I’ve had quite a few baking successes over the past couple of weeks and my obsession for banana bread esque concoctions has been re-ignited. This recipe is pretty much everything that I envisaged it being. It’s soft & fluffy, not at all dense, delicately sweet, provides crunch and nutty flavour, there’s FROSTING.. oh, and gooey chunks of melted dark chocolate. I mean, what more could you really want to accompany your afternoon cup of tea really? I love warming up a slice and drizzling over a little peanut butter or honey. Honestly. SO. GOOD.
It’s clear to see that I enjoy a good baking session every day of the year, but I think it’s especially wonderful around Christmas time! Those delectable scents of warming festive spices, floating throughout your home are just the dream! I love walking back into my apartment after a day of cooking, to smell the gorgeous waft of freshly baked banana bread welcoming me from the kitchen.
I’ve partnered with California Walnuts to create this recipe, especially for the festive season because as well as being great for you all year round, we do associate walnuts with the festive season and using a nut cracker to break open the shells whilst lying around on the sofa nursing the Christmas dinner food babies! They have an incredible flavour and are little nutritional powerhouses. I love adding nuts into my diet on a daily basis, as they’re a good source of healthy fats and vitamins. They’re also such an easy thing to add into recipes and sprinkle over your dishes for that added crunch element.
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe bananas
- 65g vegan butter
- 60g coconut palm sugar
- 40 agave syrup
- 2 whole eggs
- 100g oat flour
- 80g spelt flour
- Heaped tsp baking powder
- 1/3 tsp bicarb
- Tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- Pinch salt
- Handful dark chocolate chips
- Handful chopped walnuts
- 3 tbsp cashew butter
- 3 tbsp agave syrup
- Non-dairy milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch mixed spice
- Extra walnuts for toppings
Method
Preheat your oven to 180c and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
In a food processor, combine the bananas, coconut sugar, agave and vegan butter, then blend until smooth.
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then fold through the wet ingredients to create a smooth cake batter. Gently mix through the walnuts and chocolate chips, then pour the mixture into your loaf tin. Bake the banana bread in the oven for around 40 minuets, then allow to cool completely.
To make the frosting, mix together the cashew butter, agave syrup, spices and a dash of non- dairy milk.
Once your frosting is nice and smooth and the loaf has cooled, spread the icing over the top and garnish with some extra walnuts.
Serve with a warming cup of hot cocoa and enjoy!
