Diet: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Paleo, Pescatarian, Soy Free, Vegetarian
Serves: 10
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Description

Our answer to afternoon tea is this light and appetising banana loaf. This recipe makes great use of any overripe bananas you may have ‘hanging’ around.

The wholesome ingredients in this loaf are enough to delight… know that this banana bread packs amazing nutritional benefits without sacrificing on flavour:

• High in protein – the 4 eggs used in this loaf is enough to equate to approximately 24g of protein. Rest assured the protein will help you to feel fuller for longer whilst working towards maintaining healthy muscle mass and supporting other body tissues. Not only that; protein has been known to help with cognition and brain health, due to its role in producing hormones and neurotransmitters that are crucial for cognitive function.
• Rich in potassium – bananas are a great source of potassium, an electrolyte that is essential for many bodily functions, including fluid balance and keeping the body adequately hydrated.
• Healthy flour – I’ve used almond flour in the place of plain or whole-wheat flour as a switch from the wheat grain to the nut flour. Whilst some people may feel fine digesting wheat and gluten proteins, there are a myriad of clients I see who have difficulty metabolising grains, particularly gluten grains. By opting for alternatives such as almond flour, hazelnut flour, or buckwheat flour (a pseudograin), this can cause massive improvements in overall digestive health for many. Nut flours are also the obvious choice for those with coeliac disease, gluten intolerance or allergies.
• Dairy free – for those that are vegan or cannot tolerate dairy in their diet, I have used coconut milk as a substitute. Anything from a coconut is granted to be a nutritional pearl; coconut milk is mineral-rich, providing a high amount of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium (Nutrition Data Self, 2017).

If you are craving something more indulgent, this loaf works beautifully when served with a drizzle of raw honey.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 3 large bananas, mashed
• ¼ cup raw, organic honey (plus extra, to serve)
• ¼ cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract or ½ tsp vanilla powder
• 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 2 ¼ cups almond flour
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (for greasing)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175C.
2. In a bowl, mash the banana and mix with the eggs, honey, coconut milk, and the vanilla extract
3. In a separate bowl, combine the baking powder, almond flour, sea salt and cinnamon.
4. Combine both mixtures and stir until smooth. If the mixture is too lumpy, try using a potato masher.
5. Grease a bread tin using coconut oil and line with baking parchment. Grease over the parchment with coconut oil.
6. Pour in the mixture and place in the oven.
7. Bake for 45 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and leave to cool.
8. Once cooled, slice up and serve with a drizzle of honey and a hot latte of your choosing!

 

References:

Nutrition Data Self. (2017). Coconut Milk. Available at: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3114/2 (Accessed: 5 June 2018).