Ive mentioned before how I’m always on the hunt for recipes that work well made gluten free. Though I love all things bread, If I’m being completely honest, I do feel better eating gluten free. As I write this, I feel like I need to stand up in the room and announce ‘My name is Grainne and I am a carb hog who loves all things Gluten’… As a child we were raised on decent meals but plenty of hot buttered toast with jam for snacks and given that we were six kids that was a lot of bread!. Our shopping trolly was always packed full of large sliced pans. Now I do draw the line at those but I have to say I love a slice of home made brown bread slathered with butter and my own marmalade.

This Banana bread is a nice treat and it works well gluten free, all the moistness from the butter eggs and bananas mean it retains a lovely soft quality and it has a nice texture. You do taste the more gritty coconut flour which wont be to everyone’s taste – if so, just substitute it entirely with gluten free flour. Obviously there is still sugar in this so don’t eat the whole cake, we enjoyed it after a game of football in the sleeting snow accompanied by some hot chocolate…

Gluten Free Banana Bread with Walnuts

125g butter
100gr brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs beaten
3 mashed bananas
175gr coconut flour
75gr gluten free plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
1 tsp zantham gum
1 tsp mixed spice
3 tbsp golden syrup or honey
8 walnuts

Oven at 160C

Beat the butter sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy- about 10 minutes
Scrape down the sides and add the eggs gradually mixing well to combine
Add the flours baking powder soda spice and mix well to combine
Stir in the golden syrup or honey
Fold in the mashed banana
Spoon into a lightly greased loaf tin, press the walnuts into the cake in a line down the middle.
Bake for about 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean if you test the cake.

Cool in the tin for about 20 minutes before turning out to cool completely
Slice and serve buttered