My baking must meet some strict criteria. It’s got to be gluten-free because I have celiac disease. And to be more inclusive, it’s often vegan and low-sugar. That’s a tall order!
Through trial and error I came up with a cake I liked, but wanted a nicer crust, and so this became a skillet cake. You can make it in a regular 9-inch cake pan. This recipe is also totally versatile, and I’ve halved the recipe and put it in a 7-inch dish, which works, too.
For the flours, you can do all teff, all sorghum, or a combo. If you can get your hands on mesquite, do! Not only is it super high in fiber, but it has a caramel-like taste.
Banana Skillet Bread
Recipe developed by Cheryl Harris, MPH, RD
Ingredients
Dry:
1 cup teff or brown rice flour
1 cup sorghum flour
1 Tbsp mesquite flour
1 Tbsp +1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup hazelnuts, pecans or walnuts or chocolate chips (optional)
pinch of salt
Wet:
2 über ripe bananas
1 level Tbsp +1 tsp ground flax seeds
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup olive oil or coconut oil
1/2 tsp maple extract
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1/3 cup sparkling (bubbly) water, or milk or milk substitute
Instructions
- Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet with coconut oil. Preheat oven to 350, and put the skillet in the oven to heat.
- Thoroughly mix dry ingredients together.
- Thoroughly blend all the wet ingredients together except the sparkling water. In a Vitamix, that takes less than a minute; an ordinary blender would take a few minutes.
- Add wet into dry, then add in sparkling water as well. Mix until everything is well combined, but don’t overmix (i.e. no more dry stuff, but no need for a workout).
- Bake for 30 minutes or until top turns a beautiful golden brown. Cool on a drying rack for 5 minutes, then turn out.
Yum. Gluten-free, vegan, and can be allergen friendly (omit nuts).
