I watched my flatmate make banana bread recently and smelling the delicious aromas of the banana bread in the oven made me want to cook it for myself. It is an ideal way to use up bananas that are beyond their best, and so much more fool-proof than baking a cake. These days I don’t hesitate in buying a whole bunch of bananas at the market, knowing that if I don’t use them all up while they are fresh, I can just chuck them in the freezer and bake banana bread at a later date. Since getting the recipe off my flatmate, I have now cooked banana bread at least a dozen times and it has been making for the most delicious breakfasts as of late; merely toasted with a dash of margarine. It’s such an easy breakfast to make on those rushed mornings where I just eat once I get to work. What a way to start the day. Even better, this recipe has no refined sugar… go on, have another slice!

Collect

• 3/4 c chopped walnuts
• 1/3 c melted coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 c honey or maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 2 large or 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 c milk of choice or water
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1 3/4 whole wheat flour

Create

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Pour the chopped walnuts onto the baking paper and cook until the nuts are fragrant and toasted, about 5 minutes. Nuts burn quickly, so don’t forget about them!
3. In a large bowl, mix the coconut oil and honey together with a whisk until combined. Add the eggs and beat well. Whisk in the mashed bananas and milk until blended.
4. Next add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon. Whisk until combined. Add the flour and mix gently. Lastly add in the toasted nuts.
5. Pour the batter into the loaf tin. Optional – sprinkle extra cinnamon or walnuts over the top. Sometimes I like to slice a banana and add that for decoration too.
6. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Let the loaf cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack for a further 20 minutes before slicing.
7. The bread will last about 3 days at room temperature, but up to a week in the fridge. I like to slice mine after a day or two and freeze it for future use.