Best Ever Healthy Banana and Coconut Bread

By Seasons to Share by Jacqueline Alwill on October 26, 2016 in Food

There’s nothing quite like remaking an old favourite using new ideas and new ingredients, and this nourishing banana bread does just that.

Traditional banana bread recipes are often high in sugar. They’re essentially just banana cake recipes. They’re also made with wheat flour, so they’re a coeliac’s worst nightmare.

I’ve used dates to replace the refined sugars typically used for this recipe, and a mixture of shredded coconut and brown rice flour in place of wheat flour. Spelt flour is also a great option if brown rice flour isn’t on hand.

This recipe wins people over every time. It’s gluten-free, sugar-free and vegetarian friendly. Get amongst it!

INGREDIENTS
Serves 8

125ml coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
4 eggs, beaten
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
8 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
65g shredded coconut
135g brown rice flour

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a 10 x 22cm loaf (bar) tin with baking paper.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the melted coconut oil with the vanilla, eggs, bananas, dates and bicarbonate of soda. Next, add the shredded coconut and brown rice flour and fold in until well combined.

3. Pour this mixture into the lined loaf tin and bake for approximately 45–60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes 
out clean.

4. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then slice and pack up in a fresh piece of baking paper or brown paper with cotton twine to take to your picnic. Delicious!

Bondi local Jacqueline Alwill is a qualified, practicing nutritionist, personal trainer, whole foods cook and, most importantly, mother to Jet. She is committed to improving the health, wellbeing and happiness of all individuals. In her first cookbook, Seasons to Share, Jacqueline has brought together a delightful collection of beautiful seasonal, wholefoods recipes for all occasions. Seasons to Share (Murdoch Books) is available now in all good bookstores and online.