This banana bread is easy to make, incredibly delicious and super healthy. Best thing is that most of the hard work is done by your blender! Great on it’s own as a sustaining breakfast-on-the-go, or with a slather of almond butter. It’s a perfect Winter comfort food for everyone. I find it's a great lunch box snack that will keep little ones happy, energised and full!
This recipe is gluten and refined sugar free and bursting with goodness... jam packed full of health enhancing plant protein, potassium, magnesium, fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals from the bananas, nuts, dates and seeds. The chia seeds give us the added bonus of more omega-3 fatty acids and calcium.
I made this once for a school bake sale, and with no exaggeration, I was asked to contribute the recipe to a cook book, and was begged to bake it every week for a health-aware Mum. I now always include it on my cooking demo's and workshops. Everyone seems to love it.
I can make it in 8 minutes - can you better my time?! The challenge is on....
INGREDIENTS
4 ripe bananas
9 medjool dates, seeds removed
1 tablespoon 'real' maple syrup (optional depending on how sweet your tooth is)
3 tablespoons of nuts/seeds of your choice (I like to use 1 tbspn pumpkin seeds, 1 tbspn sunflower seeds and 1 tbspn pecan nuts but almonds work too - ramp up the seeds and exclude the nuts for any nut allergy sufferers)
1-2 tablespoons chia seeds ( I like The Chia Co.)
1 tablespoon of coconut oil (melted)
1 tablespoon of nut butter ( I like Pip & Nut's Almond & Coconut)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon (optional, but it brings out the natural sweetness of the bananas)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup (65 grams) buckwheat flour, sifted
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
5 eggs (i personally like extra protein, so I use lots of eggs, but it still works fine with 3 or 4 eggs if you prefer less egg action)
Optional - 2 tablespoons of a neutral tasting protein poweder (I'd go for The Oganic Protein Company for whey or Pulsin's pea protein powder - an easy way to help you reach your daily requirements!)
Pinch of salt
METHOD
Preheat your oven (fan) to 180 degrees celsius or 350 degrees fahrenheit. Grease and line your loaf tin with coconut oil or butter.
Blend the bananas, dates, nuts, seeds, lemon juice, maple syrup (if using) and coconut oil together until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients - flour, bicarb of soda, salt and cinnamon - then slowly add the whisked eggs.
Add the remaining wet ingredients from the blender to the bowl and mix until well combined.
Pour mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake for 30-35 minutes in the middle of your oven, or until an inserted skewer comes out cleanly. Let it cool then dig in like some of these banana bread fans at some of my Nutrition workshops!
