Low FODMAP Banana Bread

There are reasons why some baked goods never go out of style and banana bread is one of them. It is sweet, but not overly so. It works well for breakfast with a schmear of peanut butter or lactose-free cream cheese, packs easily for a school or office snack and is so moist that it lasts well for days.

If one is feeling particularly decadent, you could even try using it for French toast. Monash has gone back and forth on the FODMAP content of ripe bananas and the serving size of these slices does represent their most recent findings. Be prudent when first trying out this Low FODMAP banana bread. Stick with one slice, at least to start and see how you do.

Speaking of bananas, they must be super ripe. No green should be showing on the skin whatsoever. The peel should sport black speckles and the fruit should smell quite banana-y. The flesh texture will be soft and the flavor will be at its maximum. Don’t skimp on this; it is vital to great results.

And by the way, you can whip this Low FODMAP banana bread up by hand with a whisk. No electric mixer needed.

Preheat to 350F/180C. Coat the inside of a 9 x 5 inch (23 cm x 12 cm) loaf pan with nonstick spray, then line the bottom with a strip of parchment paper, overhanging on both short ends.

Whisk the gluten-free flour, flax meal (if using), baking soda and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

Whisk the oil, brown sugar and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then whisk in banana and vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and whisk until a few floury streaks remain. Fold in nuts, if using, with a silicone spatula.

Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick just tests clean when inserted in the center. The top will be golden and risen and the edges will just be pulling away from the sides of the pan. It might split, which is okay.

Cool pan on rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack, peel away parchment paper, and cool completely. Low FODMAP banana bread slices best if left to sit overnight - if you can wait! Low FODMAP banana bread will keep for about 3 days wrapped well with plastic wrap at room temperature or a few days longer if refrigerated. You can also freeze in a heavy zip top bag for 1 month.