I recently returned from an amazing trip to Maui. One of the highlights from the trip was the driving the Road to Hana. This scenic highway offers breathtaking views, waterfalls nearly around each corner, black and red sand beaches, rainbow eucalyptus trees, amazing hikes, and local fruit stands dotting the roadside all along the way. I found that just as popular as some of the spots to stop and take in the views were the little shops and stands claiming to have the best banana bread. With claims that strong, you cannot simply past without trying at least one. While I do not know which stand truly has the best banana bread, I can say that the one I tried at the Halfway to Hana stand did not disappoint.
Since it was a cloudy and rainy weekend here at home, and I had some bananas starting to get too ripe, I decided to make some banana bread of my own. Now, I know the banana bread I enjoyed in Maui was nowhere near healthy, so my goal, as always, was to create a cleaned up version that is still tasty. I am pleased with what I came up with.
My banana bread is both vegan and gluten free. It is refined sugar free, using maple syrup which is lower on the glycemic index than regular sugar. There are healthy fats in the bread from the use of coconut oil, chia seeds, and almond meal. Best of all, it tastes really yummy. Thank you Maui for the inspiration.
Banana bread
3 ripe bananas
¼ cup melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch pink himalayan sea salt
1 chia egg
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour
½ cup almond meal
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly grease a loaf pan (mine was 5 x 9).
2. In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir in coconut oil (melt if needed).
3. Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the maple syrup, chia egg, and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour and almond meal. Stir until smooth and well incorporated.
4. Pour the batter into loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
*To make a chia egg, mix 1 Tablespoon of chia seeds + 3 Tablespoons of water. Stir well and place in refrigerator for about 10 minutes to thicken.
Since it was a cloudy and rainy weekend here at home, and I had some bananas starting to get too ripe, I decided to make some banana bread of my own. Now, I know the banana bread I enjoyed in Maui was nowhere near healthy, so my goal, as always, was to create a cleaned up version that is still tasty. I am pleased with what I came up with.
My banana bread is both vegan and gluten free. It is refined sugar free, using maple syrup which is lower on the glycemic index than regular sugar. There are healthy fats in the bread from the use of coconut oil, chia seeds, and almond meal. Best of all, it tastes really yummy. Thank you Maui for the inspiration.
Banana bread
3 ripe bananas
¼ cup melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch pink himalayan sea salt
1 chia egg
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour
½ cup almond meal
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly grease a loaf pan (mine was 5 x 9).
2. In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir in coconut oil (melt if needed).
3. Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the maple syrup, chia egg, and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour and almond meal. Stir until smooth and well incorporated.
4. Pour the batter into loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
*To make a chia egg, mix 1 Tablespoon of chia seeds + 3 Tablespoons of water. Stir well and place in refrigerator for about 10 minutes to thicken.
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