Chocolate Chip Banana Teff Bread
Who needs gluten or dairy when you can have this? Here is a real life testimonial from the mouth of my almost 4-year old daughter (with bread in hand): "This bread is so good you ever made, I love chocolate chips!"
This recipe is an example of how you can modify any of the muffin or quick bread recipes in my cookbook to use different flours. If you look on page 133 of my cookbook you will see my recipe for Banana Walnut Muffins. This bread recipe is identical but the brown rice flour has been replaced with a combination of brown teff flour and sorghum flour. I didn't add the walnuts either. My girls have decided that they don't like walnuts in their bread anymore. And of course the recipe just wouldn't be complete unless I added chocolate!
Have you tried the mini-chocolate chips from Enjoy Life? They are delicious. Unfortunately they are not organic but thankfully are gluten, soy, dairy, egg, and nut free! Truly a chocolate blessing for those affected with multiple food allergies. I bought a large bag from the glutenfreemall.com a while ago. I transferred them to glass jars and stored them in my freezer.
I like to use maple sugar or coconut sugar in this recipe instead of cane sugar. I know many people like to avoid cane sugar, so I wanted to share with you what a wonderful replacement maple sugar is! Teff flour is so nutrient dense and works so wonderfully well in baking that I am working on finding new ways to use it. Stay tuned for more teff recipes! In the mean time, enjoy this little jewel of a recipe.
Chocolate Chip Banana Teff Bread
Banana bread is a great way to use up those extra bananas that are too ripe to eat! You can use any type of granulated sugar in this recipe. I prefer to use coconut sugar or maple sugar in baking recipes because they contain more nutrients compared to ordinary cane sugar. Use a finely chopped dark chocolate bar, mini-chocolate chips, or regular dark chocolate chips, or replace the chocolate with chopped walnuts!
Dry Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
Optional Ingredients
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil 4 mini-loaf pans or 1 muffin pan.
- In a large bowl combine the flours, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix well.
- Place the bananas into a 4-cup glass measuring cup and mash with a fork; it should equal approximately 2 cups. Mash more if needed to get at least 2 cups.
- Add the remaining wet ingredients to the mashed bananas and whisk together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix together being careful not to over mix. Gently fold in the chocolate chips if using.
- Spoon batter into oiled pans, gently rounding the tops with the back of a spoon into a loaf shape. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 30 to 35 minutes (20 to 25 mins for muffins).
- Loosen sides with a knife and gently take out of pans and place onto a wire rack to cool.
Use this recipe in our Meal Planner
About the Author
Ali Segersten
Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. She is a Functional Nutritionist, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Alissa is the founder and owner of Nourishing Meals®.Nourishing Meals Newsletter
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Comments
Thank you for all your inspiration. I love baking recipes from your site. This has long been my favorite banana bread recipe. This week I modified it to be a persimmon muffin.
http://seasonallyvegan.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/gluten-free-vegan-baking-with-persimmons/
Yum!! I love your teff recipes. Would love know how else you use teff & more teff recipes!
J - Yes you can freeze this bread after it has baked and cooled. Wrap it in waxed paper and then place it in a bag. You can freeze each mini loaf separately. Enjoy! :)
MMM I can't wait to try these. Your blog is my new favourite recipe blog, both my daughters are gluten, dairy and egg free, and one is also soy free and your recipes are beautiful, nutritious and pretty much foolproof!
I have a question about this recipe and a few others--do you think it would work to freeze this? I would like to do some baking ahead and freezing, either of the uncooked or cooked versions, but I'm not at all sure how this would work for gfcf recipes. Any thoughts?
Thanks for your wonderful blog!
Thank you for such an amazing recipe! I made these for my brother who had gastric bypass surgery and must have low sugar and low fat, but really needs a satisfying flavor. I replaced half the oil with coconut yogurt, used brown rice flour instead of teff, and put walnuts instead of chocolate chips. Amazingly delicious! Thank you!
This recipe looks great! One note on the hemp milk - it seems to me that the Living Harvest Tempt Hemp Milk is gluten-free, their website says it is anyway. I know that Living Harvest changed their hemp milk recipe last year, so maybe they updated? http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/CategoryDisplay?cgmenbr=655972&cgrfnbr=699183 I hope that it works for you, because it is such great milk!
