Gluten Free Banana Loaf

This recipe is a little more recent (mid-2007), but proved extremely popular on our old site. I've also updated it a little to include a small amount of xanthan gum, which can be left out if you don't have any. Getting enough fibre into a gluten free diet can be very difficult and this recipe can be a great help in that regard.

Preparation time -  under 15 minutes
Cooking time - 50-60 minutes
Makes / Serves - One small loaf is approx 8-10 servings
Child friendly - 5/5
Difficulty rating - 1/5

Ingredients:

170 g gluten-free brown or 'fibre' flour alternative
150 g caster sugar
75 g softened butter
3 large or 4 small bananas (mashed)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / Gas Mark 4 and prepare a small loaf tin, if not silicone it is a good idea to line with baking paper as well as greasing.
2. Place all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat together until completely mixed.
3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 50 minutes, check with a skewer to ensure the loaf is cooked right through and bake for a further 10 minutes if needed.
4. Allow to cool slightly in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Tips:

1. If you're in a hurry an electric hand mixer can really speed up this recipe, however a low speed setting should be used.
2. You can make this recipe a bit more interesting by adding 120 g of either sultanas or chopped mixed nuts, it's also delicious served with toffee sauce, especially if it's warmed for ~20-30 seconds in the microwave first.
3. This recipe also works very well with golden caster sugar which gives the loaf a subtly different flavour, particularly when sultanas are also added as above.