5 Great Gluten Free Recipes Using Plantains Instead of Flour

Photo credit: bigstock.com

If you have decided to go gluten free but are worried that you will miss some of your favorite foods, we have good news. Did you know that you can use plantain bananas in place of almost any type of flour?

You might have seen plantains in your local supermarket. They look like extra-large bananas, but they cook up like a dream! Check out our top 5 recipes so you can go gluten free and still enjoy foods like sandwiches, pancakes, and even lasagna! Find out delusions most people have about gluten free diet.

1. Plantain Pancakes

If you have tried to make pancakes out of almond flour, you may have found that not only did they not stick together well, they took forever to cook. You might have also tried using coconut flour pancakes but maybe you weren’t crazy about the taste. You are going to be super surprised by these pancakes. They hold together well, so you can make big pancakes if you like; they cook up in about 6 minutes (3 minutes each side), and they taste fantastic. This recipe makes about 6 large pancakes.

Ingredients

2 Large green plantains (unlike regular bananas, plantains are ok to eat when green)
4 Eggs
3 Tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
2 Teaspoons real vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
½ teaspoon of baking soda
A little coconut oil for frying

Instructions

Peel the plantains and place them in the blender with the eggs. Blend into a smooth batter.
Add the remainder of the ingredients to your blender and mix on high for another minute.
Heat about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in your frying pan or griddle.
Pour the batter and fry for about 3 to 4 minutes on one side, then flip and do another 2 to three minutes on the other side, just as you would regular pancakes.

Photo credit: bigstock.com

2. Plantain Sandwich Bread

Everyone loves a good sandwich, and what is a sandwich without bread? Now this bread is round in shape, but it’s so darn good, and has only 3 ingredients! You will find yourself making these again and again.

Ingredients

2 Large yellow plantains
1 Cup tapioca flour
1 Teaspoon of sea salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Puree the plantains in your blender or food processor.
Put the pureed plantains and other ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
Using a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, put about 2 or 3 tablespoons of dough. Use a spoon or your hand to flatten them into a circle that is less than ¼ inch thick.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are golden brown on top.
Allow to cool before eating, otherwise they tend to fall apart.

Photo credit: bigstock.com

3. Baked Plantain Fries

OK, so they aren’t actually fried, but they taste just like French fries! This recipe uses duck fat for flavor, but if you can’t find that, try some bacon fat or even olive oil will work, the duck fat simply adds a unique flavor to them.

Ingredients

2 Greenish-yellow plantains
2 Tablespoons of duck fat (or other types of fat mentioned above)
1.5 Teaspoons of garlic salt
Cayenne pepper to taste (Optional) Read about cayenne pepper benefits

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Peel your plantains by cutting off the tips, then slicing down each ridge on the skin with a sharp knife. Now slide your fingers under each ridge and the skin will come off easily.
Cut each plantain in half, and then quarter each half. Cut into frying shapes, just slightly thicker than a shoestring French fry. If you make them too thick, they tend to dry out.
Toss the plantains with the fat in a large mixing bowl and add your seasonings, mix well.
Layer your “fries” on the parchment paper in a single layer.
Bake between 15 and 20 minutes, turning after about 8 minutes.
Serve while still hot!

Photo credit: bigstock.com

4. Pizza with Plantain Crust

This recipe is so simple your kids could make it! You can alter the spices to suit your tastes, but this is a basic recipe for the crust, after that, you can make your pizza any way that suits you.

Ingredients

1 Large plantain that is more yellow than green, but not with tons of black spots
1 Large egg
½ Teaspoon sea salt
½ Teaspoon garlic powder (or one diced fresh clove of garlic)
½ Teaspoon dried oregano
A bit of cornmeal
Olive Oil
Your favorite pizza toppings

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle it with a bit of cornmeal.
In your food processor or blender, blend the peeled plantain until it is smooth. Add your egg and spices and mix until smooth.
Pour the batter onto your parchment paper, using a silicone spatula, spread it into a circle (or square, if you prefer) until it is about ¼ of an inch thick.
Bake for 15 minutes, and then remove from the oven.
Leave the parchment paper under the pizza crust and cool it on a wire rack.
Add your pizza toppings.
Brush the edges of the crust with olive oil and turn the oven up to 450 degrees.
Bake your pizza on the wire rack so it doesn’t get soggy. Bake for about 8 minutes or until your cheese is bubbly on top.

Photo credit: bigstock.com

5. Plantain Lasagna

This is a super tasty lasagna that uses plenty of healthy curry powder. If you don’t care for the taste of curry, cut the amount of curry powder in half. This recipe serves about 8 adults.

Ingredients

5 or 6 Super ripe plantains (the peels should be almost entirely black)
3 to 4 Tablespoons of coconut oil
8 Eggs
2 Pounds of ground beef, turkey, or pork
1 or 2 Tablespoons of red palm oil (or use olive oil)
1 Large organic carrot
1 Medium yellow onion
2 Stalks of organic celery
5 to 6 gloves of garlic, peeled and diced
1 Teaspoon of salt
4 Teaspoons curry powder (or turmeric)
2 Teaspoons cumin
2 Teaspoons coriander
2 Teaspoons ground ginger
1 Teaspoon cardamom
½ Teaspoon cinnamon
½ Teaspoon black pepper
½ Teaspoon caraway seeds
¾ Cup of full fat coconut milk (this is about ½ a can)

Instructions

Cut the plantains in half, crosswise, then peel each half. Cut each half into about ¼ inch slices (this is about 4 slices per half of a plantain.)
Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and fry the plantain for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until they are lightly brown. Set them aside.
Finely dice your onions, celery, and carrot.
Combine all your spices in a bowl, except for the salt, and mix well.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a separate frying pan, heat the red palm oil over medium heat and add the celery, onion, and carrot. Cook for 7 or 8 minutes until it begins to soften and turn brown.
Add the meat to the onion mix, browning the meat, for about 10 minutes.
Now add the seasoning, but only 1 teaspoon of salt, and the coconut milk to the meat. Reduce heat and cook uncovered for 10 to 20 minutes. If it starts to dry out, add a couple more tablespoons of coconut milk. This mixture should be thick and creamy. Taste and see if you wish to add additional salt.
Beat 4 eggs and pour them into the bottom of a large rectangular lasagna pan or casserole dish.
Place in the oven for 6 or 7 minutes until set, but not completely cooked. Remove from the oven and pierce the eggs with fork all over the surface.
Now lay half of your fried plantain slices over the eggs, just as you would lasagna noodles. Pour the meat sauce over the top. Now add another layer of plantain slices over the meat.
Beat your last 4 eggs and pour over the top of the plantain layer.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
Enjoy like crazy!