Eggless Banana Bread & Banana Pudding Loaf

Around Christmas-time I had made some Christmas baking, and enthusiastically offered it to my colleagues, only to hear that a number of them couldn't eat any of it because they don't eat eggs. As it turns out, many people in India are strict vegetarians, and here being a strict vegetarian often means that a person doesn't even eat eggs.

So, long story short, I've taken it upon myself to learn some eggless baking recipes, and this is one of my favourites so far. I've included two variations using different flour mixtures. If you make the recipe with only all-purpose flour or half all-purpose and half whole wheat flour, it will come out as a slightly dense, deliciously moist banana loaf, which is just ever so slightly sweet. If you use the amaranth flour variation, the taste will be the same, but the texture will be more that of a British pudding, almost as if it was baked in a bain-marie. I loved both of them, though I'd generally recommend the wheat flour variation, as I like the regular banana bread texture, and don't always keep amaranth flour on hand. But the amaranth flour is wonderful if you're looking for more of a dessert, or just more of a pudding.

Amaranth Flour Variation:

 a.k.a. Banana Pudding Loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup amaranth flour
• 1/3 cup jaggery or brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt 
• 1 1/2 cups overripe (completely black) bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup canola oil, coconut oil, or butter
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped chocolate

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F or 180 degrees C, and grease a loaf pan or cake pan
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, sifting in the baking powder and soda to avoid lumps
3. Mix together the wet ingredients in a large bowl, mashing the banana further if there are any lumps
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the banana mixture, one third at a time. Do not over-mix or the dough will get tough. Fold in the chocolate
5. Pour the batter into the buttered pans and bake at 180 degrees C for 25-40 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after 25 minutes
6. Serve warm

Wheat flour variation: 

a.k.a. Eggless Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup jaggery or brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups overripe (completely black) bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup melted butter 
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1 cup walnuts, roasted and chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F or 180 degrees C, and grease a loaf pan or cake pan
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, sifting in the baking powder and soda to avoid lumps
3. Mix together the wet ingredients in a large bowl, mashing the banana further if there are any lumps 
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the banana mixture, one third at a time. Do not over-mix or the dough will get tough. Fold in the chopped walnuts
5. Pour the batter into the buttered pans and bake at 180 degrees C for 25-40 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after 25 minutes
6. Serve warm 

Enjoy!