banana bread

Everyone who buys bananas needs a banana bread recipe to whip up when you notice your bananas have blackened. Here’s mine.

It’s quite moist and I like to toast it on high until the edges are crispy – perfect to have with a cuppa.

This recipe has been adapted from one of Teresa Cutter‘s recipes, which I’ve adjusted to make a plant-based, oil-free version.

Makes 1 loaf

ingredients

3 over-ripe bananas – the blacker the skins, the sweeter the flesh
3 Tbsp chia seeds or flaxmeal + 6 Tbsp water
¼ cup unsweetened apple puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ tsp of your favourite cakey ground spices (I use ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground cloves & ½ tsp ground nutmeg)
½ tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cups almond meal
½ cup chopped walnuts / pecans

Pre-heat oven to 170°C
Combine the chia seeds / flaxmeal and water and leave to sit for 5 minutes until it resembles a thick gel
Cut one banana in half length-ways and keep aside for decoration (or just add it to the loaf with the rest of the mashed banana)
Mash up the rest of the bananas and add the chia/flax gel, apple puree, vanilla extract and spices and stir to combine
Throw in the baking soda the add the lemon juice on top (this will activate the baking soda), then stir to combine everything
Finally, add the almond meal and chopped walnuts/pecans and stir to combine
Line a loaf tin with baking paper, then pour in the mixture
If you kept half the banana aside, lay it on top of the mixture
Bake in the middle of the oven for around 1 hour (depending on your oven), checking from 45 mins, until the top darkens, and a wooden skewers inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean
Leave to cool in tin, then slice and toast or grill until the edges are crispy
Store loaf in a wax wrap for up to a week.