Go Back
+ servings

Plantain Bread {gluten-free}

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.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Cake
Cuisine: British
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 420kcal

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.

Make ahead

This Plantain Bread lasts well for up to 5 days. Keep in an airtight container in a cool dark place.

Freeze

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 and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 398mg | Potassium: 279mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 544IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg