It definitely is true that your tastes change as you get older. When I was younger, I hated any cakes or bakes that involved bananas; I turned my nose up and banana muffins and banoffee pie was my idea of a nightmare pud. Fast-forward a bit and I can't get enough of the stuff! Perhaps it's not just my tastebuds maturing, but also a mix of my passion for baking; baking with bananas just gives the most beautiful moist texture, not to mention provides that bit of added natural sweetness that means you don't have to compensate with extra sugar. I've experimented with a few banana bread recipes- both healthy and indulgent- and have come to the conclusion that this mix of the two is probably my favourite one so far. Although you still get the moisture from the coconut oil and bananas, I couldn't quite substitute the sugar (that brown sugar flavour just goes so well with bananas)- but the result is something that hits the spot without being too over-indulgent.
Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut oil (I always get mine from Aldi- it's such good value for money)
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup wholewheat flour
1 1/2 cup light brown sugar (I ran out of this and 1/4 cup was made up with demerara sugar...delicious!)
1 tsp baking powder
2 mashed bananas
1/4 cup milk (I always use skimmed)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Roughly chopped walnut pieces to taste (I used just under 1/4 cup)
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tablespoons chia seeds (optional)
I also topped this banana bread with just some icing sugar mixed with a splash of water and a drop of vanilla extract, before sprinkling some walnut pieces over the top to finish.
1. Preheat the oven (non fan-assisted) to 160℃ and line a loaf tin with baking parchment.
2. In one larger bowl, mash the two bananas using a fork until they form a smooth-ish paste (I never worry too much about any little lumps). In a separate microwave-safe bowl, melt the coconut oil on a low heat in 20-30 second bursts until it is clear and liquidy.
3. Add the coconut oil to the large bowl with the bananas, and also chuck in the vanilla, eggs, milk and brown sugar. Mix until it's all combined (it'll be quite gloopy!).
4. Roughly sift in the flour, spices and baking powder before folding into the mixture. Once all the flour is combined, sprinkle in the walnuts and chia seeds and roughly mix for a last time so they're well dispersed. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for around 45-50 minutes. I set a timer for 40-45 minutes and kept checking every few minutes until it was done (if a skewer comes out clean it's done!).
5. Leave the banana loaf to cool on a wire rack. If you wanted to finish the bake with some icing, leave the loaf to cool completely before drizzling on the icing, ensuring the top is covered and leaving little bits to drip down the edge. You don't have to pop icing on top, but I made this as a dessert so wanted to make it look a bit 'extra'!
It's such a simple bake that has the most warming flavours; perfect for a lazy Sunday baking session! Not only does it taste amazing, but the ingredients too bad for you and the smell of such a hearty bake filling your home as it cooks is just second to none! It's also handy if you have some bananas on the turn and you don't want to chuck them in the bin...always bake with them instead!
Let me know if you try this recipe! Are you a fan of banana bread?
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