Banana Bread (Vegan Optional)

First post of the New Year!!!

So much happened in 2016 for me; my husband and I started exercising regularly, we adopted an adorable sweet dog, I decided to go vegan, traveled to Yellowstone, New Orleans, and Chicago for the first time. It was certainly a full and fulfilling year. Which causes me to be so super excited for the next one! I cannot wait to see what 2017 brings. My 2017 resolutions are to up my lift game at the gym, come up with some super fantastic exceptional recipes for everyone, and to travel to at least as many new places in 2017 as I did in 2016. I hope y’all are as excited as I am about this upcoming year. I’m sure you all have some great New Year’s resolutions. Leave a comment below and share with me! Well, I can’t wait to get started. In fact, I think I won’t wait! So let’s start off the New Year with one of my favorite breakfast foods….. banana bread. What smells and tastes better than warm soft banana bread fresh from the oven?

Ingredients

1 cup flour

½ cup almond flour

¾ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

A dash of cinnamon

½ cup butter (or vegan butter)

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

3 medium bananas mashed

¼ cup milk (bovine, soy, almond, etc.)

2 tbls coconut oil

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup chopped walnuts, optional

 

Preheat the oven to 325 F. I like to line a loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with oil. This way when the bread is done baking it’s very easy to remove from the pan and there is much less clean up.

In a medium bowl combine flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set this bowl aside.

In a stand mixer cream butter and sugar. If you don’t have a stand mixer a hand mixer will work, but the stand mixer is sooooooo much easier. Seriously if you’re a baker get you a stand mixer. They’re amazing.

Here is where you are going to combine the rest of the wet ingredients together including the bananas. When making banana bread you want your bananas to be overly ripe, like brown on the outside. This way they’re super soft and mushy. Then fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until moist. It’s ok if there are lumps. I personally am a huge nut fan. So if you are into nuts too then you can add those in as well at this point. I also like to keep a few walnuts to place on the top of the batter before placing in the oven. It’s a nice aesthetic touch to the loaf.

Now pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool for about 20 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to let finish cooling completely before cutting.

 

Here’s a printable version of the recipe for y’all.

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please let me know what you think in the comments below. Make sure to check some of my previous posts and if you like what you see don’t forget to subscribe for more great posts of food and travel. I’m also on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat under girlndacoconut.