A Classic Re-imagined: Nutty-Oat Banana Bread

There’s nothing like a warm slice of banana bread with a sliver of butter as an afternoon snack. It’s delicious, and you feel so healthy when you buy it to have with your coffee when out on a date with a friend. Unfortunately, banana bread has become a sugar-laden, butter-indulged dessert that cannot be eaten guilt-free. I find myself feeling bloated with a sugar rush after eating it. When looking at the recipes online, they mostly follow this pattern. And so, I decided to create my own take on banana bread. While the rolled oats and almond meal can easily be replaced with 2 cups of white flour, the oats add some texture and a surprising flavour, while the almond meal and walnuts add a nutty surprise!

Eating healthy does not have to be boring, but let’s face it: bananas are one of the fruits that are highest in sugar. Surely their natural fructose should be enough to give us that sweet flavour. If it’s not, maybe we’ve become used to consuming too much sugar? Just some food for thought. I hope you enjoy my low-sugar Nutty-Oat Banana Bread!

Nutty-Oat Banana Bread

Preparation time:            15 minutes
Cooking time:                   60 minutes
Makes one loaf of banana bread.

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup almond meal*
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 over ripe bananas
2 eggs
¼ cup milk**
1 tablespoon rice malt syrup (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1-2 teaspoon(s) cinnamon powder
1/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Heat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Line a bread tray with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, almond meal and baking powder.
3. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas together.
4. In a small bowl whisk the eggs. Add the milk, rice malt syrup vanilla essence and eggs to the bananas. Stir to combine.
5. Stir the banana mixture into the dry mixture, making sure it is thoroughly combined with no dry pockets.
6. Melt the coconut oil in a small bowl in the microwave. Use an oil brush to line the baking paper in the bread tray. Stir in the rest of the coconut oil into the banana bread and then pour the mixture into the bread tray, and flatten with a spatula.
7. Sprinkle the roughly chopped walnuts over the top of the mixture. Place in the oven for 60 minutes, or until golden brown and dry when tested with a cake stick.
8. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, and then place on a cooling rack. Enjoy while warm, with a slither of butter.

Banana bread will stay fresh in an air-tight container for three days. It can also be cut into slices and frozen into zip lock bags for school lunches.

* The almond meal will result in the banana bread not rising like a full loaf. If you prefer a full fluffy loaf, simply swap the almond meal for 1.5 cups of plain white flour.

** Milk can be replaced with lactose-free milk for a lactose-free version.