Both dessert lovers and health-conscious folks can enjoy this delicious blueberry banana bread. It’s packed with natural sugars from fruit that make the bread flavorful without being overpowering. Those on a diet can also feel good about eating it because of the fresh, whole foods included in the recipe. Plus, it’s gluten-free, so anyone with wheat allergies or sensitivities won’t have to miss out on this mouthwatering bread. Are you ready to make some homemade bread that will make both your taste buds and waistline happy? Read on for the full recipe!
Here’s how to make a refreshing blueberry banana bread:
Give this a try. It tastes as good as it looks.
Kitchen tools you’ll need:
- A large mixing bowl
- Spoon
- Whisk
- Food processor
- Knife
- Bread pan
- Parchment paper
- Blender
- Cutting board
Ingredients for bread:
- 2 cups oat flour
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1 tbsp flaxseed meal
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup canned coconut milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries
Ingredients for blueberry frosting:
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp oat milk
- 1/4 cup blueberries
Directions:
- First, grab your mixing bowl and pour the oat flour into the bowl. Then, add the shredded coconut, flaxseed meal, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk until fully combined.
- Now, in your food processor, blend the ripe bananas, maple syrup, canned coconut milk, and lemon juice. Mix until all the lumps are gone, and the texture is smooth and creamy. Add the mixture to the large bowl with the flour and other ingredients.
- Combine with a spoon thoroughly until you can no longer see the flour. It will have a thick, doughy consistency. Now, add the fresh blueberries and mix them into the dough with your spoon.
- Next, get out your bread pan and line it with parchment paper. Use scissors to cut any extra paper off, and flatten it with your hands, so it hugs the pan. Add the dough to the pan, using a spatula, spoon, or your hands to “pat” it down.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. While it’s cooking, let’s make the frosting for your yummy blueberry banana bread!
- To make the frosting or sauce, you’ll need the blender. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, oat milk, and blueberries, blending thoroughly.
- Now, remove the bread from the oven. Once it’s cooled, take it out of the pan and remove the parchment paper.
- Transfer it onto a cutting board and pour the blueberry banana bread frosting on top. Please place it in the fridge until the frosting hardens. This may take several hours or even overnight.
- Once the frosting is hardened, use a large knife to slice the bread. Enjoy!
Pro tips on making the most delicious blueberry banana bread ever:
- Some people say gluten-free bread is more dense and heavy than their gluten counterparts. If you find that your blueberry banana bread lacks moisture or fluffiness, we gathered a few tips from a gluten-free bread baker:
- Add hydration. He says that gluten-free bread tends to absorb moisture more than bread with gluten. To remedy this, you can add carbonated water or even non-diet soda. The bubbles will add lightness to the batter. If you use non-diet soda and decide to add yeast to this recipe, the sugar will help activate the yeast more.
- Mix the batter longer. For traditional batters, you don’t want to overmix them because they tend to get rubbery. However, the opposite is true for gluten-free bread. For this blueberry banana bread, try mixing the batter a bit longer. It will result in a better structure and more height in the dough.
- Allow the dough to sit before baking. After mixing the ingredients and pouring in the pan, let the dough “rest” for about 30 minutes. This ensures maximum absorbency of liquids and a thicker, less sticky dough. It also helps soften the bread and yields a fluffier consistency.
Is the dough still wet or sticky even after the 40 minute bake time?
Leave it in a little longer – about fifteen to twenty minutes extra. This eliminates excess moisture and reduces gumminess in the dough.
- Make sure to use fully ripe, spotty bananas. If they’re underripe, the bread won’t be nearly as sweet.
- Want to add some fun toppings? Consider lemon zest, orange zest, white or regular chocolate chips, walnuts, shaved coconut, or sliced almonds!
- Use room temperature ingredients only. Cold ingredients don’t mix as well as room-temperature ones.
- Freeze or refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container. The blueberry banana bread should last a few days in the fridge and three to six months in the freezer.
Not only is this bread delicious, but it also packs a punch when it comes to nutrition too. Bananas have tons of potassium; in fact, a medium-sized banana contains about 9% of your DV, according to the National Institutes of Health. They also have about 20% of the recommended DV of Vitamin B6 and C. As for blueberries, they’re low in calories but high in nutrients as well. In one cup of fresh blueberries, you’ll consume about 4g of fiber, 116 mg of potassium, and 14.6 mg of Vitamin C. They only have about 80 calories per cup, plus they’re packed with antioxidants which boost immunity and ward off diseases.
Final thoughts on this homemade blueberry banana bread
If you need something to help cool you off this summer, why not try this refreshing blueberry banana bread? It’s loaded with essential vitamins and minerals and doesn’t take very long to make. You can easily store leftovers in the fridge or freezer as well. Pretty much everyone loves the classic banana bread, and the added blueberries in this recipe make it even better!
You may not think of bread as refreshing, but letting it cool in the fridge gives it a whole different vibe. The chilled blueberry frosting adds the perfect touch to this summer recipe. We hope you love this blueberry banana bread; let us know if you decide to make it!
The post How to Make a Refreshing Blueberry Banana Bread appeared first on Power of Positivity: Positive Thinking & Attitude.