Gluten Free Banana Bread

I always buy too many bananas, and they get too ripe. But this is the perfect banana to use in banana bread!  A banana is ripe when it  has dark brown speckles on the skin. Personally, I like to eat my banana when it is still yellow and firm, but for bread you need it to be ripe so that you can mash it.

When you get that sweet tooth, this bread is quick and easy. And, it also has the same taste and texture of banana bread made with wheat flour (when I make this, it disappears quickly, the rest of my family loves it!With all the gluten free one-for-one flours available now, this is really an easy recipe. The apple is optional, but I think if you try it once, you'll always add it. Also, the nuts and raisins can be omitted.

Banana Bread

1⁄3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1⁄3 cup vegetable oil

2⁄3 cup brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3⁄4 cups one-for one gluten-free flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1⁄4 teaspoons cinnamon

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 1⁄2 cups mashed ripe bananas

1 apple, peeled cored and chopped into small pieces

1⁄2 cup chopped pecans or 1⁄2 cup walnuts

1⁄2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease 9x5-inch non-stick loaf pan.

Mix together apple sauce, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl.

Add flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon to egg mixture, alternating with bananas.

Beat until smooth.

Stir in apple, nuts and raisins.

Pour batter into pan.  Bake for 1 hour.