Nana Skillet Bread

By the time I got to stop by Kate’s Virtual BBQ Party, most of the letters, (aside from q and z, I think) were taken. So I figured I that N would work, although in the past, I’ve called this my lazy day skillet bread.

I thoroughly love this recipe. It’s not a traditional banana bread, and it’s not a cake, per se, I suppose it’s best compared to a cornbread. I tend to make things that pop up in my head, and then try to figure out how to explain it. Generally, if someone asks what something is, I tell them to taste it and figure it out that way! I’ve had it for brunch, as a snack, as a dessert with chocolate chips, and it could be used (sans nuts) with chili instead or as a side for, say, a BBQ!

Once upon a time, I wanted a snack cake…but I didn’t have time and I was really tired. So I figured that perhaps I could dump everything in the Vitamix and all would be well. Fortunately, that’s what happened, and this has become one of my quick/easy recipes. It’s easy, delicious, and just comfort food for me. Most times when I make something, I try to figure out what to change next time and how to spice it up. But I actually like this one exactly as is.

I wanted something with a banana flavor, but lower sugar and no eggs or soy, and something I could just pick up and eat, too. That’s a tall order! Through trial and error I came up with a cake I liked, but wanted a brown crisp crust, and so this became a skillet cake. You can make it in a regular 9 inch cake pan, though. This recipe is also totally versatile, and I’ve halved it and put it in a 7 inch dish, which works, too.

You can do all teff, all sorghum, or a combo. If you can get your hands on mesquite, do! Not only is it super high in fiber, but it has caramel-ly taste.

Ingredients
1 cup teff
1 cup sorghum flour
1 T mesquite flour
1Tablespoons +1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup hazelnuts, brazil nuts, pecans or walnuts (optional)
pinch of salt

Wet:
2 über ripe bananas
1 level tablespoon +1 teaspoon ground flax seeds
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup olive oil or coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1/3 cup sparkling (bubbly) water, ‘milk’, or juice

Grease a 10 inch cast iron skillet with coconut oil. Preheat oven to 350.
Thoroughly mix dry ingredients together. Dump wet ingredients (not water) in a blender. Let it roll until well blended. In my vitamix, that takes less than a minute. I would assume an ordinary blender would take a few minutes. Add wet, including water,  to dry, mix until well everything is well combined, but don’t overmix (i.e. no more dry stuff, but no need for a workout)

Bake for 30 minutes or until top turns a beautiful golden brown. Cool on a drying rack 5 minute, then turn out.

Yum.

~from Cheryl’s kitchen ©2008

About Cheryl Harris

Life played a funny trick on me. I've studied nutrition for years, and much to my surprise, found out that I could manage many of my health issues via diet. I've been GF for years, and I've got a bunch of allergies and sensitivities. But it definitely doesn't keep me from cooking, baking and enjoying my food. Thanks for stopping by.
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15 Responses to Nana Skillet Bread

  1. Ricki says:

    Finally, something delicious to make in my skillet that doesn’t involve sauteeing!! And this does sound lovely. I’ve used sorghum only once before, and would be curious to see how this came out with it.

  2. Sorghum is a great grain, you’ll love baking with it. Let me know how it goes!

  3. Mary Frances says:

    Hi Cheryl,

    Will you email me so that I can send you my link for the Menu Swap. I’m a bit ahead of schedule this week and want to go ahead and get my link to you so that I don’t forget about it on Monday.

    Thanks!

  4. Kimberly says:

    Hi Cheryl,
    I made your skillet bread today with a couple of minor changes and it is wonderful! I didn’t have coconut oil so I used applesauce in place of the oil. I also used 1/2 cup brown rice and 1/2 buckwheat flour b/c I don’t have teff. I put a little peanut butter(which bothered me a little) on it and it was really yummy. Next time I will have it plain or put almond butter on it. Thanks for the recipe!
    kimberly

  5. So glad to know that it works with applesauce! Pretty much any whole grain GF flour will do nicely. Thanks for trying it, and I’m glad you enjoyed it.

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  11. Hi Cheryl,
    I was looking for a good GF banana bread and your’s popped up. I loved that fact that it is baked in a skillet and that it is also egg free. It seems like I always inevitably end up changing a recipe simply because I may not have something it calls for. so I didn’t add the mequite flour – though I’d love to try it sometime. I was also out of vanilla and maple extracts. And – I didn’t have enough maple syrup so I used a third molasses and the rest honey.
    It’s in the oven now but I tasted the batter it is delicious. I think my son can also enjoy it since it’s gluten, egg and I made it nut free. He’s only 13 months I am slow on introducing foods and it does react to egg and dairy,,,
    thanks!
    sarah

  12. Jack says:

    The recipe is pretty good, and yes it works wonders with applesauce!

  13. Tom says:

    Your pictures made me so hungry! Recipe seems pretty simple for even someone that doesn’t bake to much like me.

  14. Peter says:

    That’s really useful as our friend needs to eat GF food so we can add that to our treats menu for her! Thanks

  15. Joey says:

    I’d love to try this for next weekend, too bad I missed out on this earlier. I could have tried for the 4th of July party. I have a couple of family members that can’t eat barley or wheat. Thanks again for this great recipe!!

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