“Health Nut” Banana Bread

Banana bread is one of the ultimate comfort foods.  I have played around with so many versions of banana bread, from my mom’s secret recipe (a classic banana bread) to loaded up with chocolate chips and slathered with whipped cream cheese (I know, I’m doing crunches right now as I think about it).  This time, I looked at those two slightly forgotten about, I-promise-I’ll-eat-you-tomorrow, brown-spotted bananas on the counter and wondered “what would a healthier version of banana bread look like”??  So, I surveyed my seed, nut, grain, and spice cart and got a little creative.

I love banana bread, but the classic recipes include quite a bit of white flour, butter, and sugar.  (I might be drooling…)  I wanted a drool-worthy banana bread that’s healthy too.  I replaced the all-purpose flour with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and some almond flour, replaced the sugar with maple syrup (you could also use honey), and used coconut oil instead of butter.  Then, a dollop of almond butter, some nuts, seeds, spices, raisins, and dates.  As a special treat, I used organic vanilla bean paste, but vanilla extract is perfectly fine too.  The healthy fats combine to create the most moist banana bread I’ve ever had, and instead of drying out this banana bread actually gets more moist over time!  This banana bread is delicious, guilt- and gluten-free!   

Banana bread is a “forgiving” recipe!  Get creative; you can alter your recipe in so many ways.  Have fun!