The JSHealth community so adored the banana bread in my first book that I felt I really should include a variation of it in this book. And I have to tell you, it could be my favourite sweet treat in this chapter. A slice of this with a smear of almond butter and a cup of chai and I’m in heaven.
Banana hazelnut chocolate bread
Ingredients
- coconut oil spray
- almond meal, for coating
- 200 g hazelnut meal, plus extra if needed
- 50 g LSA or ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons psyllium husk (for a fibre hit, but optional)
- 2 heaped tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 40 g hazelnuts, skins removed, crushed or chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 75 g roughly chopped dark chocolate or raw vegan chocolate chunks
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 3 eggs
- 90 g medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons almond milk (or milk of your choice), plus extra if needed
- 2 tablespoons virgin organic coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons stevia granules, raw honey or maple syrup
- ½ banana, extra, sliced
- almond butter, raw honey and raw cacao powder,extra, to serve
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/gas 4). Lightly spray a standard loaf tin with coconut oil and coat generously with almond meal, tipping out the excess.
Combine the hazelnut meal, LSA or fl axseed, psyllium husk (if using), cacao powder, hazelnuts, cinnamon, baking powder and chocolate in a large mixing bowl.
In a jug, whisk together the mashed banana, eggs, dates, milk, coconut oil and sweetener.
Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
If the batter is too wet, add extra hazelnut meal; if it is too dry, add more milk.
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and decorate the top with the sliced banana.
Bake for 45–60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Remove and allow to cool in the tin.
Gently tip the cooled loaf out of the tin and cut into slices. This is delicious served with almond butter, honey and a sprinkle of cacao powder.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or wrap individual slices and store in the freezer for a month.
Living the Healthy Life by Jessica Sepel is out Thursday (6th April), published by Bluebird, £16.99. Images by Rob Palmer.
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
