Development and quality evaluation of gluten-free, fibre-rich cookies from banana (Musa spp.) composite flour

Bananas (Musa spp.) are fibre-rich tropical fruits, and cookies are suitable carriers of nutrients and fibre. This study aims to process Ambul bananas (i.e., banana flesh and peel) into gluten-free, fibre-rich cookies using heat pump dehydration and to test the physicochemical and sensory properties of the cookies. Fully matured, unripe bananas were sliced into pieces with a maximum thickness of 3 mm, and then the cut pieces were pretreated and dehydrated at 55 ℃ for 20 hours. Then, atta flour (AF) was replaced with banana flesh flour (BFF) and peel flour (BPF) at different replacement levels to formulate flour blends for cookies. BFF contained total sugars, protein, fat, crude fibre, moisture and ash of 0.80%, 5.10%, 0.47%, 1.81%, 9.39% and 3.09%, respectively. For AF, its values are 0.27%, 15.24%, 1.77%, 2.70%, 7.17% and 1.37%. BFF has been shown to have higher sugar and ash contents than AF. Cookies made with flour blend 3 (100% BFF) exhibit higher moisture content, water activity, water holding capacity, spread ratio, and pH values than cookies made with blend 1 (100% AF). Adding banana flour causes an increase in lightness while decreasing redness and yellowness. The study demonstrated that cookies made with 100% mass BFF possess acceptable physicochemical properties and sensory attributes, serving as an alternative to commercially available wheat flour-based cookies.