Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread (lactose & gluten free recipe)

Name: Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread (lactose & gluten free recipe)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients: 3 large ripe bananas; 1/3 cup vegetable oil; 2 eggs; 1/2 cup maple syrup; 1 tbsp vanilla; 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour; 1/2 cup almond flour; 1 tbsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder; 1/4 cup granulated sugar (see notes*); 1 tbsp cinnamon powder

Fluffy and moist ONE BOWL banana bread topped with a crunchy cinnamon sugar topping. A simple and delicious mid week treat to bake that is gluten and lactose free.

With summer in full wing bananas are getting ripe super fast which means more reasons to make banana recipes like this cinnamon crunch banana bread recipe that is gluten free. It is so simple to make and if you don’t wan too make it gluten free you can make it with regular all purpose flour. The cake is packed with banana flavor, it is a one bowl recipe and happens to be lactose free. The cake is fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. It a delicious cinnamon crunch topping with every bite.

My love for banana bread is not to be joked about. I absolutely love it and it happens to be the easiest cake recipe you will mix up and bake. Not to mention the most delicious and who isn’t happen about using up their ripe to overripe bananas for a good cause before you have to chuck them out? I like main this cake midweek to enjoy a healthier pick me up dessert treat to get me through to the weekend. So let us get to it.

What is banana bread? What is banana bread made of?

Banana bread is a quick bread/cake recipe that is made in a bowl. It is moist, fluffy, easy and a very yummy tea cake recipe. Most often than not a banana bread recipe includes ripe to overripe bananas, sugar (could be brown or white), butter (or oil), eggs, yogurt/milk, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. However they can also have add ons like vanilla, almond extract, cinnamon powder, cardamom powder, berries, chocolate chips, nuts etc.

Is banana bread healthy or unhealthy?

Believe it or not just because this recipe has banana in it that doesn’t mean it is healthier for you than other breads. Banana bread is similar to banana cake and contains eggs, sugar, butter/fat, flour, eggs. Having a slice wont hurt you but eating an entire loaf in one sitting will impact your calorie intake in the long run.

What is cinnamon crunch?

Cinnamon crunch is breakfast cereal that basically tastes like cinnamon toast. The cereal consists of small squares or rectangles of wheat and rice covered in cinnamon and sugar, the cereal is puffed when soaked into the milk. It also has a crunchy texture similar to rice krispies.

What is cinnamon crunch banana bread?

We take the best flavors of banana bread and cinnamon crunch to make the best banana bread with cinnamon crunch topping. The banana bread is fluffy, soft, moist and tender but most importantly packed with banana flavor from the over ripe bananas. The cinnamon crunch on the top is the “icing” on the cake – in this case, the crunch on the cake. When making banana brad we anyway add cinnamon powder so the cinnamon crunch on top only highlights how delicious the combination of cinnamon and bananas are. Not to mention the delicious crunchy texture with the fluffy. Soft banana cake.

I don’t have overripe bananas, what to do?

We need overripe bananas to make this soft and fluffy banana bread recipe. I would suggest placing the bananas in a brown paper bag with another fruit and it should get darker in color over night. If you are looking for instant satisfaction, you can wrap the bananas in foil and bake them at 180℃ for 20-40 minutes depending on how ripe your bananas are to begin with. Remove from the foil, peel and use. I wouldn’t suggest microwaving the bananas as that can draw out the moisture – making your bread very dry. Some say to peel and cook it over the stove and it softens however I wouldn’t recommend it since want to preserve all those banana juices for my cake batter which adds more flavor to the final banana bread once baked.

What ingredients do yo need to make the cinnamon crunch banana bread?

For the wet ingredients we need overripe bananas, eggs, oil, maple syrup, vanilla. The dry ingredients include gluten free all purpose flour mix, almond flour, cinnamon, gratulated sugar, baking powder and salt.

As for substitutes you can use any gluten free flour mix you have access too, I like Bob’s red milll. You can also use any nut flour you would prefer, I love the taste oof almond but you can use pistachio flour, cashew flour etc. I have used regular sunflower oil but you can use any oil you like, the cake is yummy with olive oil or even coconut oil, if you like you can use melted paint based butter too. To keep this recipe eggless you can use 2 flax seed eggs (1 flaxseed egg = 1 tbsp flaxseed powder mixed with 2 tbsp water, stirred together and set aside too form a gel like consistency). If you would like to use agave syrup or honey to sweeten the banana bread you absolutely can. The granulated sugar is a must for the top to give the banana bread that delicious crunchy texture.

What equipment do you need to make the cinnamon crunch banana bread?

To make the batter we need a mixing bowl, fork, whisk and rubber spatula. You can bake the banana bread in a loaf tin, 8/9 inch tin lined with baking paper.

How to make the cinnamon crunch banana bread?

Preheat the oven to 180℃, line an 8/9inch loaf tin with baking paper and brush with oil, set aside. In a large mixing bowl add the bananas and smash with a fork. Add the eggs, oil, maple, vanilla and whisk until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, almond flour, salt, cinnamon and stir until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared tin. In a small mixing bowl add the topping ingredients and stir together until combined. Sprinkle the topping over the banana bread batter and bake for 40-45 minutes until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool in the tin for a few minutes before removing from the tin and cooling on a wire rack. I like serving this bread warm with a pat of butter and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Serving the cinnamon crush banana bread?

Once the bread is baked through, allow it to cool slightly before removing from the tin and allowing to cool for a few minutes before slicing or else it will fall apart when you cut into it. Slice and serve with a pat of butter, drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of sea salt. It makes for a delicious breakfast on the go.

Storing the cinnamon crunch banana bread?

Slice up the leftover banana bread and store in zip lock bags, you can refrigerate the banana bread for up to 1 week and it keeps in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to eat allow the cake to defrost and warm in the microwave for 15-20 seconds until warm.

Looking for more banana bread recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread (gluten & lactose free recipe), you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more healthy recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.