Neither the dish nor the photos are award-winning, but this recipe ticks all the boxes: delicious, simple, wholesome, and inexpensive — so it’s a winner in my book. The past few weeks have been tough and exhausting; the flu kept bouncing from one family member to another, and at last we all seem to have recovered. Still, I’m thoroughly drained, to put it mildly.
I wanted to whip up a dessert using the enormous pile of bananas I bought on my last market trip, assuming my family would gobble them up — or at the very least I’d stash them in the freezer for later. But my second freezer broke down, so I had to start clearing it out. I’ve made apple crumble countless times before, but this time I decided to try bananas, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out.
This dessert is strictly for banana enthusiasts; if you love bananas, it’s pure banana bliss.
The final dish is not only gluten‑free, vegan, paleo, and economical (assuming bananas are in season), but also incredibly easy to prepare — ideal for those days when you’re feeling run‑down.
Because I used overripe bananas, they were already very sweet, so I added only a small amount of sweetener. If you’re using regular bananas that aren’t overly ripe and sweet, you’ll probably want to increase the sweetener.
I made mine paleo, but you can substitute any flour blend you have on hand. Crumble toppings are very adaptable.
Vegan Paleo Banana Crumble Instructions
Banana Crumble Ingredients and Steps
Ingredients: 20 overripe bananas; 6 tablespoons starch (potato, tapioca, or corn); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1/8 teaspoon ground vanilla); 2/3 cup sweetener of choice, to taste (I used jaggery syrup, but date syrup, honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, or even white sugar work).
Crumble Ingredients: 1 cup starch (potato, tapioca, or corn) plus 1 cup almond meal (or 2 cups gluten‑free flour of choice); 1/4 cup sweetener of choice, ideally liquid (jaggery syrup, date syrup, honey, maple syrup, etc.); 1 pinch salt; 1–2 tablespoons oil (optional, important if using a flour other than almond meal); 1–2 tablespoons water (optional, important if using a dry sweetener).
Instructions:
- Cut the bananas into thin rounds.
- Toss the banana slices with starch, sweetener, and vanilla. Note: if your bananas are yellow rather than brown (as mine were), you’ll need more sweetener than listed.
- Spread the banana mixture in a 9×13 pan.
- Combine the crumble ingredients. Add a little oil and/or water if needed until the mixture has a crumbly texture rather than loose flour.
- Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the banana mixture, making sure to cover the entire surface.
- Bake uncovered at 350°F for about 30–45 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
- Serve hot or cold. Suggested serving: top with vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy!
Do you enjoy bananas? Have you ever prepared a banana crumble before? Would you consider trying this recipe?
