What’s that you say? Quinoa in my banana bread?
I know, it sounds weird.
Actually, I had never heard of quinoa banana bread until a funny thing started happening recently. Remember those funny search terms I posted about earlier in the week? Well, this was one of those! I began noticing that people searching for ‘vegan quinoa banana bread’ were landing on my vegan but non-quinoa banana bread recipe. Whatttt.
Being a search engine marketer, I understand why this is happening. I have a vegan banana bread recipe, and my blog name contains ‘quinoa,’ so Google thinks my site might be relevant. But of course, I don’t have what these people are looking for! And I decided that was wrong of me… even if I’ve never heard of quinoa banana bread. My blog does have quinoa in the title, after all, so I should probably incorporate it into a few more recipes :) Also, I was pretty curious to see how this might turn out! So I ran to the kitchen and whipped up this vegan coconut quinoa banana bread.
Last week, when I posted a beet cake, I told you right up front that you can taste the beets. That was my way of building credibility so that when I say you can’t taste the quinoa in this banana bread, you’ll believe me. Smart, right? But seriously! This banana bread has some great texture from the oats, shredded coconut, and quinoa, but it doesn’t have any odd quinoa flavor, which I personally feel (despite my love of quinoa) would be unwelcome in my banana bread.
This is one dense and chewy banana bread, so be prepared. I love the nutty oats and shredded coconut in here, and the quinoa adds the chewy texture that I would usually add nuts and raisins to get. My favorite way to enjoy it is heated up and spread with coconut butter. Thank you, Google searchers of quinoa banana bread – you’ve turned me on to something great!
In my hunt for the perfect quinoa banana bread recipe, I did come across several that are made with quinoa flour or quinoa flakes. I haven’t tried one of those, because I had quinoa on hand, and was too lazy to go to the store just to buy an obscure ingredient. The Kitchn just posted an ingredient spotlight on quinoa flakes, so I’m curious. Have you ever made anything (especially banana bread) with quinoa flour or flakes? Next time I’m at Whole Foods, I may have to pick some up and develop a different banana bread recipe using one of those!
For now, enjoy this banana bread with coconut and whole quinoa grains. And have a great weekend!
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (about 1 1/2 cups cooked)
- 3 very ripe bananas
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats + another small handful for topping
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut + another small handful for topping
- 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. (I bring it to a boil with 3/4 cup of water, then simmer for 15 minutes and fluff with a fork, but I know some people prefer to use more water, probably depending on the stove.) Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork. Stir in the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, shredded coconut, flaxseed, and cooked quinoa. Dump into the large bowl of wet ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in the coconut milk.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until top of loaf is golden brown and sides are pulled away from the pan, 45-50 minutes.
- Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before serving. Keeps wrapped in tin foil in the fridge for several days.
Ha!! Funny how great recipes are born sometimes. The topping on this bread looks beautiful and it’s such an interesting combo that I just have to try it out :)
I love banana bread, and any really any kind of muffins or breads, this looks so great! Thanks for the recipe.
Looks like such a great recipe to try out! I like baking with quinoa, and this version of banana bread looks so hearty and healthy!
I’m going to have to try out some more quinoa baking recipes after this! I’d be interested to hear your favorites.
Interesting! I love ways to add healthy elements to foods that don’t change the original taste too much (hence why I’m constantly shredding vegetables into my sauces, chili, etc). And I have about a million bananas past the prime that I’ve frozen so I definitely want to try this! The texture looks wonderful and the topping looks even better!
Yep, this was my way of getting rid of a few frozen bananas that I’m pretty sure can’t sit in my freezer too much longer! Worked like a charm :)
I’ve tried sneaking quinoa into muffins and pancakes for the added protein, but so far I haven’t been that successful with my attempts .. It looks like you were super successful with this banana bread though, it sounds amazing!
I would never think to add quinoa to banana bread, but I am loving it. There is nothing better than incorporating foods with added health benefits into a tasty dessert! :)
I think quinoa in banana bread sounds totally awesome! this recipe is going onto my MUST make soon list!
Everything in this banana bread sounds good, from start to finish- maple syrup, vanilla, oats, coconut milk!? The quinoa is just an added bonus :)
I am a huge fan of banana bread and have recently discovered I love quinoa as well. I’m confident that I would enjoy this Coconut Quinoa Banana bread.
This bread looks AMAZING!!! And the pictures make me wish I could slice into a loaf instantly! :)
Coconut milk from a can?
This sounds like a great recipe for my daughter who’s allergic to dairy and wheat. I’ll swap out the all purpose for my gluten free and pray that it’s still edible!
