G's Favorite Banana Bread
Pumpkin Chocolate chip version incognito as birthday cake!
It’s officially February - the days are getting longer and it feels like spring is just around the corner. This is the time of year when we see a lot of our clients pay close attention to what they eat. Let’s face it, we all need good fuel to get the full benefit of our workouts and those Hundreds (or Two Hundred’s depending on your instructor’s ability to count 😉) require a lot of energy! I have been asked for this recipe by several clients - in fact, one asked again just last week - for the fourth time! So I figured I would put it here. Because food. Who doesn’t love talking ‘bout food?
My family LOVES food and we generally love to cook. We’re not very big bakers, however this is a family favorite. We eat it for breakfast, we take along to pot lucks, and we’ve been known to cover it with frosting and call it Birthday Cake. It’s gluten free, dairy free, grain free, and can be made nut free. It’s chock full of healthy fats from the almond flour, fiber from the coconut flour, flax and chia seeds, and has minimal sugar. A buttered slice can keep me going for hours! Also, did I mention it’s delicious? Emma has forbidden me from leaving any in the studio because she WILL eat it all.
I’ve been making this in a square “brownie” pan lately, but you can do this as a loaf, muffins or whatever shape you are partial to. You will need to adjust the cook time accordingly.
(Please note: All times are approximates as ovens vary wildly. The difference between my gas oven in NYC and my parents’ electric oven in Iceland is wild! The bread is ready when you are able to insert a toothpick and it comes out clean, and the bread will look somewhat golden brown on top.)
BASIC RECIPE + VARIATIONS
Variety is the spice of life so I’ve included the basic recipe below and some of my favorite variations.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip: Swap the mashed banana for 2/3 cups of pumpkin puree (or mashed sweet potatoes), and add in a scant cup chocolate chips instead of the blueberries. One of my clients has also tried using cacao nibs instead of chocolate - she liked it, I personally prefer the sweetness of the chocolate :)
Pumpkin Gingerbread: I recently made a pumpkin version for Christmas with more gingerbread spices and dried cranberries in addition to the chopped up chocolate chips. It was a hit! Add 2 tsp of ground ginger and a bit of black pepper to the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip version above. Then add a 1/2 cup of dried cranberries when you add the chocolate. Yum!
Nut free: You can swap the almond and coconut for 2 cups of ground up sunflower seeds. This variation comes in handy for pot luck or school situations. Plus sunflower seeds tend to be cheaper than nuts - just get a pack of raw sunflower seeds and throw them in your food processor or blender until you have a nice ground consistency. A word of warning - you should know in advance that when you combine sunflower seeds and baking soda the seeds will turn green! Thus the whole bread will have this (I think kind of pretty) dark green hue. It’s nothing to worry about but helpful to know before you get surprised by it!
I’ve attempted to make an egg free version, replacing with flax egg. It wasn’t super successful but if you figure it out let us know!
GO FORTH AND BAKE!
Stirring is fun for small hands!
This recipe is definitely a family affair. My son and I have been making this together since he was 2 years old. It’s easy, no fancy equipment needed, and not a lot of clean up! I used to try and mix the dry ingredients without Ari but now he is practicing measuring cup techniques. Then he mixes everything together and puts in the pan. It’s a good hour of activity, plus he’s way more excited to eat something that he made “all by himself”, as he will proudly proclaim to anyone who will listen.
I hope you enjoy making this as much as my family does. We constantly have to remind ourselves it’s fun to involve Ari in our cooking adventures, and he’s a great helper when he wants to be! We would love to see any baking efforts or hear about any variations you or your family create! And even if you end up with a flop, you’ll have enjoyed some valuable family time together!