Is it breakfast or is it dessert? It’s the foremost reason to buy extra bananas for the purpose of letting them ripen to the point, just to make banana bread. It’s a one-bowl mix that bursts with flavour. Olive oil, mashed banana, shredded carrot, chopped walnuts, and the homely feel of cinnamon and nutmeg, all dressed up with vanilla cream.
I craved banana bread and hubby challenged for carrot cake. Since Saturdays are meant for chilling, I decided to do the combo and satisfy both our cravings. Well it didn’t stop there. Hubby also wanted it made with almond flour instead of regular flour. So I had to do something, right?
This is the result of my morning madness. No regrets. The texture is soft and fluffy with the crunch of the nuts and the top is sweetened with vanilla cream.
If you’re anything like me then banana bread has got to be a thing, if not, then lets make it a thing!
Gluten Free
Hubby always prefers gluten free when I switch the oven on. I worked on a few alternatives to regular flour and found that almond flour and coconut flour provides me with the best results. You could use either blanched almond flour or almond meal. In this case, the banana bread is so moist and tender, it will be hard to believe that its made without regular flour. No grains, no dairy and the texture is moist, slightly fluffy with a light crumb.
Regular Flour
If you prefer to use all purpose regular flour, substitute the almond flour and coconut flour amount using all purpose regular flour. I’ve made banana bread on many occasions with regular flour, using Eureka Mills Cake Wheat Flour.
Banana and Carrot?
I’m all about pleasing everyone at home but sometimes I got to put me out there too, right? I suppose most of you will relate to this. I wanted banana bread. Hubby wanted carrot loaf. It was Saturday and I was in no mood to mess up too many dishes and spend all my time in the kitchen. It was the kind of Saturday when I just wanted to put my feet up and watch movies. Well that is my story of how the banana and carrot loaf was born. Not a shabby idea at all. The bread is full of banana flavour and the sweetness of the carrot works so beautifully, without the one overpowering the other. For added texture I added chopped walnuts. Cinnamon is a must for any good banana bread recipe. Cinnamon and nutmeg quietly yields the taste and feel of home.
Which Sugar?
In this case you could use white sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar or any sugar free alternatives. This recipe is so versatile that it accommodates healthier alternatives if you’re concerned about your choices.
Do I have to use Olive Oil?
I love baking with a good quality olive oil, if im not using butter. Once again my recipe is versatile and allows for coconut oil or softened butter, if you prefer.
Storing and Freezing Banana Bread
The lifespan of banana and carrot bread in my home has a very short lifespan. If you do have leftovers, it can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container. Should you wish to keep it longer, you can store it in the fridge for up to a week.
To Freeze
You can place slices of the bread in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Vanilla Cream
Mix together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup Greek yoghurt and 1/4 tsp vanilla essence until you reach a pourable consistency. Pour over cooled bread.
BANANA AND CARROT BREAD
Ingredients
- 1½ cups almond flour or 2 cups all purpose regular flour (if not gluten-free)
- ½ cup coconut flour Skip this flour if using regular flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 3 ripe bananas mashed
- 2 carrots shredded/grated
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degree celcius
- Grease a baking loaf pan and line with greaseproof paper
- In a small bowl, mix together your wet ingredients, (bananas, carrots, eggs, oil, vanilla essence)
- In a large clean bowl, sift your dry ingredients, (flours, salt, bicarb, baking powder, spices)
- Pour the wet ingredients and mix into the dry ingredients.
- Add in the walnuts and stir to combine.
- Pour batter into the baking pan. If using gluten-free flours, the batter will be thick and not as loose as with regular flour.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the bread is cooked through.
- Remove from oven and let the bread cool completely before pouring the vanilla cream.
