Blueberry Banana Bread

Baking without eggs, dairy, or grain asks you to trust ingredients that do not behave the way flour and butter do, and overripe banana is the one that makes the rest of this loaf possible. Let the bananas sit until they are mostly brown. That is not neglect. It is what gives this bread its sweetness and its structure, since there is nothing else in the batter built to do that job.

The blue in the blueberries is anthocyanin, a plant pigment tied in research to lower signs of oxidative stress, the kind of cellular wear that autoimmune conditions layer on top of everything else. This loaf also gets its rise from an unusual pairing: apple cider vinegar meeting baking soda, since there is no conventional leavening at work here.

Slice it once it has cooled all the way, not before, since a warm loaf falls apart under the knife. Sit down with the slice instead of eating it over the sink between other tasks. AIP asks for a lot of quiet discipline, and a few unhurried minutes with something that turned out well is part of what makes that discipline sustainable.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cassava flour
• 3/4 cup arrowroot flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla powder (see note below)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Vanilla note: The source calls for pure vanilla extract, which is alcohol-based and excluded on strict AIP elimination. Substitute vanilla powder or vanilla bean powder in the same quantity (1 1/2 tsp). Vanilla powder is simply ground vanilla beans without any added carrier.

All other ingredients are AIP elimination-compliant as listed. This loaf is naturally coconut-free.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a standard (9x5 inch) loaf pan with oil or line it with parchment.
2. Mash the ripe bananas thoroughly in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Very ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots will give the best sweetness and binding.
3. Add the oil, vanilla powder, maple syrup, water, and apple cider vinegar to the mashed banana. Whisk until well combined.
4. Add the cassava flour and arrowroot flour. Stir until a smooth batter forms.
5. Add the baking soda and sea salt. Stir gently to incorporate. The batter will fizz slightly as the soda meets the vinegar, which is expected.
6. Fold in the blueberries, taking care not to over-mix and crush them.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
8. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil after the first 40 minutes.
9. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Slice once fully cooled for the cleanest cuts.

*Adapted from Cook2Nourish*