Treat yourself to a cuppa and a sweet treat with this gorgeous gluten free banana bread. Beautiful and moist on the inside with a crunchy crust, you won’t need to feel guilty having a sneaky second piece. Not that you’ll need it, the almond meal and chia seeds provide filling protein that will keep you satisfied longer. The sweetness comes from just 2 tablespoons of honey, the ripe bananas, and little bursts of caramel-like dates.
Preparation time: 10mins
Cooking time: 50-55mins
6 dates, pitted and softened
2 tbsp honey
2 eggs
½ cup coconut oil (measure solid, then gently melt)
1 tsp vanilla concentrate
10 drops stevia, optional
1 ½ cups almond meal
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp baking powder
3 ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup coconut flakes
1. Soak the dates in a small bowl of warm water for an hour to soften. Drain the water and roughly chop the dates. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a loaf tin and line with baking paper.
3. In a blender or food processor, cream the honey, eggs, coconut oil, vanilla and stevia.
4. Meanwhile, in a separate mixing bowl, combine the almond meal, chia seeds, baking powder, bananas and chopped dates. Stir to mix together.
5. Pour the wet mixture from the blender into the dry mixture in the bowl and mix well to combine. The mixture will be quite wet.
6. Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf tin. Sprinkle with coconut flakes and place in the oven for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean once inserted into the centre of the bread.
7. Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin.
Swap the banana for 2 grated carrots or two small grated zucchini for a delicious carrot cake or zucchini bread.
Add some crunch to the bread with the addition of some roughly chopped walnuts or pecans.
For a GAPS friendly option, omit the baking powder and replace the coconut topping with crushed nuts if desired. Note that omitting the baking powder will make dense bread.
Download the full recipe in PDF format
Created by Melbourne Naturopath Bianca Potenta