Hi Ali,
I (and all the kids visiting my house) loved these muffins! This recipe inspired me to try and make a gluten-free version of a hearty (gluten-filled) banana bread recipe my Mom used to make and I used to LOVE. One loaf of my Mom's bread weighed in at ~1 pound, it was so hearty. Many thanks Ali for your suggestions! Here is the end result: "Everything Banana Teff Muffins" based on Ali's Chocolate Chip Banana Teff Bread (www.nourishingmeals.com)
Makes 24 muffins
2 cups teff flour
½ cup sorghum flour
¼ cup tapioca flour
¼ cup rice bran
½ cup coconut flour (could probably use almond flour or substitute with more teff?)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum or guar gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup boiling water
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
2 cups mashed ripe bananas, about 4 large
2 cups rice milk
½ cup apple juice concentrate (if you don’t have this just add more rice milk)
¼ cup melted virgin coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 ½ cups finely ground walnuts (pulsed in blender/food processor until “minced”)
½ cup chocolate chips
½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil 2 muffin pans.
Add ¼ cup boiling water to the flax meal, stir, and set aside
In a large bowl combine the flours, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix well.
Place the bananas into a 4-cup glass measuring cup and mash with a fork; it should equal approximately 2 cups. Mash more if needed to get at least 2 cups. Add the milk and apple juice concentrate to the mashed bananas and whisk it together with the oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix together being careful not to over mix. Gently fold in the walnut, chocolate chip, coconut mixture.
Spoon batter into oiled muffin tins. Lightly sprinkle the tops with brown sugar (this adds a nice crunch without a lot of sweetness). Bake at 375 degrees F for about 20 to 25 minutes (30 to 35 mins for cake pan). Loosen sides with a knife and gently take out of pans and place onto a wire rack to cool.
Hi Ali,
I have a bunch of frozen, ripe bananas that need to be used! What are your thoughts on using brown sugar, sucanat, palm/coconut sugar, or honey instead of the cane or maple sugar? Thanks!
Dear Ali,
Thank you SO MUCH for making these recipes and for sharing them. Hafta tell you-- adding to what sicl also demonstrated-- this is a very robust recipe.
With NO added sweeteners, only 3 bananas (making up the difference with some coconut milk), and no xanthan gum, and reduced oil and salt, these came out WONDERFULLY!!
Even my coworkers in the teacher's break room thought so, and they are big-time sugar fiends with no gluten restrictions!
So hope you don't mind my shouting w/the all-caps, there... it's great to have GF vegan snack/ breakfast options that have real food value.
Thanks again,
Ninufar
Hi Tom and Ali,
I'm knew to your site and so I thought I'd try this C.C. Banana Teff Bread. I used an all natural sweetner called Lankanto in place of your sweetner of choice.And coconut milk for the liquid. I made them into 18 muffins. Next time, I will not put them into the paper liners, since they stick and waste some(only if you don't scrape it off like I did!). I thought they were good, but a little too dense for my taste so I may experiment with my flours next time. Looking foward to trying some of your other recipes.
Hi Ali & Tom! I love Tom's answer to the reader's question - I have heard lots of people tell me they feel better even if they're not diagnosed.
I like the info about the maple sugar but, given my food issues, am hesitant to try it. I am going to do some research and see what I think. My body does funky stuff with some sugars. I depends on the processing, I think. I so admire your cooking style and would love to eat a big ol' piece of this bread. (I agree - all things are better with chocolate!!)
I've never used Teff, but this looks good. Thanks for sharing it.
The notice about appetizers was a reminder for Sept. 2nd so you're fine. Themes are always just a suggestion anyway.
This looks really good! I haven't done a lot of cooking with Teff yet, but I really like its flavor. This looks like a pretty good place to start with the teff.
This one's a real winner! I've made it several times for my family (using a bundt pan which makes it seem like a special occasion) and everyone loves it. I've even been able to cut down a bit on the sugar and fat, and it still tastes wonderful! Thanks Ali, for another great recipe.
This bread along with your sunflower seed cookies have become my 2 favorite baking recipes as of late. Thanks so much for the tip on the maple sugar!
Anon- Glad you found our blog, I am sure the recipes here will help. Also be sure to checkout the other GF blog links here.
Jennifer - Glad everyone enjoyed them on your trip!
Jenny - Happy baking to you! These muffins quickly get gobbled up in our house too that I should make 2 batches at a time.
