How to Make A Delicious Chia Seed Flour Banana Bread

This chia seed flour banana bread recipe came to me through experimentation with different flours.

I love to create new recipes and experiment with food. It makes being in the kitchen fun.

A friend of mine gave me some chia seed flour as a gift. I can’t seem to find it locally so this is a real treasure to use.

Chia seeds were a staple food of ancient cultures, providing many nutrients.  It is a rich source of omega 3 fatty acids, fibre, calcium, and protein.  This nutrient rich seed is also considered a complete protein because it contains all the essential amino acids.  

Therefore, chia seeds are a great addition to anyone’s diet, providing you are not sensitive to seeds.  I use chia seeds in homemade cereals, salads, smoothies, yogurt, and use them in baking.  

Chia Seed Flour Banana Bread

Chia seed flour is surprisingly easy to use in baking.  The ratio to regular flour is 1:1 so there is no need to worry about screwing this part up.  

Baking time is suggested to be 3% longer when using chia seed flour. However, that depends on how much chia flour you are using in your recipe. For example, in the recipe below, I used 50/50 chia flour and whole wheat flour so my baking time did not need any adjustments.

Chia seed flour has a different consistency than other flours. It is thick, sticky, and gummy.  Don’t let it trick you into thinking your baked goods are going to turn out horrible.

I first thought my bread wouldn’t rise and would be dense and dry as a bone.  In fact, it was the complete opposite and the bread turned out fantastic!  

The best advice is to start by using smaller percentages of chia seed flour in your recipe. Try using 20% of chia seed flour and 80% of whatever flour your recipe originally calls for and go from there.

I personally wouldn’t use 100% chia flour in a banana bread because chia seed flour texture is gummy.  If you have ever eaten chia seeds, you will know they become gelatinous when wet. Imagine how chia seed flour would get if you used 100% of it in banana bread. Ewie gooey!

To read more about using chia seed flour in recipes, click here for an article written by Teri Gruss on the About. com website and click here for an article written by The Nutty Scoop blog.

Okay, so here’s what you’ve been waiting for – the recipe!  By the way, if you don’t have chia seed flour, just use 100% whole wheat flour.

Chia Seed Flour Banana Bread Recipe

Chia seed flour is surprisingly easy to use in baking.  The ratio to regular flour is 1:1 so there is no need to worry about screwing this part up.  Baking time is suggested to be 3% longer when using chia seed flour. However that depends on how much chia flour you are using in your recipe. For example, in the recipe below, I used 50/50 chia flour and whole wheat flour so my baking time did not need any adjustments.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 16 slices

Calories 158 kcal

Equipment

• 1 bread pan
• 1 Large bowl

Ingredients

  

• ½ cup softened butter or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup coconut palm sugar
• 2 farm fresh eggs
• 3 mashed ripe bananas
• ¾ cup chia seed flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup organic chocolate chips optional
• ½ cup walnuts optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• Mix ingredients in given order all in the same bowl. Easy peasy!
• Grease bread pan with coconut oil.
• Pour bread mixture in bread pan, spread evenly.
• Bake for 45 minutes.
• Let it cool. Slice it up. Eat it up!

Keyword banana, butter, chia seed flour, chocolate chips, coconut sugar, homemade bread, sweet bread, walnuts, whole wheat flour