"Everything Free" Banana Bread

This amazing recipe has no wheat, no egg, no sugar and no dairy. You'd never say so from the delicious result. The only downside to this recipe is you do need a food processor or blender.

Banana Bread 

1 cup oats
1/2 cup  olive oil or canola or sunflower oil
180g pitted dates
2 cups very ripe bananas
1/2 cup soya flour
1/2 cup rice flour (I used brown rice flour from our local farm stall shop)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup of soya/rice milk. You could use ordinary cows milk here if thats not an issue for you.
1tbs of honey (optional if your bananas aren't very ripe)
1 cubed banana, some currants or up to 100g of chopped nuts.

Grease and line the base of a medium sized loaf tin (or muffin pan) and preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Remember to reduce the temperature by 20 degrees if you are using a fan assisted oven.

Blend the oats in a food processor until it forms a fine powder. Turn out into a large mixing bowl. Add the soya flour, the rice flour, the baking powder, the bicarb and the salt to the mixing bowl, and combine with a wooden spoon.  Next blend the bananas, oil and dates in the food processor until they form a smooth paste. If you feel that your machine is taking strain and the dates are too hard and sticky, add half of your milk at this point and continue to blend until its mostly smooth.

Turn the banana paste out into the flour mix and fold in until well combined, adding the balance of the milk as you go to keep the mixture manageable. You could add a cubed banana or some chopped nuts at this point if you like.

Pour into your prepared tin and bake for 60-75 minutes. Don't open the oven before the 50 minute mark or you'll risk it collapsing on itself.


*Notes:

1 cup measurement is 250ml or 8.5 imperial ounces. Cup measurements in this recipe are loosely filled not tightly packed.

This loaf will freeze well wrapped in cling film, or in a freezer bag. Defrost at room temperature for a few hours or in the fridge overnight.

Banana bread ALWAYS tastes better the next day. Always.