Gluten-free Tahini Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

​​We haven't made banana bread for awhile, so when we spotted some brown bananas in the fruit bowl, it was time to revisit the trusty favorite. However, then we realized while we had the right bananas we had no flour, too much pie and bread making going on! We did have a bag of gluten-free flour on hand from out gluten-free pie dough experimenting, so we thought we would give it a try. As we were experimenting anyway, we tried adding in some tahini and flax to play with texture and flavor. There have been a lot of recipes we have read lately using tahini is sweets, and we are digging the nutty sesame flavor it imparts. So far, as the loaf is half-way gone, no one has even suspected it is gluten-free, and the tahini gives it this unexpected buttery flavor. Looks like a win all the way around!!!  


Gluten-Free Tahini Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
makes one loaf
​
1 1/3 cups gluten-free flour (we use Cup4Cup)
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup chocolate chips or you can omit chocolate and add ½ cup chopped nuts
 
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 6-cup loaf pan, or line with parchment.
 
Whisk all dry ingredients together in medium bowl. In a stand mixer or using a large bowl and a hand-held mixer, beat on high speed the butter and the sugars until lightened in color and fluffy. Add Tahini and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and beat until the mixture resembles sand, making sure to scrape down the sides.
 
Slowly add in the beaten egg, a little at a time, and then add vanilla. When combined, carefully fold in banana and chocolate chips (or nuts). Scrape into prepared pan and bake about 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool entirely before unmolding.
 
If you omit the chocolate chips bump sugar up to ½ cup sugar, and ½ cup brown sugar.
 
Also, if the bread is browning too quickly, cover with tinfoil and continue baking