Maple and Coconut Banana Bread
Our favourite banana bread recipe: a quick bake that can be frozen and is a great way to use up a glut of overripe bananas. The riper the bananas the better the bake, with a more caramelised and complex flavour. In lockdown this proved one of our most popular recipes and it is very forgiving so have a go at baking this with your kids.
This recipe is sweetened with maple syrup and in the below quantities the finished banana bread is not overly sweet. If you would like a sweeter end result then adjust to your own preference, by adding more maple syrup or a little brown sugar. It has a lovely texture with the addition of coconut oil and this keeps the bread from being dry, or drying out. If you would prefer you can switch coconut oil for unsalted butter. The loaf will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days, if it lasts that long! Serve warm straight from the oven and for an extra treat you can add a handful of dark chocolate chips.
Wet Ingredients:
100ml coconut oil, melted (slightly warm but not hot)
40ml maple syrup
125g natural yogurt
2 organic eggs
3 bananas, mashed to incorporate in mix
2 bananas, chopped and folded through mix & 1-2 bananas sliced in half and pushes into the top of the bread to decorate
Dry Ingredients:
100g plain flour
125g plain wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
To make ~
Preheat the oven to 160C fan.
Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl: the wet ingredients first and then sift in the dry ingredients.
Grease a tin, with a little oil, or coconut oil. Fill with the mix and top with the bananas sliced in half, push them a little into the mix. Cook for 50 mins, or until cooked, you can test with a skewer. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack
Delicious served slightly warm from the oven.
Recipe illustration below by Lucy Claire
