GLUTEN FREE SASKATOON CITRUS BANANA BREAD

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Saskatoon berry season is just around the corner — and I’m back today with a new, citrus infused banana bread recipe to celebrate! If you’ve been with me since last summer, you’ll know I absolutely adore saskatoons and look forward to picking buckets full each summer. So, it will come as no surprise that I’ve actually been testing this recipe since late winter with our stash of frozen saskatoons. My Gluten Free Saskatoon Citrus Banana Bread recipe is the result of cleaning out our freezer and fruit bowls one snowy, frigid winter day and incorporating whatever ingredients we had on hand — which always seems to yield the most delicious RECIPES in the JustineCelina kitchen!

My Gluten Free Saskatoon Citrus Banana Bread is free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar and full of healthier, natural substitutions — perfect for those of us with food allergies, intolerances or sensitivities. An inspired melange of bananas, saskatoons and fresh orange and lemon juices combine with plant-based baking staples of coconut, maple and just a splash of bourbon (it’s my newest baking secret ingredient!) to create a bright, nourishing banana bread combining the best of summer and winter with a cheerful, citrusy twist! It makes for a fantastic breakfast, snack or clean dessert anytime you’re craving a berry-forward banana bread, year round. If you have an abundance of seasonal berries and a freezer full of bananas on hands, it’s time get them defrosting, pour yourself a cup of coffee, haul out your mixing bowls and throw on your apron — this recipe is for you! I’ve also included baking instructions for a muffin variation, if you prefer.

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GLUTEN FREE SASKATOON CITRUS BANANA BREAD

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It always feels so good to get a recipe I’ve been testing for months onto these pages — and I’m thrilled to share this bright and fruity banana bread recipe with you today!

Although my Gluten Free Saskatoon Citrus Banana Bread features ingredients I wouldn’t typically combine, the results are serendipitously delicious! As usual, the freezer was overflowing with bananas and I felt inspired to use our frozen saskatoons — it was the dead of winter and I was desperately craving a taste of summer. We had tons of oranges and lemons in our fruit bowls (I had just finished testing my Gingered Cara Care Grapefruit Paloma) that were on their last legs. Things were shaping up!

To round things out, I initially wanted to try rum extract in this recipe because I felt that it would compliment the citrusy flavours better than traditional vanilla — but after browsing our pantry, I came up empty handed. So, I sauntered over to the bar to see if I could find any actual rum (desperate times call for desperate measures — there was snow storm in progress and absolutely no way I was running to the store!). Adam has been deep into a bourbon phase over the past year, so while rum was no where to be found, I did find an abundance of bourbon!

Although I’m still acquiring a taste for bourbon in cocktails (stay tuned for a possible new recipe later this summer!), I recognized immediately that its rich, caramel notes would beautifully enhance the flavours of my Gluten Free Saskatoon Citrus Banana Bread. If you’ve never tried baking with bourbon I highly recommend it — just a splash does wonders in uniting the flavour profile of this winter-meets-summer loaf!

As for substitutions, if you don’t live in a region where saskatoon berries grow, feel free to substitute them with blueberries! And if you don’t have bourbon on hand, you can swap in rum extract or actual rum (as long as it’s not spiced!).

Finally, if you don’t require this recipe to be gluten free, simply substitute the gluten free all purpose flour blend for regular all purpose flour and it bakes for exactly the same amount of time. Both recipes are equally delicious — so feel free to use whatever flour suits your dietary needs!

However, if you’re going with the gluten free version, it’s important to use a pre-made gluten free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. You can find them at any major grocery store, but my favourite is the CO-OP Gold Pure All-Purpose Gluten Free Baking Mix (available in Canadian CO-OP stores). Now, let’s make some banana bread, shall we?

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Ingredients

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Yield: 1 large loaf (or 12 large muffins)

WET

• 1 cup ripe mashed bananas (equivalent to 2 large or 3 small ripe bananas)
• 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
• 1 cup 100% pure Canadian maple syrup
• 2 large free range eggs
• 1 1/2 cups saskatoon berries
• 1 tbsp bourbon
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• Zest from 1 orange
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Zest from 1 lemon

DRY

• 2 cups all purpose gluten free baking mix (make sure it includes xanthan gum!)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt

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Instructions

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1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease 1 standard loaf pan (or a muffin pan) with melted coconut oil and set aside.

2. Add all wet ingredients but saskatoons to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together to combine.

3. Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Then, combine wet ingredients slowly, stirring until just combined. Fold saskatoons in gently.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s).

If you’re making bread, add citrus slices to the top if desired (once baked the top of the loaf that was underneath the citrus is the most delicious part!) and bake for 90 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out of the centre of the loaf mostly clean.

If you’re making muffins, skip the citrus slices and bake for 45 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out of the centre of the muffin mostly clean.

5. Allow the bread (or muffins) to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before removing from that pan and transferring to a wire rack to cool.

6. Once partially cooled, slice and serve immediately!

Note: My Gluten Free Saskatoon Citrus Banana Bread keeps for up to a week refrigerated and also freezes very well.

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MORE SASKATOON RECIPES AND BANANA BREADS

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Wild Saskatoon Berry Crumble

Allergy Free Aloha Banana Bread

Summer Bounty Salad with Saskatoon Cider Vinaigrette

Decadent Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

Honeyed Saskatoon Cherry Gimlet

Saskatoon lovers, check out my 4 Healthy Saskatoon Berry Recipes + Where to Pick Saskatoons In Alberta post! 

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Are you picking saskatoons this summer? I’m hoping for an abundant crop this year so I can stock pile our freezer with these delicious seasonal berries until next summer and create even more recipes! If you live in Alberta and are interested in finding a local u-pick, this is the best resource I’ve found. I’m planning to head back to the Saskatoon Farm towards the end of the month, as well as visit the wild bushes we found nearby! I may also head north of Edmonton to explore haskap berries — a similar berry that’s relatively new to Alberta, with even greater superfood qualities!

Did you make my Gluten Free Saskatoon Citrus Banana Bread? If you did, please let me know! Leave me a comment, or tag me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. You can use the hashtag #justinecelinarecipes in your recreations so I can find them — I love scrolling through the feed and seeing your beautiful recreations! I also have a Pinterest board for my recipes if you’re looking for more plant based culinary inspiration. Thanks for stopping by today to celebrate berry season with me!

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Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored, and contains my genuine thoughts, ideas and recommendations. JustineCelina uses affiliate and referral links, which allow me to receive a small commission when you make a purchase through one of my links. Thank you for supporting the brands and businesses that support JustineCelina!