The Waltons (now I’m really dating myself!).
Recently, I received a review copy of Jenna Weber’s White Jacket Required A Culinary Coming-Of-Age Story. Jenna is the author of the food blog, Eat, Live, Run, which features recipes using seasonal, local ingredients.
When I read the jacket cover and quickly flipped through the book to get a feel for the layout, I knew I would enjoy Jenna’s new book. You see, although I studied engineering and business and worked for 16 years in corporate finance, I’ve thought about getting a culinary degree more than a few times after I left the corporate world. However, with four kids, my in-laws living with us, and a husband who works long hours, going to culinary school just never seemed to be in the cards.
So, I have taught myself to cook, taken local cooking classes, and live vicariously through people like Jenna Weber who was lucky enough to attend culinary school. White Jacket Required is a memoir of Jenna’s experience attending Le Cordon Bleu following her passion (culinary school is a lot harder than I ever thought), while trying to maintain a long-distance relationship and dealing with a family tragedy. Jenna had me chuckling and crying as I traveled along on her culinary journey, and dog-earring recipes throughout her book. White Jacket Required is a fun read and will give you a glimpse into what it’s really like behind the scenes at culinary school. Through perseverance and hard work, Jenna follows her passion to fulfill her dream and encourages the reader to do the same.
I adapted this Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread from Jenna’s cookbook.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe bananas peeled and mashed
- 1/2 cup organic coconut palm sugar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup gluten-free whole grain flour blend
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray.
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Place bananas in a large bowl. Add sugar, oil, molasses, and vanilla and mix well.
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In a medium bowl, sift together almond flour, whole grain flour mix, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Gradually add to wet ingredients and beat until mixed thoroughly.
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Pour into pan and bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from White Jacket Required by Jenna Weber.
Gluten Free Fruit and Nut Snack Bars {Nature Valley $500 Gift Card Sweepstakes}
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What a fun giveaway! I can’t enter so good luck to everyone else. 🙂
And this bread looks amazing! Love your substitutions. I’m allergic to bananas but I make this anyway because the ingredients are just too good.
I would enroll in culinary school or just take a lot of cooking classes and expand the blog – eventually write a book! 🙂
I am following my passion! I’m becoming a speech-language pathologist!
Jeanette, I bet that bread is AMAZING!
This looks wonderful Jeanette!
Travel the world…and somehow get paid for it! TV host…travel photographer…anything that gets me on a plane!
I love solving problems and the fashion industry, so I’m in law school to become a fashion lawyer!
I have been looking for Gluten-free recipes for my friend and this looks awesome!
I want to be a blogger. I’ve been a photographer, so I feel like I could have some fun images to go along with commentary about my life. I just have to get the guts to just put myself out there and write!
My ultimate passion would involve a ton of travelling. I want nothing more than to experience as many cultures as i possibly can
I bet that would go good with a cup of coffee!
I bet that would go good with a cup of coffee!!
If I were to follow my passion I would become a part-time writer!
I’ve been wanting to read Jenna’s book for so long! Would be so excited to win a copy.
So happy to find your blog & on a giveaway day! Can’t with to bake the bread. And to follow my passion…I am doIng it.
I’d like to actually use my degree in environmental studies rather than work in an unrelated field.
I just did some baking with pumpkin puree this weekend for the first time in a torte. Turned out great. Going to try my hands on some more pumpkin recipes I think.
I would love to be a pastry chef! A girl can dream right?
Great giveaway idea… I can completely relate to her culinary adventure…
Im doing what I am doing currently…wife & mom & volunteer . When my kids are grown, maybe have a B & B. hard to say, as I’m happy right now & doing what I know I’m to be doing.
Can’t wait to make the bread!
Cooking…whole foods…all day long!
This bread looks amazing! And with he addition of your fruit spreads, I can understand why he couldn’t wait to dig in!
Something to do with food…like work at a bakery! I would love to go to culinary school.
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Have been looking for a yummy-tasting pumpkin bread recipe that is gluten free. Thanks so much!
I know just what you mean about trying to photograph food with family onlookers demanding to EAT!! 🙂 In this case, I don’t blame your husband one bit. 🙂
That looks so good, thanks for the recipe.
A travel photographer or restaurant critic/foodwriter.
It’s difficult to find successful gluten-free bread recipes. This banana bread looks delicious! I think the molasses must be the key.
I am following my passion right now. . with my own food blog. . cooking and photography! I am half way through this book myself! Love Jenna!
I love hearing what all your passions are! Glad you all are enjoying this banana bread. I hope to meet Jenna one day soon – she’s got a great story of following her passion.
LOVE Jenna’s blog and her journey! Delicious bread, Jeanette!
Right now I’m in the Air Force and studying to be a meteorologist, but when my enlistment is finished I would love to be a yoga insructor with my own studio!
I wonder if every food blogger has dreamed of going to culinary school? 🙂 Sounds like a super delightful book. Thank you for sharing it with us and this beautiful recipe.
I love pumpkin bread and love even more that it’s gluten-free!!
I made this again and actually followed the recipe and it was delicious! Definitely a keeper!
Really delicious recipe! I made it using Sylvana’s GF flour blend and left it in the oven for 35 minutes. Thanks so much for posting this.
Mae – thanks so much for trying this recipe and for your feedback. So glad it turned out well for you. I always appreciate it when readers come back and let me know how my recipes turn out. Thank you!
I was wondering what the combination of flour breakdown was. The recipe calls for 1cup of flour and you said you used two different kinds. I know that balance with gf flours in recipes is important and I really like being able to add Almond flour for extra nutritional punch. I would love to know how much you used. Thank you so much:)
I love this recipe! I’ve made it four times, and have shared it with several non-gf friends and family who have all said “yum!” I’ve made quite a few modifications and all have worked – I used 2 T of flax meal, 1/2 cup of almond meal and 1/2 up of oat flour along with 1 C of all purpose GF flour. This time, I used amaranth flour instead of oat, waiting to see how it turns out. I also subbed applesauce for the oil, and used just a bit of stevia/xylitol for the sugar (with ripe bananas and applesauce you need very little sweetener!). Thanks so much for this great holiday twist on banana bread!
Deb, thanks so much for trying this recipe and coming back to share your modifications. Love all the different flours you used and the applesauce!
Two of my favorite breads rolled into one, I love it! Your bread looks fabulous! Thank you for sharing Jenna’s book, her blog is wonderful, and her book sounds moving! Take care, Hugs, Terra