Banana bread is pretty forgiving, so the gluten free flour should be OK. You could also make oat flour by processing rolled oats to a flour, then maybe cut back on the oats in the recipe a bit. Good luck!
I tried this recipe with Namaste Gluten-Free flour and it came out incredibly dense and overly-moist. It makes decent toast (I think because it dries it out a bit, and crisps it up), but does anyone have any suggestions for me?? I even included Xanthum Gum in the recipe…
Sorry to hear that, April. I’ve never tried gluten-free flour in this recipe. You could certainly omit the coconut milk, but I’m not sure what other changes might be necessary.
Just stumbled onto your recipe, definitely have to try this!
So I tried it, and I am in love with how healthy it is but it’s rather bland. I think next time I’ll double the salt, add some cinnamon and nutmeg , use 4 bananas and sub brown sugar for 1/4 or 1/2 of the maple syrup. The texture is great, it’s very moist and dense which is how I like my banana bread and it’s filling with all the protein and fiber.
Thanks for the feedback, Lacy! Your adaptations sound great.
I made this today and It was amazingly good. I love it better than the original banana bread I have made for years. I don’t like nuts in my bread so I never put them in but this receipes gives that texture of nuts without the nuts and I don’t mind it at all. It would be nice if you could give us the nutrition facts on it.
So glad you enjoyed it, Tan! I don’t usually include nutrition facts in my recipes, but I did calculate the calories for this one: 195 calories per slice with 12 slices per loaf.
I loved the idea of combining quinoa and oats. I used the all-purpose flour but mine came out too dense and moist on the inside.. Not like yours in the pics!
This looks lovely! Exactly what I’m going to make with all my over ripe bananas sitting on the counter. I was hoping I could find a recipe that someone had used quinoa and this one is perfect. Thank you!!
Enjoy, Alyssa! Thanks for your comment :)
Loved this recipe. I thought it might be a touch to healthy :P But it was so incredibly creamy and full of flavour.
Do you happen to have any nutritional information for the recipe? I can’t tear my fingers away from it; it’s so tasty!! . I ate two slices for breakfast. Whoops!
Also, as an aside: I made a substitution of almond milk for the coconut milk since I didn’t have any of the former. It still turned out great!
Just wanted to let you know I’ve been checking out your website all day and everything looks amazing! Can’t wait to try all your yummy recipes, thanks for all the hard work you do!
You’re so sweet! Thanks Esther :)
Made this with whole wheat flour and threw in some cinnamon and cloves- was delicious!!! Thanks again :)
Could you give us the recipe with the beets That sounds interesting too. Never made anything with quinoa before so it will be an experiment for me.
Hi Muriel, here is the beet cake recipe. Hope you enjoy the quinoa!
I’ve made this recipe a few times now. Regular banana bread just seems so boring and unhealthy compared to this. I love it! Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve been looking for a more healthful banana bread for a while now and, hopefully, one that included quinoa. Today I tried googling banana bread + quinoa and found this recipe and great blog.
I made this recipe today, adding 1/4 tsp each nutmeg and cinnamon, as well as 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. I also decided to make muffins instead of bread, for easier portability. It made 20 muffins, baked for 35 minutes at 350-degrees.
While I love the healthfulness of this bread, it tastes rather bland to me. I am definitely keeping this recipe. It’s moist and so much better for my family than the usual morning muffins, but next time I plan to substitute dark molasses for the maple syrup and see how if affects the flavor. My previous favorite-but-not-very healthful banana bread recipe uses molasses, so I do know that it works well in banana bread. As for this batch, we’ll top them with lemon curd or jam and enjoy a great breakfast.
Thank you Erica. I’m anxious to try your Portobello burgers next!
Hi,
Could you use quinoa flour in place of quinoa?
Thanks!
Hi Celina, the quinoa doesn’t soak up much moisture, but the quinoa flour definitely would. If you want to use quinoa flour, I’d recommend subbing that for the all-purpose flour. You could still use the quinoa, or leave it out. Good luck experimenting!
Wow this recipe works fabulously!
I’m so pleased I made two loaves!! Thanks so much! It’s delicious :)
I don’t ever comment on these sites but this is now a go to recipe for our family. I have made this bread so many times since finding your recipe and I have to double the batch each time because my husband and 6 year old can’t get enough. For anyone commenting about it tasting bland, you really have to let this bread cool and it is far better after it has sat for a few hours. It is addictive and finally something yummy that we can be excited about wanting to eat!! Thanks for sharing. I have passed this website on to countless friends!
Just finished baking it. I had used quinoa in cakes before but without cooking it. The texture is different, but nice. I had put sugar in place of maple syrup. I think its a great way to start the day as I dont have time for breakfast or in the mood to have breakfast. Thanks