Oh Banana Bread!

I love walking into the kitchen with an idea, my fresh ingredients, and an outlined plan of what I am trying to accomplish. Then, without a recipe, cooking on feeling and gut instant to come up with something truly amazingly delicious. That is just what I did with this banana bread. The trick is to remember exactly what you put into it! I wanted to make a banana bread that was healthy, gluten free, protein packed, and most of all enjoyable to the taste buds. Based on my hubby’s reaction, I think I nailed it! You will notice that there is NO SUGAR in this recipe, except for the natural sugars of the banana, dried cranberries, little bit of honey,  and the chocolate chips. How great is that! You will not only love every bite of this banana bread, you will also be reaping the benefits of each ingredient it contains! Try it out, and let me know what you think! Have it for breakfast on the go, or paired with your favorite vegan ice cream for dessert!

Ingredients

2 very large bananas mashed to a baby food consistancy (the riper the better)

1 tbsp of organic peanut butter

2 scoops of chocolate protein powder (my Vega performance has 25 grams of protein in one scoop)

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup dried cranberries (you can also use fresh or dried blueberries)

1/2 cup of organic dark chocolate chips

1 1/4 cup of organic gluten free oats

1/4 cup ground coconut flakes

2 cups of almond flour

3 large organic eggs (to make this vegan, 1 egg= 3 tblp of water + 1 tbsp of flax meal- let it sit for about 3 mins before adding to your recipe)

2 scoops of Organic Triple Fiber (contains flaxseed, oat bran, and acacia fiber)

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup of melted organic coconut oil (plus extra for oiling the pan)

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 tbsp of pure organic unfiltered honey

Directions

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. In a large bowl, smash your bananas into submission. Add the cinnamon, peanut butter, vanilla, coconut oil, baking soda, baking powder, eggs, fiber powder, and protein powder. It is easiest to add slowly, making sure everything is mixed well. I didn’t have a mixer here in Japan, so I got an arm workout with my large fork!

Once everything is mixed, add in your oats, almond flour, and coconut flakes.

Then add the goodies! Your walnuts, chocolate chips and dried cranberries. How beautiful does that look!

I again didn’t have a loaf pan available to me in this under-stocked kitchen across the pond, so I had to use a square glass pan that worked just fine.  Oil up your pan, making sure to get every nook and cranny and up the sides of the pan for when your bread rises. Once oiled, spread your batter evenly in the pan.

This next step was inspired by the Betty Crocker turtle brownie mix, where you drizzle caramel on the top, and crisscross over the top for some beautiful gooeyness! With your spoonful of honey, drizzle it evenly across your bread. Then, with a knife, cut through the top as seen in the picture below.

Place the pan on the middle rack of your oven, and bake for 25 mins, or until a toothpick comes out clean after being stuck in the middle of your bread.

Now rather than ending this post here, I wanted to break down what I chose the ingredients I did.

Bananas

There is a reason monkeys love them so much! Bananas help over come depression because they contain high levels of tryptophan, protect against muscle cramps, and help regulate blood sugar. Due to the fact that they have a high level of vitamin B6, they can help reduce swelling, strengthen the nervous system, and help with the production of white blood cells. They help with digestion: act as a prebiotic, produce digestive enzymes, contain fiber, and act as a natural antacid.

Almond Flour

Almonds are a great source of protein and Vitamin E, which helps to protect your immune system. It is also a good source of folate and niacin! It is one of my favorite wheat/flour alternatives!

Oats

One cup of oats contains 8.2 grams of fiber! They are rich in manganese, fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin E. Oats are known to help lower cholesterol, and lower the risk of heart disease.

Coconut Oil

The list is endless for this superfood powerhouse. Coconut oil helps with weight loss, the proper function of the endocrine and thyroid systems, boost immune system, regulates metabolism, helps with bone strength, and proper digestion. It is an antimicrobial, anti-fungal, and antibacterial! Make sure to get organic extra virgin coconut oil!

Walnuts

Walnuts are my favorite to bake with! They are packed of plant-based goodness. Just 1/4 cup of walnuts contains 100% of the recommended daily value of omega -3 fats! They contain high amounts of biotin, manganese, copper, folate, Vitamin E, melatonin, and molybdenum. They have been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer and heart disease! Walnuts also contain rare and powerful antioxidants: quinine jug lone, tannin tellimagrandin, and flavonol morin! Their antioxidant powers help prevent liver damage as well!

Dark Chocolate

There is definitely a sweet healthy side to the decadent-ness of dark chocolate. This should put the cherry back on your sundae to hear that dark chocolate contains fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, zinc, phosphorus, and selenium! It contains a great amount of antioxidants that help protect your body. The higher the cocoa content the better. I generally like to look for 70% or higher cocoa content for the most benefits!