Healthy Banana Bread

During my plant-based years I have made so many banana breads and finally I have a super healthy one to be proud of! You can easily make this gluten-free by using your own favourite gf flour. You could also add dark chocolate chips or a few raisins.

Due to the amount of fibre and whole grains, this bread will be low-GI compared with other recipes that use refined sugar and white flour. Flaxseeds help to bind it together and add a dash of anti-inflammatory omega-3s.

Ingredients: 🍌 🌾

• 150g or 10x medjool dates, stoned

• 300g very ripe peeled bananas (3-4 bananas)

• 100g whole oat flour

• 110g whole spelt flour

• 1 tsp each - baking powder, baking soda, mixed spice

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp ground flax seeds

• 1 tbsp almond butter (or other)

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (I use Braggs)

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• 85g apple sauce or 1 chopped apple

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Soak the stoned dates in 1 cup water for a few hours.

Heat the oven to 175C. Oil and flour a loaf tin or silicone mould. Then mix all the dry ingredients (flours, powders, spices, salt, flax) in a large bowl.

Strain the dates but reserve the soak water.

In a blender add the dates, almond butter, vinegar, oil, apple sauce and vanilla plus 2 tbsp of date water (you can drink the leftovers!)

Roughly mash the banana with a fork on a plate. Then add the date mix and banana to the bowl. Fold all the ingredients together but don’t over stir.

To Bake:

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon. Place in the centre of the oven for 50 minutes.

Use a skewer to check the cake is cooked through.

I recommend leaving the loaf to cool before you remove it from the tin. But I was too impatient. I left it only half an hour because I was too hungry! But it was absolutely delicious warm from the oven. It just doesn’t hold it’s form so well if you don’t leave it to cool.

You can also try toasting a slice and spreading it with almond butter and / or a little sugar-free jam 😋 I use St Dalfour raspberry that has no added refined sugar.