Blueberry Banana Bread {GF}

I am so not a baker, but every now and then I get a little gust of inspiration to make something sweet and delicious in the kitchen...and my go-to is almost always Banana Bread. It's such a comforting treat and I love that it typically has less (added) sugar than most other baked goods. This super moist version is subtly sweet from the over-ripe bananas, with a little burst of fresh berry flavor. It's also Gluten Free, which let me just say, doesn't always mean "healthier" but can definitely be a plus for those with food sensitives.

This recipe inspo came from wanting to do something special for my sister who flew in to visit and help me after my surgery. When it comes to bread and pasta, she typically needs to be Gluten Free so I wanted to make sure she could enjoy the fruits of my labor (lol), but you can easily swap the GF flour for regular flour if you prefer. I had it ready for her with an iced almond milk cold brew when she landed and it was the perfect little post-travel pick me up!

Ok so, truth be told on this one, I did cheat bit. I typically make Banana Bread from scratch, and I've included that recipe in this post for you, but this time around I had super low energy due to the previously mentioned surgery, so I used Simple Truth Gluten Free Banana Bread Mix and then zhuzhed it up a little. The mix was made with all natural and organic ingredients, and they used upcycled Okara Flour which I found to be pretty cool. I'd say it's a solid option for clean ingredients that you can find at a regular grocery store. If you're pressed for time or motivation, I highly suggest trying it out!

If you prefer from-scratch recipes and you've got a little extra time on your hands, here is my tried and true Banana Bread Recipe with a few variations to enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 medium overripe bananas, mashed (1 1/2 cups)

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1/2 cup maple syrup OR 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour (I like Bob's Red Mill)

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

• Prepare the loaf pan by either spraying a nonstick loaf pan with cooking spray OR simply lining it with parchment paper (that's what I prefer)

• In a large mixing bowl, add your mashed bananas and all wet ingredients and mix well. Banana lumps are okay.

• In a medium mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients and stir well to combine

• Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the large mixing both with the wet ingredients. Mix well until everything is thoroughly combined. Again, lumps are okay

• Now is the time to fold in any extra treats like blueberries, chocolate chips, walnuts, etc. Measure these with your heart :)

• Once everything is incorporated, pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. Use a toothpick or fork to test it's doneness

• I highly recommend letting the bread sit for at least 10-15 minutes before cutting

PS: I didn't take any more pictures, sorry about that! I'm still perfecting my food blogging and picture taking skills, but just imagine a thick hunk of delicious, moist, warm banana bread with bursting little roasted blueberries on the inside - ummm, yum! Also, pro tip, slap some almond or peanut butter on a slice of this bread for a little extra protein and well rounded (ish) snack!

Enjoy, and let me know in the comments if you make this recipe!