I should start by saying I’d rather have a great muffin or a
wonderful slice of a loaf cake than a cookie any day. That might be why I love
banana bread so much. It’s the perfect marriage of a muffin and a loaf cake.
The touch of nutmeg and cinnamon in this recipe make the house smell heavenly
while the bread is baking. And the dark chocolate chunks add just a touch of decadence
that makes it feel less healthy and more like a dessert. My inspiration for
this banana bread came from a Martha Stewart recipe, though I added several
spices, dark chocolate chunks, and substituted whole wheat flour.
Banana bread is one of the first items I learned how to
bake, second only to my mom’s annual fall Pumpkin Bread (which is also really
more like a cake… hence its popularity). This banana bread is a no fail recipe that
uses ingredients you probably already have on hand, and which comes together in
15 minutes (plus baking time). It’s a great way to use up those extra bananas
in an effort to eliminate food waste. And, if you slice the loaf when cooled
and bag up each slice in a Ziploc, it freezes beautifully.
Here’s the recipe.
Heavenly Vegan Banana Bread
Ingredients
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
½ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/3 cups very ripe bananas, mashed (takes about 3 medium
bananas)
1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
¾ cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup 70% dark chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour a 9x5 inch
loaf pan.
Sprinkle flaxseed over 1/3 cup warm water to make two flax
eggs. Let stand about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Whisk to combine.
In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, baking soda,
nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
In a large bowl, thoroughly mash the bananas. Then, add the
flax eggs, coconut oil, vanilla, and almond milk. Stir to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir
until thoroughly combined. Then, add the chocolate chips.
Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake 60 minutes until a
toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the bread cool in the pan about 15 minutes, then remove
the bread from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Store in plastic
wrap or a Tupperware at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze
individual slices for up to 3 months.
