Chocolatey banana bread with walnuts – Gluten-free, Sugar-free and plant based
First let me say I do not bake – well almost never. For me it’s fun to take traditional recipes and re-invent them with a lot of flavor and a real bump in nutritional value. I’m always sneaking in the “best of the best”, either when it comes to vegetables, fruits, beans or nuts.
Why use the mediocre valued food, when you can substitute the heavy hitter that’s loaded with anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and healing nutrients? It is from this mindset I create my recipes and this site is full of them. There’s also my YouTube channel where you can watch creations occur. It’s fun to watch and see how easily and quickly you can create a healthy meal.
Ok, back to baking. Desserts, of course, are not uber healthy – no argument there so for that reason I don’t spend a lot of time on them. Plus, my biggest failures have lain at the feet of an unhealthy dessert recipe that I have tried to infuse with healthier and less refined ingredients, only to find the end product less than desirable. Why? Baking is a science; cooking is more art. You can be midway a meal preparation and decide it needs more seasoning or a squeeze of lemon to “brighten” the flavor and make that change. You can correct with meals; desserts are not so accommodating. Once that creation goes into the oven to bake, you’re committed.
With that said, we do have a few dessert recipes on the site; one of my favorites is a ridiculously easy raw brownie – so delicious! But I digress… back to banana bread. A favorite Sunday morning breakfast getaway for us is Seed & Salt in San Francisco. Everything is gluten-free and plant based, making it a safe place for us to eat. They offer a delicious banana bread that is a favorite of my family.
I contemplated trying to recreate it and pleasantly, recently had success! Mind you, that with all the positives of this bread boasting no sugar, no gluten, no dairy and completely plant based, it does have some refined flours and whole oats.
My recommendation? Keep the recipe for special occasions and then wow your friends and family who won’t believe you made it from scratch!
And let me know if you try any less refined flours and how it turns out. I will plan to experiment with that as well and update the recipe as I figure it out!
Pan: 1 loaf pan – I prefer glass (9×5”)
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups mashed very ripe banana (about 4 medium or 3 large)
2 tablespoons ground organic flaxseed
1/3 cup organic unsweetened plant-based milk, such as almond milk
1/3 cup organic refined coconut oil, melted (or use unrefined if you enjoy the flavor of coconut)
2 tablespoons pure organic maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Dry ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic coconut sugar or date sugar
1/2 cup organic gluten-free rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten-free flour mix
¾ cup organic chopped walnuts, divided
¼ cup chopped roughly, high quality bittersweet chocolate, dairy-free
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with coconut oil.
In a large bowl, mash the banana well.
Add the remaining wet ingredients (almond milk, melted oil, maple syrup, and vanilla) into the banana and mix until combined.
Stir the dry ingredients (ground flax, coconut sugar, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour) into the wet mixture, one by one, in the order listed. Don’t overmix. As soon as all the ingredients are combined, stop.
Lastly add the walnuts (1/2 cup) and chocolate.
Spoon the dough into the loaf pan and spread it evenly. Add the remaining ¼ cup of walnuts to the top of the dough, gently pressing them into the dough.
Bake the loaf, uncovered, for 45 to 50 minutes until lightly golden and firm on top. The top of the loaf should slowly spring back when you press on it.
Allow the loaf pan 20 minutes on a cooling rack to cool completely. Loosen with a knife and remove it from the pan, placing it again onto the cooling rack. It’s hard to wait, I know!
The loaf will keep in the fridge tightly wrapped for 3 to 4 days, or it can be frozen for 4 to 5 weeks.
Grateful acknowledgement to Oh She Glows for inspiration of this recipe. I changed up the flour, added walnuts and chocolate to make it closer to the Seed & Salt version, but the foundation came from her; thank you.
Buon appetito!
Dr. Vikki Petersen DC, CCN
IFM Certified Practitioner
Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center
Author of “The Gluten Effect”
Author of eBook: “Gluten Intolerance – What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You!”