Simple Healthy Banana Bread (vegan & gluten-free options)
Delicious in taste, scrumptious texture yet super healthy and so simple to make! This banana bread will be your new family favourite. Make ahead and freeze for an easy lunchbox and afternoon snack.
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Servings: 16 slices
Equipment
- 1 Fork for mashing the bananas
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Spoon for Stiring
- 1 Baking Tin (we use a rectangular bread tin but any shape works e.g. muffin pan. Just watch the baking time as this will vary depending on the size of your baking pan.)
Ingredients
- 550 g ripe bananas (bout 4-6 bananas, depending on size)
- 4 eggs (about 45g each) (see vegan notes below)
- 150 g extra virgin coconut oil (about 2/3 cup) (butter, extra virgin olive or avocado oil work as well)
- 150 g honey or maple syrup (about 1 cup)
- 120 g milk (1/2 cup | 115ml) (swap for plant milk if preferred)
- 440 g wholemeal flour (eg. rye, spelt, wheat) (3.5 cups) (see gluten-free notes below)
- 2 tsp baking soda (not baking powder)
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean powder If using vanilla essence, use 1/2 tbsp
- 1 tsp salt
- 80 g dark chocolate chips (about 1/2 cup; optional)
- 60 g lightly chopped nuts (about 1/2 cup; optional) walnuts, macadamias, pecans work best
Makes: 30 x 10cm rectangle, 7cm height
Instructions
- Make sure all elements have room temperature. Save yourself some time by getting all ingredients out on the bench top.
- Switch on the oven to 165 degrees C (375 F).
- Peel and mash the bananas with a fork.550 g ripe bananas
- Crack the eggs into the bowl and stir by hand until well combined. If you're using flax egg or egg replacer (see below), add it at this step.4 eggs (about 45g each)
- One after the other, pour in the honey (or maple syrup), the coconut oil (if it is not liquid, heat it up in the microwave or in a hot water bath), and the milk. Stir after each addition until well combined.150 g extra virgin coconut oil (about 2/3 cup), 150 g honey or maple syrup (about 1 cup), 120 g milk (1/2 cup | 115ml)
- Now add one by one, the flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon until smooth.440 g wholemeal flour (eg. rye, spelt, wheat) (3.5 cups), 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean powder, 1 tsp salt
- Lastly, if you choose to use chocolate chips and/or nuts, add them now and stir one more time.60 g lightly chopped nuts (about 1/2 cup; optional), 80 g dark chocolate chips (about 1/2 cup; optional)
- Take a piece of baking paper fitting your bread tin, scrunch it up and soak it in water. Once completely drenched, squeeze it out and line the tin with it. Then pour in the batter. If you need to, smooth the top with your wet fingers.
- Bake in the oven for around 60 minutes (less if using a muffin pan). Check after 50 minutes by inserting a wooden skewer. Once the inserted skewer comes out clean, you can take the banana bread out of the oven.
- Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then let the banana bread cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, slice into 16-20 slices. The slices will keep in the fridge for a week or freeze them with baking paper between slices. To defrost, simply place a slice in the toaster and toast for a minute.
Notes
If you need to make the banana bread gluten-free, you can either choose a store-bought gluten-free flour mix or make your own. I am constantly trying new mixes, the All Natural 3-Ingredients Gluten-Free Flour Blend currently my favourite.
If you want to replace the egg, either go with flax egg (which is high in Omega 3 and protein; for this recipe use 4 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds mixed with 12 tablespoons of water; let it rest for 10-15 minutes) or choose an egg replacer (e.g. from Bob's Red Mill).
If the cake needs to be dairy-free, use plant-based milk (like rice or oat milk, nut milk only if the bread does not have to be nut-free).
And for a completely vegan banana bread, use maple syrup instead of honey, and replace the egg and milk as described above.