If you’ve got a gluten allergy or are just trying to bake with more nutritious flours, you’ve likely tried options like almond, coconut, and garbanzo.
RELATED: The 6 Best Gluten-Free Flours
But did you know that there’s also a gluten-free flour made from...wait for it...bananas?!
“I’m using banana flour because it is a fun flour (yes, flours can be fun!),” says Solana Nolfo, our resident nutritious baker, the founder of Solana’s Sweet Life, and a Nutritious Life-Certified culinary health coach. “I discovered it when my chef mentor, Myra Kornfeld, had me sample some chocolate cookies that she made with banana flour. They had a great snap to them!”
Nolfo says that you can also add banana flour to smoothies, but she primarily uses it for baking. “I really like it because a little goes a long way, yet it has a better texture than the other famously ‘absorbent’ flour, coconut,” she explains.
In terms of nutrition, you could probably guess that the flour is a great source of potassium. It’s also both gluten- and totally grain-free and is a resistant starch, AKA you’re getting insoluble dietary fiber that resists being broken down into sugars and is good for your gut.
RELATED: 6 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Gluten-Free Baking
While you might not be able to find it at a local supermarket, Nolfo gets hers on Amazon or at Whole Foods.
“I’m having fun playing around with it…it’s definitely worth checking out!” she says.
Ready to get started? Nolfo shared her mouthwatering recipe for Banana Avocado Brownies, below. These indulgent (but not really…) treats are made with banana flour, avocado, flaxseed, and sunflower seed butter. They’re also vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, and low-glycemic...so no matter who you’re baking for, everyone will want a square.
(Featured Photo: Shutterstock, Photo 2 and 3: Solana Nolfo)