Gingerbread Banana Bread – Soft and moist gingerbread combines with sweet homemade banana bread for the ultimate holiday baked good.
Maple Syrup And Agave – Are They Better For You Than Sugar?
Pretty much on a weekly basis, readers ask me what I think of agave, maple syrup, and other alternatives to white sugar.
Are they healthier?
Are they good for you?
Should you replace white sugar with maple syrup?
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While these sweeteners might be a little less unhealthy than table sugar, that doesn’t mean they are good for you.
Sugar is still sugar, and it’s a good idea to cut back no matter what type of sugar you are using, whether it’s maple syrup, agave, honey, coconut sugar, brown sugar, or white table sugar.
I keep this in mind when developing recipes, and most or all of the recipes on my site that call for any type of sugar will have significantly less sugar than traditional versions of the same recipes.
There is, however, one exception: blackstrap molasses.
Blackstrap molasses is by far my favorite sweetener, not just for its gingerbread flavor but also because it offers an incredible number of health benefits packed into one tiny tablespoon, including copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium, and 20% of the RDA for both calcium and iron.
If you’re new to molasses, be sure to try my recipe for Vegan Pecan Pie.
Especially around Christmastime, I try to add molasses to as many recipes as I can.
And since I’ve already done regular gingerbread, with my 3 Secret Ingredient Gingerbread Recipe, making banana bread seemed like the logical next step.
If you like gingerbread and bananas, you will love this vegan gingerbread banana bread!
Adapted from my Healthy Banana Bread
Gingerbread Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups mashed banana
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup milk of choice OR oil
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, agave, or honey
- 1/4 cup molasses – blackstrap or regular
- 1 1/2 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp each: baking powder and salt
- 2 cups spelt, white, or bob’s gf flour (260g)
- optional pinch stevia or 3 tbsp sugar for more of a dessert bread
- optional 1/2 cup raisins or crushed walnuts
Instructions
- Grease a 9x5 loaf pan very well, going up the sides. (Or line the pan with parchment.) Preheat oven to 350 F. Whisk the first 6 ingredients together in a bowl, then set aside. In a large bowl, stir remaining ingredients together very well. Pour wet over dry, stir just until evenly mixed, and smooth into the loaf pan. Bake on the center rack for 33 minutes – then do not open the oven even to peek, but turn off the heat. Let sit in the closed oven for 10 additional minutes. Remove and let cool completely before going around the sides with a knife and inverting onto a plate or cutting from the pan. Store leftover slices in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze for up to a month.View Nutrition Facts
Notes
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I know this is an older recipe, but hopefully you’re still checking comments… have you tried this in muffin form? I know I will cut back on the cooking time, but wondering if you have experimented with this and how long you cooked them for. Thanks!!
I know this is an old post and you’ve probably already either received your answer or tried it yourself, but I figured I’d respond anyway, just in case. I just made muffins yesterday. They were perfect! It made 12 for me. I baked them for about 18 minutes in my toaster oven. Yours may take more/less time depending on your oven. Oh, and I used the oil version. 🙂
Can i add egg into this? if it is, how will be the taste?
I finally made this today. It is so delicious. I used things that I had on hand and it couldn’t have been any better. 1 cup oat flour, 1 cup rice flour mix, sugar free maple syrup, banana baby food, coconut sugar and an 8 by 4 loaf pan. thank you so much!
We just finished several slices and I had to put it away in order to have any later!
Thank you! This bread was delicious, I shared with several fellow teachers as well as my daughter and everyone loved it.
Made this today! It is yummy! Thanks for the recipe.
I’m sorry to say this was a complete waste of ingredients; it was inedible. Cooking something this dense for only 33 minutes is totally not enough!! Bread was heavy and soggy and just had to be thrown out. Most likely will not try it again.
Probably just a difference between ovens (most aren’t calibrated unless you calibrate them) and/or climate. Why throw it out though instead of just putting it back in and baking longer? The recipe is delicious when fully cooked!
Jason
I just made this. Smells lush. It started to burn slightly on top with 8 minutes left so I assumed it was done & turned off the oven for the 10 mins. It was raised & cracked so it looked done. I took it out & the centre felt squidgey still, so I’ve covered it in foil to prevent more burning & put it back on for 10 mins ??? Could be the honey I guess? Honey baked goods burn more easily than sugar.
It came out well after the 10 mins back in the oven ? Mine is much more raised than your pics with a split in the top. Wonder why? Gf flour?
Just made this today. It was good but a little chewy–could this be b/c I used milk rather than oil? The other choices I made included agave and white flour, following the recipe as written.
Hi, yes, baked goods without oil will have a denser/gummier texture! 🙂
I made this recipe yesterday and I’m really disappointed to say the least. I was a bit skeptical about baking it for only 33 minutes and leaving it in the oven but since it was my first time making this recipe, I decided to follow the instructions. I should’ve gone with my instinct and baked the loaf for 40 to 45 minutes because, after it cooled down, I sliced it in the middle and it was half RAW. I figured maybe by morning, the texture would firm up or something but nope, when I checked in the morning, nothing had changed. All I was able to salvage was the edges. I had to toss the rest of the loaf because it wasn’t edible at all. I’m very disappointed…
Hi can you tell me if your oven is calibrated? I don’t see any other comments/reviews mentioning having an issue, and I’ve never had an issue baking it either, but perhaps yours just needs more time due to differing oven calibration or climate!
Jason
i love this post, waiting to try during my holidays..
This is the best vegan banana recipe I’ve ever used it’s perfect every time and amazing with all the spices!
What if I don’t have vinegar? Can I use something else or leave out?
Hmm, maybe lemon juice?
Is it possible to substitute all of the maple syrup for molasses? Maple syrup, as you know, can be pricey, and I wondered about substituting maple syrup for molasses not only in this recipe but also in others, like your healthy banana bread. I’m unfamiliar with baking with either, and do I can’t appreciate how the molasses would alter the taste or texture. Can you give me your thoughts, please?
Molasses is not as sweet, so probably wouldn’t work unless you also added some sugar!
Thank you very much! I realized I meant to type “and so I can’t appreciate…” but you answered my question perfectly.
I made this mostly as written (except in place of the Maple Syrup, I used a Lakanto-brand maple flavored sweetener, which I had on hand even though I don’t follow a particular diet and am non-vegan/-vegetarian). I made it with ultra-filtered skim milk in place of the oil. I also added 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, as suggested, and I added mini chocolate chips to the batter, as well (about 1/3 cup). Perhaps chocolate and gingerbread sound weird together, but I have enjoyed the results. I didn’t have either cloves or nutmeg on hand, so I left those out.
Thank you for this recipe.
I think the flavors merry well together after being refrigerated for a couple of days. I would recommend tasting but not judging the flavor, taste, or consistency of the bread until day 2. In my humble opinion, the bread improves over time (covered and in the fridge).
Nice job, Katie!
Thank you so much for making it! Obviously we love your idea to add chocolate 🙂
Thank you so much for your creative recipes and wonderful posts. I always read them in their entirety. I like everything about them!