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Plantain Bread is a beautifully easy bake made with super ripe plantains which boasts a rich robust flavour infused with ginger and nutmeg. Gloriously moist with a sweet tender crumb and a crisp chewy crust, this incredible gluten-free version is a huge favourite with the whole family.
To call this bake a ‘bread’ seems to produce less of a guilt factor when tucking into a slice at breakfast time. In all honesty, this is really Plantain Cake but in loaf form (much like a banana bread). Just imagine a gloriously soft sweet crumb with a slight chew and deliciously crisp edges.
This Plantain Bread is perfect if you feel your regular banana bread needs an overhaul. Even though it has similar characteristics, it is gentler in flavour with a more savoury note. This cake bakes up large so is perfect for serving to a hungry crowd and keeps well on the kitchen counter for enjoying all week long.
What are plantains?
Plantains are technically fruits and hail from the banana family. However, they are not eaten raw and are more commonly used in savoury dishes like a vegetable.
Some large supermarkets do stock plantains but you can usually buy them more easily in fruit and veg shops. Once you find a local stockist you will be returning again and again.
How are plantains different to bananas?
- Due to the high starch content you can’t eat plantains raw.
- They are larger than regular bananas.
- Tougher skin and harder to peel.
- Not a strong banana flavour.
- Lower in sugar than bananas so taste less sweet.
READ MORE >>> What are Bananas and Plantains
How to store plantains
Plantains are best kept at room temperature. So you can store in the fruit bowl alongside your bananas. They do look quite different when you see them next to each other, although watch out you don’t mix them up.
What are the best kind of plantains to use for this recipe?
This recipe requires very ripe plantains so can they mash more easily. They should be yellow with large patches of black. You can even use plantains that have gone totally black, just as long as there is no mould and the fruit inside is still a rich yellow.
The riper the plantain the sweeter the finished bread.
There are a few grocers around us in London which stocks plantains but I don’t frequent them regularly so I usually buy a lot of plantains at once. This recipe is invaluable for using up the extra plantains I’ve bought which have ripened up too much in the fruit bowl.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Overripe plantains. Excellent use of plantains which have gone black.
- Perfect texture. Crunchy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside.
- Gluten-free and dairy-free.
- Everyday loaf cake. It’s a great recipe suitable for pretty much any occasion any time of the week.
- Minimal equipment. It only uses 2 bowls, a potato masher and a whisk.
What ingredients do we need?
- Plantains. Choose very ripe plantains.
- Brown sugar. For flavour and moisture.
- Eggs. This recipe uses medium sized eggs (about 60g)
- Olive oil. Use a light brand with a mild flavour. You can substitute with coconut oil or even melted butter.
- Vanilla extract. A good quality extract (Nielsen Massey is a favourite brand). Never use essence.
- Ground almonds. For texture, cake structure and flavour. You can substitute with sunflower seed flour.
- Cassava flour. A lovely easy to use gluten-free flour. You can substitute with plain gluten-free flour or regular all-purpose flour (if gluten-free is not a requirement).
- Bicarbonate of soda. For a good rise and a light bake.
- Spices. Ground ginger and a hint of nutmeg are used for a lovely background flavour.
- Salt. This recipe uses kosher salt for a gentle flavour boost.
How to make it
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Mash. Use a potato masher or stick your plantains in a stand mixer to mash them.
Wet ingredients. Whisk the plantains with the sugar, eggs, olive oil and vanilla.
Dry ingredients. Whisk the cassava flour, ground almonds, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, nutmeg and salt.
Mix. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
TIP: Sift the brown sugar before you whisk it into the other ingredients. It has a tendency to clump.
Bake. Pour into a loaf tin and bake for 80-90 minutes.
Recipe tips and notes
- Do note, this is a tall loaf cake, don’t be alarmed when it muffins slightly over the top of your loaf tin. This is how you get that crisp chewy crust that’s incredibly appealing.
- It’s also a longish bake so do set aside some time for that. At least it’s very quick to mix together!
- The blacker your plantains the sweeter your cake will be. You can reduce the sugar by 25g if your plantains are totally black.
- This Plantain Bread tastes better the day after you bake it.
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How to store it
It lasts well for up to 5 days. Keep in an airtight container in a cool dark place.
How to freeze it
Cool the whole Plantain Bread to room temperature then wrap well in both cling film and aluminium foil. You can freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost, leave out on the kitchen counter overnight all wrapped up. Once it has defrosted you can remove the cling film and foil then serve.
What to serve it with
It is delicious in thick slices with a cup of coffee.
Take it to another level with a gentle smear of salted butter.
Give it the dessert treatment by serving with salted caramel ice cream. Such a good flavour combination!
Variations to try
- A little bit of booze. Omit the vanilla extract and try adding a tablespoon of spiced rum or bourbon to the Plantain Bread instead.
- Nuts and seeds. Add a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans
- Chocolate chips. Adding a handful of dark 70% chocolate chips is never a bad thing!
More loaf cakes you will love!
- Blueberry Basil Lemon Drizzle
- Banana Oat Bread
- Whole Lemon Cake with Thyme
- Coconut Lime Drizzle
- Rice Flour Madeira Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Coconut Banana Bread
I urge you to give this Gluten-Free Plantain Bread a try. If you do then please leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating which helps others find the recipe on Google. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own culinary creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.
Plantain Bread {gluten-free}
Ingredients
- 3 ripe plantains - about 500g without skins
- 350 g soft light brown sugar
- 2 eggs - medium
- 120 g olive oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 200 g cassava flour
- 200 g ground almonds
- 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted oven / gas mark 4 and line a grease a 9 inch loaf tin.
- Mash the plantains with a potato masher then pour them into a large bowl or stand mixer along with the sugar, eggs, olive oil and vanilla. Beat the ingredients together until completely combined.
- Whisk together the cassava flour, ground almonds, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, nutmeg and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together.
- Pour the cake batter into the loaf tin and bake for 80-90 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from the cake tin and allow to cool on a wire rack completely before serving.
Notes
Ingredient substitutions
- Brown sugar. You can substitute with white sugar or coconut sugar.
- Olive oil. Use either coconut oil or even melted butter.
- Cassava flour. You can substitute with plain gluten-free flour or regular all-purpose flour (if gluten-free is not a requirement).
- Ground almonds. You can substitute with sunflower seed flour.
Baking notes and tips
- Do note, this is a tall loaf cake, don’t be alarmed when it muffins slightly over the top of your loaf tin. This is how you get that crisp chewy crust that’s incredibly appealing.
- It’s also a longish bake so do set aside some time for that. At least it’s very quick to mix together!
- The blacker your plantains the sweeter your cake will be. You can reduce the sugar by 25g if your plantains are totally black.
- This Plantain Bread tastes better the day after you bake it.
Ieva Karpaviciute says
Incredible recipe - thank you. I substituted the flours for very fine white rice flour, ground walnut, and flaxseed flour. i also sprinkled in raisins and almonds into the batter. It turned out delicious!
Georgina Hartley says
Thank you for your lovely feedback - I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe - and those sound like great substitutions.