Millet Banana Quick Bread (Gluten-free, Vegan)

This classic Millet Banana Quick Bread is moist, rich in flavour and extremely delicious to savour. It’s a No-fail recipe that’s incredibly easy to make. Also, a wonderful healthy bake for consuming overripe bananas!

Secret Ingredient in Millet Banana Quick Bread..

The secret ingredient used here is the Black Strap Molasses that gives deep dark brown colour and an earthy flavour to this bake. It also ensures extra moisture and a slight bitter taste making this Millet Banana Quick Bread a scrumptious loaf. Black Strap Molasses or Black Treacle can be easily made at home. Please check the Notes section for its recipe.

USP of Millet Banana Quick Bread..

Millet Banana Quick Bread  is vegan and gluten-free. Best suited for those who want to Go Gluten-free and Dairy-free. Before we get into the recipe, I would like to give an insight of Vegan and Gluten-free concepts in baking (for beginners or those who are new to GF Vegan baking).

About Vegan Baking

Going Vegan is all about following a plant-based diet and omitting animal milk or fat. A pure Vegan diet consist of plant-based fats and milk-substitutes obtained from almond, cashew, peanut, coconut, soya bean, hemp, rice and more. You can also opt for non-dairy milk or fats that are readily available in the market.

About Gluten-free Baking

Gluten-free(GF) baking excludes the ingredients that contain ‘gluten’ in it.

To know all about Gluten-free concept, vital facts and how distinctive it is from traditional baking.. Please follow the link : ABCs of Gluten-free Baking..

Substitution of Flours

In GF baking, we use an array of GF whole grain flours and plant-based starches to provide good structure and rise to the bake. Using a combination of flours enhances the flavour, colour and texture of the finished product.

Here, for Millet Banana Quick Bread  I have used Brown Rice Flour, Sorghum Flour, Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch and Cornflour. GF flour needs a binder to act as gluten and hold together while baking. So, a Plant-based gluten Xantham Gum plays the role of a binder here.

Though these flours are easily available in the market, it can be replaced with any of the given ingredients. The hydration level differs from flour to flour. So, you may have to slightly increase or decrease the liquid content (almond milk) given in the recipe.

The substitution for ingredients..

For Brown Rice – Almond Flour, Buckwheat Flour, Amaranth Flour

For Sorghum Flour – Bajra Flour, Oats Flour, Chickpeas Flour

Plant-Based Starches – Arrowroot Powder, Cornflour, Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch

For Xantham Gum – Guar Gum

Here’s the recipe for making Millet Banana Quick Bread  (Gluten-free, Vegan)..

Cake Tin Size : 12” loaf tin

Baking Time & Temp – 180 C for 40 mins; 150 C for 20 mins

Ingredients

• Sorghum | Jowar Flour – 105 g
• Brown Rice Flour – 95 g
• Tapioca Flour – 37 g
• Potato Starch – 43 g
• Corn Flour – 28 g
• Xantham Gum – ½ tsp
• Sugar – 180 g
• Baking Powder – 2 tsp
• Baking Soda – 1 tsp
• Salt – ½ tsp
• Flaxseed Meal – 1 tbsp
• Cinnamon Powder – 1 tsp
• Nutmeg Powder – ½ tsp

Wet Ingredients

• Overripen Bananas – 3 medium, mashed
• Vegetable Oil – 120 ml
• Almond Milk – 120 ml + 3 tbsp
• Apple Cider Vinegar – 1 tbsp
• Homemade Black Strap Molasses – 1 tbsp | 15 g
• Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp
• Warm Water – 120 ml

To Garnish

Dark Chocolate Chips – 1 to 2 tbsp

Method

• Keep ready all the given ingredients at room temperature.
• Prepare flaxseed meal : mix 1 tbsp of grounded flaxseed with 3 tbsp of almond milk. Keep it aside.
• Sieve together the dry ingredients namely sorghum flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, cornflour, xantham gum, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg powder and cinnamon powder.
• In a large mixing bowl add mashed banana, vegetable oil, flaxseed meal, sugar, homemade molasses, apple cider vinegar and vanilla essence. Blend till sugar gets dissolved.
• Add almond milk and warm water. Blend well.
• Add the dry ingredients at 2 intervals into the wet ingredient bowl.
• Mix well using a spatula till all the ingredients gets incorporated well.
• Adjust the consistency by adding more of almond milk if required. The batter should be of dropping consistency.
• Transfer the batter to a greased or lined baking mould. Tap it twice to release air bubbles if any.
• Let the batter rest for an hour. (resting the batter is important for the GF flours to absorb moisture and render a soft bake)
• Sprinkle dark chocolate chips to garnish the top layer.
• Preheat the oven at 180C for 10 mins.
• Once the oven is ready, pop in the cake tin along with oven thermometer.
• Bake it at 180C for 35 to 40 mins. And bake it more at 150C for 20 mins(Gluten-free batter needs more baking time at low temp)
• Remove from oven (Not necessary to have the toothpick test done. GF bakes are wet when they are hot, once cooled they get the desired texture).
• Let it cool for at least for 3 hours to get soft, fluffy texture.

Notes

• For Black Strap Molasses: The given recipe will yield approximately 100 g of molasses of which we need to use 15 g only. Rest can be stored in an airtight container. It stays good at room temperature for months.
• Method: In a deep, thick-bottomed vessel, add 100 g of sugar. Caramelize sugar till it changes colour. Keep the flame low-medium. Add 100 g of grated jaggery at 4 intervals. Keep mixing. Once the jaggery melts, it starts bubbling vigorously.  The colour of the mix turns darker. Wait till the bubbles subside and the colour becomes dark black. Switch off the flame. Now using a large stemmed ladle, carefully add 40 ml of water in 2 intervals. It may splutter and spill outside the vessel. Take precaution not to boil it over the vessel and also splatter on you. Let it cool slightly. Give a good mix using a spatula. The consistency will be thick like that of honey or liquid glucose.  Store it in a dry, air-tight container. Keep it at room temperature and use in cake, bread or dessert recipes.
• Always use a branded, already cleaned jaggery for making molasses.
• Usual white vinegar can be used in place of Apple Cider Vinegar. But ACV enhances the flavour and taste of the bake.
• Feel free to use any other kind of dairy-free milk in place of almond milk.

Happy Baking!