Full credit for this diabetic friendly treat goes to my good friend
Betsy Kelp Galloway
Servings: 10 slices
Time: 1 hour, plus cooling
This recipe was modified to be more diabetic friendly from a banana bread recipe published in 1973 by The American Heart Association.
The amount of white sugar was reduced from the original by
33%.
All purpose flour has a glycemic index of 85 placing it in
the high range. Almond flour has a glycemic index of 1, a very low value. The
all purpose flour in the original recipe version was reduced by 50% and
substituted with almond flour. Wheat germ has a glycemic index of 15, which is
also very low.
The glycemic index of bananas goes up as they ripen. Ripe
bananas are needed to mash and incorporate but resist the temptation of overly
ripening the bananas.
This bread is naturally darker in color than banana bread
made only with all purpose flour. Don’t be concerned if, on first glance, it
looks like it’s burning.
Keep the oven door closed for best leavening.
The modified version and the original bread have a slight crack along the top.
Ingredients:
- 3 ripe bananas
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup buttermilk*
- ¼ cup heart friendly oil
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup wheat germ
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a mixing bowl, mash bananas with the back of a fork then add sugar and mix thoroughly to completely mash the bananas. Reduce the mixer speed to low to avoid splashing; add eggs, oil, and buttermilk; and blend thoroughly.
In a second bowl, gently whisk together all remaining ingredients. (For best bread results: gently spoon flour and wheat germ ingredients, one ingredient at a time, into a measuring cup then level off with a straight edge, such as the back of a table knife, before adding to the bowl. This will help keep the bread from becoming too dense.)
Add dry ingredients to the liquid mixture. Combine well but be careful not to over mix or the bread will have a tough consistency.
Pour batter into an 8” x 4” loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven. Cool for 5 minutes then carefully turn
out of the loaf pan.
Cut into 8-10 slices, each ¾ to 1 inch thick. For best
presentation, gently remove a sliver from both ends of the loaf before slicing.
A bread knife is useful to limit tearing and crumbling.
*In baked goods, the acid in buttermilk works with leavening agents, like baking soda, to provide a fluffier texture. It also deepens the flavors. If you don’t have buttermilk, try substituting ¼ cup milk plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
Blessed be… and happy cooking!