Gluten Free Crumb Topped Banana Bread

Normally I don't bake unless I have a reason to. Sounds odd, but whenever I have something sweet in the house I usually end up finishing it off way too fast. So to save myself the calories, I just don't bake very much, problem solved. However, this bread came to be because I had some over-ripe bananas that I didn't want to go to waste. 

This bread is absolutely divine. The batter was a little runny, so I was skeptical, however, it baked into a wonderfully moist banana bread. And the crumb topping, let me tell you. The topping is made with powdered sugar, which adds a heavenly sweetness to the bread. Plus when it bakes, it becomes a little crispy, which adds a great contrast to the moist bread.

In all honesty, I probably could have baked this a little longer, but I was afraid that it might get dry or overdone. My toothpick came out clean, but I think if I would have baked it for another 5 or so minutes it would have been a little more bread-like. Guess I'll just have to make it again...darn.

Gluten Free Crumb Topped Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 over-ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups King Arthur Multi-Purpose Gluten Free Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum 
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup King Arthur Multi-Purpose Gluten Free Flour
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
1) In the bowl of a mixer, combine egg, sugar and vanilla until well combined. Add butter (must be at room temp) and beat until smooth. Add in the buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, mix 1/2c milk + 1/2tbs lemon juice and let stand for 5-10 mins) and bananas and beat again until smooth.

2)  In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum (omit if your GF flour blend has it already) and cinnamon. Whisk until well-combined.

3) Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Beat until all ingredients are mixed through, scraping the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula occasionally. Grease a bread/loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter evenly into pan.

4) In another bowl, mix the melted butter, powdered sugar, flour and cinnamon. Crumbs should begin to form. Using your hands, crumble mixture on top of the batter in the loaf pan.

5) Bake at 350F for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean (I started checking at 40 minutes and pulled at 45, but ovens vary).

6) Cool bread in pan on a wire rack. Once mostly cooled, either serve bread out of loaf pan, or turn loaf out of pan and store in an airtight container.

Recipe adapted from Little Bits Of...'s Cinnamon Crumb Banana Bread