Excuse the capitals in the title but I really do feel that this recipe = the best banana bread!
I have always preferred using spelt flour for my bread recipes and I have tried out my fair share of banana bread recipes however I initially developed this recipe by accident and thought I had to trial and error it to perfect the original bake I achieved. So my flour was spelt flour, and I used a ‘sweet and nutty’ one that I found in Waitrose. I also used a small amount of coconut sugar, mashed bananas, banana protein powder, oats, egg and vanilla. Now I think what makes this bread even more delicious is the vanilla and cashew icing… just dreamy! Of course you can opt for the bread without the icing but I really would recommend it.
So what’s great about this bread (besides the taste)? It is made up with complex carbohydrates that provide your body with slow releasing energy. It is a good source of protein, contains bananas which provide potassium and increase levels of serotonin (the happy hormone). In addition to an egg I have also used flaxseed eggs for additional nutritional value. Flaxseed is a great source of essential fatty acids which are good for your heart.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of spelt flour
- 1/4 cup of oats
- 1/3 of a cup of coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 2 medium mashed bananas (preferably ripe)
- 2 scoops of banana protein powder
- 1 egg
- 2 flaxseed eggs (2 tablespoons of flaxseed + 6 tablespoons of water)
- 1 cup of almond milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Icing
- 1/2 cup raw cashews , soaked for 2-3 hours and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons of raw honey
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of water
- Chopped hazelnuts (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and grease a 1lb loaf tin with coconut oil.
- In a bowl, combine the spelt flour, oats, coconut sugar, protein powder and baking powder.
- Mix up your flaxseed eggs in a cup and leave to set for 5 minutes.
- Mash the bananas and add to the bowl. Then add the almond milk, egg, vanilla and cinnamon and mix until you have a smooth mixture (you may have a few banana chunks which is fine).
- Stir in the flaxseed eggs.
- Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Whilst the bread is baking you can prepare your icing. (See method for icing)
- Once the bread is baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from the tin. Allow the bread to cool completely before icing.
Method for icing
- Combine all ingredients and blend in a food processor or vitamix until smooth.
- Allow to cool in freezer for at least one hour in order for it to thicken.
- Spread the icing over the bread and finish off with the chopped hazelnuts.
Enjoy! If you love this recipe you may also enjoy my marble bread.
You can see more of my sweet and savoury recipes that are uploaded daily to my instagram page!