Alison - Hope you get a chance to make these, I bet your daughter will love them. Gracie's preschool teacher made them on baking day without any of the goodies (carrots, nuts, raisins, apples) and they were so yummy! Sometimes kids like things better plain. Her preschool is gluten-free, it is so wonderful!
sicl4015 - Thanks for sharing your sugar-free version of my recipe! It looks great, especially with the ginger and sunflower seeds!
Thanks! -Ali :)
Banana & Roasted Sunflower Seed Muffins
Adapted from Banana Walnut Muffins, Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, page 133.
2 1/2 cups 2 1/6 c brown rice flour + 1/3 Montina flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 tsp baking powder - corn- free page 138
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
2½ cups mashed ripe bananas, about 5 large
1 cup coconut milk (Thai Kitchen)
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
4-6 Tbs fresh ginger, minced (to taste)
1 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil muffin tins or line with paper muffin cups.
2 On a cookie sheet, spread out 1 c sunflower seed one layer and roast for 5 minutes. Remove sheet from oven to cooling rack
3 In a large bowl combine the brown rice flour, Montina flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder & sea salt. Mix well.
4 Place the bananas into a 4-cup glass measuring cup and mash with a fork; it should equal approximately 2 1/2 cups.
5 Add the milk to the mashed bananas and whisk it together with apple cider vinegar & vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix together being careful not to over mix.
6 Gently fold in minced fresh ginger & roasted sunflower seeds, if using.
7 Spoon batter into oiled muffin tins.
8 Bake at 375 degrees F for about 20 to 25 minutes.
9 Loosen sides with a knife and gently take out of tins and place onto a cooling rack. Cool completely to finish cooking.
Servings: 18
Yield: 12 - 18 MUFFINS
Recipe Type
Breakfast, Dessert, No Corn, no sugar, Nothing In It, Vegetarian, Whole Life Nutrition Cook Book
Cooking Tips
Fresh grind 1 1/2 cup whole short grain brown rice in VitaMix dry container. Ground, equals about 2 to 2 1/6 cups flour. Add enough Montina flour to equal 2 1/2 cups.
Coconut milk replaces milk & coconut oil & adds some sweetness.
Extra banana replaces sugar.
Fresh ginger can minced into smaller or larger pieces. The larger the piece, the more dramatic the ginger experience!
Recipe Source
Author: Fresh Breads & Muffins 133
Source: Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook Fresh Breads & Muffins 133
These muffins are gluten, dairy, soy, and egg-free, making them a great alternative for people sensitive to those foods. Try adding 1 to 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries to the batter when you add the walnuts for a nice twist. You can also make this recipe into four mini-loaves; we like to make two plain and two with chocolate chips.
Ali,
This recipe looks great for our gluten-free family and especially for my daughter who can't have gluten, dairy or eggs! Can't wait to try it.
Tom,
Your answer to that question is great. I get asked that all the time. I will certainly give you credit if I need to quote you on anything! Thanks for the info.
Alison
Yum, yum these were soooo good! I made a batch last week and they were absolutely delicious and I plan on making another tomorrow. Thanks for the great recipe!
-Jenny
Thanks Tom! We're having a great time cooking with a wider variety of grains that we had used before. I brought some of our teff muffins to share on a family trip and they were all gone quickly. It's good to know there are nutritional/digestive perks for everyone.
I just found your blog and am newly diagnosed. Thank you for the information and links to various gluten-free products. Going to check those out now.
Jennifer - I just saw your comment a few hours ago, but needed Tom to answer it. Glad you enjoyed the muffins. Here is the answer to your question in Tom's words:
"Regardless if someone tests positive or not for gluten sensitivity, the literature states (and clinical practice affirms) that people feel better on a GF diet. Relatively minor symptoms like occasional headaches, joint pain, and stomach upset have been shown to improve on a GF diet.
It has been shown that the consumption of wheat contributes the growth of certain bacteria in the intestinal tract that may be detrimental. This comes from autism researchers who looked at c. difficle in the intestines of autistic children causing abnormal brain function. Actually, it is the byproducts of this strain of bacteria that cause the problems.
Whole grains, such as quinoa, have a superior amino acid profile in comparison to wheat. In fact, the WHO (world health organization) is lobbying to displace wheat as the primary protein source on this planet in substitution of quinoa."
Mmmm! I am home alone with 16 (there were 17) of these muffins. They just came out of the oven and they are indeed quite fabulous. Not only do they taste delicious, they look good too.
