RECIPE: Simple banana bread (vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free.)

Oh my gosh, I could dance round the kitchen grinning from ear-to-ear about this banana bread.

Ok, I may indeed have danced round the kitchen grinning from ear-to-ear about this banana bread. But I reckon you might too.

So tasty, yet vegan, gluten- and refined sugar-free, say WHAAAAAT?!

Upon finding myself with three super ripe bananas, I really had no choice but to make banana bread, right?

I was also pretty keen to try out the Coconom coconut sugar I'd kindly been sent. (How fab is the name Coconom, for starters?)

100% natural and unrefined, coconut sugar has been appearing in more and more healthy recipe books and blogs of late. Never one to pass on a food trend, I was intrigued and eager to experiment with some.

The sugar is dark and added a muscavado-y undertone to this banana bread, almost like molasses. I think it worked jolly well!

Sweetened simply with Coconom, honey and bananas, this banana loaf isn't sickly but is sweet enough, even for someone with a sweet tooth like mine!

It's full of flavour, despite being simple. I wanted to keep it basic this time but there are so many twists I want to try! I'm thinking chopped pecans, dark chocolate chunks or perhaps peanut butter in the batter would be divine.

The texture is also dreamy: both fluffy and moist at the same time. The oats aren't distinguishable but simply create the slightest chewy texture.

The loaf has that gorgeous classic banana bread crust too. You know the one I mean.

I genuinely think the smell of freshly-baked banana bread may be the best smell in the world - waiting for it to cool is a killer! But alas, a necessary pain, otherwise it'll fall apart when you try to slice it.

A warm slice, lightly spread with butter, honey, or (my fave) peanut butter makes for an awesome breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up.

And it's just awesome as every slice is packed full of nourishing goodness!

I really can't take credit for the fabulousness of this banana bread though, that goes to the amazing Minimalist Baker. I made a few changes though, including using coconut sugar which makes my version entirely refined sugar-free!

Makes 10-12 slices.

Ingredients

3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2-3 tbsp honey, depending on ripeness of bananas (or Sweet Freedom or agave if vegan)
3 medium ripe bananas
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 flax egg (1 tbsp flaxseed meal mixed with 2.5 tbsp water and set aside for 5 mins) or a normal egg if you're not vegan)
1/2 cup coconut sugar (or use brown sugar)
3.5 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup almond milk
1 1/4 cup ground almonds
1 1/4 cup wholemeal buckwheat flour

1 1/4 cup oats (gluten free if you need them to be)


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a loaf pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray.

2. Make the flax egg (if using) and melt the coconut oil and honey together in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Mash the banana in a large bowl. Add all the ingredients up to and including the almond milk and whisk vigorously to combine. Finally add the ground almonds, flour and oats and stir to combine. The batter will be thick.

3. Pour it into the tin and bake for 50-70 minutes, but check it before then - if the top starts to get too dark, carefully cover it with foil. When ready, the loaf should feel firm, be crackly and golden brown on top, and a sweker inserted into the middle should come out just about clean.

4. Leave to cool in the tin for about half an hour before carefully turning out on to a wire rack to cool fully. Wait until it's at least nearly fully cool before slicing and DEVOURING!