Amaranth Love

Amaranth is exactly the most commonly used grain, people are still coming around the idea of using Quinoa and even still that’s in it’s more recognisable white grain form as opposed to flake or flour.

Having gone wheat free I constantly on a mission to discover and utilise alternatives and although an avid consumer of Amaranth in it’s puffed state (home popped of course!)

Bob’s Red Mill have such an amazing range of gluten and wheat free organic flours; I’m a sucker for nut butters and flours, my latest order from iHerb.com is testament to it!

Amaranth flour was top of my list to experiment with and no better way than with a new banana bread.

I’m a huge banana bread fan, the one previous to this, banana zucchini coconut flour, was awesome and I had thought it couldn’t get any better. Now, although I’m not a huge walnut fan, they have they’re place and for some reason they just work incredibly in a banana bread.

A delicious nutty quite naturally sweet banana and walnut amaranth flour bread! It was a massive success! Not only did it smell delicious as it baked, it popped straight out of the tin, and was ready to slice within a few minutes. It’s always the true test, the first slice….will it crumble or stand tall…

I always have this sense of excitement when I bake something new, that sense of joy when it comes out in one piece only to be followed by a slight apprehensiveness….and luckily nine times out of ten it’s quickly displaced by overwhelming merriment! That slice of perfection, the moment you discover whether or not you have been lucky enough to achieve the texture and density sought after.

When it comes to banana bread I like them a little moist, though not soggy, crispy on the outside, doughy in the middle and ideally with a complimentary flavour or discerning texture running through. This bad boy has it all!

The amaranth flour and walnuts work wonderfully together, both proffering a nutty flavour and texture, still allowing the natural sweetness of the banana to shine through. It’s absolutely delicious with a dollop of your favourite nut butter spread on top, though I highly recommend Sunbutter or a smidgen of Maranatha no stir creamy almond!

Although I’m now eager to get experimenting with some of the other new flours sitting in my goodie box, the amaranth flour has really one me over. I think I might have to try my hand at some amaranth flour pancakes over the weekend!

What’s your favourite kind of banana bread?

Amaranth Walnut Banana Bread

 Print this easy peasy recipe

Servings – 8 – 9

Preparation Time – 15 minutes

Cooking Time – 38-40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed banana
• 2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water
• 1/3 cup (80ml) maple syrup
• 180g (1 1/2 cups) wholegrain spelt flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 60ml (1/4 cup) almond milk
• 60g (1/2 cup) wholegrain amaranth flour
• 1/2 cup (60g) chopped walnut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
2. Mix together flax and water and set aside for 15 minutes until “eggy”. Combine with maple syrup, milk and mash banana.
3. Mix together flours, baking powder and cinnamon. Add wet to try, folding until well combined.
4. Add in walnuts, again folding to ensure they’re evenly distributed.
5. Place mixture in to a non stick 2lb loaf tin. I line mine with some greaseproof paper to be sure it comes out in one piece!
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 38 – 40 minutes, covering after 25 minutes to prevent it from burning.
7. Allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing. Delicious topped and spread with your nut butter of choice!

Tagged as: amaranth, amaranth flour, baking, banana bread, bananas, bob's red mill, spelt flour, vegan, walnuts, wheat free