Are gluten free flours easier to digest or in any way healthier, in general, for people who are not gluten sensitive or intolerant? I know that teff certainly has more iron than standard whole wheat flour. I guess my question are there health perks of eating a gluten free diet without the sensitivities?
Okay, time to step away from the muffins and do something constructive like fold laundry! Thanks for all the great recipes :-) Your cookbook is by far the favorite in our household.
Pavlina - Glad to hear you like the muffins so much. I used to make this bread and freeze 2 loaves, it freezes exceptionally well. I don't do it now that the kids are a little older and eat so much more, the bread just disappears so fast now!
Jacqueline - Thanks for your question. You can find the stone mini-loaf pan here: https://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=3912&catId=9&parentCatId=9&outletSubCat=&viewAllOutlet=
Happy Baking! -Ali :)
I just made these into muffins, yep doing some late night baking. I have one question - where did you purchase that loaf pan? I am imagining it is from the same place you listed on your previous muffin post. It looks great! Thanks again, I am so ispired to bake again.
Made this recipe into muffins today and they were delicious! The best muffins so far. I prefer muffins over bread because I can freeze half of them for later use. I really like the combo of teff and sorghum flour instead of rice. Teff and rice flour combo makes hard muffins. Thanks for the great recipe Ali!
Terri - Glad you are enjoying the Banana Muffin recipe. I am sure you will enjoy the recipe just as much with teff flour - it adds a certain richness and heartiness to the bread/muffins.
Melissa - Oh I bet this would be good with coconut milk. Happy Baking!
Diane - Glad you found our blog. I am happy to talk about the cookbook anytime!
The Rogers - So happy to hear you are enjoying the book, gee thanks! Yes maple sugar is expensive! I rarely use it becasue of that reason, but I wanted to provide it as an option here for those interested. Wholesome Sweeteners has a great line of sweeteners which are all GF (no cross-contamination)and inexpensive. As far as the milk - yes any place you see "non-dairy milk" you can replace it with animal milk. I am not sure how kefir would work - but I think you should give it a try - or maybe half kefir and half milk. Let us all know how it works!
-Ali :)
YUM another wonderful recipe from Ali. SOOO excited. LOVE YOUR BOOK!!!! btw.
I am so looking forward to more Teff recipes. I wish i could afford the maple sugar instead of Cane. I think my daughter would do better.
Can I try this with animal milk? do you think it would turn out ok?
Or even Kefir?
Wow, that sounds so good and looks delicious. I'm trying to bite my computer screen. I'm so excited to find your blog from Karina's. You cook like I can eat. I've added you to my blog roll too. I'd like to talk about your cookbook.
This looks great and teff is such a good flour to add to a GF blend, especially with sorghum. I'm going to give this a go with coconut milk and a touch of mesquite flour. Isn't "playing with your food" fun?!
:-)
Melissa
I frequently make the banana muffin recipe from your cookbook and love it. I bake extra to give to my grown-up children when they come and visit. Everyone thoroughly enjoys them. Thank you for sharing this version of your recipe. I need to buy teff flour now so I can try it out. -Terri
Shirley - yes her sweet little comment made my day. She was also happy because she was slicing the bread herself with a bread knife and handing some to me.
I thought it would be nice to show how our quick breads can be modified to fit dietary needs. Hope you get a chance to make it!
Anon - Glad you found our site, welcome! Let us all know how your bread turns out. Happy Baking!
Oh my this looks good. I am going to make this soon, I have tons of ripe bananas in my fruit bowl that need a place to go. This is a great blog, I will be back often to get good recipes. What a blessing it is that you have put this all together. I think I will be ordering your cookbook now, Thanks!!!
Looks delish, Ali! I love that quote from your daughter. Reminds me of one from my son when he was about the same age. He told me I was the "bestest cook ever." Needless to say it made my day (and I've never forgotten it), as I am sure that compliment made yours. :-)
It's great that you mention substitutions. So many of us have issues with other grains and other ingredients used in baking besides those containing gluten. For example, I don't do well with tapioca starch and can't tolerate buckwheat. Sorghum is still on my "must try" list.
Finally, probably the best thing about this recipe is it's another way to use the baking bananas I have. The pile has gone down in the freezer, but I still have quite a few. LOL (I just made my banana chocolate chip cookies on Saturday to use three more!)
Shirley